Notre Dame 2024 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense Edition
Notre Dame has wrapped up its 2024 recruiting class, landing 23 prospects during the early signing period. The Notre Dame offensive class was especially good. Notre Dame signed three offensive recruits that earned a five-star grade on the Irish Breakdown board, and another prospect earned a five-star upside grade.
Notre Dame met its depth needs, it landed impact players at multiple positions and it was a very, very talented group of skill players. In fact, I'll stack this offensive class up against any in the country in regard to the combination of impact talent, meeting needs and great depth at all positions.
With it being National Signing Day it's time to take a look back at the grades for the 2024 class. (Note: Grade key is at the bottom of the article)
QUARTERBACK
Grade: A
Signee: CJ Carr
Notre Dame needed just one quarterback in the class and as always, the Irish needed to bring in a difference maker. Carr is certainly that, and landing him was a home run for the Irish. The Michigan native is what Notre Dame needs at quarterback. He has outstanding arm talent, he's incredibly smart and he carries himself with a lot of confidence.
On top of landing a talented player at the position, landing a big time quarterback can also have a big impact on the class as a whole, and that was another benefit to landing Carr. He was a catalyst to the Irish putting together an elite offensive recruiting class.
RUNNING BACK
Grade: A
Signees: Kedren Young, Aneyas Williams
Notre Dame wanted two running backs in this class, so the staff certainly met its numbers need. Beyond that, they needed more impact talent, and that box was also checked with Young and Williams signed with Notre Dame.
Young is a Top 100 running back that brings big time playmaking ability. He can be a hammer, he can make defenders miss and he can hit home runs. The Texas native is one of the most pure runners that Notre Dame has signed in the last decade.
Williams grades out as a Top 150 back and he brings elite production and versatility to the game. This is a player that had over 4,000 rushing yards and 3,000 receiving yards in his career to go with over 150 total touchdowns. He's impactful from the backfield and he can make plays in space in the pass game.
Simply landing one of these two backs would have been quite strong after what the staff landed in the 2022 and 2023 classes. Landing both was big time and is further evidence that right now the Irish staff is recruiting the running back position as well as any team in the country.
WIDE RECEIVER
Grade: A-
Signees: Cam Williams, Micah Gilbert, Logan Saldate
Notre Dame needed three receivers in this class, and it met that need, which was a plus. Notre Dame needed to add impact speed in this class, and Williams certainly gives that. It needed at least one bigger bodied receiver, and Gilbert has that kind of frame (6-2, 205) and Williams is also 6-2. It needed pass catchers that can make plays with the ball in their hands, and all three can do that in different ways.
This is a very complementary class as well, and not just with each other. They add traits the previous 2023 class - which was also outstanding - doesn't have, or not enough of. Looking at this class alone, you have a dynamic outside burner (Williams), a physical player that can win in different ways (Gilbert), and you have a shifty smaller player that can get open and do work with the ball (Saldate).
Williams is a truly elite pass catcher, and having him in the class makes this an outstanding class. His game still needs work, but the minute he steps foot on campus he'll be the team's most physically gifted receiver. Gilbert has a great frame and feel for the game, and I could see him doing damage at all three receiver spots. Saldate is an underrated player with good speed, quickness and ball skills.
This is a really, really good group, and it's a group with the talent to make a very early impact.
TIGHT END
Grade: B-
Signee: Jack Larsen
Notre Dame didn't need two tight ends in the class, but it's clear they wanted two tight ends, and missing out on that second tight end does drag the grade down a touch. Larsen is a quality football player and he does fit the mold of what the staff wanted in a top tight end in the class.
After landing Cooper Flanagan in the 2023 class, Notre Dame wanted a tight end that was more of a move around player instead of the traditional type that Flanagan is as a player. That fits Larsen to a tee. He isn't the biggest tight end, but he can handle himself in the run game, but Larsen's best attributes are in the pass game. He has truly elite ball skills, he's a quality route runner and he's a solid athlete. Larsen is also a very smart player that has the toughness needed to overcome his lack of ideal size.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Grade: A-
Signees: Guerby Lambert, Styles Prescod, Peter Jones, Anthonie Knapp
Notre Dame really only "needed" three offensive linemen in this class to meet its number and roster needs, so landing four gives some extra credit in the class. It also needed to land at least two true tackles, and it met that objective as well. Of course, the final evaluation for a Notre Dame offensive line class is did it add impact talent, or at least impact upside, and the Irish did both with this four-man group.
Lambert is an elite offensive lineman and has as much raw ability as any blocker in the country. He's physical in the run game and he has all the athleticism you need to thrive as a pass blocker. His frame is elite, his power is elite and he can play either tackle spot. Landing him was the ideal way to complete this class.
The first player in the class was Jones, who could play right tackle or guard at the next level, which gives versatility to the class. Jones is also a mauling blocker with big time size, toughness and he's still pretty sound technically. I love how his game projects to guard because I think he'll thrive in tighter spaces.
Prescod is the second pure tackle in the class. When Notre Dame landed him it was all about projection, because his game needed a lot of work. He took a big step as a senior and started to tap into his high ceiling. He's long, he's a good athlete, he has some pop in his hands and he looks comfortable playing in space.
Knapp is the wild card in the class. He is the lowest ranked player in the offensive class for me. I have concerns about his frame and whether or not he can add 30 pounds and maintain his athleticism. If he can then this could be a really quality pickup for Rudolph.
GRADE KEY
A — Elite / College Football Playoff caliber
B — Outstanding / Top 15 caliber
C — Solid / Borderline Top 25 caliber
D — Subpar / Not good enough
F — Disaster
Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge
Irish Breakdown Content
2024 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers
2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense
2024 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2024 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense
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