Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2019 27 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE CORNERBACK Signed: Isaiah Rutherford and KJ Wallace Meeting Needs: After failing to land a single cornerback in 2017, Notre Dame needed another quality class in 2019 after bringing in three cornerbacks in 2018. Both Wallace and Rutherford graded out as com- posite four-star recruits according to 247Sports. Summary: Wallace, Rivals' No. 57 cornerback in the land, was an early target for the staff, earning his offer last January and joining the class just 12 days after. It took some time for cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght to find his second corner in this group, and for a while it seemed that Wallace would be it at the position. Rutherford, ranked as the No. 12 cornerback and No. 110 overall pros- pect in the country by Rivals, an- nounced a top list during the sum- mer before his senior season that didn't include Notre Dame. Lyght kept working and convinced him to visit for Notre Dame's Sept. 1 contest against Michigan. Coming out of that trip the Irish were consid- ered the team to beat, and Ruther- ford ultimately picked Notre Dame in October. On Paper Grade: B- At 5-11, Wallace isn't the prototype cornerback for the staff, which pre- fers length at the position. What sold Lyght on the prospect was his athleti- cism, competitiveness and playmak- ing ability. Rutherford is not nearly as ad- vanced as Wallace when it comes to technique and feel for the position, but he brings the size the Irish covet. A two-way player in high school, Rutherford will have a chance to fo- cus just on cornerback for the Irish, and it should allow his game to de- velop quickly. SAFETY Signed: Litchfield Ajavon and Kyle Hamilton Meeting Needs: Notre Dame signed four safeties in the 2016 class, but by the end of the 2017 season two of those players were either off the roster or moved to another position. The two signees from the 2017 season also spent less than a year at safety, which made the three-man class in 2018 vitally important to restocking the depth chart. Another quality class was needed this cycle, and the two-man haul of Hamilton and Ajavon met those needs and then some. Summary: Notre Dame got in- volved with Hamilton, Rivals' No. 7 safety and No. 75 overall player na- tionally, just before his recruitment ex- ploded. Immediately, it was believed the Irish would be hard to beat. Hamilton comes from a top aca- demic high school and his older brother, Tyler, plays basketball at Penn. Academics were going to be a major part of his recruitment, and that played a huge role in him decid- ing on Notre Dame. Ajavon, the No. 9 safety and No. 106 talent in the country per Rivals, earned his offer from Notre Dame on March 5, 2017, which made him one of the first safety targets in the class. The staff stayed on him for over a year, and in the end it paid off. The Virginia native pledged to Notre Dame on April 21, 2018. On Paper Grade: A Hamilton went from consensus three-star recruit to one of the top players in the nation. He graded out as the best player on the BGI Big Board and was a five-star recruit ac- cording to 247Sports. At 6-3 with exceptionally long arms, Hamilton brings the length and range the Irish haven't had at safety since Harrison Smith was roaming the back end of the defense. Ajavon is on the smaller side, but he's a smart and physical defender that seems to thrive on delivering crushing hits. SPECIALISTS Signed: Jay Bramblett and Harri- son Leonard (walk-on) Meeting Needs: The graduation of four-year starters at punter and placekicker made both positions pri- orities in the 2019 class. Landing Bramblett, the No. 5 kicker in the country according to Ri- vals, and Leonard was an overshad- owed but valuable part of this class. Summary: Bramblett made two visits to South Bend before commit- ting, but he was the lone punter on Notre Dame's radar. When he com- mitted in May it ate up the one schol- arship the staff was willing to give out for a specialist. Leonard is a scholarship-caliber placekicker, and getting him to pay his own way to Notre Dame made his commitment even more valuable for special teams coordinator Brian Polian and the staff. On Paper Grade: A Bramblett was ranked as the na- tion's top punter by kicking guru Chris Salier. Also a productive prep quarterback, he will be tasked with taking over starting duties the min- ute he steps foot on campus. Leonard lacks the power that Bramblett possesses, but he's accu- rate and consistent, which will give him a chance to compete early on with rising-junior Jonathan Doerer for placekicking duties. OVERALL ANALYSIS Landing top-level talent along both lines was the biggest need in the class, and Notre Dame hit home runs on both sides of the line of scrim- mage, giving this class an outstand- ing foundation to build on. The offense skill players have up- side, and the secondary haul makes the misses in 2017 irrelevant. A four-man linebacker harvest ac- complished the same, adding length and athleticism to the position. To top the class off, Notre Dame also met its needs on special teams, which adds to the overall balance and success of the group. ✦ The Fighting Irish landed two talented safeties — including Litchfield Avajon of Alexandria (Va.) Episcopal — that Rivals rated among the nation's top 106 prospects regardless of position. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM