Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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32 FEBRUARY 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 5. JACOB LACEY • DT • 6-2, 295 BOWLING GREEN, KY. • SOUTH WARREN H.S. Lacey's power stands out because he has ex- tremely strong hands and a powerful upper body. He can push block- ers back, and his ability to disengage and finish at the ball carrier improved significantly during his senior season. There are times when Lacey is get- ting double — and sometimes triple — teamed, and he's still able to make a play in the backfield. When his hand play improves he will become even more effective. Lacey was much quicker during his senior season, and his closing speed was much improved. ESPN's No. 114 overall prospect is going to make a hard push for playing time as a fresh- man. 6. ANDREW KRISTOFIC • OL • 6-5, 275 GIBSONIA, PA. • PINE-RICHLAND H.S. While Kristofic needs time to reshape his body and develop his game, he is a physically gifted player that has the raw talent to eventually develop into yet another elite blocker at Notre Dame. Kristofic has a really impressive frame, possessing elite length and a good build. He has relatively strong hands, and once the weight room strength catches up to the natural tools, his run blocking production will take off. He is an athletic figure with quick feet and good agility, and he has a natu- ral feel on the edge in pass protection. Combine those traits with his length and 247Sports' No. 116 overall prospect and No. 1 player in Pennsylvania has premier upside as a pass blocker. 7. ZEKE CORRELL • OL • 6-3, 275 CINCINNATI • ANDERSON H.S. Notre Dame is recruiting Correll as a center, and he went from being an unranked four-star recruit when the season began to Rivals' No. 95 overall prospect in the land by the end of the season. Correll isn't all that tall, but he has long arms, powerful hands and a thick lower half. After some time in the strength program at Notre Dame he will become a physical force. Along with his natural strength and power, he is also a feisty and com- petitive blocker that thrives on finish- ing. With his athleticism and punch he projects to be a strong two-way blocker down the road. 8. CAM HART • WR • 6-3, 190 BALTIMORE • GOOD COUNSEL Hart, the nation's No. 32 athlete prospect according to ESPN, is one of the most underrated wide receiv- ers in the country. He is a rangy figure that thrives on both sides of the ball for Good Counsel. He is a good route runner for his age, and his length gives him a wide catching radius. When he stays locked onto the ball he shows strong catching ability, but he must work on staying focused when the ball is in the air. Hart is an impressive athlete that possesses good agility and top-notch deep speed. The more he physically matures the more his speed will im- prove. The ability to stretch the field and make plays after the catch are skills that give him such high upside. 9. LITCHFIELD AJAVON • S • 5-11, 185 BALTIMORE • EPISCOPAL (VA.) H.S. Ajavon has the potential to be a pro- ductive two-way player in the Notre Dame de- f e n s e , w h i c h n e e d s strong safety play to ex- cel. Right now the Epis- copal standout is at his best defending the run, but he was asked to do a little bit of everything for the Maroon. He is a physical defender that is more than willing to fly downhill and deliver punishment, despite not having ideal size. Ajavon takes good angles to the football in the run game and pass game, displaying good in- stincts and a high football IQ. Rivals' No. 5 safety and No. 87 overall player in the class has show- cased above-average foot quickness, and his movements on the football field are fluid. 10. OSITA EKWONU • LB • 6-1, 220 CHARLOTTE, N.C. • PROVIDENCE DAY Ekwonu is a rangy and athletic player that has yet to really tap into his immense potential. Rivals' No. 12 inside linebacker and No. 228 overall prospect in the country plays with a nasty edge and is advanced for his age in pass coverage. He has long arms, which are assets for him as a tackler and in cov- erage. He plays with a much better radius than one would expect from a player listed at just 6-1. Ekwonu has exceptionally power- ful hands, explosive hips, quick feet and top-notch speed for the position. He looked more instinctive as a se- nior and did a better job diagnos- ing runs, but more development is needed there. 11. K.J. WALLACE • CB • 5-11, 190 ATLANTA • THE LOVETT SCHOOL Wallace does not have great size and is not a burner, but this young man can flat out play football at a high level. He did a little bit of ev- erything for Lovett, and in many ways is similar to current Notre Dame cornerback Julian Love due to his versatility, playmaking ability and toughness. The 5-10, 182-pounder, the nation's No. 225 player by ESPN, has top- level foot quickness and loose hips, vitally important traits at cornerback. Everything Wallace does on the field is easy and smooth, and these traits make him very good in coverage. He mirrors receivers well and shows a good feel for reading routes. 12. KENDALL ABDUR-RAHMAN WR • 6-0, 185 EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. • EDWARDSVILLE H.S. A quarterback in high school, Abdur-Rahman projects to play wide receiver for the Irish. H e i s a d a n g e ro u s player with the ball in his hands, and domi- nated on the field for Edwardsville. Abdur-Rahman has a strong lower body and runs with authority. In his final season of high school he showed a much better initial burst and im- proved long speed, which made him even more dynamic with the ball. He is a nimble and fluid athlete with strong agility and balance. Abdur-Rahman, 247Sports' No. 17 athlete in the country and No. 5 player in Illinois, will need to learn how to run routes, but has traits that project well to wide receiver.