Notre Dame 2021 Recruiting: Needs On Defense

Finishing so early on the 2020 class gave Notre Dame a chance to get a big head start with its 2021 recruiting. While that crystalized in specific players on offense, resulting in five early commitments on that side of the ball, the defense is still going through the evaluation process.

Notre Dame will go full steam ahead on defensive recruiting, and with just one defensive commit in the class there is plenty of work to be done. We kick off our 2021 coverage by looking at what Notre Dame’s needs are on the 2021 recruiting trail. The offense has already been broken down, and now it is time to focus on the defense.

DEFENSIVE END

Projected 2021 Roster: 7
2021 Needs: 2

Overview: Notre Dame signed two defensive ends in each of the last three classes, and all the ends from the 2018 and 2019 classes redshirted. Notre Dame’s 2019 and 2020 defensive end recruiting added four high-upside players, which puts defensive line coach Mike Elston in position to focus on top-level talent instead of depth.

Notre Dame needs to add two ends in the 2021 class, although it could get away with just one if it’s a good enough prospect. The last two classes have added mostly power players, so adding at least one speed rusher wouldn’t be a bad idea for 2021. That could be a linebacker body that could eventually grow into an end (Daelin Hayes and Ovie Oghoufo are examples), or a pure end that brings explosiveness to the position, much like Julian Okwara brought when he was signed.

Speaking of Okwara, a prospect that very much reminds me of the Irish standout is recent offeree Kechaun Bennett of Suffield (Conn.) Academy. Another one of my favorite edge rushers is Vero Beach (Fla.) standout Keanu Koht, a long and athletic end that oozes upside and potential.

Notre Dame has recently offered a number of ends, and that list could very well start to expand now that the 2020 class is signed.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Projected 2021 Roster: 8
2021 Needs: 1-2
2021 Commit: Gabriel Rubio

Overview: Notre Dame landed Rivals100 defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio during the summer, and with seven tackles signed in the three previous class, including five in the 2019-20 classes, the Irish could very well shut things down and call it a day.

From a pure numbers standpoint this would make a lot of sense. The talent of the 2018-20 signees is also quite high, and only two of the five signees in the 2018 and 2019 used up a season of eligibility as freshmen, so when the 2021 class arrived there will be at least four players on the roster with at least three seasons of eligibility remaining.

From a talent standpoint it would be wise for the staff to keep recruiting top players. If the staff can add someone with more talent and/or upside than what it has on the roster, or can land a player with even more talent than Rubio - which would be hard to do - it would make sense to make a hard push for that player and add him to the class.

There are enough positions where Notre Dame could take one less player in the 2021 class should that happen.

INSIDE LINEBACKER/ROVER

Projected 2021 Roster: 7
2021 Needs: 2-3

Overview: Notre Dame landed seven linebackers in the 2018-19 classes, which caused the staff to pass on the position in the 2020 cycle. I’ve talked to sources that say the staff is considering taking just one linebacker again in 2021, which is something I bet the staff reconsiders.

Two of the three linebackers in the 2018 class played as freshmen, so they will have just two seasons of eligibility remaining when the 2021 class arrives. The one linebacker that did redshirt - Jack Lamb - suffered a significant hip injury in November, which raises questions about his future status.

According to sources I’ve spoken with there seems to be a great deal of excitement about the future of the 2019 group of linebackers, but even still the numbers are starting to look problematic beyond 2021. If things don't go exactly to plan the Irish could find themselves in position to play freshmen and sophomores out of need in 2022 and 2023 should they once again go with a smaller linebacker class.

In my opinion, Notre Dame needs to land at least two linebackers in this class. At least one needs to be able to play inside and one needs to have a chance to play rover. A second inside linebacker would be ideal, but of course that is dependent on the team’s scholarship crunch.

CORNERBACK

Projected 2021 Roster: 7
2021 Needs: 1-2

Overview: Notre Dame landed six cornerbacks in the 2019-20 classes, a number that grows to seven should 2020 signee Caleb Offord stick at the position. The Irish staff did a great job adding length, athleticism and depth to the roster with the last two classes.

The knock on the 2019-20 recruiting at cornerback is that Notre Dame signed a lot of high-ceiling/low-floor players, which increases the odds that more of the signees don’t pan out as hoped for.

But the numbers and potential of the two classes puts Notre Dame in a great position for its 2021 class. Numbers aren’t at all a concern, so the entire focus of the 2021 cycle should be on landing the absolute best talent the staff can get. Whether it throws out a lot of offers or focuses on a smaller group doesn’t really matter to me, what matters is that whoever Notre Dame lands in 2021 needs to have an incredibly high ceiling, and landing a player that can make a push for immediate playing time would be even better.

The top corner on my board is St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet star Jakailin Johnson, a consensus Top 100 recruit. Johnson has the size the Irish staff covets, but he can run, is extremely confident and has a lot of natural skills for the position. Another cornerback that has caught my eye early is Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola corner Ceyair Wright, another long and athletic cover man.

A local player to keep an eye on is Indianapolis (Ind.) Ben Davis defensive back Daylan Carnell. What I like about Carnell is that if he can’t stick at cornerback he could develop into a safety with top cover skills, and adding a player with that kind of positional flexibility can be a huge asset to a class that will be on the smaller side.

SAFETY

Projected 2021 Roster: 6
2021 Needs: 1-2

Overview: Notre Dame needs to move forward thinking that current freshman Kyle Hamilton will be a three-year player for the Irish. Should he come back for his senior year, great, but Notre Dame needs to recruit the 2021 class like it expects to lose Hamilton after that season.

Notre Dame has solid numbers at the position, and there are multiple cornerbacks that could slide back to safety as well, so the need in the 2021 class isn’t about depth, it’s about high-end talent or landing players with high ceilings. The reason for that is whoever signs in 2021 likely won’t be needed to play a major role as a freshman, so if the Irish land a raw player with a high ceiling, which means he’ll need time to develop, it can take a chance on that player.

One player to keep an eye on is Bolingbrook (Ill.) safety Justin Walters, who has the length and athletic skills the staff seems to covet. Walters isn’t considered a national recruit, but I like what I see from him on film. A national recruit that Notre Dame needs to make a push for is Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway standout Derrick Davis, a safety that could also grow into a rover in time.

I would expect the 2021 board to expand, but the reality is the staff cannot come up short in the 2021 class. Outside of Hamilton, the 2019-20 safety signees - which in my view includes Offord - lack the high upside needed at the position. Once Hamilton and Houston Griffith are gone the top-end talent will be gone. Their replacements - and the replacement for transfer Isaiah Pryor - needs to come first and foremost from the 2021 class.

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