Dec. 24--One of Notre Dame's two losses this season occurred in South Carolina, by two points against No. 1 Clemson.
But the Irish earned a victory of sorts in the state Thursday when 6-foot, 175-pound cornerback Troy Pride Jr. orally committed to the program.
"If there were 13 Troy Pride Jr.'s that would be great, but sadly there's only one," Pride tweeted Thursday afternoon.
Pride, from Greer, S.C., is a three-star recruit, according to 247sports.com's composite rankings. He's listed as the sixth-best player overall in his home state, and 35th nationally at his position.
Until November, Pride had been committed to Virginia Tech, the first school to offer him a scholarship. He decommitted Nov. 11, citing "the unpredictable future," in a Twitter message. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer will retire after the Hokies' bowl game.
Pride thanked coaches, family and friends that have helped him through the recruiting process.
"I am extremely blessed to be in the position I am in to further my education and football career at so many great institutions, but Notre Dame, I'm coming home," Pride tweeted.
He visited Notre Dame on Oct. 17 for the Irish's 41-31 victory against USC.
Pride also had offers from North Carolina State, North Carolina, Clemson, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, among others.
He is Notre Dame's 21st commitment from the Class of 2016.
