Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JUNE/JULY 2020 27 opment in previous classes has oc- curred during a 33-6 run from 2017- 19 where a freshman truly must earn the right to play rather than be in- serted out of default because no one else is there. A prime example came during the 4-8 season in 2016. Freshman Devin Studstill had to start nine games at safety that season … because there wasn't much choice. In 2019 as a senior, he probably would not have been in Notre Dame's two deep, which is why he graduated and used his final year of eligibility at South Florida, where he started and made 74 tackles for the 4-8 Bulls. A football team's hierarchy gener- ally begins with the upperclassmen while the sophomores and freshmen marinate. This year, at least three top-50 to top-100 recruits — wide receiver Jordan Johnson, tight end Michael Mayer and running back Chris Tyree — will be projected to provide po- tential freshman impact, while the sophomore class becomes more vis- ible along the two-deep chart. There has been a consistent theme in Notre Dame's last five recruiting classes from 2016-20. In the even- numbered years, the strength and numbers in recruiting center on the skill positions. In 2016, the group included the trio of quarterback Ian Book, wide receiver Chase Claypool and run- ning back Tony Jones Jr., while the secondary was replete with corners Julian Love, Troy Pride Jr. and Donte Vaughn, plus safeties Studstill, Jalen Elliott and Alohi Gilman (who trans- ferred from Navy). The same occurred in 2018 with originally Phil Jurkovec at quarter- back (now at Boston College), and a five-man receiving corps led by Braden Lenzy and Lawrence Keys III, plus tight end Tommy Tremble. Now in 2020 it is headlined by the aforementioned trio of Johnson, Mayer and Tyree, plus quarterback Drew Pyne and three cornerbacks, among others. Then in odd-numbered years, it's geared more toward linemen and line- backers to balance out the personnel. The 2017 haul could feature at least seven starters in 2020 along the lines and at linebacker. Meanwhile this 2019 sophomore contingent has nine linemen and four linebackers — part of why no line- backer was signed in 2020 after land- ing four apiece in 2018 and 2019. To render a judgment on how good a recruiting class is in its four-year stay, three areas are highlighted: Impact — These are linchpins who provide star power and significant difference in the lineup with their talent and can help Notre Dame win 10-12 games, maybe more. Balance — Is the talent spread out pretty well at most positions, or is it top heavy in one area with too many other holes? Depth — All recruiting classes will have around six to eight regulars in the lineup who provide impact dur- ing their careers. But the truly great ones have at least 10, and sometimes even close to 15. IMPACT: KYLE HAMILTON LEADS THE WAY The three who played as fresh- men in 2019 all made significant contributions. Safety Kyle Hamilton was a reg- ular, despite the presence of senior captains Alohi Gilman and Jalen El- liott, and he paced the team in in- terceptions (four), tied for second in passes broken up (six) and ranked seventh in tackles (41) en route to Freshman All-America honors from several different outlets. He is Exhibit A on how if one is good enough, he will find a way on to the field no matter how much ex- perience is in front of him. With his rangy 6-4, 216-pound frame, underrated hitting/tackling skills, speed and superb instincts, Hamilton is the archetype of the cen- ter-field free safety whose coverage of ground likely will rival anybody in college football. Because of Notre Dame's ques- tion marks at cornerback, Hamil- ton, junior Houston Griffith and Ohio State graduate transfer Isa- iah Pryor all might be incorporated into more three-safety looks em- ployed by defensive coordinator Clark Lea last year with Gilman, Elliott and Hamilton. If his progress and desire for star- dom continues, everything about Hamilton spells future top NFL Draft pick, possibly even after his junior season. Nose tackle Jacob Lacey spelled junior Kurt Hinish in the interior last season, and his 247 snaps (about 20 per game) were second only to Ham- ilton's 467 among freshmen. Well advanced for his age in strength and technique, Lacey is part of the reason why the depth-laden defensive line could become the strongest single position group on the 2020 team. Punter Jay Bramblett was signed specifically to start from day one while replacing four-year starter Ty- ler Newsome (2015-18). He achieved that goal and had a quality debut, including consistently fine hang time that helped allow only 70 yards in returns all season.