Notre Dame Needs A Strong Finish From The 2016 Recruiting Class

Where a recruiting class finishes its career is certainly more important than where it began.

Look no further than Notre Dame’s 2016 recruiting class, which was ranked as the 15th best class in the country according to the 247Sports composite team rankings. It tied for the second lowest ranked class of the Brian Kelly era.

I think everyone can agree the class ended up being much, much better than that. The Athletic re-ranked the 2016 classes and placed Notre Dame as the fourth best class in the country, and it's not done yet.

Notre Dame’s 2016 class produced an All-American (Julian Love), a 1,000-yard wide receiver (Chase Claypool), a pair of defensive ends that are set to be high 2020 NFL Draft picks (Julian Okwara, Khalid Kareem), a three-year starter and team captain at safety (Jalen Elliott) and a three-year starter at cornerback that is also about to be a high NFL Draft pick (Troy Pride Jr.).

The class also produced the leading rusher for the 2019 squad (Tony Jones Jr.), another veteran end that was a key to the 2019 rotation (Jamir Jones) and another cornerback with starting experience (Donte Vaughn). Oh, and the class produced a three-year starting snapper (John Shannon). Fifteen of the 22 position players in the class have started multiple games, a number that will grow by one in 2020.

That is just the players who are now gone. There are five players from the class set to return for the 2020 season, giving the group one final opportunity to cement itself as arguably the best Notre Dame class of the last decade. More importantly, the class in vitally important to Notre Dame making a playoff run in 2020.

TIME TO STEP UP FOR IAN BOOK

Notre Dame cannot make a playoff run this season without quarterback Ian Book taking his game to another level. Book’s career numbers are quite impressive:

6,118 passing yards
63.5-percent completion rate
57 passing touchdowns
1,033 rushing yards
4.1 yards per carry
8 rushing touchdowns

Book’s need to play better in big games has been well documented and don’t need to be rehashed here. Assuming he stays healthy in 2020 there is no doubt his end-of-season numbers will look quite good. We’ve seen Book shred substandard defenses, and only four of Notre Dame’s 12 opponents next season ranked in the Top 50 in pass efficiency defense last season.

The question is can Book start playing better in the big games, and against the best defenses. If he can he’ll have the kind of season needed to carry the offense to the College Football Playoff.

STRONG FINISH NEEDED FOR O-LINE CLASS

One of the recognized strengths of the 2016 class was the offensive line haul, which consisted of five-star Tommy Kraemer, Top 100 offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg and four-star Parker Boudreaux.

The latter is gone, but the first two will be key parts of the 2020 offensive line. How the line plays will have a significant impact on the team's overall success, and the line can't be dominant without strong seasons from the 2016 class.

Eichenberg was Notre Dame’s best offensive lineman last season, and he was one of the top offensive tackles in the country. According to Pro Football Focus, the Cleveland native ranked 7th in the country in pass blocking efficiency and 11th in run blocking among Power 5 offensive tackles. He was one of just seven offensive tackles to rank in the Top 15 in both categories.

Looking forward to 2020, Eichenberg is one of the just three returning offensive tackles to rank in the Top 10 in both areas, with Eichenberg ranking 3rd in pass blocking efficiency and 6th in run blocking grade among returning Power 5 tackles.

There is another level that Eichenberg can take his game, and Notre Dame needs him to get there in 2020. At times last fall the Irish left tackle was outstanding, showing elite pass blocking skills and dominance in the run game. There were also moments when he didn’t show the run game force or technique needed to be on top of his game.

Then there were the penalties. Eichenberg was called for 11 penalties last season, a number that must be cut in half.

But the fact is Eichenberg showed during long stretches of the 2019 season that he can be dominant, and if he can be more consistent in 2020 he’ll emerge as one of the nation’s premier linemen. A return to health from Robert Hainsey would then give Notre Dame arguably the best tackle tandem in the country.

Kraemer was a mid-season All-American before going down with a season-ending knee injury. He ranked 6th among Power 5 guards in pass blocking efficiency, and neither Kraemer nor Eichenberg allowed a sack last season according to Pro Football Focus.

Kraemer ranked just 67th in run blocking, and that is the part of his game that must take a big step forward next season. He’s a powerful player but his footwork prevented him from taking advantage of his size and strength. If he can play clean football in the run game he’ll have a strong final season and help solidify what needs to be one of the nation’s top offensive lines.

EDGE PRESENCE

Notre Dame lost three defensive ends from the 2016 class that combined for 91 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks last season. That would be devastating to many teams, and it is certainly a loss for Notre Dame, but a pair of talented 2016 ends are set to return and fill those shoes.

Daelin Hayes hasn’t quite lived up to the 5-star label, but he’s been a quality football player for Notre Dame throughout his career. He’s a strong all-around player that thrives against the run and is highly effective in coverage. If he can add a more effective pass rush to his repertoire that 5-star talent will be matched by 5-star production.

Adetokunbo Ogundeji was just a three-star recruit, and Rivals had him as the lowest ranked position player in the class for Notre Dame. He’s far surpassed that already, and Ogundeji has a chance to finish his career off with a bang.

I recently wrote a spring preview for the ends that goes into more detail about what both Hayes and Ogundeji are expected to bring to the defense in 2020, so click HERE to read more about the talented ends.

If this group of five players live up to expectations it will have a major influence on Notre Dame’s playoff run, and it would make a case for the 2016 class being the best haul of the Kelly era.