Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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48 JAN. 1, 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY MIKE SINGER N otre Dame signed 26 recruits during the three-day early sign- ing period in mid-December, and the Irish may add more on the first Wednesday in February. Metairie (La.) Rummel running back Logan Diggs is one of those recruits. Diggs is listed as a Notre Dame "commit," but was not an- nounced as a signee in December. Los Angeles Loyola cornerback Ceyair Wright remains a target for the Irish as well. Below is a breakdown of each Notre Dame class of 2021 signee, listed in order based on their Rivals ranking. For prospects with equal status ratings, we sorted them based on our opinion. 1. BLAKE FISHER • OL • 6-6, 330 Avon, Ind. • Avon H.S. The Rivals' five-star recruit and No. 6 offensive tackle and No. 25 overall prospect na- tionally locked in his commitment very early (June 15, 2019) and was the ringleader of Notre Dame's 2021 class. On the field, Fisher is naturally gifted with size, length and super athleticism that could allow him to play early in his Notre Dame career. He is forceful and violent at the point of attack and prides himself on finishing blocks. The sky truly is the limit for Fisher, whether he plays guard or tackle at the next level. 2. LORENZO STYLES JR. • WR • 6-0, 180 Pickerington, Ohio • Pickerington Central H.S. Styles, the 2020 Ohio Division I All- State Offensive Player of the Year, brings a ton of versatility and explo- siveness to the Notre D a m e f o o t b a l l p ro - gram. Despite rumors that he was strongly considering other schools, the coun- try's No. 6 wide receiver and No. 51 overall prospect according to Rivals, was locked in with the Irish, initially choosing Notre Dame over the lo- cal Ohio State Buckeyes, his father's alma mater. During his junior season, Styles accounted for two receiving touch- downs, three scores on the ground, and took three punts and one kickoff return to the house. Look for Styles to contribute as a returner in 2021. 3. ROCCO SPINDLER • OL • 6-4, 295 Clarkston, Mich. • Clarkston H.S. When a player finishes his senior season and a couple weeks later has his number retired, the im- pact he's had as a prep player is pretty clear. The No. 50 jersey will never be worn again at Clarkston, after the nation's No. 4 offensive guard and No. 67 overall player per Rivals enjoyed a dominant four seasons as a starter, in which he reportedly never gave up a single sack. The son of former Detroit Lions defensive lineman Marc Spindler, the Under Armour All-American is a force on the inside on both sides of the line just like his father. 4. GABRIEL RUBIO • DL • 6-5, 285 St. Louis • Lutheran of St. Charles County H.S. Rubio may not have a ton of fan- fare at the moment be- cause he doesn't play a sexy position (defen- sive tackle) and hasn't been in the news for a while, but the Fighting Irish faithful should be ecstatic about this young man. Rivals' No. 9 defensive tackle and No. 106 overall recruit has an excellent motor and could have an impact as a freshman on the interior of the line like we've seen from Rylie Mills in 2020 and Jacob Lacey the year before. 5. TYLER BUCHNER • QB • 6-2, 205 San Diego • Helix Charter H.S. Notre Dame signed a group of ex- citing prospects in the 2021 class, and none comes in with more fan- fare or attention than Buchner, who is listed as the No. 6 dual-threat quarterback and No. 111 overall player in the land per Rivals. Buchner peaked at No. 42 in the Rivals rankings after his incredible ju- nior season in 2019, when he threw for 4,474 yards and 53 touchdowns and rushed for another 1,610 yards and 28 scores. But he struggled at the Elite 11 Finals in Nashville in June 2020 and saw his ranking take a tumble. There's no doubt that he is one of the most talented quarterback pros- pects in the country, but California did not have a high school football season in 2020, which means the four-star prospect will enroll early at Notre Dame with only one year of high school experience as a starting quarterback. Head coach Brian Kelly believes that Buchner can compete for the starting quarterback job in 2021. All eyes will be on the calm, cool and collected California kid in his freshman season. 6. AUDRIC ESTIME • RB • 6-1, 215 Nyack, N.Y. • St. Joseph Regional H.S. Estime didn't announce his deci- sion to commit to Notre Dame and sign with the Irish un- til Dec. 18, which was the third and final day of the early signing pe- riod. Notre Dame of- fered him four days ear- lier, and at that point it became clear that it was just a matter of time before he'd flip his commit- ment from Michigan State. RATING THE RECRUITS Blue & Gold Illustrated's insights on Notre Dame's 26 early signees