Notre Dame Poised For A Strong Finish In The 2023 Recruiting Cycle
Notre Dame has either the No. 2 or No. 3 recruiting class in the 2023 cycle, depending on who you look at, but despite landing big-time quarterback Kenny Minchey this week, the Irish aren't done adding to the class.
Notre Dame's current roster situation and anticipated departures has the staff in position to land as many as 27 players in the class. With 24 players in the class, Notre Dame will look to add at least three more, but there's a chance the class could go beyond that, depending on what happens with the current roster in the first week of December.
There are some key players left on the board, and if the Irish can close strong this will go down as the program's best recruiting class in over a decade.
Let's take a look at the player's left on the board.
BRANDYN HILLMAN, ATH
Hometown/High School: Portsmouth, Va./Churchland
Height/Weight: 6-1, 190
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
Offers: Notre Dame, USC, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Miami (Fla.), North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Vanderbilt, West Virginia
The Need: Hillman is one of those rare players that projects as a legitimate starter to impact player at four different positions. Hillman could play running back, wide receiver, safety and possibly even rover, depending on his physical development. Landing a player who projects so well to so many positions is a huge plus for any recruiting class. Part of me loves him on defense, as Hillman reminds me a great deal of former Irish staff and Virginia native Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. But then you see him with the ball in his hands and dream of him playing on offense.
Film Room-Fit: Where to begin with Hillman. From a fit standpoint he fits best on defense as either a safety or rover thanks to his playmaking ability. He gets downhill in a hurry and arrives at the ball with force. On offense his combination of length, athleticism and playmaking ability projects quite well to wide receiver.
Hillman has good speed, but his athletic talent is more about suddenness, elusiveness and burst than it is raw speed. He's an exceptionally quick and elusive athlete that can cover a lot of ground. When he has the ball he shows impressive lower body strength, which makes him hard to bring down in space, and combines with his agility to make him a legit weapon with the ball.
That is also why he arrives at the football with so much authority as a tackler. As he fills out his ability to deliver punishment will be enhanced. All of this is why he reminds me so much of Owusu-Koramoah. More explosive and quick than fast, thin in high school but top-notch strength and a good frame, plays all over the field in high school and a very high football IQ.
The Latest: Hillman released a Top 8 that included Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Miami (Fla.), North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia and Virginia Tech. He visited Notre Dame back in October and the Irish staff has made a very, very hard push for him. More and more schools are trying to get in the mix with him, but Notre Dame continues to remain in a strong position for Hillman and could be very hard to beat. Hillman is slated to announce his decision on December 7th, which is his mother's birthday.
KALEB SMITH, WR
Hometown/High School: Frisco, Texas/Reedy
Height/Weight: 6-1, 180
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
Offers: Notre Dame, Texas Tech
The Need: Notre Dame already has four wideouts in the class, but there is a strong desire for a fifth, assuming they can find the right fit. Notre Dame has need for another slot type of player, and Smith fits that quite well. He not only adds a much-needed fifth receiver in the class, which helps solidify the current roster numbers, but his projection to the slot plus his potential to also play the X position on the outside makes him an ideal fit for the Notre Dame offense. He would also be the perfect complement to the current group of commits.
Film Room-Fit: I really like Smith's film and it's a surprise that more teams aren't pushing for him. Smith, I believe, is falling victim to the depth of the receiver class nationally, but Notre Dame made a good find when they got on him. Should Notre Dame be able to land him, Smith would be an ideal complement to the other wideouts in the Notre Dame class due to his ability to be a pro-style slot receiver while also possessing the skills to play outside at X.
Smith has confirmed 4.49 speed, and that burst shows on film as well while playing wideout and as a return man. Smith gets off the quickly and his acceleration out of breaks is impressive. He shows the foot quickness and suddenness you want in an after-the-catch player, and his vision with the ball is impressive. Those traits also allow him to be a strong route runner.
Smith shows impressive quickness getting out of his breaks, but he also shows the understanding you need to work proper angles to gain additional separation. He finds soft spots in the zone and he's a focused pass catcher. All of those traits fit very well as a pro-style slot, but they also combine with his vertical skills and deep ball tracking ability to project as an X receiver as well. Smith has clean hands and is a confident, away from the body pass catcher.
The Latest: This is about Smith deciding to rejoin the Texas Tech class or flipping to Notre Dame. Notre Dame continues to push hard for him, but as of now Smith has been more focused on his team's playoff run than making a final decision.
CHRISTOPHER TEREK, OL
Hometown/High School: Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West
Height/Weight: 6-6, 305
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.0
Offers: Notre Dame, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Duke, Iowa State, Kansas, Vanderbilt
The Need: Notre Dame doesn't "need" a fifth offensive lineman in the class, it's more of a want, and it's more about line coach Harry Hiestand and the rest of the offensive staff really liking Terek. If they miss on Terek I don't expect them to look for anyone to fill his shoes, this is about Notre Dame wanting Terek and making a hard push for him.
Film Room-Fit: Terek is a right tackle in high school but he projects as an interior player at the next level. My understanding is that Notre Dame is recruiting him as an interior player, and we know Harry Hiestand likes long tackle bodies for the interior. Terek certainly fits that mold, so it makes sense why the Irish like him.
On top of that, Terek has other traits that Hiestand loves, with the main being a lot of power. He's a strong young blocker that does a good job playing with pad level for a young 6-6 player. These traits combine with his size to make Terek a really impressive mover in the run game. He drives his feet through contact and works well to the second level, plus he's a strong, strong finisher in the run game. Overall he's a very sound football player that uses his hands well in all facets.
Terek is more of a guard because of his style of play, he's also an athlete you want more in tight spaces instead of on the edge. Inside his foot quickness plays well, as it allows him to play in short areas and limits his need to play with range and it limits the fact he isn't the most twitchy offensive line prospect.
The Latest: Like Smith, this is about Terek staying with the school he's committed to (Wisconsin) or flipping to Notre Dame. Terek also wanted to focus on his team's playoff run, but Glenbard West was knocked out last week. Notre Dame continues to push for Terek, who should be making a decision in the near future.
KHALIL BARNES, WR/DB
Hometown/High School: Bogart, Ga./North Oconee
Height/Weight: 6-1, 185
IB Grade: 3.5 Grade (Top 350 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.0
Offers: Notre Dame, Clemson, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Purdue, Wake Forest, Duke, Kansas State, Georgia Tech
The Need: Barnes is another player that projects at a number of positions. IB is told that Barnes wants a shot at wide receiver, but there is no doubt in my mind that defense is where his projection is best. Barnes could play cornerback or safety at the next level, and it's the safety position where he fits the best in my view. But you could find others that like him better at cornerback and others that like him on offense. Notre Dame wants and needs more of that kind of versatility on its roster.
Film Room-Fit: Barnes is another versatile player that could play a lot of different roles at Notre Dame. He likes himself as a wide receiver more, but for me he fits even better on defense. On offense he's a solid wideout that could play in the slot or at X, as a defensive player he projects as a much more impactful player. On film he looks far more natural and comfortable on defense.
Barnes is a well-built young athlete that should fill out quite well. I could see him easily getting to 200 pounds at the next level. Barnes is one of those "he's more quick than fast" athletes. He's smooth and has relatively loose hips and quick feet. He changes direction with ease, which makes him a weapon with the ball but also allows him to quickly redirect as a defender. He's a heady football player and makes good reads on the back end.
Barnes could be a big zone corner, but as a safety he could not only play in the zone, but he'd project much better as a man defender at safety. Barnes is a quality tackler, and as he fills out and becomes more of a one side of the ball player his overall technique would get better and better.
The Latest: Barnes is set to announce his commitment on December 16th. He is down to Notre Dame, Clemson and Oklahoma. Based on our intel, Barnes has Notre Dame and Clemson on top. He visited South Bend to watch the Irish beat Clemson 35-14, but he'll be headed to Clemson this weekend for a final visit before announcing before the early signing period.
Depending on what happens when the portal opens up in December, I wouldn't be surprised if some new secondary names pop up.
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