Easy choice for Eifert | by Pat

Right after ND received commit number ten, Indiana native Tyler Eifert called up Charlie and became number eleven of the recruiting Class of 2009. After receiving his offer from ND just a few days ago, Eifert quickly made his decision.

"It's about how great the school is and the football tradition they have there," Eifert said. "It's just an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Definitely with John going there and Fort Wayne being such a big Notre Dame town, it definitely influenced me."

The John that Tyler references is new freshman John Goodman, who was teammates with Eifert at Bishop Dwenger in Fort Wayne. While Goodman is coming into ND as a wide receiver, he spent most of his time at QB last season, throwing to Eifert.

With offers from his father's alma mater Purdue (his dad was starter on the '83-'84 basketball team), Vandy, Wake Forest, Northwestern, Indiana, Cincinnati, and Minnesota, Eifert didn't have an offer from Notre Dame until recently. But at the most recent ND summer football camp, Eifert performed strongly enough to convince the coaching staff he was deserving of an offer. If you want to take a quick look at Eifert, here are his highlight clips.

The question remains though just where Eifert will contribute on the field for the Fighting Irish. At 6'6" 220 pounds, Eifert played both wide receiver, where he earned 1st Team Junior All-State honors, and safety last year. And while he'll move to tight end this fall, that might not be where he winds up playing at ND.

"They're recruiting me as an athlete. Maybe play receiver or tight end, maybe somewhere on defense. They said I had good ball skills and they could use me on the football field."

Tight end is the best bet at this point, and that is where the recruiting sites have him grouped. A 3-star on both Rivals and Scout, he's listed as the 23rd and 17th ranked tight end respectively. In a way, he is similar to John Carlson, who came to ND as a 6'6" 220 tight end considered the #16 TE in the country. And like Carlson apprenticed under Fasano before coming into his own, Eifert should have time behind Ragone, Rudolph, and Fauria to work his way onto the field. To his credit, Eifert is open to playing a new position.

"I'm mainly just looking to get on the field," Eifert said. "I know they're already loaded at tight end, which is where I think I would excel the most, but it's just wherever I can contribute."