Matt Cashore, USA TODAY Sports
Notre Dame Football: National Signing Day Live Blog
Today is the first National Signing Day!
Notre Dame is expected to sign a small but talented class, led by an elite offensive haul and a strong defensive line class.
Stay tuned into Irish Maven all day to get the latest intel and analysis of Notre Dame's 2020 signees. As players sign we'll make that update in this thread and will also provide video analysis of each signee.
Keep coming back into this thread for the latest Signing Day scoop and analysis, and leave your comments on each player in the comments section at the bottom of the article.
4:43 PM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS CORNERBACK RAMON HENDERSON
Notre Dame has added an 18th player to its 2020 class, landing speedy cornerback Ramon Henderson, who immediately becomes one of the fastest players in the class.
4:32 PM - RAMON HENDERSON EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE SOON
Bakersfield (Calif.) Liberty cornerback Ramon Henderson is expected to announce his decision any minute. The Irish are in a battle with Utah, Oklahoma and others for his signature. Notre Dame entered the day as the team expected to land Henderson.
3:47 PM - ANALYSIS OF THE 2020 SIGNEES
I have broken down and graded all 17 of the Notre Dame 2020 signees. There is a chance that Notre Dame adds one more player to its 2020 class, and if it happens I will add him to the current big boards. Later I will have position grades for the class, so be sure to stay locked onto Irish Maven.
1:06 PM - IRISH FAIL TO FLIP OFFENSIVE LINE TARGET
Notre Dame made a push to sign Moorpark (Calif.) High School offensive lineman Jonah Monheim, but they came up short and Monheim signed with USC, the school he had been committed to since August.
Line coach Jeff Quinn visited Monheim right after the season and convinced him to visit, which Monheim did the weekend of the Echoes Banquet (Dec. 14). There was some hope that Notre Dame did enough to get him to flip, but ultimately he stuck with his pledge.
12:08 PM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS DE/OLB JORDAN BOTELHO
The Irish picked up one of the nation's best edge rushers with the signing of Hawaii native Jordan Botelho
9:40 AM - BOTELHO IS THE ONLY KNOWN COMMIT LEFT TO SIGN
16 of Notre Dame's 17 known commitments have no officially signed. The only remaining commit is linebacker/defensive end Jordan Botelho. Botelho cannot sign until 12:00 PM Eastern.
9:21 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS OFFENSIVE TACKLE TOSH BAKER
Notre Dame has signed Top 50 offensive tackle Tosh Baker, one of the best blockers in the country and a true five-star upside talent.
9:19 AM - I first met Jordan Johnson and his mother when he was a sophomore right after his first Notre Dame visit. His mom was incredibly engaging and knew exactly what she wanted for her son. I told people from that moment on I'd be shocked if Johnson didn't pick Notre Dame. He was about as much of a "Notre Dame kid" as I've ever met in my 10+ years of covering Notre Dame recruiting.
9:14 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS WIDE RECEIVER JORDAN JOHNSON
Notre Dame has landed five-star wide receiver Jordan Johnson, which completes arguably the best wide receiver/tight end haul of the Brian Kelly era.
9:09 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS DEFENSIVE TACKLE AIDAN KEANAAINA
Notre Dame has signed DT Aidan Keanaaina, who brings much-needed size and power to the interior of the defensive line. The Irish beat Ohio State and Wisconsin for his signature.
8:27 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN RYLIE MILLS
Notre Dame has picked up another talented defensive lineman, landing versatile big man Rylie Mills. The 6-5, 270-pound playmaker can play strongside end or three-technique, but when he's lined up inside he's a monster.
8:16 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS DEFENSIVE BACK CALEB OFFORD
Mississippi defensive back Caleb Offord might be the most boom or bust prospect in the class, but if he booms he'll be a big-time sleeper for the Irish. He needs work, but the Irish staff loved his length and speed.
8:05 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS WIDE RECEIVER XAVIER WATTS
Notre Dame has landed arguably the most underrated receiver in the country in Xavier Watts. A Top 100 player on my board, Watts is a dynamic player on both sides of the ball, and he's not even close to reaching his full potential.
7:48 AM UPDATE - ALL THE EASTERN TIME ZONE COMMITS HAVE SIGNED
Recruits cannot send in their NLI until 7:00 AM in the time zone in which they live. All of the players in the Eastern Time Zone have now submitted their NLI's to Notre Dame, including some big time players like RB Chris Tyree, TE Michael Mayer, CB Landen Bartleson and QB Drew Pyne just to name a few.
7:40 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS CORNERBACK CLARENCE LEWIS
Lewis made more of a name for himself in high school as a wide receiver, but his upside at cornerback is even higher, which is where Notre Dame recruited him to play. The Irish found Lewis during the spring evaluation period, and after they visited his high school and saw his film the talented cornerback became a top priority for the staff.
7:35 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS QUARTERBACK DREW PYNE
By signing early, QB Drew Pyne became somewhat of an overshadowed figure in the 2020 class, but make no mistake, he's one of the best passers in the entire country.
7:33 AM - With both Michael Mayer and Kevin Bauman signed, Notre Dame has now landed the best tight end duo in the country. That combination will not be matched. Both are Top 5 national tight ends.
7:31 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS LONG SNAPPER ALEX PEITSCH
Peitsch has the best chance to start of any player in the class due to the departure of three-year starting snapper John Shannon. Peitsch is ranked as the best short and long snapper in the country.
7:28 AM - NOTRE DAME OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES THE SIGNING OF OHIO STATE GRADUATE TRANSFER SAFETY ISAIAH PRYOR
7:24 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS TIGHT END MICHAEL MAYER
Landing Michael Mayer is huge for Notre Dame. He gives them a potential star for the future, but Mayer's advanced size and skill means he could play right away should current star tight end Cole Kmet ultimately decide to go pro. Mayer earned the highest grade on my board since Kyle Rudolph back in 2008.
7:19 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS WIDE RECEIVER JAY BRUNELLE
No player saw a bigger jump in grade and ranking on my board than did Jay Brunelle, whose senior film vaulted him into four-star status.
7:18 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS CORNERBACK LANDEN BARTLESON
There were a number of highly ranked cornerbacks on the board when Notre Dame decided to make a strong push for Landen Bartleson, which should tell you a lot about how the staff views his talent. A two-way player that rushed for almost 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns as a high school player, Bartleson has an extremely high ceiling on defense.
7:12 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS RUNNING BACK CHRIS TYREE
There might not have been a more important recruit in the 2020 class for Notre Dame than Chris Tyree. There might not be a more talented recruit in the class either. Tyree has truly elite, game-changing speed and is arguably the fastest player in the entire country. This was a home run for Notre Dame ... pun intended.
7:09 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS OFFENSIVE TACKLE MICHAEL CARMODY
More of a basketball player early in his high school career, Michael Carmody emerged as a senior as one of the top blockers in the country. A Top 150 recruit by three different services, Carmody has a five-star ceiling.
7:05 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS TIGHT END KEVIN BAUMAN
Often overlooked by future classmate Michael Mayer, New Jersey tight end Kevin Bauman was a big pickup for the Irish. He gives Notre Dame a talented tight end with a throwback game in some areas, but with the tools to thrive in the modern pass game.
6:18 AM UPDATE
Notre Dame is expected to sign an elite offensive class today. To get thorough analysis of the offensive haul, read my 2020 Offensive Big Board, which grades and breaks down each offensive commit/signee.
1:32 AM - NOTRE DAME SIGNS DEFENSIVE END ALEXANDER EHRENSBERGER
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