Coach Brian Kelly received his 3rd verbal commitment for the 2015 class today from OC/OG Tristen Hoge (Pocatello, ID - Highland). He is listed at 6'5"/287 lbs and runs a 4.9 40 yard dash.

Hoge made his verbal commitment during another visit to campus this weekend. He previously attended the USC game as well as camped in South Bend over the summer. He reports nearly 20 offers from across the country, including Florida, Stanford, LSU and Penn State.

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Recruiting Service Rankings :

ESPN - 4 star (#5 OG, #1 ID), 82 Grade (#69 Overall)

Rivals - 4 star, 5.9 Grade

Scout - 4 star (#1 OG)

247Sports - 4 star (#1 OG, #1 ID), 95 Grade (#92 Overall)

247Sports Composite Score - 4 star (0.9752, #55 Overall (#1 OG, #1 ID)

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Highlights :

TRISTEN HOGE 2011 HIGHLIGHT FILM 2 (via MsChoge)

Note: There weren't any newer highlights on YouTube for Hoge...yet.

Highlights from hudl can be found here.

Highlights from Stanford's Friday Night Lights can be found here.

Impact :

Immediate Future:

Hoge, like nearly all freshman offensive linemen, will most likely redshirt. As the top overall center in the 2015 class, he should be able to step into the spot that will be vacated by Nick Martin's graduation. Regardless, a year working with Harry Hiestand on technique and Paul Longo to add strength and redistribute weight will be time well spent.

Long Term/Career:

I think if you surveyed offensive line coaches and had them create a center from scratch, they would come up with a player very, very similar to Hoge. He is everything you want from an interior lineman-he can move, he can handle defensive tackles by himself, he gets to the second level quickly, and he has a mean streak on the football field. While the Irish haven't signed a true center coming out of high school since Braxton Cave in 2008-and I don't think they could find a better prospect to break the streak with than Hoge. He should develop into an excellent lineman at the collegiate level and become a multi-year starter.

Welcome to Notre Dame Tristen!