2023 OL commit Sam Pendleton: Marcus Freeman, Harry Hiestand are bringing back ‘true Notre Dame football’

When Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan offensive lineman Sam Pendleton made his way up to Notre Dame for the first time on April 8, he was doing it almost as a courtesy.

The 6-4, 295-pound recruit had known about the Irish forever for many of the oft-stated reasons — academics, tradition, geographic diversity. He respected it, for sure, but he wasn’t sure it was for him. Pendleton grew up an NC State fan, and Clemson was relatively close by. Those schools were considered frontrunners for the junior for a while. Notre Dame moved into the picture in the final hour.

“I went up to South Bend with (Notre Dame) behind some other schools,” Pendleton said in a Blue & Gold Twitter Space on Thursday night. “They were kind of late in my process, but I was like ‘I’ve talked to the coaches. I’m going to make it a point to go and see what they have to offer.’

“I was blown away.”

Pendleton felt great during and after the visit, even taking what became a viral photo with offensive line coach Harry Hiestand at Eddy Street Commons near campus. But he couldn’t commit yet. His family has a “two-week rule” — you can’t make a decision until you sit on it for 14 days.

The junior may have bent the rules a little because after just one week, the choice was weighing on him to a point where he wanted the process to be done. Pendleton had his heart set on Notre Dame, and on a drive with his mom to a store just across the border in Western Virginia, the offensive lineman called the Irish coaches and made the pledge. The No. 388 recruit in the 2023 class per On3 Consensus went public with his commitment shortly after, formally announcing on April 25.

Academics are often a top reason commits choose Notre Dame. Pendleton is no exception, planning to major in mechanical engineering. The famed school’s tradition also stuck out to him, and he went in-depth on specifics during the Twitter conversation.

“Another part for me is they have such a rich tradition,” Pendleton said. “Everything they do with regard to mass, no names on the jerseys, the other game day rituals, really what the coaches are bringing back there, especially Coach (Marcus) Freeman and Coach Hiestand. What those guys are bringing back at Notre Dame is what I think is true Notre Dame football.”

Pendleton would be remiss not to include the strong tradition of offensive linemen at Notre Dame, which played a role in his decision as well. Of course, Hiestand has been a critical piece of that development for the last decade, even though he was formally away from the program for a few years.

“Coach Hiestand is an amazing person,” Pendleton said. “He’s legendary, just from what he’s done. I want to play for someone who believes in something and believes in doing it the right way. He’s icing on the cake. He wasn’t my lead reason why I chose Notre Dame, but he definitely was a part.”

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The North Carolina native added an anecdote that perfectly describes the distinguished offensive line coach, who has produced several first-round NFL Draft picks and ultimate All-Pro linemen: Hiestand often “texts” Pendleton from his email.

“I don’t know how it works,” Pendleton joked. “I get text messages from his phone number, his other phone number and his email.”

Hiestand is old school. That’s clear from the moment you begin interacting with him, even before you get out onto the football field. Thankfully for Hiestand, Pendleton is the same way.

“I consider myself to be an old soul, especially coming from where I grew up and where I live,” Pendleton said.

Pfafftown has a population of just over 2,000 people. To compare, the population of South Bend is 103,000. Pendleton is from a really small town, and it has clearly shaped his outlook on his future.

“One thing that interests me is the small details,” he added. “When you go into (Hiestand’s) meeting room, it’s nothing fancy. He has a bulletin board, a dry erase board and a projector. None of his notes are on the computer. He handwrites all of his notes on a memo pad. He’s simple, but probably one of the most effective coaches that I know.”

Now that he’s committed, Pendleton can return to that simplicity he too craves. There are fewer phone calls and far fewer flights and drives around the country. There is more time for homework and sleep.

“It’s a lot of stress off my shoulders,” Pendleton said. “I can just focus on my season and being the best that I can possibly be.”

A plan that’s surely Hiestand-approved.