Class Impact: Safety Ben Minich Commits To Notre Dame
Notre Dame's vaunted 2023 recruiting class just got better as Cincinnati (Ohio) Lakota West safety Ben Minich committed to the Fighting Irish.
Minich picked Notre Dame over Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Stanford and Kentucky. Let's break down what this commitment means for the Notre Dame 2023 class and the Irish depth chart.
NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT
Minich is the 22nd player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2023 class, he's the 12 defensive player and the third safety. He joins fellow safety commits Peyton Bowen and Adon Shuler. He's the second defender from Ohio, joining Mentor (Ohio) High School standout defensive lineman Brenan Vernon.
Notre Dame came into this cycle looking for at least two safeties, but three was always a strong possibility after the staff failed to sign a safety in the 2022 class. As the roster shook out in the spring it became a bigger need for the Irish.
Minich earned his offer after a strong summer workout at a Notre Dame camp. He's a versatile safety that can play in the slot, he can play the alleys and he has a chance to put in some work deep.
Landing Minich means Notre Dame has now met its goals from a numbers standpoint.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Minich isn't the highly ranked player that Bowen and Shuler are, but he's a talented player that has some tools, and he has a chance to be at least a good depth and special teams players, but if he reaches he peak he has starting potential.
"Playing safety for Lakota West, Minich is a versatile piece on the backend who is used to working from depth, in short zone and a slot defender. The best aspects of his game is his short area quickness and change of direction. That shows up with Munich’s ability to close quickly on underneath routes and do nice work in man to man coverage.
"He is also a tenacious player who shows up in the run game, with adequate ability to work in pursuit. His ball skills are also plus, making sense with his impact on the offensive side of the football.
"The biggest questions for Minich are going to be his range in deep zone coverage and his overall size profile. Minich range is a whole lot better working towards the line of scrimmage than opening deep in coverage. While he has no issue throwing around his weight, Minich also doesn’t boast much hit power right now. He will have to fill out his frame to become an asset as a run defender and alley runner.
"Minich’s impact on special teams is also a huge bonus. He makes a ton of plays in coverage units, quickly accelerating down field and showing sure tackling on returners. Overall, he boasts a solid all around athletic profile with some nice proactiveness with his ability to diagnose quickly."
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Irish Breakdown Content
Notre Dame 2022 Roster
Notre Dame 2022 Schedule
Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Offense
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Defense
Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense
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