Parris picks Irish

Charlie Weis assured quarterback Zach Frazer some help at receiver when he received a commitment from 6-foot-4, 185-pound receiver Robby Parris.

"I committed to Notre Dame this morning," he said. "I chose Notre Dame over Michigan because I think I have a better chance of playing and a bigger opportunity to show myself at Notre Dame. The new facilities there are unbelievable and appealing. I think I get along with the players and I fit in with the group of kids they recruit. I also think I fit in with the students especially since I'll be a student moreso than a football player."

The Cleveland (Ohio) St. Ignatius product told coach Weis of his intentions this morning.

"Coach was pretty pumped about it," he said. "He seemed to like it a lot and was happy for me, my family and Notre Dame. He just expressed that he was really happy for me and my decision."

Parris is relived to have the decision behind him.

"I really didn't want to wait and I knew I was going to make a decision before the season," he said. "I felt confident and it's a little bit of relief to have it over with. It's great that I know where I'm going and I'm confident with my decision. Now that's another thing I don't have to worry about during my senior year."

This season Parris plans to continue his success from a year ago where he hauled in 39 receptions for 900 yards and 13 touchdowns.

"I'm working on improving my strength, that's big for me," he said. "I've also got to keep up with what I did last year and keep catching the ball and help my team as much as I can."

The 27th best player in Ohio knows that Notre Dame doesn't have a ton of depth at wide receiver for the future. He hopes that he'll be able to help.

"They've had a couple good receivers like Stovall is good, but they haven't had a lot of success in a long time," he said. "Hopefully I can bring some success to the position and do well for them. I think the new coaching staff will start turning the program around and bring the winning tradition back that they've had."

Parris is planning to join fellow commit John Ryan for the Michigan State game this fall. He has yet to schedule an official visit with the Irish.

Parris was named all-district last year and should have no problem qualifying with an impressive 3.65 GPA.