Class Impact: DE Loghan Thomas Commits To Notre Dame

Breaking down how the commitment of Loghan Thomas impacts the Notre Dame 2024 recruiting class and the Irish depth chart

Notre Dame picked up a commitment tonight from athletic Katy (Texas) Paetow edge rusher Logan Thomas. The Irish beat out Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Arizona to land Thomas. 

Let's break down what the commitment of Thomas means for the Irish 2024 class and the Notre Dame defensive line depth chart.

NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT

Thomas is the 16th player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2024 recruiting class. He is the eighth defensive player to pledge to the Irish and the third defensive end. 

Notre Dame landed just three defensive linemen in the 2022 class, but a pair of linebackers (Josh Burnham, Junior Tuihalamaka) moved to defensive end, giving the Irish five players in the class. In the 2023 cycle, Notre Dame landed four defensive linemen, with three being ends. At least one of those players has the ability to move inside down the road. 

There was some time where Notre Dame was flirting with the notion of getting to five to six defensive linemen in the class, but the number now is focusing more on four, with a fifth being possible if the Irish are able to land an elite player as that fifth lineman.

One thing the 2023 class lacked is a true Vyper edge player. Although Cole Mullins could play Vyper, he is more in the Isaiah Foskey mold as an edge player, one that could also play the field end spot. Mullins is currently my No. 1 defensive player in the class, and Thomas is now No. 2. Landing Thomas gives Notre Dame a pure Vyper, but the reality is Thomas and Mullins can absolutely play together. That leaves Bryce Young as more of the power player of the group.

NOTRE DAME FIT

Notre Dame wanted and needed a more "true" Vyper in this class. That means an edge player that can do a little bit of everything and can move around the defense a bit. It means a player that can be a pass game disruptor off the edge, a defender that can be stout against boundary side runs, a guy that can drop into coverage, and a player that can play off the ball a bit or rush the passer from different spots.

That fits Thomas to a T. Thomas was more of a true three-point stance defensive end as a sophomore, but as a junior he did all of the things I mentioned above. His versatility was on display to a far greater degree as a junior, and that is something that Notre Dame clearly likes about him as a player.

Versatility isn't the only reason Notre Dame decided to go all-in on Thomas. There are two other traits that shine as well, and the first is his combination of length-frame-power. Thomas has grown to over 6-4, and he shows the kind of frame that should allow him to get up to around 250 pounds and maintain his athletic skills, if not build on them. Despite being just barely over 200 pounds on his junior film, Thomas also showed a good punch and impressive lower body strength.

Thomas is also an explosive athlete that can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. He's still growing into his body a bit, but the snaps where he is allowed to just fire off the ball and attack are quite impressive. The Paetow star shows an impressive first step, he can bend around the edge and his closing speed shines on film. As he gets stronger and fills out I expect his first step to get even more explosive, and that's where the upside comes from.

Despite being a long-limbed athlete, Thomas shows solid change of direction skills, which should help him dropping into coverage, playing laterally and handling the line games that Notre Dame likes to utilize. That ability should also allow him to quickly redirect and get to ball carriers and passers.

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Irish Breakdown Content

2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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