Addison Copeland decommits from Rutgers after Notre Dame offer

Buffalo native Addison Copeland III committed to Rutgers back in mid-September and became their first commitment of the 2022 class. On Tuesday, Notre Dame offered the the Buffalo (N.Y.) Western Maritime receiver and he opened up his recruitment.

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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series

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"It's big," Copeland said of his Notre Dame offer. "A lot of people from where I'm from don't really get that kind of opportunity. I'm thankful to the coaching staff for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to someday possibly play for them.

"I talked to the offensive coordinator, coach (Tommy) Rees," he said. "He asked me what side of the ball I'd rather be on. I chose offense and he gave me to the receivers coach. We talked a little bit and he eventually gave me the offer.

"For their football program, I know that they're a staple in college football," said Copeland. "I know that their history is very accomplished and I know the effect that they have on anybody dedicated to football. I know it's a big school for football but as far as the institute, that's something that I need to look into and do my research on.

"The reason I decommitted from Rutgers was just to show that I'm open to recruiting and building relationships with other coaches," he said. "I want to find the best fit for me and where I feel like I'll be utilized the best. The Rutgers coaches were really supportive and understanding. They said that they're going to continue to stay in contact with me and I'm thankful for that."

This is a tough break for Rutgers, who found Copeland early in the process and hoped to bring him in to lead a solid group of receivers in the 2022 recruiting class. The Scarlet Knights certainly won’t stop recruiting him but the allure of Notre Dame proved too much to keep Copeland from decommitting. There will be other schools that push for Copeland throughout the process and he is certainly not going to limit his focus to just the Fighting Irish. There will surely be more to come on Copeland’s recruitment over the next few moths.