What's Next: Notre Dame Needs A Strong Close At Linebacker

Notre Dame finally got on the board at linebacker in the 2024 class when Omaha (Neb.) Westside athlete Teddy Rezac committed to the Fighting Irish. Rezac is just the start, and the linebacker class will be defined by who Notre Dame adds to the class.

For Notre Dame to continue its outstanding linebacker recruiting that began when Marcus Freeman was hired as the head coach, the staff will need to finish strong. How the staff finishes will also say a lot about whether or not defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Al Golden is able to continue what Freeman started.

REMAINING NEEDS

Notre Dame came into this cycle with the need to land three linebackers. The Irish staff landed an elite four-man class in the 2022 cycle and added an outstanding three-man haul with the 2023 class.

Two of the 2022 signees have already moved positions (Josh Burnham, Niuafu Tuihalamaka), so the Irish have five backers from the last two classes. Notre Dame's base defense is a three-backer look, but we could see the defense doing more two-man looks when they play in their nickel looks.

A three-man class would solidify everything from a numbers standpoint, but the staff could conceivably be okay bringing in just two backers. The numbers would work out, but three remains the ideal number in the class. It would help the staff guard against injuries or unexpected transfers from causing depth problems.

TOP TARGETS

There is no doubt who the top remaining linebacker on the board is, and that would be Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco star Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. Notre Dame has been recruiting Viliamu-Asa for a very long time, and closing with him would be huge for the staff. It's hard to imagine this class being a success without Viliamu-Asa in it.

Defensive line coach Al Washington has been a key figure in the recruitment of Viliamu-Asa, and he's played a key role in where Notre Dame currently stands. But if Notre Dame is going to close on Viliamu-Asa it will need defensive coordinator Al Golden to help seal the deal.

Notre Dame has also been pushing very hard for Roanoke (Va.) Patrick Henry linebacker Bodie Kahoun. The 6-3, 220-pound athlete was once an Ohio State commit for lacrosse, but his college focus is now on linebacker. Kahoun is an ascending prospect with the length/speed combination that Notre Dame covets, which explains why the staff is pushing so hard for him despite more highly ranked players being on the board.

Kahoun has made multiple trips to Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. He's also made a pair of trips to Notre Dame and will return for an official in June. The Irish could be very hard to beat in this recruitment.

Another Virginia star athlete has also become a hot target of late. I'm talking about Salem (Va.) High School standout Chris Cole. This is one of the most underrated players in the country, and his combination of length/speed/range is as good as any linebacker I've evaluated in the 2024 class. Cole is a Top 100 caliber recruit on the Irish Breakdown board, and his ceiling is extremely high.

Notre Dame got him on campus in April for the Blue-Gold Game, and he's scheduled for an official visit in June. It will be tough to get Cole in the class, but he's worth making a hard push for. There isn't a higher ceiling player on the. board than Cole.

Jonesboro (Ark.) Valley View linebacker Brian Huff is another high-upside player that is slated to visit in June. Huff has yet to make it to campus, so it's hard to know just where the Irish stand here, but Huff is adamant that he has legit interest in Notre Dame.

He's long, rangy and has an impressive frame. We won't really know where the Irish stand until he visits, but he's definitely a guy to keep an eye on.

KEEP AN EYE ON

Golden has spent much of the recent open period getting out and checking in on a lot of uncommitted linebackers. Here are some of the names Notre Dame went out and saw during the recent evaluation period:

Sammy Brown - Jefferson (Ga.) High School
Jordan Burns - Atlanta (Ga.) Pace
Justin Logan - Marietta (Ga.) Kell
Jaylen Harvey - North Potomac (Md.) Quince Orchard
Kristopher Jones - Stafford (Va.) Mountain View
Bradley Shaw - Hoover (Ala.) High School
Keyshawn Flowers - Severn (Md.) Archbishop Spalding

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Irish Breakdown Content

2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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