Class Impact: LB Niuafe Tuihalamaka Commits To Notre Dame
Notre Dame picked up a major commitment when it landed Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka. Previously a USC commit, Notre Dame was able to offer him and quickly land his commitment, and it gives the defense one of the nation's best defenders.
Let's take a look at how the commitment of Tuihalamaka impacts the Notre Dame 2022 recruiting class and the Irish depth chart.
NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT
Tuihalamaka is the 15th player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2022 class, the eighth defensive player and the third linebacker.
Adding Tuihalamaka gives Notre Dame yet another top ranked defensive player and a second Top 150 ranked linebacker. The Notre Dame front seven class is stacking up in very, very impressive fashion.
Tuihalamaka joins linebackers Josh Burnham and Nolan Ziegler in the class. It gives Notre Dame three players that earned at least a 4.0-star grade in the class.
This is significant because linebacker is a major question mark beyond the 2022 season, which made it a huge need in the 2022 class. Notre Dame whiffed at linebacker completely in the 2020 class and signed just two in the 2021 class.
Notre Dame needs an influx of talent at linebacker, and it needs a boost in depth. Landing Tuihalamaka, Burnham and Ziegler puts the Irish on the verge of an elite linebacker haul.
Tuihalamaka is a pure Mike linebacker for Notre Dame, although he has shown an ability in the past to be an effective edge rusher, so he brings some third-down versatility.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Tuihalamaka is a physically advanced player that checked in at 6-2 and over 230 pounds as a sophomore. He has no need to add weight, and moving forward it will just be about reshaping his body, adding more weight room strength and adding explosiveness.
As expected, Tuihalamaka is a powerful young defender. He has a thick, strong lower half, which allows him to arrive at the football with force. His length and natural punch allows him to dismiss blockers with ease and also makes him a strong tackler. As his block destruction technique continues to improve his ability to dominate the run game should become elite.
What wasn't expected, however, was how nimble Tuihalamaka is, and how effectively he's able to fit his big body through thin run lanes. He's not a fast athlete from a pure speed standpoint, but he's agile, far more fluid than I expected and he has impressive short-area quickness and explosiveness.
When you combine that with his high-level instincts, Tuihalamaka is able to cover a lot of ground and get to the football in a hurry. It's impressive how effectively he times up blitzes and run stunts, and his decision making and instincts against the run are special. In that regards he reminds me a great deal of former Irish star Manti Te'o.
The other surprising part of his game was how effectively he gets depth in coverage, and how well he reads routes and makes plays on the ball when playing zone. Tuihalamaka is a strong blitzer inside, and he has traits that should allow him to be an effective edge rusher, which adds versatility to his game.
Irish Breakdown Content
Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Offense
Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Defense
2022 Big Board: Running Back
2022 Big Board: Slot Receivers
Notre Dame 2022 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2022 Class Big Board
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