Notre Dame Recruiting Mailbag - Offense Edition - May 23
It is Monday, so you know what that means, it is time for another Recruiting Mailbag. There were so many great questions this week that we had to divide this edition into two parts. This is the offense edition, and we have questions for the 2023 and 2024 classes.
The questions come from Irish Breakdown subscribers on the message board.
@tbed56: With Rodney Gallagher trending to West Virginia, does the staff identify a new slot target (and who do you think that will be), or do they put the full court press on Ronan Hanafin?
@domer123: With the recent news that Gallagher is probably going to wind up elsewhere, is there anyone else on Notre Dame’s WR board that has a similar skill set?
It’s always possible that the wide receiver board could expand. The truth of the matter is that there really isn’t a direct stylistic comparison to Gallagher left on the board. If Notre Dame values Micah Tease as a wide receiver he can fill that role.
I’m in favor, however, of prioritizing talent over positional need. If you are able to add a high level of talent then you can figure out a way to make it all fit. The priority should be to close on players like Jaden Greathouse, Ronan Hanafin and Rico Flores. Continuing to develop a connection with Josh Manning should also become a greater priority.
Of course, if the staff comes across other players that fit the talent need Notre Dame is looking for they can go down that road.
@4irishgroupchat: I know it’s really too early to tell but speaking hypothetically, would a home run official visit and a Dante Moore commitment be enough to land Richard Young at Notre Dame? If so, how would that impact the recruitment of Jayden Limar and Jeremiyah Love? Does the staff view Young as the best back of that group? We just saw Sedrick Irvin Jr. decommit so I’m getting the sense that ND could be a major player for Young.
If Notre Dame is able to land Dante Moore the confidence level should rise across the board for all uncommitted players, and even some players committed to other programs. A quarterback of that caliber has an impact that can’t quite be quantified. As I’ve said before, it is an extreme long shot for Young but adding Moore certainly won’t hurt the cause.
I don’t believe that Young's decision would impact either Limar or Love to be honest. They have both been actively recruited while Irvin was in the class. Now that he’s not, the numbers aren’t any different with Young now in the mix. Limar is a confident kid who will not shy away from competition. Love has an interesting layer to his recruitment in that he could play running back as well as possibly being a wideout or safety. Notre Dame clearly likes him at running back but he still has that athlete vibe to his potential fit.
I believe the Irish would be more than comfortable to potentially carry all three in the 2023 class, but landing at least two is the objective.
@irishman7114: With the influx of running back talent, what are the chances that we could move players like Gi’Bran Payne and Jeremiyah Love to wide receiver or defense and make room for players like Richard Young (if we actually land him)? Could Gi’Bran Payne and Jeremiyah Love play other positions at a high enough level to make that switch?
It’s an interesting hypothetical. From a fit perspective, I’m always a fan of recruiting versatile athletes who can offer upside at multiple positions. Payne is the kind of player who can potentially transition to slot depending on the numbers at running back. He gives off some Theo Riddick vibes, with even better long speed.
Jeremiyah Love is the type of long athlete who can potentially work from multiple wide receivers spots. To keep it as basic as possible, both players present a profile to give Notre Dame upside at wide receiver. Both players have upside at either position. Love might even have substantial upside on defense as well.
@dtrain23: Gentlemen, new member coming to you from New York City. With the news of Richard Young taking an official visit, do you believe this is a talent attracted to talent situation, or is the Notre Dame coaching staff creating such a buzz that kids are starting to feel like they need to “see this for themselves”? Thank you for all you guys do, YOU ROCK!!!
I broke down the impact of Richard Young’s recent official visit plans to South Bend. Young’s attraction to Notre Dame can be quantified by momentum. The impact that Marcus Freeman has had on the recruiting trail can not be understated, and this is exactly why he hired impact recruits like Deland McCullough, who has had a significant impact on Young's interest in Notre Dame.
This staff is relentless. It’s definitely the latter part of the equation, there is genuine curiosity. Notre Dame having the No. 1 ranked recruiting class certainly doesn't hurt that level of interest either. Whether Young does end up with the Irish, it is an indication that that intrigue is alive and well.
@bplence1189: How big of a threat now is Oklahoma for Micah Tease? Any rumblings of Oklahoma agreeing to give Tease a chance at wide receiver now with current OU WR commit Ashton Cozart trending to flip to Oregon?
By all indications, Oklahoma is back in the game. I haven’t heard directly whether their message has changed but something has clearly changed the stance from Tease’s perspective. I’m told that this is truly a wide open recruitment. Official visits are going to go a long way to determining where this one goes. Notre Dame is ready for a fight.
@4irishgroupchat: Hey guys, I know I am looking ahead but who are two (top 50) guys on each side of the ball in the 2024 class that you think ND will push hard for and have a real shot to land? Thank you and appreciate you guys taking time to answer questions!
It’s never too early to start talking about 2024 recruits! On offense, it all starts with the quarterback position. Everyone is obsessed with talking about Dante Moore in the 2023 class - and for good reason.
It turns out, however, that Moore isn’t the only Michigan quarterback who is high on the Irish.
Saline (Mich.) High School signal caller C.J. Carr has deep Wolverine ties with his grandfather, Lloyd Carr, being the Michigan head coach from 1995 to 2007. Despite that inside track for Michigan, Tommy Rees has done an outstanding job to put themselves in good position early with the talented quarterback.
One of the elite prospects in the 2024 recruiting class, Temple (Texas) Lake Belton wide receiver Micah Hudson is an outstanding athlete with massive upside at the position. Chansi Stuckey and the staff hope to continue to knock it out of the park in the Lone Star State. Hudson ranks as high as the No. 11 overall player and the No. 2 wide receiver in the class.
@nd_6771: Is there a complication with Notre Dame being at 86 scholarships regarding Braylon James possibly reclassifying?
It would be something to figure out but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a complication. If Braylon James indeed does reclassify then they’ll make the numbers work. It’ll be interesting to see if this does come to fruition. James' long term is definitely more important than the short term but he would obviously help the number issue in the wide receiver room early on.
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