Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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40 NOV. 23, 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING MIKE SINGER N otre Dame's commits in the 2020 and 2021 classes have been impressive all year, and a few Irish recruits have exceeded expectations with their superb ef- forts this fall through their jaw- dropping statistics, versatility or great leadership. TYLER BUCHNER CLASS OF 2021 QUARTERBACK • 6-2, 210 La Jolla (Calif.) The Bishop's School Rivals Rankings: Four-star tal- ent, the No. 5 player in Califor- nia, and the No. 8 quarterback and No. 65 overall prospect in the country The Skinny: This list is in al- phabetical order, but it's fitting that Buchner is first, because not only has he been arguably the most impressive Irish commit this season, he had one of the best seasons in the country. Buchner is No. 2 in the nation in total yards of offense (4,507), per MaxPreps. However, when a player throws for 3,358 yards and rushes for 1,149 yards while accounting for 61 total touchdowns through just 10 games, the talent he's playing against on Friday night needs to be taken into consideration. No matter what the competition is, though, Buchner is crushing it. Not only is Buchner putting up these crazy numbers — he averaged 450.7 yards of total offense and 6.1 touchdowns per game while leading The Bishop's School to a 10-0 record in the regular season — he's learning more about the game every week and is an excellent leader for Bishop's football program. He missed his entire sophomore season due to a knee injury, and what he's been able to do this season is movie-like. Buchner is currently ranked as the No. 65 overall prospect nationally in the 2021 class by Rivals, but deserves consideration for a bump because he has been simply spectacular as a thrower and runner this year. AIDAN KEANAAINA CLASS OF 2020 DEFENSIVE TACKLE • 6-3, 305 DENVER MULLEN Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, the No. 4 player in Colorado and the No. 25 defensive tackle nationally The Skinny: Keanaaina's high school team had a tough season. They started the year 2-0 and then lost six straight contests. Most of them were blowout defeats, but Ke- anaaina continued to have strong in- dividual performances, showed great effort and by all accounts was a ter- rific leader for his football team. Mullen finished the regular with a pair of wins, but fell 24-16 in the first round of the state playoffs. In nine games played per MaxPreps, Keanaaina recorded 68 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and six forced fumbles. It was a very strong season for the space-eating, future Irish nose tackle. MICHAEL MAYER CLASS OF 2020 TIGHT END • 6-5, 235 Park Hills (Ky.) Covington Catholic Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, the No. 2 player in Kentucky, and the No. 3 tight end and No. 58 overall prospect in the nation The Skinny: Not only has Mayer been dominant as a pass catcher, but he's a force on defense as well, where he has regularly picks off passes and wreaks havoc in the opposing back- field. In the regular season, he caught 35 passes for 679 yards and 11 touch- downs. On average, he catches a touchdown every 3.2 receptions. A lot of the competition Mayer 's team played this fall was weak, but against the best opposition this fall, he showed up big time and led his team to victories. Mayer is not even playing in the second half of most games either, which makes his receiving stats even more impressive. GABRIEL RUBIO CLASS OF 2021 DEFENSIVE TACKLE • 6-5, 280 St. Peters (Mo.) Lutheran of St. Charles Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, the No. 2 player in Missouri, and the No. 7 defensive tackle and No. 86 overall prospect in the nation The Skinny: Reaching 100 tackles is a very impressive stat, and is usually accomplished by linebackers that nat- urally rack up a lot of stops because of their position. Similarly, reaching 10 sacks as a defensive end, a position that typically specializes in getting after quarterback, is a special feat. What Rubio has been able to do this season, as a hybrid defensive tackle and end is truly impressive. Per The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rubio had 109 tackles and 16 sacks heading into the third weekend of November. For a player who often faces double and even triple teams, reaching that many sacks is very impressive. Seven of his sacks did come against O'Fallon (Mo.) Living Word Christian, but that 7-4 squad is one of the better teams Lutheran of St. Charles faced this season. Rubio's production has greatly picked up from his 2018 sophomore season, when he posted 52 stops and two sacks. ✦ Denver Mullen's Aidan Keanaaina, the No. 4 player in Colorado and the nation's No. 25 defensive tackle in the 2020 class per Rivals, had a strong senior season despite his team's struggles on the field. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Notre Dame Commits That Have Improved Their Stock This Fall