After experiencing a relatively stress-free recruiting cycle last season, the Irish coaching staff find themselves in a whirlwind after a disappointing season on and off the field. The 2016 recruiting cycle saw zero de-commitments. The freshman on this year’s team formed a dynamic bond early on, and it carried through signing day in February. This cycle was beginning to feel like much of the same. Outside of a de-commitment from Georgia, five star defensive end recruit Robert Beal before the season started, the class had momentum and similar feel to the 2016 class. There was even a span of 3 days in early March that saw 5 recruits commit to the Irish. The coaches were feeling it, the fans were feeling it, and 2017 recruits were taking notice.
Then the season started.
Since the start of the season, the 2017 class has only received two commitments; one has since joined the Michigan class, and the other is no lock to stay as well.
This is not meant to be a negative post. I actually really like the class, and it should only get better before signing day. Let’s take a look at the 17 man class as it stands and the most realistic targets remaining for our Irish.
The Return of Tight End University:
Four-star tight ends Brock Wright (Texas) and Cole Kmet (Illinois) form the best tight end class in the 2017 cycle, in the eyes of most recruiting experts. Kmet is probably the most athletic of the two and poses the best chance to become a dynamic pass-catching tight end. Wright, while also a great receiver, is already a terrific blocking tight end, making it very possible he could see early playing time next season. Wright is also an early enrollee.
Offensive Linemen:
Top 100 offensive guard Robert Hainsey out of powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida leads the way, while four star offensive tackle Joshua Lugg (Pennsylvania) and three star offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons (Florida) round out a very formidable threesome. The staff is not done with the offensive line class, as it would like to add at least one more. Five star offensive tackle and maybe the nation’s top prospect, Foster Sarell (Washington), is down to Washington, Stanford, and Notre Dame, while four star offensive tackle Aaron Banks will be announcing his college decision on December 9th, with Notre Dame a likely candidate for his services.
Backs and Receivers:
After losing out on top QB prospect Hunter Johnson (Indiana) to Clemson, Kelly and Offensive Coordinator Mike Sanford quickly turned to their second option, four star dual threat QB Avery Davis out of the Texas high school ranks. With the depth at QB on the roster and five star 2018 QB Phil Jurkovic (Pennsylvania) in the fold for next class, the QB position has been locked up for awhile.
The same can be said for running back. Four star athlete CJ Holmes (Connecticut) committed to the Irish back in July, and the staff is very comfortable going into next year with just Holmes. He will also be enrolling early.
This 2017 wide receiver class has not received the star studded attention that we Irish fans are accustomed to. The staff has only two commitments and are looking for 1-2 more slots to fill. Three-star Jordan Pouncey (Florida) and Michael Young (Louisiana) lead a respectable two man class that hopes to get better. The staff’s top two remaining targets are four star Oliver Martin (Iowa) and Jamire Calvin (California), both of whom are set to visit the Irish next weekend.
Linebackers:
Notre Dame’s incoming linebacker core was believed to be finished until four-star Pete Werner (Indiana) decided to reopen his recruitment after a visit to Ohio State. With two solid commits on track to suit up for Irish next fall, the staff has made it clear they will not settle for Plan B’s to fill out the class. Four-star David Adams (Pennsylvania) is seen as one of the best inside linebackers in the country, and Drew White (Florida) was a top target for the staff despite his three star ranking. The top remaining target on the board for the Irish is former Ohio State commit and four star Antjuan Simmons (Michigan). The staff has always been high on Simmons, and were once the perceived leaders before his surprising Ohio State commitment. They will battle Michigan State and Arizona for his services.
In the trenches:
The defensive line is where the Irish staff continues to struggle, especially on the edge. The staff has missed on many top recruits and this year is no different, as two of the three de-commitments in this year’s class have come from the defensive line (Robert Beal and Donovan Jeter). As it stands, only one edge player is committed: three-star defensive end Jonathon MacCollister (Florida). Many believe he will end up on the interior defensive line as he continues to mature and build strength. However, Notre Dame does have a very good interior class coming in with four-star defensive tackle Darnell Ewell (Virginia) and three star Kurt Hinish (Pennsylvania) in the fold. Both were top targets of the staff. The staff is looking to close the class out with four star defensive end Joshua Paschal (Maryland), which would be a big boost considering the need for pass rushers. Also, keep an eye on four star defensive tackle and current Ohio State commit Jerron Cage (Ohio). His brother is current Notre Dame defensive tackle Daniel Cage.
Secondary:
For the second straight recruiting cycle, the Irish coaching staff is looking to load up on secondary pieces. After bringing in seven in 2016, Notre Dame currently has 3 commitments and is looking for 1-2 more players to round out the class. Four-star Isaiah Robertson (Illinois) is the loan safety prospect. He will also early enroll, and comes in with the skill set to move to wide receiver if need be. Four-star Paulson Adebo (Texas) and three star Elijah Hicks (California) form a terrific cornerback duo going into next season for the Irish. If Notre Dame can land four-star Thomas Graham (California) it will have a truly dynamic freshman cornerback class. Current Colorado commit, three star Chris Miller (Texas) is another name to watch moving forward. As for safety prospects, the staff would love to add at least one more guy. Four-star Greg Johnson (California), along with four stars Chaz Ah You (Utah) and Isaiah Pola-Mao (Arizona) remain high on the staff’s board, but I wouldn’t count on any of them becoming Irish when signing day rolls around.
With the rough season officially over, one of the most exciting times of the year for recruiting is always the Echoes Awards Banquet following the season. There will be a lot of anticipation leading up to this weekend and we’ll have a lot of intel and information with what’s to come by Saturday. Who will be next to join the 2017 recruiting class? Hopefully we’ll have good news by week’s end.
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