Notre Dame Recruiting Mailbag

Another week, another slate of impending Notre Dame quarterback recruiting questions. To make it as organized as possible, we have two editions of the recruiting mailbag this week and the first one will have all the quarterback questions.

I did throw in a bonus question at the end for a little bit of fun.

The questions are submitted by Irish Breakdown subscribers on our premium message board here!

@daniwilster: Ryan, I’ve heard you and Bryan say the 2024 class could be even better than the 2023 class. If I remember correctly, this was before a five-star quarterback committed. What makes you both say that? Is it regional talent, year two of this staff, maybe a combination of both?

It is definitely a combination of things. First and foremost, it’s partly the start the staff is off to. They already have five commitments in the 2024 recruiting class and every one of those commitments is considered a four-star on the 247Sports composite ranking. Except for Saline (Mich.) High School quarterback CJ Carr, who is a five-star on their composite ranking. The lowest of them is Princeton (N.J.) The Hun School defensive lineman Owen Wafle, who is considered the No. 218 overall player.

You also nailed a couple of key elements, most importantly momentum from the new staff. They have, of course, done an excellent job already in the 2023 class. If the team is able to show a good product on the field during the 2022 season there’s reason to believe the next recruiting cycle could be even better as coaches establish their impact in certain regions and continue to build relationships with prospective recruits.

Then, yes, it looks like another notable class in the North during the 2024 cycle. Carr is all that people are going to talk about, but there is a plethora of extremely gifted players with Northern ties that the Notre Dame staff is already doing a tremendous job with. Of course, Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South wide receiver Cam Williams and West Bloomfield (Mich.) High School defensive end Brandon Davis-Swain are already in the class.

Some other top names to know in the North include Chicago defensive lineman Justin Scott, Wisconsin running back Corey Smith, Indiana wide receiver Mylan Graham, Indiana athlete Brauntae Johnson and Ohio corners Aaron Scott and Bryce West. The East Coast is also loaded with prospects like Pennsylvania corner Omillio Agard, Pennsylvania blocker Peter Jones, Pennsylvania wideout Tyseer Denmark, Connecticut lineman Guerby Lambert and twins brothers from Connecticut Jerod and Jacob Smith, who play defensive line.

Missouri is another state Notre Dame is having increased success in and it is also loaded with Notre Dame prospects like wide receiver Ryan Wingo, defensive lineman Jayshawn Ross, defensive end Williams Nwaneri, running back Aneyas Williams and wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan.

When you add all of that together, especially with a top ranked quarterback in the fold, Notre Dame has all the momentum in the world. Recruiting impact is at an all time high right now in South Bend.

@calmdown: Hypothetically, you get the bona fide five-star quarterback in the previous cycle. Are you taking more of a shot in the following cycle with a developmental high ceiling but low floor quarterback, or are you looking for a higher floor but lower ceiling?

High ceiling without question for me. With two five stars in a three year span, there’s a decent chance that at least one of those is going to pan out. That gives you the flexibility to take a shot for the ceiling. It makes the margin for error way higher.

Without that being the case, the staff does need to seriously consider the floor as well. You need a player in 2023 that you think can compete to play in the future, especially in case CJ Carr doesn’t pan

@patricknd: With Ronan Hanafin looking like a closer battle than anticipated, do you think Notre Dame would be content at three wide receivers? If not, what are some names to know and, specifically, would Malik Elzy be a take?

@mike-honcho: Who are possible targets if Ronan Hanafin doesn’t commit to Notre Dame? And do you think he ultimately does go somewhere else?

I think “content” is the perfect word for it. A three-man class of Braylon James, Jaden Greathouse and Rico Flores Jr. is an outstanding one - there’s no doubt. I do believe that Notre Dame would be very happy with ending with that three man class. Right now, I think that it is Ronan Hanafin or bust.

The 6-3, 205-pound pass catcher is a big time talent at the position and could put an exclamation point on the end of a stellar class. I don’t think there are any Plan B options right now. This staff wants Hanafin. I’m not even sure there is talk of a “what’s next” right now. I believe that despite the talk recently, that Notre Dame is in a good spot with Hanafin. I believe that they are his leader as they continue to inch to decision time.

As for Elzy, he just committed to Cincinnati. That ship has sailed. Actually, it never really left the dock.

@calmdown: Would a failure to land Kenny Minchey, Austin Novosad (or any of the leading quarterback targets in 2023) lead to a second QB being sought in 2024?

Here’s where I am with 2023 quarterback recruiting. I would be very surprised if Notre Dame finished the 2023 class without having a quarterback in the class. Novosad and Minchey are obviously the top names on the board right now, but I trust the staff will continue to do their due diligence in terms of quarterback evaluation. I don’t believe that it will simply be those two or nothing.

I also trust the staff not to take a player just to fill a number. They are only going to take a quarterback if they believe that he can compete and belong at Notre Dame.

If it does get to the point where the staff isn’t able to solidify their standing with a potential signal caller then yes, I believe they will entertain a second quarterback in 2024 after possibly hitting the transfer portal for one for 2023. It does make it a little dicey to get a top quarterback in this situation.

With Carr already on board, there are going to be a lot of really good signal callers who aren’t going to be attracted to being potentially the second guy. It will be interesting to monitor.

@eastcoastirish53: Who is the best high school recruit you’ve ever seen in person? Not who was the highest ranked or most hyped, but a player who actually dominated the game the most.

This is actually a tough one. While I was coaching high school football in New Jersey, I had the chance to coach against current Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor at Salem High School and former North Carolina State wide receiver Kelvin Harmon while he played for Palmyra High School. Both players were incredible in their own ways and both also played in a low classification in New Jersey so both were men amongst boys for the most part.

I would probably give the slight edge to Taylor, who I also coached against in track and field. At 210 pounds back then, he ran a 10.4 second 100 meter dash. He was incredible to watch.

I also would like to send a shout out to current North Carolina State quarterback Devin Leary, who was an absolute dude while at Timber Creek High School. He was putting up video game numbers in high school.

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

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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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