2023 Notre Dame target Rodney Gallagher ‘enjoying every part’ of the recruiting process
2023 Uniontown (Pa.) Laurel Highlands wide receiver Rodney Gallagher has become one of the hottest commodities in his class, and Notre Dame has immense interest in the 5-10, 165-pound wideout. That interest is mutual.
On Monday, Gallagher joined Thomas Frank Carr of Blue White Illustrated, On3’s Penn State fan site, on the BWI Daily podcast to discuss his recruitment and commitment timeline.
According to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Gallagher is a top-100 player. The wideout is the No. 2 player from Pennsylvania, and the No. 15 wide receiver and No. 91 overall player in the 2023 class.
If you have that résumé, you can expect to receive immense amounts of attention from coaches across the country. That’s the case with Gallagher.
“They contact me throughout the day while I’m in school,” Gallagher said. “I’m really trying to focus on school, but when I have down time, whenever I can, I’ll obviously respond to the coaches. We have little conversations. The process is still amazing, and I’m enjoying every part of it.”
During the interview, Gallagher was asked which schools he is speaking with on a daily basis. After citing Penn State, Notre Dame was the next school mentioned.
“Penn State, obviously, has been very heavy on me, and they still are,” Gallagher said. “Notre Dame has, (too).”
Gallagher added he frequently communicates with Michigan, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Oregon, Ohio State and Nebraska as well.
In total, Gallagher holds 19 Power Five offers. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Penn State a 93.7 percent chance of landing him, but don’t expect a commitment soon. Gallagher is adamant about taking his time to ensure he makes the correct decision.
Where does the versatile athlete want to line up?
Gallagher is one of the more versatile players in his class. He has played receiver, quarterback, cornerback, and on punt and kick returns for Laurel Highlands. The experience all over the field, particularly at quarterback, has helped him better understand the wide receiver position and what it takes to be elite. He hopes to take those skills to the collegiate level.
“I want to play slot receiver,” Gallagher said. “I want to score touchdowns. I want to do what’s best for me, and I really think that’s the best position for me. I’m excited, and I’m really going to develop this offseason into that position and work on every single thing I need to be great.”
Gallagher knows what he wants out of a school off the field too. The Pennsylvania native is looking for somewhere with great academics incase his football career does not pan out.
“It’s not all about football,” he said.
Interestingly, Gallagher is very keyed in on the NIL world, and his On3 NIL Valuation shows it. He has a high school football valuation of $119,000, which ranks No. 5 among active high school football players. The receiver has approximately 84,000 followers on Instagram, and each of his posts is worth $976. His stock has shot up in recent months; Gallagher’s NIL valuation over the last 10 weeks has increased 40 percent.
