Reports have Crist heading to Irish
For the second straight season, it looks like the top quarterback in California is heading to Notre Dame.
After landing the nation's No. 1 player in the class of 2007 in quarterback Jimmy Clausen, the Los Angeles Times reported in this morning's editions that high profile quarterback Dayne Crist of Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame is heading to South Bend.
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Crist is unavailable for comment, but he did tape a segment for a television show that's going to air later this evening where he apparently reveals his decision to play for the Irish. Last week, Crist's teammate, linebacker Anthony McDonald, committed to the Fighting Irish.
The 6-foot-5, 228-pound Crist is ranked as one of the top five quarterbacks in the nation by Rivals.com and a member of the Rivals250 to watch list. He was also included Wednesday on the list of top 10 players in Los Angeles.
Crist was named most valuable player for quarterbacks at this past Sunday's NIKE Training Camp in Los Angeles. It was at that camp where he talked about his recent unofficial visit to South Bend and how that it looked like the Irish were going to be tough to beat.
"I had a great time," Crist said with a big smile.
"They're really competitive there and Charlie Weis is just a genius. He knows the game unbelievably well, and his players get after it. The team is excited and they want to get the program back on the rise. They want to sustain a dominant football program, so it was good to get out there and see what they're about."
While Crist has done his homework on academics, his Notre Dame visit focused on football.
"I wanted to see how the coaches ran things at Notre Dame, which would give me a better feel for the program," Crist said. "I see them when they play on TV or play USC, but I needed to see how they go about their business in practice and in the locker room."
The final decision for Crist came down to Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, and LSU. In just seven games as a junior, Crist threw for more than 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He also rushed for around 500 yards.