BREAKING: Notre Dame Lands NC State Grad Transfer

Two days ago Irish Breakdown informed its subscribers that Notre Dame was pushing for NC State grad transfer cornerback Nick McCloud. McCloud has in fact made his decision, and he'll be playing for Notre Dame in 2020.

Matthew 20:16
beyond grateful for the opportunity!
ready to get to work! 🍀 pic.twitter.com/qBMmQx8AYj
— Nick McCloud (@NickMcCloud4_) May 11, 2020

McCloud was named a team captain for the Wolfpack as a senior, but was injured in the first game of the 2019 season. He returned for Clemson but was once again injured and shut down for the season, which earned him a medical redshirt and an additional year of eligibility.

McCloud has 19 career starts for the Wolfpack. He registered 105 career tackles, 20 career pass break ups and three interceptions. He started the bowl game against Vanderbilt as a freshman, and followed that up with six starts as a sophomore.

In 2018, McCloud started 11 games and finished with 51 tackles, eight pass break ups and two interceptions.

McCloud is listed at 6-1 and 190 pounds, and he certainly has a lot of experience. He would bring leadership and experience to the secondary, but he would also be the only veteran at the position with size and length. His instincts and ability to play the ball are noticeable on film, and he uses his length well in coverage.

Athletically, McCloud lacks top-notch speed, but he has quick feet and relatively loose hips for someone his size. He's not the kind of corner you want to put in man-to-man situations all game like you would Troy Pride Jr..

But McCloud is a sound tackler and he's got good size, so playing a role similar to that of Julian Love in 2018 is certainly not out of the question.

The ideal scenario is that McCloud provides Notre Dame with size and experience while allowing the younger corners - Isaiah Rutherford, KJ Wallace and Cam Hart - time to develop. The hope for Notre Dame fans should be that McCloud provides an insurance policy, assuming he is healthy, but that it also not be a situation where the younger, talented players are buried simply because they lack the experience.

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