On Saturday, Ben Davis standout cornerback Mark Zackery committed to Notre Dame football. One of the top prospects in the Midwest, Zackery is the 12th Indianapolis-area player in the past 15 years to pick the Fighting Irish in recruiting.
Here's a look at how the others fared:
2024: Styles Prescod, Hamilton Southeastern, OL
The 6-6, 275-pound Prescod was a Top 50 IFCA all-state selection as a senior. Hamilton Southeastern averaged 217 rushing yards per game in 9-3 sectional championship season. Prescod, one of the top offensive line recruits in the Midwest,committed to Notre Dameover Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee and several other programs.
An early enrollee, Prescod missed some spring practice with injury and is a likely redshirt candidate.
2022: Joey Tanona, Zionsville, OL
Tanona was a two-time IFCA Top-50 all-state team and named to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio as one of the top 100 high school players in the country. Tanona, a four-star prospect, helped Zionsville to back-to-back Class 5A state finals appearances.
Tanona suffered a concussion in a serious car accident before 2022 spring practice. The injury kept him out for two seasons and even forced him to medically retire. He's since unretired and transferred to Purdue.
2021: Blake Fisher, Avon, OT
A U.S. Army All-American and one of the top offensive line prospects in the country, ranked No. 52 in the nation on the 247sports composite. The three-year starter was part of Orioles’ teams that went 23-9 and won a sectional title. Avon’s offense averaged 35.6 points and 423 yards of total offense this season.
The first true freshman to start at left tackle in Notre Dame history, he overcame meniscus injury to start in Fiesta Bowl. He made 26 consecutive starts, and like teammate Joe Alt, who ultimately replaced him at left tackle, Fisher had to adapt to three different position coaches during his college career. He was selected No. 59 overall in this April's NFL draft by the Houston Texans.
2015: Asmar Bilal, Ben Davis, LB
The No. 3-rated player in the state in his class, Bilal was ranked No. 187 nationally and the sixth-best inside linebacker. As a senior, he led the Class 6A champions with a team-high 155 tackles, including 104 solo.
He spent five seasons in South Bend and was something of a late bloomer in college. Always a freak athlete, Bilal initially started out at the rover position, Notre Dame’s linebacker-safety hybrid, and didn’t get to take over at his natural position until Drue Tranquill was snapped up by the Chargers in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.
Bilal finished his Irish career with 174 total tackles (92 solos) and 17.5 tackles for loss. His best season came in his graduate year in 2019, where he finished with 79 total tackles (48 solo) and 10 tackles for loss. He went undrafted and spent time with the Chargers and Raiders practice squads.
2015: Mykelti Williams, Warren Central, DB
As a senior at Warren Central,Williamswas one of the state's most versatile high school players, ranked No. 4 in the state in his class, the 21st-best safety nationally. His permanent home was at safety, where he made 74 tackles and seven interceptions as a senior. Williams also pitched in as necessary at quarterback, often late in close games.
Williams redshirted in 2015 with the Fighting Irish, but left South Bend for Iowa Western Community College in 2016. He planned on transferring to Syracuse, but was denied admission. So he transferred to Northern Illinois and has started three seasons for the Huskies. He led NIU in tackles as a senior (83) and finished his Huskies career with 231 total stops, 8.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions. He earnedsecond team All-MAC honors as a junior and senior.
2015: Brandon Tiassum, Park Tudor, DT
Tiassum made 91 tackles, including 18 for loss as a senior and was ranked the No. 7 player in the state in his class and the 27th-best defensive tackle nationally.
He spent time on the Notre Dame scout team as a freshman and didn't play as a sophom*ore. He played two games as a junior, finishing with two total tackles. He transferred to Division II Urbana University in Ohio. The school has since closed its doors after 170 years in business at the end of the 2020 spring semester because of COVID-19.
2014: Justin Brent, Speedway, WR
An all-state wide receiver/running back, Brent was the No. 1-ranked player in the state in his class, No. 67 in the nation and the No. 8 wide receiver. He rushed for 1,315 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior with 387 receiving yards and five more scores.
He spent his freshman year as a scout team receiver and appeared on special teams. The following season, he was one of four scholarship sophom*ores who didn't see the field after a switch to running back. After another year on the sidelines, Brent transferred to Nevada.
He had one catch his junior year and moved to safety as a senior, where he made 27 tackles and was named the team's special teams MVP. He finished his college career with two interceptions in a 2018 Arizona Bowl win over Arkansas State.
A standout for Speedway's basketball team, Brent returned to hoops on Nevada's 2017-18 team that won the Mountain West Conference and reached the Sweet 16. He was added to the roster when the Wolf Pack were down to seven scholarship players. “We need bodies,” then-coach Eric Musselman said. He played just three times.
2012: Sheldon Day, Warren Central, DT
A high school All-American and IndyStar Super Team Player of the Year, Day has 12 tackles for loss, nine sacks and 12 quarterback pressures as a senior. He was the No. 2-ranked player in state in his class, No. 80 in nation and No. 10 defensive tackle.
At Notre Dame, he was a two-time captain and 2015 All-American. He finished his Irish career with 141 total tackles, 32 for loss and 7.5 sacks and was named ND defensive lineman of the year twice.
He was drafted in the fourth round by Jacksonville in the 2016 NFL draft. He's played 73 career games, including four with his hometown Colts in 2020. He didn't play in 2022, but played six games, including one start for Minnesota last year. He has 84 total tackles, 15 for loss, seven sacks and 11 QB hits in his career.
2012: John Turner, Cathedral, DB
A first-team All-State and an All-City pick as a senior, Turner was the No. 5-ranked player in state in his class and the No. 31-ranked safety. He helped Cathedral to state titles his junior and senior year.
At Notre Dame, he played primarily on special teams, finishing his career with nine total tackles.
2011: Nick Martin, Bishop Chatard, OG
Martin originally committed to Kentucky, where his dad played, but instead wound up in his brother's footsteps in South Bend, and in 2013 started on the same Irish offensive line. Also a standout for the Chatard basketball team, Martin rated as No. 6 player in the state in his class and No. 23-ranked offensive guard in nation.
An Irish captain in 2014, he began the season at center, where he started as a junior, before kicking over to left guard. He was drafted in the second round (No. 50 overall) by Houston, where he started 62 games — only missing two as a rookie — in his first four years in the league. He was a reserve for the Raiders in 2021 and played four times for Washington in 2022, starting twice.
2009: Zack Martin, Bishop Chatard, OT
A two-time all-state pick and twice a state champion at Chatard, Martin played both ways for the Trojans. He was the No. 1-rated player in state in his class, No. 168 in nationally and No. 14 offensive tackle in nation.
After a redshirt year, he became a fixture on the Irish offensive line. He started the next 52 games, helped lead Notre Dame to the 2013 BCS national title game, was a team captain as a senior and became the first offensive lineman to win a bowl game MVP honors since 1959.
Dallas drafted him No. 16 overall in 2014 and he's established himself as the gold standard at guard. He's been first-team All-Pro seven times, second-team twice and was named to the NFL All-Decade team (2010s). This upcoming season, will be his 11th, all with the Cowboys.
