Avon (Ind.) offensive lineman Blake Fisher‍ is one of the gems in the 2021 recruiting class and his commitment to Notre Dame in June surprised many around the country. The four-star prospect was back in South Bend on Saturday for the home opener and it couldn’t have gone better.



“It was great,” Fisher told Irish Sports Daily. “The atmosphere, the people and being able to see all the coaches again was great. I saw Coach (Brian) Kelly, Coach (Jeff) Quinn, Coach (Lance) Taylor and Coach (Mike) Elston. I could go on and on. It was amazing from the time I got there knowing I committed and the love is still shown day in and day out.



“It was great to be back home.”



Fisher was able to spend some quality time with Kelly before the 66-14 win over New Mexico and the head coach made sure to give his future offensive lineman love, but also let him know he had eyes on him.



“He wants me to stay on my academics and that’s the No. 1 thing he told me,” said Fisher. “He told me he has people watching me at Avon, which I thought was funny. He wants me to keep doing what I’m doing on the field and the whole staff was proud of me. He wants me to keep being the No. 1 recruiter in the 2021 class because we have to bring in the best dudes, so that’s what I’m going to do.”



Quinn was a significant reason for Fisher’s early commitment and the two were able to reconnect on Saturday, which might have been the highlight of the visit.



“It was the best moment I’ve had since I committed,” Fisher said of the face to face conversation with Quinn. “That man is like a father figure to me. Every time I see him, there is never a dull moment and we always have something new to talk about. He is always going to keep it real with me. He’s proud of me and wants me to keep up the good work. Coach Quinn was real happy to have me back.



“I talked to every single one of the offensive linemen. They were happy to have me back. They were frustrated I had to leave as I came back home yesterday. The bond I already have with some of those guys is pretty strong. It was phenomenal to be back home.”



The Notre Dame offense started slow, but finished extremely strong on Saturday. Fisher was fired up with what he saw on the field and looks forward to getting on the field in a few years.



“That was expected and that’s the standard,” Fisher said of the win. “As Coach Kelly says, it’s not the scoreboard, but it’s about the technique and the things we need to work on. A win is a win. There are always things to work on, but it was a phenomenal experience. The atmosphere was amazing. I’ve never been around a more ignited fanbase.



“Every time I go there, I get butterflies. I woke up this morning like ‘Man, I wish I was still there.’ I didn’t want to leave.”



The 6-foot-7, 340 pounder kind of stands out in a crowd, but Fisher might have stood out to a few more people being a Notre Dame commit on Saturday.



“A lot of people were looking at me, staring at me and waving at me,” laughed Fisher. “When I got out of the car in the parking lot, people were waving and saying hi to me when I was riding around on the golf cart. The people who love you there is pretty cool.”



While Saturday was a chance to get away and relax, Fisher knows his recruiting duties are just starting. Fisher has been super aggressive on the recruiting trail and perhaps has already surpassed the efforts of former Notre Dame commit Markese Stepp, which says a ton.



“Donovan Edwards, Will Shipley, Lorenzo Styles Jr., Nolan Rucci, Landon Tengwall, Rocco Spindler, Garrett Dellinger, Deion Colzie and Andrel Anthony Jr. was there yesterday,” Fisher said of who he was recruiting. “Sam Hart was there too. I watched his film not too long ago and he’s a stud. That will be someone I’ll start working on because I’d love to block with him along with Cane (Berrong).



“It’s going to be a great 2021 class.”



Fisher is on a statewide pancake tour every Friday night, but he’s also looking forward to joining up with 2021 quarterback commit Tyler Buchner, who had over 750 yards of total offense and nine touchdowns in one game recently.



“It’s hype,” said Fisher. “When I saw it, I knew this dude was real. I knew it from the start, but when you have a guy like him lead the offense in the class – when a receiver asks who the quarterback is or how is the quarterback, it’s great to say ‘He only scored nine touchdowns in a game.’



“When I tell them that, they are just like ‘Wow.’ To have him as my quarterback is amazing. Our bond is getting better and better. We talk once or twice every week to catch up. It’s great to have him.”

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