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Coach Brian Kelly received his 7th verbal commitment for the 2014 class last night from TE Nic Weishar (Midlothian, IL - Marist). He is listed at 6'5" and 215 lbs.
Weishar committed to Notre Dame after visiting campus multiple times, with the most recent trip coming just under two weeks ago (4/13). He was one of four top tight ends nationally to commit yesterday (Jeb Blazevich, Ian Bunting and Daniel Helm). Weishar chose Notre Dame over Michigan and Northwestern. He also held offers from Ohio State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Arkansas.
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Recruiting Service Rankings:
ESPN - Not Yet Rated
Rivals - 3 star (#13 TE), 5.7 Grade
Scout - 3 star (#14 TE)
247Sports - 4 star (#7 IL, #5 TE), #220 Overall (90 Grade)
247Sports Composite Score - 3 star (0.8744), #431 Overall (#18 TE, #13 IL)
Highlights:
Nic Weishar 2014 WR (Midlothian, IL) Marist HS (via 247SportsStudio)
Impact:
Immediate Future:
Considering Weishar will be a freshman in the fall of 2014 with senior tight ends Troy Niklas and Ben Koyack alongside sophomores Mike Heuerman and Durham Smythe, it is likely that he will redshirt his first season. Given he is only listed at 215 lbs currently, a year of bulking up and adding proper weight can only help in his development. Plus, learning the nuances of the position and the coach's expectations can't hurt his development either.
Long Term/Career:
Weishar has the skill set and frame to add his name to the long list of great tight ends that have come out of Notre Dame. He shows a great pass-catching ability, including using his body to effectively shield the defender when possible. He will have to work on the finer points of the position-route running and blocking-but most players who are physically more gifted at the prep level have the same areas to work on in college.
While he isn't quite as tall as Tyler Eifert, he looks similar in his play on his highlight film. Only time will tell if he reaches similar levels of production at the next level.
Welcome to Notre Dame Nic!