Tranquill recaps Notre Dame visit
After receiving an offer from Notre Dame in early August, Purdue commit Drue Tranquill said he needed to give the Irish an honest look. On Saturday, the three-star defender made his way up to South Bend for an unofficial visit.
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"I was really pleased with the visit and all I got to see," Tranquill said. "I feel I got to see a lot - basically everything I wanted to see."
Tranquill was joined on his visit to South Bend by his parents and girlfriend, and Saturday's experience allowed them to get several questions answered.
"We saw the academic side of things and all those questions got answered," Tranquill said. "Aside from that, I think the biggest question was, why middle linebacker? They were the first school to ever [recruit] me there, and having those questions answered was huge."
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Tranquill has practiced at safety throughout the off-season. Some schools had recruited him for outside linebacker, but Notre Dame offering him as a middle linebacker was something he needed to check into more.
"They think I have the skill set to be an elite inside linebacker," he said. "Their strength coach said I could easily be 235, 240 if I approach it the right way. They just explained their point of view, so that was huge for us. I think they see the intangibles more than anything, and the leadership skills I possess.
"I definitely feel more comfortable coming away from this visit. I was kind of unsure about why middle linebacker, but got a couple of those questions answered in the end. The biggest thing for me is just getting on the field and being a productive representative of the university I am going to."
Which university to play for is the question that faces Tranquill after Saturday's visit, and he will take his time making that decision.
"There's a lot of stuff to process and think about so I am going to have to discuss it with my family," he said. "It's just going to be playing it by ear - I don't have a timeframe on it. It's just going to be when I feel comfortable."
Tranquill remains committed to Purdue, and continues to feel good about the Boilermaker's program. He keeps in regular communication with their staff and plans to be in West Lafayette soon.
"I probably talk to them once or twice a week," Tranquill said. "I know for sure I will be down for the Notre Dame game (Sept. 14) and I might get down to the Indiana State game the week before for Coach (Darrell) Hazell's first home game."
Purdue and Notre Dame are the only two schools Tranquill is considering at this time. Saturday's visit to South Bend helped to clear up his remaining questions on the Notre Dame side of the equation, but a big decision still awaits him.
"I guess I feel more comfortable now that I have been up here and seen what there is to see," he said. "In the end, I am the one who has to live with the decision and I can't have any regrets."
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