Notre Dame Lands A Commitment From OL Joe Alt

The Minnesota tight end committed to Notre Dame, where he is projected to play offensive tackle

Notre Dame has landed a commitment from 2021 offensive tackle Joe Alt out of Minneapolis (Minn.) Totino-Grace. The 2021 class desperately needed more talent along the offensive line to pair with current commits Blake Fisher and Pat Coogan, and the Irish staff believes it has found it in Alt.

Alt is ranked as a three-star by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN, with 247Sports ranking him as the No.6 player from the state of Minnesota and the No.34 offensive tackle in the country.

The staff offered Alt on May 22 and actively pursued the tight end/future tackle from that moment on. Standing at 6-7 and 255 pounds, Alt was a standout tight end at Totino-Grace before hitting a massive six-inch growth spurt last year. He split time at tight end and tackle during his junior season, but projects as an offensive lineman at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame was late to the party offering Alt, but fended off Iowa and Minnesota, and other top schools for his commitment. The lanky tackle told Irish Breakdown over a month ago that Notre Dame was a heavy-hitter in his recruitment, for a variety of reasons.

“Notre Dame is really the perfect all-around fit for me when it comes to football and academics,” explained the Totino-Grace standout. “It was extremely exciting when I got the offer. I was thrilled because it’s such a well-rounded school. They have such great football and education, and my goal is to play in the NFL, but if that doesn’t work out and I end up at Notre Dame, I have a great education to fall back on.”

Alt had initially planned on visiting a handful of schools over the summer and the fall before making a decision, but COVID-19 forced his hand. Alt told me in previous conversations that he wanted to commit to his future school before the end of the summer and with the NCAA extending the recruiting dead period, he was forced to make do with virtual visits.

Ultimately the recruiting efforts of offensive line coach Jeff Quinn and the rest of the staff should be commended as they helped Alt to feel comfortable enough to commit to Notre Dame without taking a visit. That's significant considering Alt's father played at Iowa and he's from Minnesota.

Notre Dame bested Iowa, Minnesota, Iowa State, Northwestern, Kansas State, Missouri, and Rutgers for Alt’s pledge.

With Alt now in the fold for Notre Dame in the 2021 class, the Irish have picked up a ‘project’ type of player, but one with high upside. Offensive tackle is still a very new position for Alt, but he still has his senior season of high school football and plenty of time to grow into his body. If everything goes according to plan, Notre Dame could be getting a real gem here.

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