Notre Dame received big news on Tuesday when 2023 Topeka (Kan.) Hayden offensive lineman Joe Otting made his commitment to the Irish over offers from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas State, Baylor, Minnesota, Iowa State, Missouri, and Kansas among others.
Relatively unheralded from a recruiting ranking perspective, some will question just what Notre Dame should expect from a player like Otting. Or better yet, why would a program that can recruit the best of the best choose an undersized, three-star recruit?
There’s no person better to ask than Hayden High School head coach Bill Arnold. He provided Irish Breakdown some insight into Otting’s fit, a peek behind the curtain to his recruitment, and just what this commitment means to the Hayden community.
“Everyone is super excited,” Arnold explained. “Joe has really taken it in stride. He is a pretty level-headed kid until he puts the pads on. He goes a little crazy out there on the field.”
As has been a running trend on the recruiting trail, all indications are that Harry Hiestand is back to his old habits of identifying and closing on talent. Hiestand was especially important in this particular recruitment. The traits he typically looks for in prospective Notre Dame offensive lineman appear to be present in Otting.
“Talking with Coach Hiestand when he came to visit, he thinks that Joe is a clone to what they have up there,” said Arnold. “He’s going to be another one of the guys and fit in great. Their offensive lineman all have that same attitude and demeanor. They want to do the best for Notre Dame.
“Coach (Tommy) Rees was great and Joe has really loved getting to know him but Coach Hiestand just brought such a great perspective,” Arnold continued. “He talked about all the guys he has coached, and how important his relationships with them have been.”
Hiestand went out to see Otting in the spring, and the connection was immediate.
“When (Coach Hiestand) came down here, he just made Joe feel really comfortable,” Arnold noted. “It wasn’t just selling Notre Dame. Coach Hiestand was also selling all of his personal experiences and the way they do things.”
Notre Dame has spent a lot of time doing their homework on Otting to make sure that he was the right fit for the program. After first making contact last November, the staff kept in contact for some time, eventually leading to an official offer in early May.
That offer came after Hiestand visited Otting at Hayden, sizing him up and trying to verify if the 6-4, 270-pound listing was legitimate. Otting passed that initial test.
That brought this process to this past weekend, where Otting made the trip up to South Bend for camp. Again, this was another opportunity to see him in person and take a long look at him as he went through a workout featuring Coach Hiestand and several of his former star pupils. This time, strength coach Matt Balis got a long look at the Kansas star.
“We have talked about finding the right fit. There are two people I told him that he wants to make sure he is comfortable with, his position coach and strength and conditioning coach,” said Arnold. “Those are the two that you are going to be spending the most time with.”
With both Hiestand and Balis signing off, the weekend simply served as a final barometer of him as a football player, the last test to a degree.
Again, he passed the weekend with flying colors. This time, it concluded with a commitment to the Notre Dame program.
“Joe really enjoyed his time up there,” said the Hayden head coach. “He told me that everyone there was great. Joe felt like he really fit in well.”
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On Monday. Otting arrived at the weight room with big news for Arnold and the team. While he tends to keep everything low-key to a degree, it was difficult to not see the excitement on his face.
“He was definitely excited, but for the most part he is a really even-keel kid. Really Joe is never too high and never too low,” Arnold said. “I was getting snap chats from him of all the sights at Notre Dame. When I spoke with him on Monday, his eyes definitely lit up when he was talking about the visit.”
This moment, although huge for Otting and his family, was equally as exciting for the Hayden High School community. The energy around the school was at an all-time high. This isn’t something regular for them.
“We have had a few kids go D1 but not at this level,” Arnold explained. “There have been a few baseball players who have gone high. We have had Desmond Purnell, who is playing at Kansas State. We also had another kid who went to the Air Force but this is something special.”
By every indication, Otting possesses all of the traits to flourish as a part of the Notre Dame program. As for what Coach Arnold expects, he kept it short and sweet.
“It is just a good fit. I really think Joe is going to do great things at Notre Dame."
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Joe Otting Is A Great Fit For Notre Dame - Sports Illustrated
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