Notre Dame's 2023 Wide Receiver Class Is Special
There is no doubt that coming into the 2023 recruiting cycle that Notre Dame had to hit a home run with its wide receiver class. Notre Dame's roster was depleted by departures from the roster in recent seasons and late de-commitments in last year's class.
Not only did Notre Dame need an infusion of depth, it needed a boost in playmaking ability and speed. After capping the class off with Texas sleeper Kaleb Smith, the Notre Dame coaching staff has certainly met those needs in incredibly impressive fashion.
Notre Dame landed a class of four pure receivers and another impact athlete that will get time at wideout, in the backfield in certain looks and as a return man. It's a group that adds a unique blend of talent, diversity from a size standpoint, and there's no question the group is going to add a huge influx of speed and playmaking ability. Four of Notre Dame's five wideouts have sub 4.5 times, so box checked on the speed.
It was quite the first impression on the recruiting trail for position coach Chansi Stuckey, and we see continued impressive production from director of recruiting Chad Bowden.
BRAYLON JAMES
James was the first wide receiver to commit to Notre Dame in the 2023 class and he has remained firm in his pledge. He's been quite the rock offensively when it comes to putting the class together, but it's the skill that he brings to the position that provides the most value.
A Top 100 recruiting according to ESPN (No. 60), SI All-American (No. 72) and 247Sports (No. 99), James brings big play ability to the outside receiver spots. He could play either X or W (in time, once he adds more size/strength), but no matter where you play him there is no doubt that using him to stretch the defense is key.
The 6-3, 185-pound pass catcher has been timed electronically with 4.47 speed, which is absolutely moving, especially for someone with his length. James is just scratching the surface of his potential, and his game still needs a lot of refinement. Early on he can bring the downfield routes and the big play potential, but as his game evolves he has the potential to be a volume playmaker as well.
Notre Dame needed more length and home run skills at wideout, and James brings a lot of that. Don't be surprised if that ability allows him to make an impact early in his Irish career.
JADEN GREATHOUSE
Greathouse is an incredibly advanced and prolific player, and this is a young man who is used to winning. He picked Notre Dame over Texas, Oklahoma and South Carolina, and landing him gave the Irish a much-needed prospect that has the size, strength and game to play immediately. It will be hard to keep Greathouse off the field from the moment he arrives in South Bend.
At 6-2 and 210 pounds, Greathouse has a body that is similar to former Irish standout Javon McKinley during the later stages of his collegiate career. He has an advanced feel for the game, and his combination of size, strength, route running and ball skills allows him to get good separation and dominate at the catch point even when he is covered.
The most surprising aspect of his game is what he does after the catch. Greathouse is a strong route runner, he can win contested catches, but he's a dynamic player with the ball in his hands. He's hard to bring down in space, he's so strong that he bounces off tackles, he shows elusiveness in space and he has enough speed to make big plays.
Greathouse's unique skillset fits well into all three of the positions in the Notre Dame offense (X, Z, W), which should make it even easier for him to get onto the field. Greathouse is ranked as the No. 74 overall player in the country according to Rivals and the No. 83 overall player according to SI.
RICO FLORES JR.
Flores and Greathouse are the two most prolific members of this class from a receiver production standpoint. Flores hauled in 81 catches as a junior (15 games) and 72 as a senior (12 games). He also racked up 1,157 yards and 1,081 yards in the last two seasons and he has 32 career receiving touchdowns.
Flores is a bright football player that has an advanced feel for the game. I love watching how he comes off the line, how he attacks defensive backs and his top-end technique is really impressive. Flores tracks the deep ball well, he shows impressive ball skills and his ability to find open spots is top notch.
My one criticism about Flores as a junior was that as good as he was technically, he wasn't an overly explosive guy. He had solid speed and he was a quality athlete, but he wasn't dynamic. His grade on the IB board went up as a senior because Flores showed a jump in athleticism this past season, which made him an even more impactful pass catcher, which makes the class even stronger.
Flores projects as an X receiver in the Irish offense, but his route running ability, talent at finding soft spots against the zone and his ball skills could also fit quite well as a slot player.
KALEB SMITH
Smith is Notre Dame's latest commit in the class, and he provides a great complement to the players above. While James, Greathouse and Flores all project first as outside players, Smith projects first as a slot receiver. He does most of his work as a senior from the slot, and he has all the skills you want/need in that spot.
The 6-1, 185-pound Texas native is a smooth athlete that can make cuts with ease. He doesn't always look twitchy and flashy, but that's due to how fluid he is, and how easy his movements are as a wideout. Smith also shows top-notch acceleration coming out of his breaks and when he has the ball in his hands. He's without question the most dynamic after-the-catch player of the pure wideouts, and that makes him vitally important to this class.
Smith has verified 4.49 speed and he's a fundamentally sound player, which allows him to maximize that speed. He can take the top off the defense and he shows a great burst once he gets the football in his hands. Smith is also a refined route runner, which allows him to get good separation. He also tracks the ball extremely well and catches the ball away from his body.
At this point he's a consensus three-star recruit, but his skills and film are not that of a three-star recruit. This is a really good football player that fits extremely well as a slot in a pro style offense.
DYLAN EDWARDS
Edwards is a different type of player, and I don't view him as a pure receiver. He absolutely belongs in this group because he's not a running back at the next level, but you'll see him get the ball in the backfield, on jets/sweeps/reverses, he'll get the ball outside and as a senior he showed he can catch the ball down the field.
Edwards was an incredibly productive player in his career. The 5-9, 165-pound Derby star rushed for at least 1,833 yards in each of his last three seasons and finished his career with 6,426 rushing yards and an unbelievable 95 rushing touchdowns. Edwards also caught 40 passes for 556 yards and seven touchdowns during his prep career to go with six returns for touchdowns.
There will be a need for Edwards to learn the nuances of playing wide receiver, but a smart coordinator will find it easy to come up with ways to get Edwards the ball without him knowing all the ins and outs of the wide receiver position. As that part of his game is developed he'll be even harder to handle.
Edwards is such a great complement to the other wideouts and the running backs, and he adds special return ability to the class.
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Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Offense
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Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
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