Brian Kelly’s abrupt departure from Notre Dame does not appear to be hurting recruiting. If anything, it has perhaps helped in one case.
On Friday, four-star offensive lineman Billy Schrauth committed to Notre Dame. The Wisconsin native notably chose the Fighting Irish over his home state Badgers.
Schrauth did an in-depth interview with Tom Loy of Irish Illustrated, in which he dropped a rather intriguing quote about Kelly in comparison with new coach Marcus Freeman.
“I wasn’t the biggest fan of the last head coach, but when I met coach Freeman, he was different,” Schrauth said, via Irish Illustrated. “He is a great guy and someone I can see myself working for and putting in the work for. He approached our conversations totally different than what I was used to. It totally switched how I felt about Notre Dame.”
There is certainly a perception that Kelly was not the most personable guy as Notre Dame coach. That seems to come through here. After all, Kelly seems to have openly lied to at least one other Notre Dame recruiting target.
As for Freeman, his hire seems to be a home run for Notre Dame so far. Their current players seem to feel the same way about him as Schrauth does.
Photo: Sep 28, 2019; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly waves to fans as he enters Notre Dame Stadium before the game against the Virginia Cavaliers. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
