Nine 2020 Notre Dame Commits Make ESPN300 List
ESPN released an updated Top 300 for the class of 2021, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish class was well represented. Notre Dame landed nine players in the latest update to the ESPN300.
With nine commitments in the ESPN300 that means over half of Notre Dame’s 17-man class is currently ranked among the nation’s best players. Notre Dame is tied with Florida and Florida State for seventh most in the country. Of the teams with more ESPN300 players than Notre Dame, only Georgia (16) has fewer overall commits, and only Auburn (19) has fewer than 20 commits.
A look at the Notre Dame players in the new ESPN300:
No. 20 - Chris Tyree, Running Back
ESPN ranks Tyree as the No. 3 running back in the country and the best player in the state of Virginia. He is just three spots away from being a five-star after winning the fastest man competition at the Nike Football The Opening Finals in Texas this summer.
Tyree missed multiple games this season with an ankle injury, but according to Max Preps the speedy running back has 400 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on just 37 carries (10.8 YPC). Tyree also has a 95-yard kick return for a touchdown on the season.
No. 47 - Jordan Johnson, Wide Receiver
Johnson is ranked as the nation’s fifth best receiver and the No. 2 player in the state of Missouri. A five-star player according to Rivals, Johnson has a unique combination of size (6-2, 185), speed, athleticism and ball skills.
Notre Dame made Johnson an early priority in a loaded wide receiver class from a national standpoint, and it beat out programs like Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, USC and Florida for his commitment.
No. 81 - Michael Mayer, Tight End
Mayer shot up the national rankings after a dominant summer, and the more people see his film the higher his ranking climbs. ESPN ranks him as the No. 3 tight end in the country and the top player in Kentucky. The standout tight end earned Offensive MVP honors at the Nike Football The Opening Finals in Texas this summer.
Mayer has hauled in 29 passes for 508 yards and nine touchdowns on the season for Covington Catholic. A two-way standout, Mayer earned all-state honors at linebacker as a junior and all-state honors as a defensive end after his sophomore season.
No. 122 - Michael Carmody, Offensive Tackle
Carmody is the younger brother of Notre Dame sophomore wing Robby Carmody of the basketball team. The younger Carmody brings a whole different skill set to Notre Dame. Also a standout basketball player, Carmody has finally started filling out his frame. His senior film shows a player getting more and more comfortable with the extra weight, and his dominant play has caused him to emerge as one of the nation’s top offensive tackles.
ESPN ranks him as the No. 16 offensive tackle in the country and the No. 2 player in Pennsylvania. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 95 player in the land.
No. 139 - Rylie Mills, Defensive End
Like Tyree, Mills has missed time this season with an injury, but he’s back on the field, and he remains one of the top players in the nation. ESPN ranked him as the No. 14 defensive end in the country and the No. 2 player in Illinois, but Mills might very well end up playing inside at Notre Dame, where his athleticism would play even better.
Mills is ranked between No. 135 and No. 169 overall by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports.
No. 166 - Drew Pyne, Quarterback
Heavy personnel losses at New Canaan (Conn.) have made life difficult thus far for Pyne, who is having a down year statistically. Pyne has completed just 55.7-percent of his passes and has just 673 yards in four games, but he remains one of the nation’s top signal callers.
Pyne is ranked as the No. 9 quarterback in the country and the No. 2 player in Connecticut according to ESPN.
No. 177 - Tosh Baker, Offensive Tackle
Baker is up 10 spots from the previous ranking, but ESPN still ranks the talented offensive tackle much lower than the other services. He’s ranked as the No. 22 offensive tackle and No. 8 player in Arizona according to ESPN.
247Sports ranks Baker as the nation’s No. 43 overall player and the No. 4 offensive tackle, while Rivals ranks him as the No. 44 overall player and the No. 5 offensive tackle. Both services rank Baker as the No. 3 player in a loaded Arizona class.
No. 183 - Jordan Botelho, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Botelho is another player with a wide variation in ranking. ESPN ranks him No. 183 in the nation and as the No. 14 outside linebacker. Rivals ranks him as the No. 211 player in the country, but 247Sports ranks Botelho as the nation’s No. 42 overall player and the No. 4 inside linebacker, although Notre Dame is recruiting him as a drop end. All three services rank the Honolulu (Haw.) St. Louis star as the top player in the state of Hawaii.
Botelho is having a monster season, having registered 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks for the undefeated Crusaders.
No. 275 - Kevin Bauman, Tight End
Bauman is an overlooked player in the class due to the presence of Mayer, but there is no doubting he is one of the nation’s top tight ends. Considering how much Notre Dame uses its two tight end packages, landing both Mayer and Bauman was huge for Chip Long.
Bauman is a physical tight end that can work the middle of the field and blocks well, but he’s averaged almost 20 yards per catch during his career thanks to his ball skills and sneaky athleticism. ESPN ranks him as the No. 5 tight end in the country and the No. 8 player in New Jersey.
ESPN also ranked offensive coordinator Chip Long as the nation's No. 7 recruiter.
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