IRVINGTON, NJ — As one of the top high school football players in the state, Adon Shuler attracted interest from several major NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision colleges. The 6-foot, 190-pound wide receiver/safety from Irvington High School knew where he wanted to continue his career.
In late August, right before the start of his junior season, Shuler committed to the University of Notre Dame, one of the most storied programs in the nation.
Shuler was sold on what head coach Brian Kelly and Notre Dame had to offer: a great education along with a chance to win a national championship.
“I like the aspect of education along with football, with how Coach Kelly and the coaching staff really emphasize players graduating with degrees and also having the chance to play for a national championship,” said Shuler, who said he plans to study business and marketing, combined with psychology, while he is at Notre Dame.
Shuler, whose other choices were Kansas State and Maryland, is a 4-star prospect and the No. 3–ranked overall player in the state by 247sports.com for the high school Class of 2023. Shuler will play safety at Notre Dame.
Having already decided on his college destination, Shuler is focused on the IHS Blue Knights this season.
The Blue Knights, under sixth-year head coach and Irvington native Smoke Pierre, were considered one of the top teams in the state entering the season.
After a stunning 2-0 road loss to Mount Olive in the season opener, the Blue Knights reeled off three straight wins, beating Union City, Hudson Catholic and West Side.
Shuler proved to be the hero in the thrilling 32-26 overtime win over Hudson Catholic at home, as he scored the game-winning touchdown on a fake field goal attempt.
In the 28-0 win over West Side, Shuler scored the final two touchdowns of the game, a 27-yard pass and 62-yard pass, both from senior quarterback Saquan Gordon, in the fourth quarter.
Shuler said the team has regrouped nicely since that season-opening loss.
“Each week, we get better,” he said. “We had an upset in Week 1 with a loss but everybody has gotten better. The team jelled and bonded together. That has really been the focus for us.”
Shuler also credits Pierre and the rest of the coaching staff for preparing the team.
“They do a great job each of preparing for us for the matchups of who we have to play,” said Shuler, who turned 16 on Oct. 1.
Shuler got into football thanks to the influence of his father, Don Shuler, a former Irvington High School football standout. Don Shuler is in the IHS Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the great 1995 IHS football team that was inducted in 2019. Don Shuler was a senior on that team.
Adon Shuler, who will play for the IHS boys basketball team in the winter and participate in track and field in the spring, in which his specialties are the relays and jumping events, wants to help the football team capture its first state sectional championship.
“My main goal is to help the team in any way I can. The team is bigger than me,” he said.
Irvington (3-1 record)
Sept. 3: Loss, at Mount Olive, 2-0
Sept. 10: Win, vs. Union City, 22-6
Sept. 17: Win, vs. Hudson Catholic, 32-26 overtime
Sept. 25: Win, at Newark West Side, 28-0
Oct. 1: vs. Wayne Hills, 7 p.m.
Oct. 9: at DePaul, 1 p.m.
Oct. 16: vs. Ridgewood, 1 p.m.
Oct. 22: at Bayonne, 7 p.m.
Oct. 29: vs. West Orange, 7 p.m.
Photos Courtesy of Nesbit Digital Sports
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