Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1081575
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2019 33 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren defensive tackle Jacob Lacey is a con- sensus four-star recruit, and ESPN rates him the top recruit in the class, ranking him as the No. 115 player in the land. ESPN ranked Sachse (Texas) High School big man Hunter Spears as the No. 272 recruit in the country, marking the first time since 2012 and only the second time in Kelly's tenure that Notre Dame landed two four-star defensive tackles in the same class. Lacey first emerged as a target for Elston prior to his sophomore sea- son, when the Kentucky native was a standout during the Irish Invasion camp in June 2016. His performance earned him a scholarship offer, and a year later Lacey committed to Notre Dame over Clemson and Michigan. A stout and physical run stopper throughout his career, Lacey showed more of an ability to penetrate and disrupt the backfield during his se- nior season. He was brilliant in lead- ing South Warren to a 15-0 record and a state championship, beating 2020 Notre Dame commit Michael Mayer and Alexandria (Ky.) Coving- ton Catholic in the title game. In that victory, Lacey had a cru- cial fourth-and-one stop in which he drove the guard into the backfield and right into the running back. That kind of power and playmaking abil- ity is what makes him such an impor- tant pickup for the Irish defense. Spears missed the 2017 season with a knee injury, and was also sidelined the final three games of his senior season after another knee injury. Those health setbacks are the biggest concern for the four-star defensive tackle, but if he can stay healthy at Notre Dame he has a chance to de- velop into an impact player. A defensive end prior to his senior season, Spears brings unique playmak- ing ability to the tackle position. In just nine games as a senior, he racked up 24 tackles for loss and five sacks. Spears is an athletic figure, one capable of getting into the backfield and closing on the ball carrier, but his power and length are why his upside is so great. Elston thought so highly of Spears and his potential that he passed on Rivals100 recruit Jowon Briggs and Rivals250 defensive tackle Mazi Smith — two highly ranked re- cruits that ultimately signed with Vir- ginia and Michigan, respectively, after almost committing to Notre Dame. ADDING DEPTH AND TALENT ON THE EDGE With just two defensive ends on the roster from the 2017 and 2018 classes, landing edge players was of the utmost importance in the 2019 class. Notre Dame needed to add depth, and it had to add players with the upside that it signed in the 2016 class that signed five edge players. Landing Fort Worth (Texas) Nolan Catholic end NaNa Osafo-Mensah in the summer was a good start, com- plementing a class that already had Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph's four-star end Howard Cross III. A third end with impact upside was still needed, and that's what Notre Dame landed when it signed Concord (Calif.) De La Salle four-star end Isaiah Foskey. He gave the Irish a second high-upside end in the class, but Notre Dame hasn't inked an end with his length since Okwara in 2016. Foskey is a consensus four-star re- cruit, and he brings the traits line coaches covet, but have a hard time landing. At 6-5 with incredibly long arms, Foskey has exceptional length, and he knows how to use that as a weapon in the run game and as a pass rushers. Blockers have a hard time getting their bodies on Foskey, who has the power to lock blockers out and then disengage when he's ready to go to the ball. It is his athleticism that truly gives him unique upside in the Irish de- fense. Initially a tight end recruit, Fo- skey has the ball skills, speed and feel for the pass game to handle pass cov- erage, but when he gets after the quar- terback his game is truly dangerous. He can power rush and use his quick- ness off the edge to win, which makes him extremely difficult to block. Osafo-Mensah is a versatile edge player that has the tools to play either end slot. Originally recruited to play the drop position, he has the frame and power to eventually grow into a strong- side end. He plays the run well and his instincts as a pass rusher are top notch. ESPN (No. 255) and 247Sports (No. 222) both ranked Osafo-Mensah among the top players in the country. Cross was a consensus four-star recruit who lacks the length or upside of the other two ends, but his ability to play the run on the edge and to do damage inside makes him an ideal complement to Foskey and Osafo-Mensah. Notre Dame's defensive line needed a deep class with impact talent, and that is exactly what it was able to land. The next step for Elston and the Irish staff is to handle the develop- ment part in the coming years. ✦ Concord (Calif.) De La Salle four-star defensive end Isaiah Foskey has the size (6-5, 240 pounds), skill and athleticism to be a dominant player for the Fighting Irish. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM