Notre Dame Football: Sinclair Talks Notre Dame With Top TE Recruit Mustapha Muhammad
Mustapha Muhammad is yet another top tight end that the Irish are targeting.
Notre Dame has a loaded tight end room and an offensive coordinator looking to restore “Tight End University.”
@MustaphaM_ has been uncoverable out here so far. He's a special talent in the passing game. pic.twitter.com/JeiJTPIIyC
— Ryan Brauninger (@R_Brauninger) February 4, 2017
Notre Dame has been able to consistently bring in top talent at the tight end position for years. Landing #1 TE Wright and #3 TE Kmet in ’17 hasn’t stopped them from continuing their search for top talent.
The Irish staff began recruiting Muhammad last year when Scott Booker was the tight end coach.
He has the size, speed, technique and physical presence to do a lot of jobs for his offense.
His high school coach lines him up attached to the line where he proves to be an effective blocker. He also often flexes him out where he shows elite receiving skills to stretch the defense which provides difficult to defend mismatches.
I spoke with Muhammad yesterday as he was returning from an unofficial visit.
“I’m on my way home from Oklahoma State. I had a little visit. It was an individual visit for me and one of my teammates,” Muhammad explained.
As the 247 Composite #87 player in the country and #4 TE, Muhammad has 33 scholarship offers. He is currently swamped with training, school work and attention. With all that is going on, he is maintaining focus on his grades and his senior season.
“I’ve been very busy with school and workouts and recruiting. It’s a challenge. I prioritize. I’m just trying to enjoy it….I’m excited for next season. It’s going to be a good season. The goal is to win state. So, I think we have a really good chance. We have a lot of starters returning. It’s going to be a competitive season.”
Muhammad has a prototypical frame to play tight end at the next level. I spoke with him about his size and goal weight for when he goes to college.
“I measured yesterday and I’m 6’4.5, 233 pounds. My goal, I can’t really control height but I’m projected to be 6’6 when I get to college. I want to be 240. I feel that’s a good weight to be at,” said Muhammed.
Considering his versatility, I asked what type of tight end he sees himself being at the College level. This is what he told me.
“I feel like I’m going to be doing the same stuff I’m doing now, whether it’s standing up, flexed out, in the back field, you name it. I’m a versatile tight end that can contribute in the pass game and in the running game.”
I then changed the focus of the conversation to Notre Dame. With the Irish putting in a ton of work into recruiting, I asked Muhammad if he had been hearing from the Notre Dame staff:
“I’m getting calls. I started hearing two weeks ago from Coach Long, the offensive coordinator. I know that they fired Coach Booker, my position coach. They’re having some changes in the coaching staff, but I feel like they’re putting in an effort to make some improvements.”
Muhammed explained to me what he thinks of Notre Dame as an academic institution and as a football program as a whole.
“I feel like Notre Dame is a very prestigious university. They’re at a high level as far as putting people in the NFL. Great academics, it’s just a pretty cool place.”
“Definitely (considering Notre Dame). I plan on visiting. I don’t have anything set up right now but I will consider Notre Dame. It’s a really cool opportunity to play football there. I’m (also) interested in studying business.”
I expect Mustapha Muhammad to be a dominant tight end at the college level. Notre Dame’s history of developing players at the position speaks for itself. Like may recruits, i think this one will come down to him visiting and continuing to build a relationship with the Irish staff.