2021 Recruiting: Under the Radar Targets
Every recruiting cycle there are a few prep players that seemingly come out of no place to earn offers. During the past few years, Notre Dame has done a great job of finding some of those prospects. For the 2021 class, there’s even a prospect with an offer that is hard to project to a specific position. Hard decisions lie ahead.
In 2017, Notre Dame signed Drew White, LB, 6-1, 220, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Saint Thomas Aquinas. He was widely considered one of the five lowest rated players in the Irish class, but the Notre Dame coaching staff loved his physical nature and football acumen. As a starter this past season, White rolled up 48 solo tackles, 32 assists, and two sacks. White still has two years of eligibility left. The 2018 recruiting class provides two players that went under the recruiting radar like White.
Notre Dame wanted more speed for its secondary, and it found it with TaRiq Bracy, CB, 6-0, 170, Milpitas (Calif.). Beyond the Irish, he only earned offers from San Jose State, Washington State, Boise State, Utah, Cal-Berkeley, Nevada and Hawaii. Hardly a who’s-who list of prime programs.
In two seasons in South Bend, Bracy continues to earn more playing time. Barring something unforeseen, he will man one of the two starting cornerback spots come the 2020 season. Bracy recorded seven pass breakups this past season alone, and he also played meaningful minutes as a freshman. On the other side of the football, Notre Dame found a running back few programs wanted.
C’Bo Flemister, RB, 5-11, 195, Zebulon (Ga.) Pike County did not earn an offer from the likes of Georgia, Florida or Alabama. While Flemister committed to Georgia Tech before earning an offer from the Irish, the Irish eventually won out.
If the end of this past season is any indicator, Flemister will be an important part of the Notre Dame roster for at least the next two years. For 2019, the Georgia native gained 162 yards and scored five touchdowns. Flemister redshirted in 2018, so he still possesses three years of eligibility. Flemister certainly possesses a chance to be a multi-year starter for Notre Dame.
Will Notre Dame find any players like White, Bracy, or Flemister for the class of 2021? There are certainly options, starting with a prospect from a high school attended by former Irish and now New York Giants cornerback Julian Love.
It’s not often that a player is listed at 6-7, 235-pounds. His Hudl profile shows defensive end and wide receiver next to that player’s name. Meet Daine Hanson from LaGrange (Ill.) Nazareth Academy.
The long-legged recruit earned offers from Iowa and Iowa State. Look for more offers to come, but the question for recruiters still remains. Where does Hanson project at the next level?
Hanson is definitely interested in Notre Dame, but the Irish will not signing a large class for 2021. Can the Irish afford to offer a prospect without a definitive position? Best guess, Notre Dame will want Hanson to come to camp this summer.
Hanson could end up playing defensive end, defensive tackle, tight end or even offensive tackle. From one perspective, Hanson’s position flexibility provides insurance for multiple positions if any circumstance arises where Notre Dame needs to immediately add another player to a particular position. On the other hand, Notre Dame needs impact players for the class of 2021.
Look for Notre Dame to thoroughly evaluate Hanson between now and the end of summer. He could be a prospect Notre Dame offers. For now, Hanson is about to embark on several junior day visits.
According to Hanson, he told me he will take the following visits.
January 19th he will go to Northern Illinois, January 25th he goes to Iowa State, January 26th he heads to Iowa, and February 1st Hanson treks to Notre Dame.
Due to Hanson’s unique height, length, position flexibility, and location, he is definitely a player to keep an eye on for the class of 2021. Hard to find players with his skill set. Here’s a look at Hanson’s Hudl film:
Notre Dame defensive back recruiting will continue to be a focus. The 2021 class has many options, and one of them could come from an unlikely place. Jeffrey Davis, WR/CB, 6-0, 170, West Hartford (Conn.) Kingswood-Oxford School is a player that already starting earning big offers.
Rarely does the state of Connecticut produce prospects that sign with the Irish, or for that matter, many other top programs. This young man can play, however. Penn State, Boston College, Michigan, Connecticut, Tennessee, Purdue and Syracuse extended offers.
Combined with attending a prestigious school, Davis possesses the skill set to play wide receiver, cornerback, or free safety. Most of Davis’s Hudl film displays him as a wide receiver. Notre Dame could certainly take another wide receiver in this class, but several offered wide receiver targets are still on the board.
For now, Davis is a player to keep tabs on, but the odds of a Notre Dame offer increase if he wants to focus his attention towards the defensive secondary. Here is Hudl film for Davis:
One of my personal favorite 2021 recruits is also one of the hardest to evaluate. What position will this young man play at the college level? The player in question would be Jamareeh Jones, ATH, 6-0, 180, Highland Springs (Va.). Notice the “ATH” label. It’s for good reason.
As you will see within Jones’ Hudl film below, he simply makes plays. For Highland Springs, Jones plays quarterback. The offense that’s being run resembles one Urban Meyer or Rich Rodriguez would orchestrate because the quarterback is the primary ball carrier and play maker. While not likely to play quarterback for the Irish, Jones possesses the physical traits to be a special player at other positions.
Wide receiver, running back, and anywhere in the secondary are all realistic possibilities. Like so many high school running quarterbacks, it’s just almost impossible to project a prospect’s best position without actually watching that prospect play live at a particular spot like wide receiver or cornerback.
All one can do is watch the physical talent and make a best guess. Notre Dame already hosted Jones for unofficial visits twice. The Irish were also first offer as well.
Pittsburgh, North Carolina, and Tennessee also extended offers to Jones. Will Notre Dame push for a commitment? If yes, at what position?
One could argue that Notre Dame should sign Jones and figure out the position later. Maybe tell him defensive back to start, and figure it out once he reaches South Bend. Regardless, this young man can play football. Here’s Jones’ Hudl film:
Final Thoughts
With the class of 2021 just getting started and junior days right around the corner, recruits like Hanson, Davis and Jones represent tough decisions for different reasons. These players show how hard it is for Notre Dame or any other coaching staff to calculate a recruiting class.
With each recruit a staff needs to consider several factors. When does this young man plan to make his final decision? Does he fit our offensive and/or defensive scheme? Would he object to a position change? Will he be an impact player or a project?
There are a host of other prospects that Notre Dame must gain answers from before proceeding with an offer. Then there’s a player like Jones, a talented player that can help in so many ways.
The Irish will be making hard decisions during the next several months.