Newsstand: Notre Dame RB coach Deland McCullough meets one of his inspirations, Rocket Ismail
Notre Dame running backs coach Deland McCullough met one of his idols Monday: former Irish All-American wide receiver and kick returner Rocket Ismail.
McCullough tweeted a photo of he and Ismail together Monday and revealed that Ismail was the reason he wore No. 25 during his college career at Miami Ohio. Ismail starred at Notre Dame from 1988-90 while McCullough was in high school in Youngstown, Ohio. McCullough played for the RedHawks from 1992-95 and left as their all-time leading rusher.
Thirty years after choosing to wear Ismail’s number, McCullough finally met him.
“Phenomenal dude…so positive and so much energy,” McCullough wrote in his tweet. “Special place…legends walking these halls.”
Ismail was among the nearly 300 former Irish players who came back for “legacy weekend” the last few days, which included Saturday’s Blue-Gold Game. It was Freeman’s initiative, though director of player development and former Irish offensive lineman Hunter Bivin did most of the planning.
“It started with the thoughts of the players – our current players,” Freeman said. “They have to understand playing here is a privilege. That starts with inviting the former guys back. They come back because they love this place. That’s powerful. I want them back at their home. They built this place.”
Notre Dame tweets of the day
Notre Dame men’s basketball added Niagara guard Marcus Hammond from the transfer portal Monday. Hammond is a grad transfer with one year of eligibility left. Read more on him here.
Notre Dame football landed its first offensive line commitment in the 2023 cycle: four-star Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan’s Sam Pendleton, the nation’s No. 353 prospect and No. 23 interior offensive lineman, per the 2023 On3 Consensus. Read more on Pendleton here.
Jadarian Price: fast.
Quote of the day
“Pendleton is a road grader who is at his best as a drive blocker in the run game. He has ready-made size at a shade under 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds with wide shoulders. There’s not much to project physically. He registers as a solid athlete in the combine setting.”
– On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power on new Notre Dame commit Sam Pendleton. Read the experts’ takes on Pendleton here.
Headlines of the day
Marcus Freeman’s inclusion of football alumni is a welcome, needed reset (Todd Burlage, Blue & Gold)
Notre Dame football spring recap: stock up or stock down? (Ashton Pollard, Blue & Gold)
Notre Dame post-spring projected depth chart: offense (Tyler Horka, Blue & Gold)
Notre Dame post-spring projected depth chart: defense (Patrick Engel, Blue & Gold)
Five thoughts on OL Sam Pendleton committing to Notre Dame football (Mike Singer, Blue & Gold)
The Gold Standard: Nuggets from Notre Dame’s recruiting weekend (Mike Singer, Blue & Gold)
