Another big catch for ND

Isaac Rochell first visited Notre Dame in early April with his parents
accompanying him on the long trip to South Bend from McDonough, Ga.

They returned home with a feeling that Notre Dame was the right fit
for him, but Isaac wanted to be patient. He didn’t want to commit too
soon, though his mother was already convinced he should.

“She was like, ‘If you start liking other schools, I’m calling (ND
tight ends) coach (Scott) Booker and telling him that he needs to
recruit you harder,’” Rochell said on Thursday.

A second visit this week sealed the decision for Rochell. After
returning home to Georgia, he called Booker Wednesday night to offer
the 14th verbal commitment to the 2013 Irish class.

“When I went the second time I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I
was ready,” Rochell said.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive end from Eagle’s Landing Christian
Academy had originally planned on holding out until the fall to
commit, but everything felt right.

“I had really been praying about it and putting a lot of thought into
it,” Rochell said. “I just had a lot of peace about it the second
time. At that point I just knew.”

Plus his parents and brother all agreed after visiting campus with him.

“My mom loves it, my brother loves it, and my dad loves it,” Rochell
said. “It was a unanimous decision.”

Rochell marks the second big catch of the week for the Irish after
linebacker Jaylon Smith’s commitment on Saturday. Rochell held more
than 20 offers, including ones from Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

Rivals.com ranks Rochell as the No. 8 strong-side defensive end and
the No. 88 prospect in the country, and 247Sports.com ranks Rochell as
the No. 7 strong-side defensive end and the No. 106 prospect overall.

Rochell said he was sold on the whole package Notre Dame offered.
Walking around on his two campus visits gave him the feeling of what
he was looking for in college.

“It’s hard to say one specific thing, but as a player and with my
personality, I felt like Notre Dame just fit me the most out of any
school that I’ve been too,” Rochell said.

The first trip to campus for Rochell was due in part to Booker’s
recruiting. Booker, 31, the youngest assistant coach on staff, was
able to relate well with Rochell.

“He’s probably the only coach that didn’t message me and say you need
to come to our school like every time. He built a relationship right
off the bat,” Rochell said.

“He did an excellent job with the recruiting process. That’s really
probably why I felt so comfortable at first just because I didn’t feel
like he was a recruiter. Even though he’s older than me, he kind of
felt like a friend. He made me feel really comfortable.”

Booker wasn’t the only recent hire of Brian Kelly’s that pitched in on
Rochell’s commitment. Ernest Jones, who was brought in as director of
player development and engagement in March, was named by Rochell as
someone who helped create a welcoming presence when his family met
with him on both visits.

Rochell said he talked with linebacker Manti Te’o and defensive
lineman Stephon Tuitt about the challenges of homesickness. They
helped explain to him that it’s something that all young players from
far away will deal with, but that Notre Dame helps you fight through
it.

On Thursday, Rochell took to Twitter to share his announcement with the public.

“Glad to be Irish #irishmob13 #ndnation,” Rochell tweeted Thursday morning.

Rochell had deactivated his Twitter account back on May 20, but
reactivated it late Wednesday night to share the news.

“I wanted to get back on Twitter and get back in touch with the Notre
Dame nation and some of the recruits,” Rochell said. “That’s all part
of the experience. I really just wanted to have the full effect. It’s
fun.”

Rochell warned Notre Dame fans that he’ll likely shut the @bigissac78
handle down at some point again. He prefers to not use it too often
because of the distraction it can cause. But a disappearance of
Rochell’s Twitter account won’t be a reflection on uncertainty with
his commitment, he said.

“I really feel comfortable with Notre Dame,” Rochell said. “There’s no
point in teasing coaches. I just needed to make a decision and step up
and be a man of my word.”