Sam Pendleton, Notre Dame 2023 Recruiting Class Have Championship Goals
It has been a long, and interesting road, for Notre Dame offensive line commit Sam Pendleton. The recruiting process started slow but this past off-season brought a flurry of interest from multiple high level programs.
Harry Hiestand quickly got into the fold after he returned to Notre Dame as the offensive line coach. Eventually the Irish won out and received a commitment from the North Carolina product late in April.
Pendleton is ready to finally make it official and sign with Notre Dame, which he can do tomorrow. Programs have continued to pursue the talented offensive lineman over the last few months, including phone calls, texts and emails consistently. Pendleton politely declined, anxiously looking forward to December 21st to finally come.
"We’re having the ceremony in the morning on the 21st at the school,” Pendleton explained. "I get the chance to share the moment with the other students, my teammates, coaches and teachers. I’ll be signing with my teammate who is signing with Duke. It will be a great moment overall.”
Pendleton is also ready to make South Bend his home in January, graduating early on the 16th of this month. He is actually preparing for his last day at Reagan High School. That chapter in his story is almost over.
"(Friday) is actually my last school day,” he said. "I have some work to do at home next week but it’ll be my last day in person. I’m just blessed to be in the position I am and to start the next chapter.”
With only a couple of weeks left at home, Pendleton is trying to enjoy the lasts as a family, the last Thanksgiving and last Christmas together. It’s a sad but exciting moment for him and his family. They are all fully aware of how fortunate they are to be where they are.
"It’s a bittersweet moment for me and my family,” Pendleton said. "It has been a lot of hard work and has definitely been a grueling process. Being my parent’s oldest child, I understand how emotional it could be for me to go away for college. They have all been there and been so supportive throughout the process and we are so excited for the next chapter. I’m just keeping my trust in God and remaining so thankful.”
Since committing to Notre Dame, Pendleton has never strayed from his commitment. Along with the 2023 class that the staff has put together, the group has some massive expectations.
"As a class, we have a lot of goals,” said the Ronald Reagan standout. "It is really a special group and we believe in what Coach Freeman is trying to build. We believe that we will win a national championship in the near future.”
If you’ve popped on Pendleton’s film this season, you understand the physicality and effort he puts out on film. He could open a pancake house just based on his senior year alone. So what exactly is Notre Dame getting in Sam Pendleton? It’s simple.
"The question was asked a lot after I committed to Notre Dame back in April and the message remains the same,” Pendleton explained. "I am going to work incredibly hard and give everything that I have. You’re never going to have to wonder if I’m giving everything I have. It’s all I know how to do.”
The 6-4, 305-pound offensive lineman has had quite an interesting recruiting process. Pendleton is not a believer in all of the various camps and showcases out there. Instead, he has let his game film speak for itself.
He has now been committed to Notre Dame since April. He chose the Irish over a flurry of other impressive offers, including Clemson, Florida, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Stanford, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, NC State, Kentucky, West Virginia, Louisville, Boston College, and Duke among others.
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