Notre Dame Football Recruiting: 4-Star Tackle Joey Tanona commits to the Irish

Over the past month the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been turning up the heat on the 2022 recruiting cycle, and on Saturday, they reaped a big reward for their effort. 4-Star offensive tackle Joey Tanona from Zionsville, Indiana gave his commitment to the Irish.

Tanona chose the Irish over offers from all over the country including the Ohio State Buckeyes, LSU Tigers, Penn State Nittany Lions, Michigan Wolverines, and many more.

Irish Illustrated’s Tim Prister offered this evaluation:

Tanona shows quick-twitch ability off the snap of the football, can run as a pulling tackle, and has good balance in the open field, which is no small feat at his size. He generally stays on his feet and moves on to the next block after disposing of one opponent. He’s very active with his hands between the opponent’s shoulder pads. When he’s on the move, he works to keep his outside shoulder free, which makes him a handful on the run.

As a pass blocker, Tanona has an excellent set-up with a wide base and good knee bend. Considering his physical development and where he’ll be five football seasons from now — which is about the time he’d be ready to become a full-time player for the Irish — remaining at left tackle is going to be a challenge.

Joey is the first commitment of the 2022 class, and although it is still extremely early, the class has the potential to be a big one — in numbers and in terms of quality. What does or doesn’t happen with the 2020 college football season could play a big part in determining all of that.

For now, this is a fantastic commitment and what Notre Dame HAS to do in this cycle. If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything when it comes to football recruiting, it’s that hauling in local talent is as important as it’s ever been.

FIST PUMPS UP FOR JOEY!