Brian Kelly Is Having A Major Impact On Notre Dame Recruiting

The arrival of Marcus Freeman as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator in January was a significant move for Notre Dame. Freeman arrived with the reputation of a having a brilliant defensive mind and that he is a strong teacher. During his six months on campus he has oversaw an elite recruiting operation on defense.

Freeman, defensive line coach Mike Elston and cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens have proven to be a dynamic trio on the recruiting trail. They are the driving force behind a Notre Dame class that currently ranks No. 2 in the country by all four recruiting services.

I could write a long story about how impactful Freeman has been on the recruiting trail, but it's already been done and it's too obvious. Freeman has been a rock star on the trail and everyone knows it, and that trio of coaches on defense have been crushing it.

But that trio isn't the only reason Notre Dame is on track to have its best recruiting class in over a decade, and arguably its most balanced class is over two decades.

For over two months I have heard from many trusted sources and observed in other conversations the impact head coach Brian Kelly is having on the recruiting trail. The last few months have been the most active Kelly has been on the recruiting trail since he first took the job over a decade ago.

I'm not talking about his involvement with campus visits or doing the typical "head coach thing" on the trail. What has truly stood out from what my sources have consistently told me now for well over a month is that Kelly is taking a more active role in individual recruitments.

Earlier today I talked to a source about a Top 100 defensive prospect from the 2023 class that he believes Notre Dame could land in the near future. Of course the recruit we were discussing mentioned Freeman and other defensive coaches, but what stood out to both of us was the fact the first person the recruit talked about in regards to having an impact on where things stand with him and Notre Dame is Kelly.

When Irish Breakdown first spoke with 2023 defensive end Keon Keeley after he was first offered by Notre Dame the Irish head coach's early involvement in his recruitment was a key reason the talented defensive end had interest in ND. Fast forward three months and Keeley - a player I already gave a 5.0-star upside grade to - is now a Notre Dame commit.

Notre Dame faded recently for Top 100 caliber offensive lineman Billy Schrauth, with in-state Wisconsin making a hard charge. A pair of trusted sources informed me that Kelly and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees have been working hard to get Notre Dame back in good position with Schrauth. We'll see if it works or not, but it's encouraging to see Kelly putting in so much work.

I'll have a couple of more anecdotes in the next couple of weeks when the time is appropriate, and I could share a dozen more stories that I've heard from trusted sources about how Kelly has moved the needle, and he'll need to do it even more to finish off the offensive class in a strong manner.

This is something that has been needed for a very long time, and it's no coincidence that Notre Dame is putting together a tremendous class during a period when Kelly has taken such a hands-on recruiting approach.

Kelly hiring Freeman was a brilliant move, as it gave the program a smart, energetic and talented young coach that can take the program to greater heights. We've already seen Freeman do that in a very short period of time. Notre Dame needed to land a coach like Freeman in charge of the defense and it needed a coach like Mickens to teach and recruit the corners.

That duo combined with Elston has certainly moved the needle, but at the end of the day the head coach must be a force on the recruiting trail. The fact remains that when Kelly throws his weight around on the recruiting trail it makes a difference.

If that continues for the foreseeable future you can expect Notre Dame's current strong run of recruiting to not only continue, but to get better and better.

Irish Breakdown Content

Notre Dame Summer Roster
Notre Dame Football: 2021 Overview

Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Offense
Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Defense

2022 Big Board: Running Back
2022 Big Board: Slot Receivers

Notre Dame 2022 Scholarship Offers

Notre Dame 2022 Class Big Board

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