Destrehan receiver Young commits to play at Notre Dame

Destrehan’s football team hasn’t put together its sterling record by accident or luck, although one of its top performers may be primed to bring the luck of the Irish with him for his senior season.

Wildcats wide receiver Michael Young made official last week his commitment to the University of Notre Dame, choosing the Fighting Irish over a number of Division I powers that had made scholarship offers, including Tulane, Texas A&M, Oregon and Missouri.

“I want to continue to improve as a player and as a person, and Notre Dame’s a place I know I can do that,” Young said. “I’m definitely excited. I can’t wait to get to South Bend and meet all the recruits and players. Academics are huge in my family and that was another big factor for me.”

The 5’11, 175-pound receiver was a breakout star and big-play generator for Destrehan as a junior in 2015, hauling in 37 receptions for 586 yards and six touchdowns.

 Destrehan coach Stephen Robicheaux said he had a feeling Young might choose Notre Dame after the player informed him of their offer.

“I asked him, ‘do you understand the tradition of Notre Dame?’ and he just smiled,” Robicheaux said. “I kind of thought then that may be where Mike goes. It’s a perfect fit for both sides. He’s a leader and personifies what a student-athlete is all about. We’re so excited to see him have the opportunity to go to an institution like Notre Dame. It’s all we could ever want for him.”

Young said that networking opportunities attending a university like Notre Dame provides appealed greatly to him, noting the school’s influence extends worldwide.

He said that he wanted to announce his decision now to eliminate the distractions and potential stress before his senior year.

“My teammates who went through (the recruiting process) before told me it gets pretty stressful at this point and I was starting to see that. At the same time, I feel blessed to have these opportunities because not everyone gets to have this. I feel some relief, but at the same time I’m grateful.”

Robicheaux said Notre Dame was looking for a natural fit to play slot receiver in coach Brian Kelly’s offense and the DHS coach believes Young fits that bill.

“He’s got speed, suddenness (and) he’s really impressed with his blocking,” Robicheaux said. “He’s the total package.”

Young said the Irish coaches liked his playing style and versatility and compared him favorably with former Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller, who was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Houston Texans earlier this year.

“That really meant a lot to me because Will Fuller is one of my favorite receivers,” Young said. “They like my toughness and character.”

Young is the latest Destrehan receiver en route to the next level. DHS has become something of a Division I pipeline at the position of late, as wideouts Alfred Smith (signed with Utah), Kirk Merritt (signed with Oregon) and John Williams (signed with Memphis) have earned Division I scholarships in each of the past three seasons.

“Mike’s cut out from that same mold,” Robicheaux said. “He’s come up behind those guys and seen what it takes to be successful.”

 

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