Early Enrollees Set To Arrive At Notre Dame

The 2020 version of the Notre Dame football team will start to come together on Monday when classes for the second semester begins.

Notre Dame’s entire 2020 roster won’t completely come together until the entire incoming recruiting class arrives in the summer, but the majority of the roster will start going through winter workouts together next week.

There will be ten new faces on the roster, with eight high school players ready to enroll early and two graduate transfers ready to begin the spring with the Irish. Let’s take a look at each player and what might be in store for them during the spring.

HIGH SCHOOL

DREW PYNE, QUARTERBACK

Height: 6-0
Weight: 181

Spring Analysis: Pyne automatically steps into the number three role on the depth chart, and he benefits just as much as current freshman Brendon Clark from the transfer of Phil Jurkovec. Instead of the reps being divided between four players it will now be broken up between three quarterbacks, which means more opportunities for Pyne.

Pyne is undersized, so getting a six month head start in the weight room should be huge for him. That is the greatest benefit for Pyne coming in early. Beyond that, Pyne gets a jump on the playbook and getting to work with position coach Tommy Rees. Should Notre Dame go outside the current staff for its next offensive coordinator the mental gap between Pyne and Clark will be significantly narrowed, as both will be tasked with learning a brand new offense.

The New Canaan (Conn.) native is advanced from a fundamentals standpoint, which should allow him to quickly start focusing more on learning the offense, learning the calls, communicating the way the Notre Dame coaches want and getting on the same page with the with the receivers, tight ends and backs from a timing standpoint.

XAVIER WATTS, WIDE RECEIVER

Height: 5-11
Weight: 185

Spring Analysis: Watts is a natural football player that could easily play on either side of the ball at Notre Dame. Watts has average height, but he possesses a good frame and is a naturally strong and powerful player for his size. He brings much better size and physicality to the position than players like Braden Lenzy and Lawrence Keys III.

Everything about Watts is natural, and he is behind a bit when it comes to maxing out his frame and combining weight room strength with his natural power. Getting on campus next week and starting to work with the Notre Dame strength staff will be huge for him. As he gains more weight room strength I fully expect his speed and explosiveness to take a jump forward.

Watts has impressive ball skills and he’s a natural with the ball in his hands. His technique will need a lot of work, especially when pressed and jammed. That’s an area where he struggled in summer camps, so the focus for him this spring needs to be enhancing his technique and learning the nuances of the position. Watts has all the physical tools to be a standout at Notre Dame, but he won’t reach his full potential if he doesn’t become an advanced technician.

I expect Watts to start the spring at X receiver, but I won’t be surprised if he moves around a bit as the staff tries to find where he’s most comfortable and fits best.

JAY BRUNELLE, WIDE RECEIVER

Height: 6-1½
Weight: 201

Spring Analysis: The last time Brunelle was on the fields at Notre Dame he was dominating the summer camp, which ultimately earned him a scholarship offer from the Irish. Brunelle carried his strong summer performance into the fall, where his game showed much improvement. When healthy, Brunelle was dominant in his final high school season.

Brunelle has good size, possessing a muscular, athletic build. He shows good route running skills down the field, but like Watts he’ll need to improve against press and jam coverage against players the caliber of what he’ll face at Notre Dame. Brunelle was able to use his size and strength to out-play prep defenders, but he won’t be able to get away with that this spring, so this should be a focus for him this spring.

The other question for Brunelle is where does he play, especially in year one. A case could be made for him fitting in at all three wide receiver positions, at least how the current offense is constructed. If Javon McKinley is not allowed back by the school for a fifth season we could see Brunelle in the boundary initially. His ball skills and ability to track the football would fit that position well, but he can also work the middle of the field.

RYLIE MILLS, DEFENSIVE END/TACKLE

Height: 6-4½
Weight: 250

Spring Analysis: The first thing I want to see from Mills this spring is where he lines up. My prediction is he starts off at strong side end, but he could also see some action inside. Mills has a thick frame, but his weight has been listed between 250 and 270 pounds. If he’s closer to 250 than end is likely where he plays the most in the spring, but if he’s around 270 I could see him getting more action inside.

Mills is an impressive young defender. He was the highest ranked defensive player on my board and he earned a five-star upside grade from me. There is some distance between where he is now and that five-star finish line, but getting on campus early will help him get there much faster. Mills will benefit greatly from the early start in the weight room, but it will be working with line coach Mike Elston that will benefit him the most.

On film, Mills shows powerful hands and an advanced feel for getting off blocks for his age. If he starts off at end, Mills will need to learn a wider array of pass rush moves in order to stick and be a three-down player. I’ll be curious to see what kind of burst he shows off the edge and how quickly he can develop more pass rush moves. If he’s a quick study we could see him actually stick at end.

Of course, we could also see him move inside, where his athleticism plays the best. How well he holds up at the point of attack early on will be key to success inside, but Mills should be able to use his quickness and hand play to be a disruptive player up the middle. I’ve been told a couple young defensive tackles could miss some time in the spring (injuries), and if that turns out to be the case that could impact where Mills gets the most action.

JORDAN BOTELHO, DEFENSIVE END

Height: 6-2
Weight: 229

Spring Analysis: I would expect Botelho will quickly become a fan favorite due to his hustle and intensity. I’m not a huge fan of comparing young, unproven players to former greats, but it’s hard not to see some Manti Te’o in Botelho when it comes to his passion, aggressiveness and power as a football player.

Botelho showed a couple of quality pass rush moves in high school, but he relied mostly on an explosive burst off the edge and the fact he was stronger than most of his opponents. Getting in early will allow him to refine his technique, become more efficient with his movements and learn to better use his hands to win off the edge.

A versatile defender that should thrive in coverage and run support, Botelho has a skillset that is ideally suited for the drop end spot. He lacks the length of other players at the position, but he makes up for it with power, athleticism and a high football IQ. The older players on the roster will need to be ready to work if they want to prevent Botelho from quickly passing them up on the depth chart. If Botelho can’t climb up the depth chart in his first year it will mean very, very good things for Notre Dame at end.

At just 229 pounds, Botelho will need to add a bit more weight, but the early start in the weight room and his natural power should help him quickly adjust to playing against bigger, stronger offensive linemen in the run game.

ALEXANDER EHRENSBERGER, DEFENSIVE END

Height: 6-6½
Weight: 239

Spring Analysis: We just don’t know a lot about Ehrensberger, and that’s why he is the newcomer I’m most looking forward to seeing this spring. Ehrensberger has a great frame, possessing elite length and an athletic body. He shows a good burst and a good punch on film, but how well that will project against the caliber opponent he’ll face in college remains to be seen.

I expect Ehrensberger to struggle with the size and power of Irish blockers early on, but with his frame and reputation for being a grinder in the weight room, I won’t be surprised if Ehrensberger quickly adjusts to the physical rigors of playing American football. Once that happens we’ll start to see him flash.

Where Ehrensberger needs the most work is from a fundamentals standpoint. He has a nice foundation to build upon, but he hasn’t faced length like he’ll face at Notre Dame. That will require an adjustment and enhancement from everything from his stance, how he comes off the ball, using his hands to win and becoming a better tackler.

RAMON HENDERSON, CORNERBACK

Height: 6-3
Weight: 180

Spring Analysis: Henderson showed a lot of improvement on film this fall, but he’s still quite raw, and he’s still more of a track athlete than a football player at this point. But that’s exactly why getting him on campus early is so important. Henderson desperately needs the extra 15 practices and the technique drills he’ll be put through each day.

Henderson is incredibly long, which is often an initial detriment to high-level cornerback play. From a footwork standpoint, it can be harder for longer players to be efficient, and it is easier for them to get out of position, especially when transitioning in man coverage. This is especially true for Henderson, who will need to take developing his footwork and technique very seriously.

Once Henderson becomes more savvy and enhances his fundamentals his game could take off. He has elite length for a cornerback and he might be the second fastest player in the 2020 class, behind only running back Chris Tyree. Unlike most long athletes, Henderson has relatively fluid hips and impressive agility, so he possesses traits that should allow him to quickly overcome the negatives of being so long.

That right there is why the staff was so high on Henderson. You can’t teach his length, you can’t teach his speed and you can’t teach his flexibility/agility. If you can take a player with natural tools and teach him to play the game at a high level from a technical standpoint you could eventually have a star on your hands. But the gap between where Henderson is now and that point is enormous, but the California speedster gets an early jump on closing that gap.

CALEB OFFORD, CORNERBACK/SAFETY

Height: 6-1
Weight: 170

Spring Analysis: Offord is a bit of an enigma at this point. First of all, where is he going to play, cornerback or safety? Where does his length best project, and if the staff wants to play him at cornerback how long will it take Offord to get caught up from a technical standpoint?

Offord has incredibly rare length, with sources telling me he has 34-inch arms, which is what you see from offensive linemen, not cornerbacks. He’s got strong natural hands, but on film he doesn’t show much of a feel for how to use them. That will be the first key for Offord. It’s all about building around your strengths, and Offord’s best attribute is length. For him to become a player capable of helping Notre Dame he must first learn to use his greatest asset.

Part of that is developing the necessary footwork needed to play either corner or safety. Offord isn’t as fluid as Henderson, so it’s imperative that he be sound with his technique and footwork. That will be the key for Offord in his first spring, focus on footwork and putting himself in good positions.

TRANSFERS

BEN SKOWRONEK, WIDE RECEIVER

Height: 6-3
Weight: 215

Career Stats (Northwestern): 110 catches, 1,417 yards, 12.9 YPC, 8 touchdowns

Spring Analysis: Skowronek caught 45 passes for 644 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore (2017) and 45 balls for 562 yards and three more scores as a junior (2018). Skowronek was injured early in 2019, which is why he has a fifth season that will now be spent at Notre Dame.

There are two key questions about Skowronek. One is how healthy will he be, and the second is what position will he play. He has the size (6-4, 215) and ball skills to be a boundary player, and that is where I believe he best fits based on how Notre Dame runs its offense. Skowronek has plenty of experience playing in the boundary, but he also spent a lot of time in the slot for the Wildcats.

On the outside we’ve seen Skowronek show the ability to make tough catches, but at Northwestern he did his best work over the middle of the field. Skowronek certainly showed the ability to make plays outside, which you see in the clip above. He’s a good route runner that can get off the line against the press, but he lacks the explosiveness to be a game changer. Skowronek projects more as a possession receiver that can be a highly effective chain mover and route runner.

Skowronek was a captain at Northwestern in 2019, and his experience should benefit a Notre Dame receiving corps that lost standout Chase Claypool and captain Chris Finke.

ISAIAH PRYOR, SAFETY

Height: 6-2
Weight: 202

Career Stats (Ohio State): 47 tackles, seven pass break ups, one interception

Spring Analysis: Pryor will have a chance to battle with junior Houston Griffith for the starting job, but no matter who starts expect both to play a key role in the defense. As we saw in 2019, Notre Dame is more than comfortable playing three safeties.

Pryor made eight starts for the Buckeyes in 2018, registering 31 tackles, five pass break ups and an interception in eight games before a shoulder injury put him on the sidelines. He made 13 tackles and broke up a pair of passes as a freshman in 2017. A downhill player, Pryor is at his best when playing the alleys. He needs to clean up his technique and limit the missed tackles and that hurt him as a sophomore, but he has the size and physicality to thrive with this part of his game.

His size and speed gives him the traits needed to handle tight ends in man coverage, but he struggled in coverage for the Buckeyes in 2018. When Pryor is at his best is coverage is when tasked with playing tight ends or jumping drag and crossing routes, but Pryor’s game is ideally suited to play against the run.

Expect Pryor to get challenged in coverage quite a bit this spring. Notre Dame will likely put him in position to match up against tight ends and slots to see how he adapts. If he can show improved coverage skills from where he was at Ohio State he will become a major player on the Irish defense.

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