Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/462058
2015 RECRUITING ISSUE bounded in the fall with consensus top-four dual-threat Wimbush. ON PAPER GRADE: A Back in the spring Ohio State re- portedly had Wimbush as its No. 1 quarterback, and the college football world saw what Urban Meyer can do even with third-team signal-callers. Wimbush epitomizes what head coach Brian Kelly wants in his spread quar- terback: a passer first (3,187 yards with a 72.3 percent completion rate), but who can extend the play and run (723 yards as a senior) when necessary. If Music City Bowl MVP Malik Zaire picks up where he left off and Everett Golson opts to not use his fifth sea- son at Notre Dame after the end of the 2015 spring semester, Wimbush could factor into the two-deep with 2014 signee DeShone Kizer. RUNNING BACK SIGNED: Josh Adams and Dexter Wil- liams MEETING NEEDS: Last year was the first time since 1992 Notre Dame did not sign a running back prospect (and 2012 prospect KeiVarae Russell moved to cornerback), so a minimum of two was mandatory. SUMMARY: Notre Dame pursued some elite talents, most notably Soso Jamabo (UCLA), plus fits such as Cameron Scarlett (Stanford), but it did well to land Adams early and Williams in the final week. Williams decommitted from in-state Miami on Jan. 2, and his subsequent signing with the Irish was an 11th-hour coup. ON PAPER GRADE: B Adams had ACL surgery during his junior season and bounced back with a good senior year, although questions might linger about his health. An an- kle injury for Williams limited him to 871 yards rushing as a senior. Had the Irish missed on him, it would have been the most disappointing aspect of Notre Dame's recruiting campaign. With 2015 juniors Tarean Folston (team-high 889 yards rushing in 2014) and Greg Bryant (No. 2 with 289 yards on the ground) the lone scholarship figures at running back prior to Na- tional Signing Day, the incoming rook- ies have an opportunity to fill the No. 3 spot. WIDE RECEIVER SIGNED: Miles Boykin, Jalen Guy- ton, CJ Sanders and Equanimeous St. Brown MEETING NEEDS: Landing about three wideouts per year is the norm. Only two signed last year, Justin Brent and Corey Holmes, so Notre Dame tar- geted four this season to compensate, even though the top six wideouts from last season are expected to return in 2015. SUMMARY: Boykin and St. Brown pro- vide range and physicality, while the 5-9 Sanders supplies explosiveness at slot and has graded out as one of the faster players in the land. All three are classified as four-star recruits. The 6-1 Guyton is rated a three-star, but comes from an elite program in Texas. ON PAPER GRADE: B There isn't a Michael Floyd-like fig- ure coming on board who from day one will be in the rotation. This is a group that more likely will need to