Notre Dame added some weight, literally and figuratively, to the top of its 2021 class today when top 50 offensive lineman Rocco Spindler announced for the Irish at his high school. The 6’5″, 315-pound Michigander became the third top 50 member of Notre Dame’s class today, joining #41 Tyler Buchner and #50 Blake Fisher. Spindler has long been the subject of feverish speculation on message boards for multiple schools; on many Irish boards, he specifically served as a referendum on OL coach Jeff Quinn. Referendum answered, I would say. Pulling an elite prospect from the shadow of Ann Arbor is no small feat. Reportedly his confidence that Quinn would be able to develop him better was a major factor as well. His regular chats with Quenton Nelson probably didn’t hurt either.

Spindler had long intended to take all five of his allowed official visits this fall. However, as the summer progressed and it seemed less and less likely that those visits would ever be a possibility, he relented and pushed up his decision timeline. He still intends to take an official to Notre Dame if he can, but from what I understand he does not intend to use the full allotment of visits. Thankfully.

If you’re the type to enjoy a little schadenfreude – and really, with the Skunkbears involved, who isn’t? – go ahead and wander into a Michigan message board of your choice. Dipping into that hellscape will be worth it today.

Recruiting Service Rankings

247Sports Composite — 4 star (.9752), #48 overall, #3 OG, #3 in MI

247Sports — 4 star (94 rating), #78 overall, #5 OG, #4 in MI

Rivals — 4 star (5.9 rating), #56 overall, #3 OG, #3 in MI

ESPN — 4 star (86 rating), #65 overall, #1 OG, #3 in MI

Irish Sports Daily — 4 star (93 rating)

Cohort

In addition to Notre Dame and Michigan, Spindler holds offers from Alabama, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, and Wisconsin, among others.

Highlights

Well… Rocco certainly likes to hit people. He’s a standout defensive lineman too, and you can see that mentality in the way he plays. He’s very aggressive and very powerful, and apparently loves to put people on the ground. He looks most comfortable in straight-ahead run plays, where he can just fire out and start clobbering guys. He moves very well though, so with a little more discipline I think he can be an effective move blocker as well.

His pass blocking technique needs some work, specifically with his hands. His pass pro footwork is pretty good, which isn’t something you always see in a high school guard. He has a tendency though, at least on this film, to kind of catch pass rushers instead of shooting his hands out to disrupt their initial burst. Athleticism and physicality aren’t a question at all, so I’m sure that something Quinn can help him with.

Impact

The Irish will lose at least three and possibly four linemen after this season, so there will be opportunities for a number of guys to make a move on the depth chart. That said, it’s always a tall order for a true freshman to see the field, and I don’t think it’ll be different for Spindler. He’ll likely need some time to work on technique and conditioning, but once he’s ready, he has a ceiling as a multi-year starter and a really good one. I like the attitude he plays with too and I think he could be a tone-setter for the line.

Welcome to the Irish family, Rocco!