Recruiting: Early 2021 Names To Know - Offense
With the December National Signing Day over, here’s a recruiting primer for the Class of 2021. This is just an initial list. It will expand and change with time, as this class is in the very early stages of development.
A larger, more complete master list will be completed within the month. For now, just a couple of players per position. These are targets that Notre Dame definitely wants and already offered within the class of 2021 (can’t stress enough that this is just an initial list).
Only positions that have not already been filled will be listed (QB is done - Tyler Buchner), and committed prospects are not listed either. Prospects are listed alphabetically.
RUNNING BACK
Donovan Edwards, RB, 5-11, 190, West Bloomfield (MI) High School — Most believe Edwards signs with Michigan, but Notre Dame did get the talented prep running back on campus for the Echoes weekend in early December. He is an explosive player capable of making the big play, and he possesses the frame to be an every down running back over 200-pounds. Michigan State and Ohio State are two other programs often mentioned with Edwards, in addition to Michigan and Notre Dame.
Edwards is a four-star recruit and ranks No. 49 nationally on the 247Sports composite rankings. The talented running back rushed for 1,439 yards (10.8 YPC), caught 33 passes for 419 yards and scored 25 total touchdowns.
Will Shipley, RB, 6-0, 200, Matthews (NC) Weddington — Notre Dame’s top running back target, Shipley will be mentioned with numerous All-American lists. An explosive all-around running back with the skills to also play wide receiver as well, Shipley fits today’s college game very well. Shipley is looking at several schools, including Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, NC State and North Carolina among others. Shipley already unofficially visited Notre Dame.
247Sports ranks Shipley as a composite 5-star recruit and the No. 21 player in the country. He rushed for 2,066 yards (11. YPC) and 30 touchdowns this past season and also caught 34 passes for 582 yards and eight more scores.
WIDE RECEIVER
Beaux Collins, WR, 6-3, 195, Los Angeles (Calif.) St. John Bosco — Collins already earned the right to be called one of the best receivers in the country. A long and athletic frame combined with good speed, Collins is also accustomed to playing top competition as St. John Bosco always plays a challenging schedule. Notre Dame hosted Collins last summer for a camp and he has always been associated with the Irish. Being a national recruit, Notre Dame will face off with programs like UCLA, USC, Florida, Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama. There was a time when Notre Dame was considered one of his leaders, but the Irish have fallen back in recent months.
Collins is ranked as the No. 34 player in the country after catching 41 passes for 1,008 yards (24.6 YPC) and 14 touchdowns as a junior.
Jayden Thomas, WR, 6-1, 200, Atlanta (Ga.) Pace Academy — Finding talents like Thomas also attending elite high schools is not easy; Thomas fits the bill. The Peach State prospect took an unofficial visit to Notre Dame for the Virginia Tech game. Thomas could end up at numerous schools, but he’s definitely a player Notre Dame covets and will go after hard. Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan, and Ohio State are just some of this young man’s offers. Thomas is a physical player on both sides of the ball. He’s talented enough to play wide receiver, cornerback or safety.
Thomas is a four-star recruit and the No. 131 player in the country.
Dont’e Thornton, WR, 6-4, 190, Baltimore (Md.) Mount Saint Joseph — Like Collins, Thornton already camped with the Irish. His frame can be favorably compared to former Irish wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, now with the Green Bay Packers. Although very interested in Notre Dame, Thornton has also been committed to and de-committed from Penn State. A national recruit, Thornton possesses very good short-area quickness, especially for such a tall player. Some of the schools Notre Dame will battle will be Penn State, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio State, Michigan and LSU.
Thornton is ranked as the No. 41 player in the country. He hauled in 38 passes for 1,021 yards (26.9 YPC) and 16 touchdowns this season after catching 40 passes for 860 yards (21.5 YPC) and 10 scores as a sophomore.
TIGHT END
Sam Hart, TE, 6-6, 225, Aurora (Colo.) Cherokee Trail — A player just beginning to scratch the surface of what he can become, Hart is beginning to gain national acclaim. He unofficially visited LSU this past season, and Notre Dame and Washington this past summer. Notre Dame really likes Hart and he would fit in nicely with Notre Dame’s offensive philosophy. Colorado, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State and Northwestern are just a few of the other programs that already offered.
Hart is ranked as a 3-star recruit and the No. 367 player in the country, but expect that to change over the next year.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Garrett Dellinger, 6-6, 280, Clarkston (Mich.) High School — Dellinger and Rocco Spindler are high school teammates, which makes me feel bad for Clarkston’s opponents. Dellinger could play several positions along the offensive line, and he possesses the frame to fill out to be over 300-pounds. Also like Spindler, Michigan and Notre Dame are consistently mentioned with him. Notre Dame has been rumored to be the favorite, but how true that is could be hard to say. It’s very early.
Dellinger is a four-star recruit and the No. 89 overall player in the nation.
Reuben Fatheree, 6-8, 305, Richmond (Texas) Foster — A rare athlete that’s also a very good basketball player (he will drop step and dunk on someone in a heartbeat), Fatheree’s skill set already attracted coaches from across the country to offer him a scholarship. A true offensive tackle, Fatheree is quite agile and still growing into his body. Fatheree is looking hard at Notre Dame, but he’s also interested in programs such as Baylor, Texas A&M and Alabama. Notre Dame rarely lands this type of prospect from Texas, but the Irish are in the thick of the race. Fatheree would be a coup for Notre Dame.
Fatheree is a four-star recruit and the No. 107 player in the country on the composite ranking, but both 247Sports and ESPN rank him inside the Top 100.
Wyatt Milum, 6-6, 275, Huntington (W. Va.) Spring Valley — An advanced technician for his age, Milum is one of the nation’s top offensive tackle targets. He’s already visited Notre Dame, but he’s visited other programs as well. Penn State, Alabama, and Virginia Tech are the other teams he visited lately, and he’s also earned offers from the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, Kentucky and West Virginia (never count out State U.) to name a few.
Milum is a four-star recruit and the No. 78 player in the nation, but 247Sports ranks him as high as No. 41.
Nolan Rucci, 6-8, 290, Lititz (Pa.) Warwick — A player that stands out due to his length and frame, Rucci can run block and pass block quite well for a high school player his size. Despite his height, Rucci is very athletic. Penn State is the favorite, but his brother actually plays for Wisconsin. Notre Dame is the other program continually mentioned with the Pennsylvania native. From this group of offensive linemen, he might be the most difficult pull for the Irish.
Rucci is a five-star recruit and the No. 18 player in the country.
Rocco Spindler, 6-5, 280, Clarkston (Mich.) High School — Athletic enough to play on either side of the ball, Spindler is being recruited to play offensive line for Notre Dame. Rumors have come and gone that Spindler favors Michigan or Notre Dame, but those are without question the two programs most often mentioned with talented prep prospect. Ohio State, Michigan State, and numerous other programs are recruiting him hard as well. It should be noted that Spindler is extremely athletic, meaning he could play practically any position along the offensive line, making his value extremely high.
Spinder is a four-star recruit and the No. 40 overall player in the nation.
Langdon Tengwall, 6-6, 300, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel — One of the nation’s most well known and coveted offensive linemen, Tengwall has his pick of schools. With that said, look for the powerful lineman to end up at any one of Michigan, Notre Dame or Penn State. Tengwall could play tackle or guard, as he possesses the length for offensive tackle, and the power and tenacity to play along the interior. Several of Notre Dame’s current 2021 commitments are trying to lure Tengwall to South Bend, most notably Irish offensive line commitment Blake Fisher. Notre Dame has a shot in this one, but it will need to get Tengwall back on campus and catch up to the Nittany Lions.
Tengwall is a five-star recruit and the No. 28 player in the country.
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