Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2020 27 2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BGI: Which defensive player(s) do you think could play early? Lemming: "Ramon Henderson is a good player; he's an all-around ath- lete. It just depends on how quickly he can pick up Notre Dame's system as a defensive back. He could develop into an impact guy with coaching. "Mike Elston does a good job of developing defensive linemen. If he likes Alexander Ehrensberger from Germany, then he must be pretty good, but he probably won't play until down the line because he looks pretty thin. I'd imagine a redshirt year would benefit him. "Defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina is one of the hardest workers I saw last year. He'll do whatever it takes to get on the field and dominate. He's got a Chris Zorich mentality with his attitude and aggressiveness. "I gave Jordan Botelho five stars; I absolutely love him on film. It looks like Notre Dame is recruiting him as a defensive end, so I don't know how long it'll take him to play, but he was the best player in Hawai'i and a major catch for Brian Polian. He's a taller version of Manti Te'o." Farrell: "On defense, watch out for Jordan Bothelo to make a case for early playing time as well as Aidan Keanaaina because of his size and power. At defensive back, I like Ra- mon Henderson's size and range. And of course, if Rylie Mills can ad- just to the speed of the game, he'll be important as a depth guy at end." BGI: Which offensive prospect do you think could outplay his recruit- ing ranking? Lemming: "It could be Jay Brunelle [coming off shoulder surgery] be- cause all the other ones have great rankings. Watching him on field, he surprised me with how good he was. "Notre Dame fans don't talk about him much because of Watts and John- son, who are already big-time guys. They did a terrific job offensively." Farrell: "Without a doubt I think it's Xavier Watts, who has a chance to be a very good slot receiver if he continues to progress. He has good speed and solid hands, but separa- tion is his best weapon." BGI: Which defensive prospect do you think could outplay his recruit- ing ranking? Lemming: "Henderson would be one because I think he's big time. I saw him last April and I was sur- prised how tall he was. When you see that and watch him on film, I think he'd be an outstanding safety." Farrell: "To me it's Henderson be- cause his ceiling is so high as an ath- lete. He has a high boom or bust factor, but if he booms he will be a great one." BGI: What is the strongest position group of the class? Lemming: "Tight end. We're for- getting the young man from New Jersey, Kevin Bauman, who is really good. All of the offensive positions are really strong. But according to ability, I'd go with the tight ends." Farrell: "Aside from the tight ends I would say it's the defensive backs. None of them are four stars but there are guys in there who could be really good after an adjustment to college." BGI: What is the weakest position group of the class? Lemming: "Linebacker because there's nobody there, but Botelho is really a linebacker. He was one of the five finalists for the high school Butkus Award." Farrell: "It's not weak, but I would have liked to see them add another linebacker, especially one who can play outside and run things down." BGI: Is Notre Dame recruiting at a caliber to push them into a national championship level? Lemming: "For next year they're off to a great start. They've been at a caliber to beat everyone except for the elite top six or seven for the past few years. I think if they can continue a great 2021 class, then yes, they should be on their way to a national title. "But they have to continue it; all 10 coaches have to land impact players. With the three-star group, you're go- ing to beat the majority of teams on your schedule, but if you bring in all four-stars and a few five-stars, you're going to win a national title. "Coach [Brian] Kelly is an out- standing coach. I really believe he's one of the best coaches around. They definitely have the coaching; it just comes down to persistent, consistent and aggressive recruiting." Farrell: "That's a tough question. Can they make the playoff the way they are recruiting? Yes. But can they beat an elite roster like Clemson or Alabama or Ohio State or LSU? That's tough to say." BGI: "What are your thoughts on Notre Dame's commits in the 2021 class, which includes quarterback Tyler Buchner, wide receivers Deion Colzie and Lorenzo Styles, offensive lineman Blake Fisher and defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio? Lemming: "Fisher and Buchner are five-star players, and the two receiv- ers could be. They both had really good junior seasons. It's just the be- ginning in 2021, but they could be at an elite level with this class. "It could be the class that really sets Notre Dame up well for the future. Consistency in recruiting will win you a national title. Everything is in place at Notre Dame to land the elite five-star players — coaching, facilities, graduation rates, exposure with NBC." Farrell: "It's a strong start to 2021 with some real stars like Fisher and some guys who will run through a brick wall like Gabriel Rubio. Bu- chner is the big question mark with injuries, but I think he has a chance to be very good." ✦ Recruiting expert Tom Lemming praised Jordan Botelho — a 6-2, 229-pound linebacker/defen- sive end from Honolulu St. Louis — as a five-star talent, the best player in Hawai'i and "a taller version of Manti Te'o." PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM