Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 OCT. 29 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY COREY BODDEN Notre Dame picked up a major re- cruiting victory Oct. 13, landing Car- michael (Calif.) Jesuit 2019 Rivals100 cornerback Isaiah Rutherford over the likes of Cal, Colorado, LSU, Okla- homa, Oregon and others. It was quite the recruitment be- tween the Irish and the four-star cornerback. In late July, Rutherford narrowed down his choices to the Golden Bears, Tigers, Sooners and Ducks, leaving the Irish out along with the Buffaloes and Alabama, all three a part of his original top seven. But Irish cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght and special teams coordina- tor Brian Polian didn't slow down their pursuit, which eventually led to Rutherford taking an official visit to South Bend. R u t h e r f o rd m a d e t h a t trip during the weekend of Sept. 1, when Notre Dame hosted Michigan. That week- end represented a monumen- tal shift in the coveted cor- ner's decision process and ultimately led to his pledge. "It's hard to fall in love with a team when you haven't been there," Ruth- erford said of his commitment to the Irish. "When I got on campus, I was blown back by everything. That helped my decision a lot." Two weeks later, Rutherford made it out to Colorado for an official and came away impressed with their op- eration as well. A trip to Oregon, a school viewed as a major threat to land his commitment, was planned for Sept. 22. However, Rutherford did not take the trip. That seemed to open the door even more when it came to the possibility Notre Dame would land the nation's No. 9 cornerback and No. 83 overall player per Rivals. Just about a month later, that came to fruition with Rutherford's decision to join Notre Dame's 2019 class. "The school is the best of both worlds," Rutherford said. "You can't deny a Notre Dame degree. The tra- dition also stands out. "Knowing how many people came out through there is amazing." Over the summer, Rutherford earned an invite to Nike Football's Opening Finals after posting a 4.69 40-yard dash, 4.22 pro shuttle, 34.7- inch vertical jump and 38-foot power ball toss. According to MaxPreps, Rutherford made 27 tackles and two interceptions in 2017, while also rushing for 1,468 yards and 17 touch- downs at running back. Football runs in the family for Rutherford with his father, Reynard, having played running back at Cal in the 1990s. Rutherford joins Atlanta Lovett product K.J. Wallace as the two corner- backs in Notre Dame's 2019 class. If his ranking holds, Rutherford would become the first top-100 corner to sign with the Irish since Shaun Crawford in 2015, who Rivals ranked No. 7 at his position and No. 82 overall nationally. Rutherford is the second Rivals100 defensive player in the class, join- ing Alexandria (Va.) Episcopal safety Litchfield Ajavon, who Rivals has as the No. 85 overall player in the land. Landing the California athlete added the eighth four-star defensive prospect to the class, which includes five in the Rivals250. Along with Rutherford and Ajavon, Fort Worth (Texas) Nolan Catholic defensive end NaNa Osafo-Mensah (No. 174), Char- lotte Providence Day linebacker Osita Ekwonu (No. 185) and Atlanta Marist safety Kyle Hamilton (No. 227) rank among the best 250 prospects in 2019, according to Rivals. Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren defensive tackle Jacob Lacey, Sachse (Texas) High defen- sive tackle Hunter Spears and Montvale (N.J.) St. Jo- seph defensive end Howard Cross are considered four- star prospects just outside of the list. If all the current committed players stay in the class, it would give Notre Dame 12 Rivals250 recruits on de- fense in the last two classes. It would mark the best two-year run of the Brian Kelly era, besting the 10 Ri- vals250 recruits signed from 2011-12 and also 2012-13. With no decommitments the rest of the way, Notre Dame will have signed six Rivals250 defensive backs in the 2018 and 2019 classes combined. From 2010-17, the Irish added just nine total Rivals250 secondary players. ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Isaiah Rutherford has outstanding length for the cornerback position — he checked in this summer at 6-1, possessing long arms that allow him to recover more effectively if a receiver gets a step on him … Fluid and smooth athlete that transitions well in coverage … Good plant and drive ability against off coverage … Shows good instincts on the ball, drives effectively on short routes and plays the deep ball well … Willing to press at the line, but he is at his best when used to read and react to routes using his quickness and instincts … Second gear is impressive, allowing him to close extremely well on the ball. Areas For Improvement Lacks strength right now, and filling out his frame is a must … Is a willing tackler, but will need that extra strength to be more effective in the run game … Needs to work on developing initial speed and burst. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE ISAIAH RUTHERFORD Irish Land Big-Time Cornerback From California Rutherford, the nation's No. 9 cornerback and No. 83 overall player per Rivals, gave the Irish their first Rivals100 commitment at the position since Shaun Crawford in 2015. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM "It's hard to fall in love with a team when you haven't been there. When I got on campus, I was blown back by everything. That helped my decision a lot." RUTHERFORD ON PICKING NOTRE DAME