Notre Dame Prospect Profile: WR Ronan Hanafin
Notre Dame is still looking for a second impact wide receiver commit in the 2023 class. One of the top prospects on the board, regardless of position, is Ronan Hanafin. Here's a look at Hanafin as a prospect.
RONAN HANAFIN PROFILE
Hometown: Burlington, Mass.
High School: Buckingham Brown & Nichols
Height: 6-3
Weight: 205
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0
Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Tennessee, Penn State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Duke
Recruited By: Chansi Stuckey / Tommy Rees
RECRUITING RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star - No. 33 athlete
Rivals: 4-star - No. 41 athlete
On3: 3-star - No. 18 athlete
247Sports: 3-star - No. 61 athlete
FILM ANALYSIS
Hanafin is one of the rare athletes that grades out as a four-star, high-level player on both sides of the ball. When I broke down his game, Hanafin graded out as a 4.0-star player on the Irish Breakdown board as both a wide receiver and rover. That's one thing that makes him such a unique prospect. He is being recruited as a wideout by Notre Dame and Clemson, but Alabama is recruiting him as a safety/rover type player.
In fact, right now Hanafin actually grades out higher on defense than he does offense due to his technique grade, which I'll get to. His upside, however, is greater on offense, and that's why Notre Dame is recruiting him as an offensive player when it was all said and done.
At 6-3 and 205 pounds, Hanafin has ideal size for the wide receiver position, he also has the length to match his height. He has a well above average catch radius as a wideout. Hanafin is still learning the receiver position, but he attacks the ball naturally. His body control is impressive, he quickly snatches the ball out of the air and he has strong hands. Those traits project well to the boundary receiver position.
His athleticism projects to both the field and slot positions as well, which adds to his versatility on offense, as Hanafin can play all over the field as a wideout. The BB&N star is a smooth and fluid athlete that moves effortlessly on the football field. His easy movement skills mask his speed, which is impressive. Hanafin has high 4.4-caliber speed, and you can see it when he turns it up to get on top of the defense, and you can really see it when he is actually on defense. As his stance/start technique and route running ability improves you'll see his speed become even more impactful.
What really separates Hanafin is that he combines smooth athleticism and speed with outstanding agility. His foot quickness, balance and agility are truly top notch. When his route technique is somewhat clean I was blown away by how effortlessly Hanafin was able to drive his hips down and then get out of his cuts with excellent suddenness. His release/stem must be improved and his top end technique needs improvement, but the athleticism is there for him to eventually develop into an outstanding route runner.
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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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