Kaleb Smith Is A Very Important Target For Notre Dame's 2023 Recruiting Class
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Notre Dame's wide receiver depth chart has gone through some odd changes in recent seasons. A mass of transfers under the previous position coach and his short comings on the recruiting trail resulted in the 2022 wide receiving corps getting short on numbers and it was very young.
When the staff set out on the 2023 recruiting class a case could be made that wide receiver was the area where Notre Dame had to hit the biggest home run. Notre Dame needed an infusion of depth/numbers and impact talent.
Position coach Chansi Stuckey, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, director of recruiting Chad Bowden and head coach Marcus Freeman have all worked hard to build the class, and Notre Dame goes into the early signing period with arguably the best group of wide receivers in the country after landing commitments from Braylon James, Jaden Greathouse, Rico Flores Jr. and Dylan Edwards.
It's a very talented group of pass catchers that gives the roster an influx of talent, and it's a diverse group of players, but Notre Dame's staff isn't done yet.
The Irish staff spent months trying to find the right fit to go with the players already in the class, and over the last couple of months the staff zeroed in on Frisco (Texas) Reedy standout Kaleb Smith.
When Notre Dame first got on Smith he was an under the radar prospect that was already committed to Texas Tech. The Irish were able to convince him to visit and Smith eventually de-committed from the Red Raiders. With signing day less than a month away, Smith must decide to either sign with Texas Tech or make the full flip to Notre Dame.
Just a three-star recruit, Smith won't be a needle moving recruit from a recruiting class standpoint, but that's not something the Irish staff cares about. What they see in Smith is a very underrated, talented player that is a great fit with the current group. Notre Dame isn't pushing for Smith because of a numbers need, he's a player whose talent and fit is truly coveted.
So, why?
Notre Dame's current group has some diversity, but Smith brings a combination of skills that is not only limited in the current class, it's rare on the current roster.
Smith is a smooth pass catcher that projects as both an outside field receiver (X) and to the slot position. He shows very impressive route running skills, an impressive feel for the game and sources have indicated to IB that he has a verified sub 4.5 in the 40-yard dash.
Some of those traits are already in the class, or on the roster, but it's what Smith does with the ball in his hand that is the final piece to the puzzle. Notre Dame had previously looked at Taeshaun Lyons, who is also a very talented wideout, but Lyons projects more as a pure outside player.
Smith has many of the same outside skills and route running potential that Lyons brought to the table, but he's a more impactful player with the ball in his hand. Smith has the potential to be an every down slot if that gets him on the field, but still brings the outside traits.
His combination of skills is unique, and he's a prospect with the tools that far surpass his three-star ranking. Smith earned a 4.0-star grade on the Irish Breakdown board, and his grade range is that of a Top 250 caliber player. Notre Dame decided to not go after other receivers and focus on Smith, which says a lot about what the staff sees in him.
Landing Smith would give Notre Dame a skillset it needs, but it also could allow the staff to do even more with Edwards by deepening the slot depth chart. There's just so many reasons why Smith is a key target for Notre Dame, and why landing him has become such an important focus for the Irish staff.
If the staff can close on Smith you won't find another program with a group of receivers that has the depth, talent, impact skills and diversity of skill that Notre Dame's group would have. That's exactly how you rebuild a depth chart in a hurry.
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Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense
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