Washington Football Recruiting: Eddie Vanderdoes Picks Notre Dame

Eddie Vanderdoes, the five-star defensive tackle from Placer High School in Placer, California has ended a complicated recruiting journey by picking Notre Dame. Earlier today, Notre Dame included Vanderdoes’ name among a list of committed players, then later said it was a mistake. That mixup served as a pretty clear hint, but as with everything in recruiting, no one could be quite sure until it was made official.

The news is relevant to Washington fans in that Vanderdoes has long listed Washington as one of the schools in consideration since his decommitment from USC at the end of December. However, even if the Huskies stayed in it till the end, it became clear over time that Washington did not have a terrific chance of landing him. Up until this morning, UCLA was considered the favorite, with Notre Dame and Alabama also seen as threats considering the history and power of the programs as well as the fact that Vanderdoes visited the two schools most recently.

Listed at 6’3″ and 310 pounds, Vanderdoes is considered either the best defensive tackle in the nation or the 2nd best, depending on the recruiting site. While nothing is guaranteed when it comes to recruits growing into complete football players at the college level, this kid is about as close as you can get to a sure thing. He will contribute as a freshman, possibly even as a starter, and boost what was already looking to be a dominant 2013 defense for the Fighting Irish.

The news brings National Signing Day to a close for Washington, as all commits have sent in their letters of intent and Vanderdoes was the last unsigned recruit to still be considering the Huskies.