With the depth chart at punter precariously thin, Notre Dame picked up the commitment of recruited walk-on Andrew Antognoli, who backed away from a pledge to punt at Harvard for the chance to play for the Fighting Irish.
With Ben Turk graduating after four years of service, Kyle Brindza is slated to take over the punting duties in addition to his work as placekicker and kick-off man. But with scholarship numbers tight and another scholarship specialist looking less than likely, bringing Antognoli to campus as a walk-on is an immediate factor in the two-deep depth chart.
A Semper Fidelis All-American, the 6-foot-2 former soccer player punted and kicked for San Joaquin Memorial high school in Fresno, California. With recruiting numbers shaking out around the country, an opportunity to walk onto campus and compete for a job at Notre Dame was too good of an offer to turn down.
“Coach Booker told me that I have a legitimate chance to be the starter and that I can compete for the job next year during the fall,” Antognoli told 247Sports. “I’m really excited to hear that. It’s great to have an opportunity like that at a place like Notre Dame. I think I can go there, be the best I can be and maximize my potential.”
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