Notre Dame Recruiting Mailbag - Part One
Here we are just a couple of weeks away from the Notre Dame season starting and we are met with our usual recruiting chaos. That, in turn, brings another long list of incredible recruiting questions submitted by the loyal subscribers of the Irish Breakdown premium message board.
As is usually the case, we were forced to split this mailbag up into two sections to cover as many questions as possible. With everything from safety recruiting, running backs, pass catchers and recruiting updates, this promises to be yet another intriguing mailbag!
@rhollcraft1: I think a very underrated player in the 2023 class is Adon Shuler. Can you compare Adon Shuler’s game to Peyton Bowen? Obviously Bowen is faster and covers more ground on the back end. How will Notre Dame utilize their strengths in the same defensive backfield?
Starting with the latter, I think Peyton Bowen and Adon Shuler fit together perfectly. Bowen is more of the rangy center fielder with excellent man cover skills, while Shuler is a versatile player on the back end who can do a little bit of everything. That should allow Bowen to spend most of his time working from depth, or to move around to get in good matchup situations.
You should see Shuler doing everything from playing on the roof, coming down into the box and even playing some in the slot. He is your modern day safety who checks off a lot of boxes. There is also a very easy projection for him as a player, possessing an impressive floor. Shuler does have the vibes of a player who may be under appreciated at times but it certainly won’t be by his coaches and teammates. He’s a very good football player.
@bplence1189: Can you break down new wide receiver targets Malachi Riley and Taeshaun Lyons? Which wide receiver is currently the better talent and who has the higher ceiling in your opinion? Lastly, which of the two do you see as the better complement to Notre Dame's current 2023 wide receiver commits?
Let’s start with Taeshaun Lyons considering he is the pass catcher that the staff is prioritizing for its fifth wide receiver spot. Lyons is long and lean at 6-2 and 170 pounds, displaying a really nice combination of straight line speed and flexibility. He has some nice moments as a route runner and has a propensity of creating big plays. Lyons plays at a lower level of football in California so there is some rawness to him as a football player. The upside is really nice however.
His stat line of 16 touchdown catches on just 28 receptions and his 32.4 yards per catch average is outstanding.
Malachi Riley also has some length to him but isn’t quite as long as Lyons. He is incredibly smooth and has a pretty good understanding of how to attack blind spots and has upside as a route runner. From a physical perspective, there isn’t really a standout trait. Riley is just solid all around.
The upside would definitely be in favor of Lyons. He has a better combination of size and athleticism for the position and still has a substantial amount of upside left untapped. That’s why the staff seems to have settled on him as the main target moving forward.
@bplence1189: Who is the 2024 realistic two-man running back haul you’d like to see Notre Dame lock down? I’m going Corey Smith and then can't decide between either Nate Palmer or Aneyas Williams.
Corey Smith would also be on my ideal running back haul for the 2024 class. His big play ability is exciting and really compared to Ronald Jonas favorably from a big okay perspective. I would usually like to pair him with a more powerful back so Palmer would make sense. I may actually opt for Williams in this exercise however. His versatile and talents to create chunk plays is a nice compliment to any style of runner.
@irishcheesehead: Of the 50 to 125 ranked recruits Drayk Bowen, Christian Gray, Brenan Vernon, Micah Bell, Jaiden Ausberry, Jaden Greathouse, which do you think projects best to the NFL in three to four years?
Are we sleeping on Cooper Flanagan a bit? He seems to be the other guy Alabama is working hard to flip (in addition to Keon Keeley).
As if it isn’t difficult enough to project high school players to college, you want me to project all the way to the NFL? Sure, why not! I believe that each player has their own selling points and merits to be included in this exercise. If developed properly, they all have a chance. Call me biased but the maturity and nuance of Jaden Greathouse really stands out to me. His combination of size, body control, hand strength and route running will have coaches buzzing.
Drayk Bowen is the type of modern linebacker who excels in the space game as it is played today. He also boasts a nice frame to work from a stacked position and make a ton of plays all across the field. Jaiden Ausberry also possesses that modern skill set to play in space, while also boasting some impressive instincts working against the run.
Christian Gray and Micah Bell are also very intriguing player projections, both for very different reasons. Anytime you have a cornerback with length and really good awareness, they have a chance. That’s what Christian Gray brings to the table. We also know that the NFL is obsessed with speed and no one in this class brings as much as Bell. As long as he is a solid contributor on the college level, he’ll at worst get a long look just for that fact alone.
Brenan Vernon is a really intriguing player. As a defensive end, he is a very solid athlete and has the potential to be a very good starter on the college level. If Vernon does eventually project inside, however, that could be a completely different conversation in terms of impact. With his combination of length and athleticism, Vernon quickly goes from a good athlete outside to a potentially elite one working from the interior. That upside is incredibly appealing.
At the end of the day, Notre Dame is recruiting some impressive talent. It will all be about how the class is developed. There are several very high upside players present.
I would agree that Cooper Flanagan doesn’t get the credit that he deserves, mostly because of his usage at De La Salle. The school just does not ask much of him from a pass receiver perspective. Instead, it is his run blocking that is his most advanced part of his game. As he develops his receiving chops, I do believe there is still quite a bit of upside to him as a player.
@bplence1189: If Notre Dame was to land Justin Scott as their third 2024 defensive line commit, who are five realistic Notre Dame targets you’d like to see take the last one to two defensive line spots available in the 2024 class?
Elijah Rushing
I think the top priority on the board would be the Arizona standout. He is a potentially elite recruit who has some parallels to Keon Keeley. He is long and twitchy at 6-5 and 225 pounds. Rushing brings a really impressive combination of length, explosiveness and growth potential. Notre Dame made a nice early impression but this will be a big battle with his reputation. There is no clear leader early on.
The Smith Twins
Standouts out of the state of Connecticut, it is unsure whether Jacob and Jerod Smith are a package deal or not. If they are, it will be interesting just how things trend with the brothers moving forward. After visiting Notre Dame for the first time this summer, the Smiths were very vocal about how the trip exceeded their expectations. Similarly to the Ademilolas, Jacob (6-5, 225-pound defensive end) and Jerod (6-4, 260-pound move piece) bring inside-outside versatility that Al Washington could have a lot of fun with.
TJ Lindsey
Don’t focus too much on the rankings for TJ Lindsey. Instead look at the impressive offer list and outstanding size at 6-5 and 270 pounds. The Arkansas native brings an intriguing blend of physical gifts and growth potential to work inside on the next level. He is another player who really enjoyed seeing Notre Dame this summer and appears very high on the Irish. He is a bit raw but brings about as much raw ability as anyone on the board.
The Missouri Standouts
Jashawn Ross is arguably the most unique and interesting vyper recruit on the board for Notre Dame. He doubles as a standout receiver for his high school, bringing an impressive blend of explosiveness and bend at 6-4 and 220 pounds. He is a true outside track rusher who wins around the track consistently with his speed and bend. Ross has spoken high of the program this summer but it is way too early to gauge what the legitimate interest is. Regardless, he is a talented pass rusher to keep an eye on.
A pretty recent addition to the board, Williams Nwaneri is a really intriguing defensive end recruit who has the look of a big end long term on the next level. At 6-5 and 240 pounds, he has a super long frame that can hold a substantial amount of weight long term. Nwaneri is a disruptive force and has some outside-inside rush potential on obvious passing downs. Stylistically, he gives off some Jason Pierre-Paul vibes athletically.
@99problems-but-bk-aint-1: Are there any updates on Elijah Rushing, Adarius Hayes, and Jayshawn Ross? Also, how big of a player is Notre Dame for Bredell Richardson?
There isn’t a ton other than each player getting ready for their junior campaigns. The focus has recently been taken off of recruiting and is back on their high school programs. Here are briefly where their interest is as we currently stand:
Elijah Rushing
Notre Dame made a really nice early impression on Rushing, enough to get the Arizona native on campus pretty quickly. He spoke glowingly with me about his admiration for Isaiah Foskey and the impact meeting him on his campus visit had on him. This is going to be a battle and it is way too early to predict leaders. The Irish staff did a really nice job, however, making an early impact.
Adarius Hayes
This one is trending a lot better than I originally anticipated. Hayes made it a priority to get up to campus for the Blue Gold Game and spoke highly about that experience. He is a very academically driven kid and he very much understands the full scope of what Notre Dame can bring. They have put themselves in a very solid position early on. Expect Hayes to get back on campus for a Notre Dame game this fall.
Jayshawn Ross
This is a tough one to get a great feel of early on. Ross has said all the right things about Notre Dame so far but didn’t get out to campus this spring or summer. Trying to get him on campus for a game visit will be a big opportunity for the staff. This one doesn’t seem to be in a great place as it currently stands.
Bredell Richardson
Richardson made a trip to Notre Dame's campus this summer on his own dime, which shows legitimate interest. We haven't heard much from Richardson, but sources indicate he's extremely interested. Richardson is a high academic young student-athlete and that is a key part of his early interest. Notre Dame will try to get him back on campus this fall for a game.
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