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Notre Dame football recruiting: 4-star LB Josh Barajas flips from Penn State Nittany Lions to Fighting Irish

By Andrew Melnick

Sep 28, 2013; South Bend, IN, USA; The Hesburgh Library Word of Life Mural aka Touchdown Jesus as seen before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Oklahoma Sooners at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2013; South Bend, IN, USA; The Hesburgh Library Word of Life Mural aka Touchdown Jesus as seen before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Oklahoma Sooners at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Back on March 30, 4-star inside linebacker surprised some in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish program when he committed to the Penn State Nittany Lions despite heavy interest from the Irish in the Indiana native.

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At the time of the commitment, Barajas said the teams were “neck and neck the whole time.”

“I just felt comfortable,” Barajas explained. “The way the coaching staff just treated me. I feel like they’re going to do big, big things over there.”

Just two months later, Barajas has changed his mind. He switched his commitment from the Nittany Lions to the Fighting Irish on Friday.

The 6’3, 210-pounder is from Merrillville, Indiana and attends Andrean High School.

“What he’s going to get going to Notre Dame academically for his future, things Josh and I talked about. and with the football it’s a great decision,” Andrean coach Phil Mason said.

“When talking about tradition in college football, Notre Dame is the first thing that pops in your mind. Being close to home and playing on the national stage, and I can’t say enough about the coaching staff, Coach (Mike) Elston and Brian Kelly.”

Barajas is ranked as the country’s fourth-best inside linebacker prospect, the top-overall prospect from the state of Indiana and the 168th-best overall prospect in the class of 2015, according to 24/7 Sports’ composite rankings.

Aside from the Fighting Irish and Nittany Lions, Barajas also holds offers from the Boston College Eagles, Illinois Fighting Illini, Indiana Hoosiers, Maryland Terrapins,  Missouri Tigers, Ohio State Buckcyes and Oregon Ducks, among others.

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