Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2019 29 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE this year he gained about 10 pounds and isn't a skinny guy anymore. He has really good vision and can cre- ate out in space. That is what Notre Dame is desperate for. "They don't have much depth at running back, but I don't think Kyren can take the complete pound- ing. He's going to add to the depth, though. He's not an elite running back, but he is a very good one. I would expect him to play early." Farrell: "It's not a big offensive class. They've got a lot of defensive guys in there. Offensive line, maybe. They have to be physically ready and big enough, so maybe offensive lineman John Olmstead. Offensive lineman Andrew Kristofic isn't big enough. He's got to fill out and hit the weight room. "Maybe offensive lineman Quinn Carroll, depending on what he weighs now. Offensive lineman Zeke Correll is too small, so I don't see that happening either. I really don't see a whole lot of offensive immediate impact." BGI: Which defensive player do you think could play early? Lemming: "There's a lot of them. They have a lot of players coming back, too. Mike Elston did an excel- lent at defensive line, as did Clark Lea at linebacker. [Linebacker] Jack Kiser was the player of the year for the state and played quarterback, so you know he has athletic ability. I don't know if he will be ready right away, but I was very impressed with him. "NaNa Osafo-Mensah is outstand- ing. I thought maybe he was more of an outside linebacker type of guy, but he could be a weakside defensive end who could rush the quarterback. [Linebacker] Osita Ekwonu from North Carolina has a lot of potential, but he's probably a year away. "[Defensive tackle] Jacob Lacey is an outstanding ball player. I've seen him the past few years. He could contribute right away. "I think they are expecting [safety] Kyle Hamilton to contribute right away. The way he played as a senior, he could be an elite ball player. The coaches at Marist and other schools were really talking about him. He went from a three-star to almost a five-star in a year. He has outstand- ing potential. "[Safety Litchfield] Ajavon could play, too, and is a big-time player. He doesn't have the length, but he does have the speed of Hamilton." Farrell: "There are a lot of guys. I like Jack Kiser at linebacker. He needs to add a little bit of weight, but I think he's a guy that could im- pact early. Isaiah Foskey is a kid who is very talented at defensive end and could probably make an impact early. "Defensive tackle Hunter Spears has the size to play early, and safety Kyle Hamilton is too talented not to get on the field." BGI: Which offensive prospect do you think could outplay his recruit- ing ranking? Lemming: "Brendon Clark put to- gether a great senior year. I thought of him as an average quarterback un- til I saw him play this year. He really improved his senior year. I saw him the last two years, but he impressed me a lot. "All of the offensive linemen are outstanding. Most of those guys have to wait their turn because Notre Dame always recruits well there. That's the one position you can count on every year. Jeff Quinn did an ex- cellent job bringing in four big-time guys." Farrell: "The quarterback Brendon Clark. He's a 5.7 three-star and that's not bad at all, but I think he could be one of those guys we look at in a couple years and he's the starting quarterback and a great fit for the of- fense, like Ian Book part two." BGI: Which defensive prospect do you think could outplay his recruit- ing ranking? Lemming: "People are weary about the lack of size for [defensive Quarterback Brendon Clark of Midlothian (Va.) Manchester could outplay his three-star ranking for the Fighting Irish. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL