There was no top schools list. No announcing of an impending commitment date. Just a good, old out-of-the-blue commitment.
Mentor (Ohio) High class of 2023 defensive lineman Brenan Vernon shocked the country on June 29 when he spurned the in-state Ohio State Buckeyes in favor of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
“I wasn’t exactly going for a specific reaction out of anyone, but I did think people would be shocked because I’m an Ohio boy,” Vernon told BlueandGold.com.
Very few folks outside the Notre Dame coaching staff knew the four-star prospect would be committing to the Fighting Irish when he did.
“A lot of people were shocked, but my close buddies had a good idea because I would talk about how much I love Notre Dame and how I don’t feel the same anywhere else,” he added. “Around the city of Mentor, people were surprised but were excited that I found my place.”
A few months into his decision, Vernon is still over the moon about picking the Fighting Irish.
“I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “It’s been great. The only thing I’ve got to worry about is my normal, day-to-day life. I don’t have to focus on which school I’m going to choose. It’s all lined up.”
Vernon, who Rivals ranks as the nation’s No. 3 strong-side defensive end and No. 8 overall player in the 2023 cycle, wishes he could be at Notre Dame right now but he has a full year and some change to go.
“I’m ready for this new chapter in my life,” Vernon said. “South Bend already feels like home.”
The dream team
Ohio State was considered the heavy favorite to land Vernon. All the crystal balls and forecasts read that the 6-5, 250-pounder would pick the Buckeyes.
One sizeable aspect in Vernon’s decision to pick the Fighting Irish was the small campus atmosphere that suited his personality much better than Ohio State, which has more than six times the student population of Notre Dame.
Another huge factor was Notre Dame’s recruiting “dream team” of defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, defensive line coach Mike Elston and director of defensive recruiting Chad Bowden.
“He has a great soul,” Vernon said of Freeman. “He’s such a great guy in general, just like the rest of them. All three of those guys together are the dream team. There’s nothing else to say about Freeman other than he’s just such a great person.”
Bowden does a lot of the day-to-day phone calls and text messaging with prospects on the defensive side of the ball, including Vernon. With Bowden being 27 years old, he relates to prospects in a unique way.
“He’s great. He’s a character,” Vernon said. “I love that guy so much. He’s the life of the party. He’s a big ball of energy.”
If one is to assign the most credit in Notre Dame pulling off the “upset” in landing Vernon, it’s Elston. Vernon was the very first prospect Notre Dame offered in the 2023 class all the way back in January 2020, and they built a strong connection.
“He’s such a pure guy,” Vernon said. “He has a goofy side to him, and the way he coaches is amazing to me. I connect with him so well. He’s an overall great guy who I love spending time with and can’t wait to play for.
“I love the guy; I already have such a strong connection with him.”
Vernon’s bond with the Notre Dame staff hasn’t scaled back since his commitment.
“They strive to maintain that relationship,” he added. “It’s not just me reaching out; they’ll contact me as well. It means a lot to me. They really do care.”
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and Vernon clicked during their conversations, too.
“I have a great vibe and connection with him,” Vernon added. “It was all love; he was beyond excited to hear about my commitment. He was ecstatic.”
The shoe fits
Unless Vernon is in cleats for a football game, he’s probably wearing his favorite shoe brand — Vans.
Founded in Anaheim, Calif., in 1996, the American manufactured brand is centered around skateboard shoes and apparel. While Vernon doesn’t do much skateboarding these days, that vibe fits his style.
“I’m a laid-back kind of guy,” he said. “I keep to myself. Vans is such a chill, expressive silhouette of a shoe. I love them. If there was any brand I’d want to be sponsored by, it would be Vans.”
Currently, Vernon only owns about a half-dozen pair of Vans. He’d own more if he didn’t cycle through them so often.
“I beat the hell out of them; I wear them non-stop,” he said. “I like my Vans dirty. They show some character.”
Vernon visited Notre Dame June 6 and noticed that Freeman and Bowden were both wearing Vans, too.
“We started connecting over the fact that we all loved Vans,” Vernon added.
Vernon visited Notre Dame again at the end of June, and Freeman bought the entire Notre Dame coaching staff a pair of Vans to wear during the elite recruit’s visit. Vernon was already likely to commit, but the staff wearing the Vans made it clear to him that he wanted Notre Dame.
“As soon as I saw that, I knew it was right,” Vernon said. “I just knew this is where I have to be. The amount of love and care they have for me as an individual and the effort they made in buying all of those shoes said a lot.”
Recruiting never stops
September 1 marked the first day that college coaches could start directly contacting class of 2023 prospects via phone calls and text messages, per NCAA rules.
When the calendar flipped from August to September, Vernon was up at midnight, and text messages poured in between 12:00 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. Even though he had been committed to Notre Dame for a month, other programs wanted the opportunity to reach out to him.
Of course, he heard from the Notre Dame staff. At midnight, “the dream team” of Bowden, Elston and Freeman sent him a text message.
Auburn, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Ole Miss were among the many other schools to reach out.
“It was a lot of texts right at 12 a.m.,” he said.
Vernon isn’t a big text message guy. Add in the fact that he’s happily committed to Notre Dame, and it may be tough to hear back from Vernon if you’re a college coach.
“I don’t respond,” he said. “I’ll sometimes look to see who reached out, but I don’t respond. I appreciate their interest, but I already found a place that I’m happy with.”
Vernon looks to be locked in with his Fighting Irish pledge.
“No doubt. I gave my word to them, and they deserve my loyalty,” he said.
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