SOUTH BEND — Cornerbacks discuss. That’s simply the way in which it’s at all times been.
That doesn’t imply Rico Flores Jr. has to hear.
“They do attempt to discuss, however I’m not the kind to speak,” Notre Dame soccer’s freshman vast receiver stated Tuesday night after apply. “I let my sport discuss for itself.”
As productive as he’s precocious, the four-star signee from Sacramento enters this week’s house sport towards unranked Pittsburgh with 15 catches for 178 yards and a rating. Because the phrase has unfold about Notre Dame’s fast-rising expertise, Flores has more and more needed to tune out among the nation’s most completed (and verbose) protection aces.
“I simply chuckle once they discuss and stuff like that,” Flores stated. “They do most likely attempt to intimidate. I pay no thoughts to it, although.”
He’s too busy carving up opposing secondaries together with his exact routes, superior instincts and dependable palms.
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Focused simply six occasions within the first three video games of his school profession, the midyear enrollee has seen that quantity soar to 26 targets in his previous 5 outings. Twelve of his receptions, for 145 yards and together with the go-ahead rating within the fourth quarter towards Ohio State, have are available in that span.
“I really feel like I’ve gained respect from quite a lot of the corners,” Flores Jr. stated, ”via my toughness and physicality and the way in which I play the sport.”
Reconstructing Rico Flores Jr.’s heroics at Duke
If his first profession landing was “surreal,” the phrase Flores Jr. used to explain his 2-yard catch towards the Buckeyes, what was it prefer to beat Duke with that 95-yard landing drive within the last minute one week later?
“That was an fascinating sport,” he stated. “Being in it, being down, last minute, clock ticking — you realize performs must be made.”
Flores made among the greatest, together with a 24-yard seize over the center that moved the Irish throughout midfield. He later added the 2-point conversion catch within the 21-14 win over the 17th-ranked Blue Devils.
That efficiency earned him an honorable point out as “Freakin’ Rico Flores,” the outline Irish receivers coach Chansi Stuckey used on the headset audio that was later shared by way of Preventing Irish Media and a binge-worthy video.
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New nickname?
“Nah, I’m nonetheless Reek or Rico,” Flores stated. “However that video was dope. That was an excellent video put collectively by our video staff. I actually loved watching it. That video simply summed all of it up.”
Whereas some freshmen would have watched such a video on an infinite loop, their head swelling with every successive viewing, Flores was disciplined as at all times.
“Yeah, I watched it,” he stated of the five-minute, 24-second video. “When it first got here out, most likely like three (occasions). It was like a film. I didn’t watch it too many occasions as a result of it’s sort of lengthy.”
So is a university soccer season, particularly one which featured a string of 4 straight night time video games towards ranked opponents. Flores, nevertheless, simply retains getting stronger.
‘I knew the ball was going to return to me’
This week, Flores was listed as a beginning wideout for the primary time on the official depth chart Notre Dame distributes.
If you wish to perceive how precisely Flores has made that occur, think about the depth of his reply when requested to interrupt down his pinballing catch in site visitors towards Duke. Earlier than Sam Hartman’s mad sprint on fourth-and-16, earlier than Audric Estime’s 30-yard run for the profitable rating, there was Flores outmaneuvering an skilled secondary together with his thoughts and his savvy.
“I knew the ball was going to return to me in a manner,” he stated. “It was 1-on-1 protection, and I had a dig. With how (junior cornerback Joshua Pickett) had been enjoying me, as a result of we have been working quite a lot of go routes that sport, I knew he was going to fall for the skin launch. So, I hit him with the skin launch and reduce within him.”
At that time, the drama was simply unfolding.
“And he was on me,” Flores stated. “I’m sort of an even bigger receiver, so I used my shoulder slightly bit to lean on him so he was feeling the stress after which, increase, simply got here out. (Pickett) ended up falling. I didn’t know he fell till I watched movie. I used to be like, ‘Dang, I didn’t know he fell.’ ”
Flores smiled. He performed a career-high 59 snaps that night time with Notre Dame lacking its high two receivers, Jayden Thomas and Jaden Greathouse, each out with hamstring accidents.
“I knew the ball was going to return to me, proper then and there,” Flores stated. “I used to be simply ready for a catch. I assumed the security (Terry Moore) was far more down. That’s why I used to be bracing. Pre-snap, I noticed the security there: ‘OK, I’m going to beat (Pickett), and I’ve to fret in regards to the security coming down.’ That’s why I ‘safe caught’ it.”
Flores shook his head.
“Everyone was again,” he stated. “I don’t even know the place they went.”
Freakin’ Rico Flores had silenced one other batch of failed intimidators.
Comply with Notre Dame soccer author Mike Berardino on social media @MikeBerardino.
