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Notre Dame football adds 2022 walk-on commitment from Tre Reader

Singer headshotby: Mike Singer02/01/22MikeTSinger

The Notre Dame staff offered a preferred walk-on (PWO) spot to Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep class of 2022 athlete Tre Reader Jan. 19, and the 6-2, 210-pounder jumped on the opportunity by committing to the Fighting Irish Jan. 31.

He picked Notre Dame over a PWO offer from former Irish assistant and current Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston. Reader held scholarship offers from Stetson and Columbia, and will come in as a linebacker for the Fighting Irish.

Reader helped Berkeley Prep to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the championship game of the Florida Class 3A State Tournament last season. He had the most tackles on his team with 124 and totaled 20.5 tackles for loss. He also notched 3.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries, two pass deflections and two fumble recoveries during his senior year.

His younger brother, Troy Reader, is committed to playing baseball at Notre Dame. The class of 2023 prospect has a grade of nine by Perfect Game, which means he is a “potential top 10 round pick and/or highest-level college prospect.” Troy also is the starting quarterback at Berkeley Prep and threw for 799 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in a run-heavy offense last season.

Notre Dame signed 21 recruits in December and currently checks in at No. 6 in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings, the most advanced and accurate ranking in the industry. The Irish have also brought in a pair of scholarship transfers in safety Brandon Joseph (Northwestern) and kicker Blake Grupe (Arkansas State).

The Keon Keeley factor for Notre Dame

It’s well documented that class of 2023 EDGE Keon Keeley, a Notre Dame commitment, is close with the Reader brothers. The Fighting Irish adding Troy Reader in baseball and now Tre Reader in football could help keep Keeley solid with his Notre Dame pledge.

Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Oklahoma have offered Keeley since he committed to Notre Dame last summer. We’ve known that the Irish staff would have to battle to keep Keeley’s commitment, but it heated up after Elston left for Michigan.

The Reader news should make Notre Dame even more attractive to Keeley, as well as the Irish hiring former Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington as its defensive line coach.

“LET’S GOOOO! I LOVE THIS!” Keeley posted on Instagram when news broke of Washington’s hire.

Washington recruited Keeley while at Ohio State and visited Berkeley Prep on two separate occasions.

The On3 Consensus — a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies — lists the Notre Dame commit as the nation’s No. 22 overall player and No. 2 EDGE in the 2023 class.

On3’s own rankings have Keeley as the No. 4 overall recruit and No. 1 EDGE in the land.