FOOTBALL RECRUITING
BY BRYAN DRISKELL
O
ver the past three years, Notre
Dame has landed eight linebackers
that were ranked as four-star recruits
and among at least one service's top
300 players nationally. Once a position
of weakness on the recruiting trail,
linebacker has become a significant
strength for the Irish.
Notre Dame's 2015 recruiting class
included three nationally ranked play-
ers in Josh Barajas (No. 228 accord-
ing to Rivals), Asmar Bilal (No. 183
according to 247Sports) and Te'von
Coney (No. 295 according to ESPN).
Depth and talent are strong for the
Irish, and Notre Dame has been ex-
tremely picky recruiting linebackers
in the 2016 class. The goal is to fo-
cus more on impact talent and less on
depth, which has resulted in Notre
Dame putting together an outstand-
ing group of players on its recruiting
board.
The following is a look at Notre
Dame's top targets, in the opinion of
Blue & Gold Illustrated.
TOP TARGETS
AARON HANSFORD
Washington, D.C. (St. John's Collegiate)
Measurables: Measured in at 6-2½ and 209
pounds at The Opening regional in Washington,
D.C. … Posted a 4.33 in the pro shuttle and a 39-foot
power ball toss at that event … Ran a 4.47 in the 40-
yard dash and leaped 34.6 inches at The Opening in
Beaverton, Ore.
Big Board: Linebackers
Daelin Hayes of Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline — a USC pledge who is still considering the Irish — is listed as a
five-star prospect, the No. 1 player in Michigan, and the No. 3 outside linebacker and No. 13 overall player
nationally by Rivals.
PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS
