Class Impact: DE Tyson Ford To Notre Dame
Notre Dame picked up an important 2022 commit when it landed St. Louis (Mo.) Burroughs defensive end Tyson Ford. One of the top power ends in the country, Ford gives the Irish an impact recruit to its defensive line.
Let's take a look at how the commitment of Ford impacts the 2022 recruiting class and the Notre Dame defensive line depth chart.
CLASS IMPACT
Ford becomes the fifth player to publicly commit to Notre Dame in the 2022 class, and he's the second defensive player, joining Michigan linebacker Nolan Ziegler. The 6-5, 250-pound end is the first defensive lineman to commit to Notre Dame in the 2022 class.
Landing an impact power end was vitally important in the 2022 class. The Irish have potential at the position, but the depth was thin and Notre Dame needed a player who has the skills and size to come in and compete for early playing time. That is what Ford brings to the class, a high-upside talent that also has the tools to come in and contribute early in his career.
Ford is ranked as the nation's No. 64 overall player and No. 5 strongside end in the entire country. ESPN ranks him No. 148 nationally and he's the No. 117 overall player on the 247Sports composite ranking. He is Notre Dame's highest ranked 2022 recruit with Rivals and on the 247Sports composite list.
Notre Dame also has commitments from offensive linemen Joey Tanona and Ty Chan, and tight end Jack Nickel.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Ford has all the tools you want in a strongside end, and I believe he is a pure power end. He has tremendous size, impressive natural power and he has the combination of tools to eventually be a dominant run defender and pass rusher. Getting a player with the tools to do both is rare, and an absolute must for an elite defensive lineman.
Ford already has good size at 6-5 and 250 pounds, and his length is impressive. He has plenty of room to reshape his body, and he should take off in the Matt Balis strength program. His frame is such that he could easily get to 265-270 pounds and get even more explosive. He is an aggressive player that shows an edge at times that I like, and that you need to be a dominant run defender.
The Burroughs standout shows an impressive burst off the line, especially for a player that weighs 250 pounds. At times he comes off the line too high, but it is correctable and he does show the ability to bend when he keeps his pads low. His block destruction technique needs work, which isn't a surprise for such a young player, but he has fast and powerful hands, and he's hard to block at the prep level. When he does use his hands correctly he destroys high school linemen.
He's an agile athlete that displays the occasional impressive spin move to get off blocks. As his technique improves you'll see his ability to get after the quarterback take off. He is able to disrupt the passer now based mostly on raw talent, but as a junior his repertoire started to enhanced, and his game improved tremendously. With even more work he projects to be an impact power rusher.
His long speed isn't top-notch, which is why the strongside is his ideal position. He closes on the quarterback well and he's much more impactful athletically in tighter spaces that he would be playing in space as a drop end. You want Ford coming off the line vertically and using his quickness, power and motor to shut down the run and get after the quarterback.
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