Gallup Joins the Irish | by Pat
A week after Munir Prince became the first verbal for the latest recruiting class, Barry Gallup called up Coach Weis and become the second. Gallup, a speedy 5'11" wide receiver from the Boston area, chose Notre Dame despite a strong connection to Boston College. His father is currently an Associate A.D. for Football Operations for the Eagles, was a record setting wide receiver as a player there, and was responsible for recruiting such players as Doug Flutie while an assistant coach.
When he called up Coach Weis on Thursday to commit, Gallup was also holding offers from BC, Syracuse, Wisconsin, and Duke. He was also seriously considering Harvard.
The recruitment of Gallup gives Irish fans another insight into the recruiting strategy of Coach Weis. Gallup is not a national recruit and, to be honest, plays in a high school league not known for football. However, Weis obviously saw something he liked in film of Gallup's games and made a quick move to secure his verbal commitment. He didn't worry about the relative lack of offers or require Gallup to prove himself at a summer camp. It is becoming clear that Weis is going to be decisive and fast moving as a recruiter and will go hard after players he likes, whether they are nationally ranked or not. This might upset some Irish fans who religiously adhere to the recruiting star system, but I think Weis' track record of developing players provides plenty of reassurance that he knows exactly what type of player he wants and how to get the most out of them.
As for Gallup's talents, last year he was voted to the first team all-New England team. His team only played eight games last season, but Gallup put up 1,700 yards rushing, 500 yards receiving, and 24 touchdowns. On defense he totaled six interceptions. In track, he finished near the top of his league posting a 11.68 sec 100M and 24.21 200M. He also worked out last summer with the BC football team, occasionally running patterns against all-Big East cornerback Will Blackmon. Most importantly, he kept the commitment momentum going as Irish fans hope a few more recruits tell Coach Weis that they want to play for the Irish during the next few weeks.
