Notre Dame stayed hot on the recruiting trail today when Atlanta (Ga.) Westminster School four-star tight end Holden Staes announced his commitment to play ball for the Fighting Irish. One of the most coveted players at his position in the class of 2022, the 6-5, 230-pounder chose Notre Dame over scholarship offers from the likes of Georgia, Texas, LSU, Alabama, North Carolina, Ole Miss and many others.
Staes, a one-time Penn State commit, seemed to hit it off well with head coach Brian Kelly, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and tight ends coach John McNulty. The fact that all three made him such a priority likely helped the Fighting Irish land the Georgia standout. In a recent interview, he raved about his connection with his future position coach and the man that will run the offense at Notre Dame.
“I love talking to coach McNulty,” said Staes of McNulty. “Like coach Rees and coach Kelly, he’s a super easy guy to talk to. I think the biggest thing for me that stands out is just his experience in the NFL and him knowing what scouts and GMs like in terms of when they’re taking a tight end. He’s told me a lot of times about when he was at the combine and they were looking at tight ends that weren’t doing such and such in college, and what makes other tight ends stand out. The development that he can offer and the knowledge he has from the NFL is super big for me and definitely what stands out the most.”
“I think he’s a great coach,” added Staes of Rees. “Obviously it is super cool that he played there and then him still being in his 20s as a super young coach, who is easy to talk to because he’s closer in age and really relatable. Then just having that aspect that he played there and he knows what it takes to be successful there. He’s definitely been a good coach to talk to and learn the ins and outs of what Notre Dame has to offer. I love what he does with the offense and the tight ends and how he’s using them. I think with the players they have there, they do a really good job with the offense for sure.”
In addition, a recent call with Kelly may have tipped the scales in favor of the Fighting Irish. Not only did it seem to help Staes with his decision, but that call made a big impression on his parents as well.
“We talked briefly after the calls,” said Staes of his parents. “They were obviously super impressed. We’ve done a few Zooms with just coach McNulty and coach Rees looking at the offense and also talked with a few of the recruiting people, in terms of learning about the academic part of the school. Obviously they’re super high on academics as well, so they love the combination that Notre Dame provides in terms of academics and the big-time football. They really like what they’ve heard so far as well.”
Per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Staes is the No. 268 overall player in America, No. 10 tight end nationally and No. 25 prospect in Georgia from the class of 2022.
