Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
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152 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW hard down the stretch, which resulted in his pledge to the Buckeyes. With the numbers on Notre Dame's roster, passing on a linebacker wasn't a bad idea, but not pursuing a player the caliber of Si- mon may come back to haunt them. The Irish do have a logjam of promising talent at linebacker after signing Bo Bauer, Jack Lamb, Paul Moala and Simon in the 2018 class, and adding JD Bertrand, Osita Ekwonu, Jack Kiser and Marist Liufau the ensuing recruiting cycle. On paper, Notre Dame only loses Jordan Genmark Heath at the linebacker and rover spots, and returns 10 scholarship players at the position for the 2021 season. How- ever, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is already touted as a top draft pick for next spring and could depart early, and there's always the chance of a transfer or two. Not only did the Irish pass on the position in the 2020 cycle, they may take only one true linebacker prospect in the 2021 class. The staff does sign players and move them around — such as Moala from safety to rover — so that is an X-factor. "Drue Tranquill came to Notre Dame as a safety, moved down to rover and then moved inside to Buck," Polian said in a tweet May 21. "He left as a [fourth-round] draft pick [by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019]. In recruiting, we want smart, tough, athletic guys [who] love football! The rest of it works itself out." Struggles In The Secondary Notre Dame actually signed 18 prospects last December. Danville (Ky.) Boyle County cornerback Landen Bartleson was one of them, but he was charged with burglary in the first degree in January and, shortly there- after, Brian Kelly released him from his Na- tional Letter of Intent. At the time, Bartleson, a 6-0, 181-pounder, was regarded as the highest-profile recruit in Notre Dame's defensive back class. He picked the Fighting Irish over Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. Cornerback was a need in the 2020 cycle, and with the subtraction of Bartleson from the class, the Irish inked just three recruits in the secondary, although Omaha (Neb.) Burke wide receiver Xavier Watts is con- sidered a stellar defensive back talent. If he is needed to switch over to defense, Watts would be a fine addition. Notre Dame's three cornerback signees are considered developmental prospects. They all have the potential to blossom later, but to compare to another Midwest power, the Ohio State Buckeyes signed three four-star defen- sive back recruits, all of whom were targeted by the Irish during the recruiting process. Rivals ranked signee Ramon Henderson, a 6-1, 182-pounder from Bakersfield (Calif.) Liberty, as a three-star talent, but 247Sports viewed him as a four-star prospect and the No. 280 overall player in the land. He an- nounced his pledge on National Signing Day last December, choosing Notre Dame over Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Tosh Baker OT 6-7 283 Scottsdale, Ariz. (Pinnacle) 2019 MaxPreps Arizona All-State first-team offense. Kevin Bauman TE 6-4 226 Red Bank, N.J. (Catholic) 2019 USA Today All-New Jersey first-team offense. Jordan Botelho DE 6-2½ 248 Honolulu (St. Louis School) Selected to 2020 All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl. Jay Brunelle WR 6-1 196 Paxton, Mass. (Saint John's) 2019 Massachusetts first-team offense. Michael Carmody OT 6-6 292 Mars, Pa. (Mars Area) 2020 All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl participant. Alexander Ehrensberger DE 6-7 247 Dusseldorf, Germany (Theodor-Fliedner Gymnasium) Member of 2017 and 2018 German National Team. Ramon Henderson CB 6-1 182 Bakersfield, Calif. (Liberty) Local Fox 58 Hometown Sports 2018 Athlete of the Year. Jordan Johnson WR 6-2 180 St. Louis (De Smet Jesuit) The five-star recruit caught two passes for 28 yards in the 2020 All-American Bowl. Aidan Keanaaina DT 6-3 302 Englewood, Colo. (J.K. Mullen) 2020 Polynesian Bowl participant. Clarence Lewis CB 6-0 180 Edison, N.J. (Mater Dei) 2019 USA Today All-New Jersey first-team offense. Michael Mayer TE 6-5 234 Independence, Ky. (Covington Catholic) 2019 Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year. Rylie Mills DE 6-5 259 Lake Bluff, Ill. (Lake Forest) 2019 Pioneer Press All-Area Football Defensive Player of the Year. Caleb Offord CB 6-1 184 Southaven, Miss. (Southaven) Member of The Commercial Appeal's inaugural 2019 Dandy Dozen. Alex Peitsch LS 6-1 205 Ellicott City, Md. (St. John's College) Ranked as Kohl's Professional Camps' No. 1 long snapper nationally. Drew Pyne QB 5-11½ 194 New Canaan, Conn. (New Canaan) Completed 9 of 11 passes for 121 yards with a touchdown in the Under Armour All-America Game. Chris Tyree RB 5-9½ 179 Chester, Va. (Thomas Dale) Rushed four times for five yards and a touchdown as a captain in the Under Armour All-America Game. Xavier Watts WR 6-0 195 Omaha, Neb. (Burke) 2019 Lincoln Journal Star's Boys Athlete of the Year. 2020 Recruiting Class Four-star quarterback Drew Pyne finished his prep career with 9,411 yards and 105 touchdowns through the air, and then was arguably the top signal- caller during the week of practice at the Under Armour All-America Game. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM