Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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48 JANUARY 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING prospect. Price can do it all at the running back position. H e r u n s h a rd , c a n block and catch passes out of the backfield, and is a very intelligent young man on and off the football field. He has an extremely high "floor." In other words, I don't see this young man not being successful in South Bend. He has great patience, vision and good speed. Price, the No. 15 running back and No. 206 overall prospect nationally ac- cording to the On3 Consensus, ran for 1,803 yards and 18 touchdowns on 193 carries as a senior. He also added a receiv- ing score and kickoff return touchdown. 14. NOLAN ZIEGLER LB • 6-3, 205 Caledonia, Mich. • Catholic Central H.S. There will be an adjustment period for Ziegler because he has played weak compe- tition in the lower levels of Michigan, but he was simply dominant as a prep star on both sides of the ball. A lot of his dam- age was done at receiver, but he will play linebacker for the Fighting Irish. Although he doesn't have the five- star upside of a Sneed, he is a well- rounded player at the position. He could play a lot of special teams early in his career with the potential to be a multi- year starter at will or rover. Ziegler had a monster season as a se- nior, posting 99 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, two pass de- flections, two quarterback hurries and one interception, which he returned 29 yards for a touchdown. On offense, he had 67 receptions for 1,349 yards and 25 scores. The All-American Bowl commit was named the Michigan AP Division 5-6 Player of the Year. Ziegler, the No. 25 linebacker and No. 244 overall player in the country per the On3 Consensus, feasts on con- tact, runs well and bleeds blue and gold. 15. HOLDEN STAES TE • 6-4, 224 Atlanta • The Westminster School Staes is every bit of 6-4, 224 pounds and has a wide frame. The upside for him is tremendous. His high school offense didn't showcase him a ton in the passing game, but he'll certainly get his oppor- tunities with the Irish. His route running will need cleaning up, but Staes can make all of the catches and has great athleticism. He's a very physical football player and willing blocker, too, which is important at Notre Dame. The On3 Consensus ranks Staes — a one-time Penn State commitment — as the No. 14 tight end and No. 272 overall recruit in America. 16. BENJAMIN MORRISON CB • 6-0, 179 Phoenix • Brophy Prep H.S. The son of Washington Football Team safety Darryl Mor- rison has a great foot- ball background and also had brothers play at the collegiate level. He will likely start out playing field cornerback for Notre Dame, but he's also a good-looking safety prospect. He has been well coached, which is evident on his tape when he shows off his cover ability, but he's also a great open-field tackler. He battled injury during his senior year and missed a few games, but totaled 60 tackles, 6.0 tack- les for loss, 1.0 sack, two interceptions and five passes broken up. Morrison, the nation's No. 33 cor- nerback and No. 304 overall prospect per the On3 Consensus, also held offers from Alabama, Florida State, LSU, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon and oth- ers. He is another great defensive back get for Notre Dame. 17. STEVE ANGELI QB • 6-2, 210 Westfield, N.J. • Bergen Catholic H.S. We are higher on Angeli than most; we think he has every- thing it takes to be a multi-year starting quar- terback at Notre Dame. BGI has seen him in per- son three times — a high school practice his junior year, a Rivals camp going into his senior year and a game this past fall where he lit it up with five touchdowns and 360 passing yards. Angeli has all of the tools: stellar ac- curacy, excellent mechanics, functional mobility, sneaky athleticism, good arm strength, a thick frame and — his best attribute — fantastic mental make-up. He is as cool as the other side of the pillow. In leading Bergen Catholic to a perfect season and a No. 4 ranking in MaxPreps' national top 25, Angeli completed 117 of 170 passes for 1,717 yards with 15 touch- downs and two interceptions. He also had 62 rushes for 218 yards and four scores. The On3 Consensus lists the Under Armour All-American as the No. 22 quarterback and No. 397 overall pros- pect in America. 18. ASHTON CRAIG OL • 6-4, 274 Lawrenceburg, Ind. • Lawrenceburg H.S. Craig's commitment didn't generate a ton of headlines, but he was a recruit Notre Dame coveted after he camped for them over the sum- mer. He's a guard or cen- ter prospect all the way, and shows a toughness on film that will bode well for him in South Bend. He has the potential to be a multi-year starter for Notre Dame but expectations should be tempered early for him. The four-star recruit also held offers from Baylor, Cincin- nati, Florida State, Iowa, Michigan, Ne- braska, Northwestern, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. The On3 Consensus lists Craig as the No. 31 interior offensive lineman and No. 421 overall recruit in the land. 19. JAYDEN BELLAMY CB • 5-11, 170 North Haledon, N.J. • Bergen Catholic H.S. He may be one of the lesser talked about players in this class, but Bellamy was a big addition when he committed to Notre Dame and still is. Some web- sites list him as a cornerback and others a safety, and he can play either spot. My personal projection is for him to play safety. He's not the biggest safety,