Notre Dame 2024 Commits Big Board
Below is my ranking of the Notre Dame 2024 commits based on the Irish Breakdown grading scale and my film analysis of each prospect.
NOTRE DAME COMMITS (6)
QB CJ Carr - 6-3, 190, Saline (Mich.) High School
WR Cam Williams - 6-2, 185, Glyn Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South
TE Jack Larsen - 6-3, 215, Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic
OL Peter Jones - 6-5, 290, Malvern (Pa.) Prep
DE Brandon Davis-Swain - 6-4, 240, West Bloomfield (Mich.) High School
DT Owen Wafle - 6-3, 270, Princeton (N.J.) The Hun School
As more players commit they will be added to this breakdown, so be sure to bookmark it and check back after commitments happen.
Analysis of each 2024 commit, by position:
CJ CARR, QUARTERBACK
Hometown/High School: Saline, Mich./Saline
Height/Weight: 6-3, 190
IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 50 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0
The Saline star possesses elite arm talent. His arm strength is solid right now, but as it gets stronger his ability to shred defenses will take another jump. He has a very quick, compact throwing motion, and he's developing the ability to throw more off platform. Even as a sophomore, Carr showed the ability to quickly get the ball out and he changes speed extremely well. His touch is impressive, and the ball gets up and down quickly when he attacks down the field.
There are two areas where Carr already grades out as elite, and that is with his mechanics and his football IQ. His ability to process information on film is outstanding, and his anticipation and timing are already significant strengths. Carr also shows elite ball placement ability. I'm not talking about completion percentage, I'm referring to the ability to put the ball into tight spots away from the defense. Carr has clean footwork and pocket mechanics, he protects the ball well when he moves around and he protects the ball with his throws as well.
Carr is a pocket passer, but he's an athletic pocket passer. He shows impressive foot quickness in the pocket, possessing the ability to manipulate the pocket, avoid pressure and he moves well on the perimeter. He's not a runner, but he can hurt you with his legs. When Carr gets outside of the pocket he keeps his eyes downfield and looks for open receivers.
This combination of skills makes Carr more than just a pocket passer that can pick teams apart. Yes, that's part of his game, but Carr can make off-script plays, he can make plays with his legs and he will eventually have the ability to get the ball over top of a defense.
CAM WILLIAMS, WIDE RECEIVER
Hometown/High School: Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard South
Height/Weight: 6-2, 185
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
To begin, Williams brings good length and size to the position. He's already 6-2 and 185 pounds, and he has an athletic frame and he's going to get stronger and stronger. He already knows how to use his length and he's strong at the catch point, especially for such a young player. You can see his strength shine even greater in the run game, and as he physically matures his physicality will become an even bigger part of his game.
His ball skills are also top-notch, with Williams possessing fast and strong hands. He attacks the football when it's in the air, meeting the ball away from his body, catching it with his fingers and then bringing it into his body. Williams tracks the ball extremely well, shows quick reactions to off-target throws and his body control at the catch point stands out on film and was excellent at the Irish Invasion.
Williams is very smooth athletically, and if I'm being honest that caused me to miss just how fast he was. The Glenbard South wideout is a glider, he's smooth off the line, but in a hurry he is getting on top of and blowing past defenders. That speed was confirmed this summer when he ran a 4.47 for the Notre Dame coaching staff at the Irish Invasion.
Williams shows a good feel for the game, and his football IQ is quite high for a player his age. He knows how to work open and he's already a quality route runner. The foot quickness, agility and bend are all there for this to eventually become one of his best assets, and that is when he'll be even more dangerous, and is partly why he also fits in so well to the field positions.
JACK LARSEN, TIGHT END
Hometown/High School: Charlotte, N.C../Catholic
Height/Weight: 6-3, 215
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
The first thing you'll notice about Larsen is his size; at 6-3 and 215 pounds, the Charlotte Catholic standout doesn't possess prototypical tight end size. The question then becomes does he have the athletic skillset to be a move around tight end, but also the toughness and strength to handle necessary blocking duties.
In short, for Larsen the answer to both is yes.
Larsen isn't a burner, but he shows a good initial burst and downfield acceleration. He's fast enough to be a force on crosses and drag routes, and he can stretch the seams and make plays down the field. As he physically matures I fully expect Larsen, who is just a rising junior, to add even more long speed to his game.
Where Larsen shines is with his overall athletic skillset and an advanced game for a player his age. He shows impressive agility and balance, and he's a loose athlete. He can change direction with ease for an athlete his size, and he can explode when he needs to. He has a nuanced route running repertoire, showing the ability to manipulate defenders and the skills to quickly sink his hips and work his feet efficient on top ends.
His pass catching skills are outstanding. Larsen has strong hands and tremendous concentration on downfield throws. His loose athleticism gives him impressive body control, and all those traits combine nicely to give Larsen the ability to win in traffic, on contested catches and he's a weapon after the catch. Larsen also shows a knack for finding soft spots in the zone, which makes him an ideal fit in the Irish offense.
PETER JONES, OFFENSIVE LINE
Hometown/High School: Malvern, Pa./Malvern Prep
Height/Weight: 6-5, 290
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 200 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
The Malvern Prep star brings excellent size and a strong frame to the table. At 6-5 and 290 pounds already, there is still room for him to add at least 10-15 more pounds, but likely more. He shows above-average arm length, certainly enough for him to play on the edge. Jones has a thick lower half, which allows him to be a sturdy player in both the run and pass game.
Jones is an impressively powerful young blocker, one that possesses strong hands and a powerful lower half for his age. He's going to continue getting stronger, which is exciting to think about. At times Jones will stop working his feet at the point of contact, but when he does work through contact he gets very good movement and he's a good finisher. He projects as an outstanding run blocker as his game and body continue to develop.
Technique is already a strength for Jones, at least relative to his age. He knows how to play the game, showing a good understanding of keeping his pads low, the need to drive through contact and he uses his hands well at the snap. As he learns to snap his hips and drive a bit more off the ball you'll see him become even more dominant in the run game. He's advanced for his age, but the reality is there's still plenty of improvement to be made, which is why there is still a lot of projection to his game.
In pass protection, Jones does a good job keeping his base as he gets into his kick slide. His steps are a tad short, but he works out well and shows the length to get out to edge rushers. Jones also handles power rushes and double moves for such a young player. This is the part of his game I'm curious to see develop, and will determine if he can stick in space at the next level or if guard eventually becomes his ideal position.
BRANDON DAVIS-SWAIN, DEFENSIVE END
Hometown/High School: West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield
Height/Weight: 6-4, 240
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0
Davis-Swain is an advanced player with an outstanding frame. He's listed at 6-4 and has at least above-average arm length. The 240-pound rising junior has a thick lower body, and his upper body shows plenty of room for refinement, which means he'll keep adding weight onto that part of his frame.
The West Bloomfield standout is a powerful young defender with fast hands. His ability to stack and shed is incredibly impressive for someone his age, and his overall hand play is quite advanced. Davis-Swain has an elite ability to quickly bench blockers off his body, at which point he uses his length to lock them out. These traits make him a highly effective run defender. Yes, he can eat up space, but his block destruction skills allow him to make a lot of plays on the football.
The scary thing is he's young, and as I mentioned his upper body needs to be defined more, and as that happens his power is going to explode. He plays off the edge of blockers extremely well and he tracks the football as well as any lineman in his class. This is yet another trait that allows him to make a lot of plays on the ball in both the run game and pass game. His summer work shows he's starting to enhance his pass rushing repertoire, so expect his pass game production to take a jump moving forward.
Davis-Swain is a smooth and fluid athlete, and his upside in this department is impressive. The West Bloomfield star shows loose hips, which allow him to change direction with ease and should lead to him being able to develop an effective spin move. His first step off the line stands out, which allows him to quickly and consistently get into gaps. I'd like to see him improve his closing speed, which is something he'll need if he's going to stay on the edge at the next level.
OWEN WAFLE, DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Hometown/High School: Princeton, N.C./The Hun School
Height/Weight: 6-3, 270
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.0
Wafle is already listed at 270 pounds on a 6-3 frame. He lacks the length Notre Dame looks for on the edge and he doesn't have the lateral quickness or closing speed to stay on the edge at the next level. His skillset does, however, fit very well up the middle. There is a strong frame there to build upon, and I could see Wafle easily getting to at least 290 pounds by the time he is done at high school, and there is likely even more room for growth once he gets to college.
The Hun School standout has very powerful hands and on the inside his lack of great length isn't as much of a factor. He comes off the line hard and he can bully blockers, and as his block destruction technique improves you'll see his ability to get to the football take a big jump. That is when you'll see Wafle take a huge jump forward as a prospect.
Wafle shows an impressive initial burst off the line and he shows very good leg drive. When you watch his sophomore film he'll play mostly outside, but he does get snaps inside and that is when you really see his impressive burst off the line. Wafle already looks more comfortable playing inside, and he projects to be quite disruptive as an interior player.
One thing that stands out about Wafle is his motor. This young man plays the game hard and with a lot of passion. He's the kind of prospect that you expect to bring it every day, and it raises the level of everyone around him. That is something that clearly adds to his value as a prospect.
GRADE KEY
5.0 - Elite player
4.5 - All-American caliber player
4.0 - Multi-year starter
3.5 - Key role player / Late career-starter
3.0 - Backup
Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge
Irish Breakdown Content
Notre Dame 2022 Roster
Notre Dame 2022 Schedule
Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Offense
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Defense
Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense
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