Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2021 19 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Three of the four defensive line signees are developmental figures whose progress should start show- ing in about three years, hopefully as it did with an Ogundeji at end and a Hinish in the interior. Other than Foskey, there is no in- dividual up front one can clearly identify at this point in his career as a Stephon Tuitt or Jerry Tillery type who would be a future first- or second-round pick. But with the way Elston develops and rotates talents, there is always justified optimism that the collective group will thrive with individual pieces. Linebackers/Rovers Signed (Rivals Ranking): Prince Kollie (No. 242) and Kahanu Kia (three-star) Meeting Needs: Notre Dame did not sign a linebacker in 2020, so some popular notion was at least three or four would be needed this season. Not necessarily, because of two factors. One, the rover position often has a safety down shift there. Butkus Award winner Jeremiah Owusu- Koramoah was listed as a 197-pound safety prospect coming out of high school. Current rovers such as Paul Moala and Isaiah Pryor also enrolled in college as safeties. However, if one of the two safety recruits this season does move there, that would lower the overall grade at safety. Two, there is still a lot of eligibil- ity remaining with 2020 declared a "free" year by the NCAA. Bo Bauer and Shayne Simon each could have two years left, while Marist Liufau, Jack Kiser and JD Bertrand could have at least three. That's not even including cur- rent sophomore Osita Ekwonu, a top-250, four-star prospect in 2019. Summary: Numbers are not an issue here yet, especially with Mike linebacker Drew White re- turning for a fifth season in 2021. Hopefully, linebacker develop- ment will continue to be as strong as it was the past four years under position coach Clark Lea, now the head coach at Vanderbilt. On Paper Grade: B It seems odd that the recipient of the high school Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker, Kollie, is ranked 242nd overall by Rivals. He has the skills to suc- ceed Owusu-Koramoah at rover, or excel on the inside, depending on need and fit. Kia arrives as somewhat of an X- factor considering he didn't have a high school football season as a senior because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cornerbacks Signed (Rivals Ranking): Philip Ri- ley (four-star), Chance Tucker (three- star), Ryan Barnes (three-star) and JoJo Johnson (three-star) Meeting Needs: This area the past few cycles has been akin to running back recruiting from 2016-19. Solid figures but no "wow factor" on paper — although 2019 running back recruit Kyren Williams turned that around tremendously in 2020. However, at cornerback last year the Irish had to heavily rely on North Carolina State graduate transfer Nick McCloud to fill the voids from previ- ous recruiting cycles. By signing four defensive backs this year, led by Riley, to go with three three-star players last year, numbers should not be acute. Summary: Freshman cornerback Clarence Lewis was second only to running back Williams as the top "where did he come from?" figure last year. Arriving with minimal fan- fare, Lewis established himself as the co-starter in August with junior TaRiq Bracy and monopolized the action at field corner by the end of the season. Can one of the three-star listed trio from this cycle provide a similar sur- prise down the road? And can four- star prospect Riley provide impact as well? Minus McCloud, the 2021 crew will be counting heavily on someone to fill the void. On Paper Grade: B-/C+ Had California four-star Ceyair Wright picked Notre Dame instead of USC in January, then this mark could have been a B. Safeties Signed (Rivals Ranking): Khari Gee (four-star) and Justin Walters (three-star) Meeting Needs: The 11th-hour flip of Gee from LSU, combined with luring away four-star running back Audric Estime from Michigan State, were two superb coups by Notre Dame during the early signing pe- riod in December. Beyond All-American Kyle Ham- ilton, the progress at safety has been so-so, which is why former nickel/ cornerback Shaun Crawford was shifted to safety at the start of 2020. Next year, seniors Houston Griffith and DJ Brown, both of whom audi- tioned at corner, need to blossom as a complement to Hamilton, who con- ceivably could turn pro after 2021. Griffith was a top-50 recruit in 2018. Current sophomore KJ Wallace, also was moved from corner to safety. On Paper Grade: B- The addition of Georgia native Gee, who provides nearly Hamil- ton-type range with his 6-3 frame, was a significant boost. Although listed at only 175 pounds, Wal- ters is a striker, which could lend itself to some early action on spe- cial teams. A corner helping here would bolster the grade. Kicker Signed: Josh Bryan Meeting Needs: Jonathan Do- erer would be a third-year starter in 2021, but the addition of Bryan, who also has done some punting, provides a top-flight option down the road. Summary: Flipping Bryan from Colorado was a coup. The Califor- nia native is ranked the No. 1 kicker in the country by Chris Sailer Kick- ing, the country's top outlet when it comes to instructing kickers. It even gave him "six stars." On Paper Grade: A ✦ Prince Kollie was the recipient of the high school Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. PHOTO BY MIKE SINGER