New school in the mix for Baker

Indianapolis (Ind.) Bishop Chatard strongside defensive end / tight end Ryan Baker thought he had everything planned out. He took four early visits, and planned to sit down in December, analyze the situation with his family and coach, and then have everything finished in time to enjoy Christmas. Then something happened that he hadn’t planned on.

“He has not made a decision yet,” commented Ryan’s dad, Jerry, on the eve of Christmas Eve. “Notre Dame came in and dropped an offer on the table, and that changed everything.

“That messed up our plans of having a decision before Christmas. They are on the board, now. Anytime Notre Dame comes in they have to be part of the mix.” The Fighting Irish join the likes of Boston College, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Purdue, all of whom have received official visits.

In addition to the recent addition of Notre Dame to the equation, and having Christmas right around the corner, Baker also has another event interfering with his decision-making process. He is leaving on Dec. 28 to participate in the U.S Army All-American Bowl and will not return home until the fourth of January.

“With Christmas and that, the next window for us to sit down and discuss it will be in January,” his dad commented. While he notes there is still an outside chance Ryan could wake up Christmas morning with a decision already made, the elder Baker feels the likelihood of this happening is small.

Ryan is a 6-foot-6, 225-pound prospect with a 4.8-second 40-yard dash time. A four-star prospect, Rivals.com has him rated as the No. 13 strongside defensive end in the country.