Notre Dame received great news this afternoon with the commitment of Arizona cornerback Cole Luke. The six-foot, 170-pound coverman chose the Irish over Texas and Oklahoma, a sentence you don’t write or hear too often.
Luke, a consensus four-star, elite-level prospect from Chandler, Arizona, has seen Notre Dame and the Irish multiple times, including once in Dublin and an official visit for Michigan, and is coached by former Irish quarterback Steve Belles. But Luke was always seen as a long-shot to the Irish, with many believing it was only a matter of time before the talented corner pledged to either Mack Brown or Bob Stoops.
But Luke pulling the trigger on his pledge to the Irish now helps put this recruiting class into its final stages, and more importantly, gets Notre Dame another cover corner in this recruiting class, a position that’s still in need of reinforcements. The Irish have been chasing a small handful of elite defensive backs with Immokalee’s Mackensie Alexander, Fresno’s L.J. Moore, Southern California’s Max Redfield, a USC commit, and Tempe’s Priest Willis getting most of the attention. That Bob Elliott was able to get Luke’s commitment gives the Irish the ability to pick and choose the final members of this recruiting class, while having a very important defensive cog in the fold.
“This is a great get for Notre Dame,” 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong told the South Bend Tribune. “It comes at a position of need, and he’s one of the top cornerbacks in the country. Bob Elliott has been working on him for a long time, and Kerry Cooks has gotten involved, too. They really did a phenomenal job.”
Just a few days before Luke’s commitment, Belles and Luke talked with Tom Lemming to discuss his recruitment. In the segment, Belles compares Luke to former Irish All-American Todd Lyght, a projection that would have Notre Dame fans quite happy.
Luke is the Irish’s 22nd commitment in a class that will likely only include two or three more players. The commitment moved the Irish recruiting class to No. 2 in the country, as evaluated by Rivals.
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