Spoke with St. Patrick’s underrated 2017 WR Paddy Byrne on his dedication to improving his game, his greatest strengths and schools he’s kept in touch with. Sitting on no offers: D1, D2, D3 or NAIA. I’ve seen him play and compete at showcases, he’d fit well into a FCS/D2 program and would be a steal for a D3 or NAIA school.

You can find Paddy on Twitter @paddybyrne21.

Paddy Byrne

Wide Receiver
St. Patrick
Chicago, IL

Ht: 6’0″
Wt: 165 lbs
Class: 2017

Commitment status: Undecided

LPI: What were the most important things you did this offseason and are now doing in practice so you can improve your game this season? To be more specific, how do you go the extra mile to become a better player?

PB: I started training at Don Beebe’s House of Speed this past offseason. I was able to lower my 40 time greatly (4.50), along with improving my 20 yard shuffle, 3 cone drill, and broad jump. Besides the speed and strength training, I also was involved in Don Beebe’s football class, where I was able to work on my route running and catching ability. He improved my game on every level. My quarterback Anthony Mazzenga and I have always had a solid connection because he was my quarterback sophomore year, too, so we’ve just been continuing that throughout this season.

LPI: You don’t have any offers, but are on a mission to prove to college coaches that you can play at the next level. What are your greatest strengths or why should a school offer you?

PB: I think my greatest strengths would be my speed and my route running. I’ve worked on those two things the most this offseason, along with my hands. Blocking is a big part of my game as well, our receiver coach really preaches that to the receivers. I play safety for us, and I’m also one of the punt returners. My overall athletic ability is probably my greatest strength because I’m able to play a lot of positions on the field.

LPI: Which schools have you kept in contact with the most?

PB: I’ve kept in contact with Dayton the most, but also a few D3 and D2 schools.

LPI: Where have you visited most recently and do you have any planned visits coming up?

PB: Over the summer, I attended a Northwestern camp and a Dayton camp. I haven’t had any visits yet this season, but I’m visiting Dayton November 5th for one of their home games.

LPI: You have 2 other talented pass catchers on your team in Andrew Edgar and Jonathan Hamilton. Do you think that opens up the field for more for you?

PB: Our offense this year has been huge, and that’s mainly because we have so many playmakers. If teams want to key on Edgar, it opens up more opportunities for me and Hamilton, and if teams want to key on Hamilton, they leave me and Edgar open. Our passing attack is a hard thing to stop because usually, they can’t stop all of us. Having those two great players on offense with me is good because it does open up some chances for me.

LPI: The Shamrocks are doing well so far at 4-2. What have you guys been doing more now than ever so you can make a deep run in the playoffs?

PB: We’ve really just been focusing in as much as we can during film and practice. We’ve realized that we have a chance to do something big this year, so we want to take advantage. The energy in practice has been very high and we’ve been getting great looks from our scout teams. The scout teams’ hard work and ability to compete with the first offense and first defense during practice really helps us play better in the games.

LPI: The aforementioned Edgar and Hamilton are talented recruits such as yourself. Who are some of your other teammates that you believe are being overlooked by college scouts?

PB: Mike Valicento plays corner for us, and I believe he could continue playing corner in college. He’s an extremely smart kid that’s a great athlete, and probably one of the hardest hitting kids on the team. He makes huge plays when we need him. Niko Childress has been our varsity running back since sophomore year. He’s not that big, but he makes up for it with his quickness and ability to break tackles. I play defense too, so I know how hard it is to bring him down. I’ve played with him since grade school, and I believe he could play at the next level.