Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2017 27 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE focus on top-level talent and not depth. With the move to the 4-2-5 defense, Notre Dame really only needed two true inside linebackers. Summary: Following a Junior Day in March, Notre Dame landed commitments f ro m P e t e We r n e r ( w h o signed with Ohio State), Ad- ams and White within days of each other. At that point, Notre Dame basically shut down its linebacker recruit- ing. When the new defensive staff was hired, it evaluated Adams and White, determin- ing them to be ideal fits, and felt the returning depth was good enough to take a pass on four-star linebackers El- lis Brooks (Penn State) and Antjuan Simmons (Michigan State). On Paper Grade: B Adams is a pure Mike line- backer, one that thrives at playing downhill. He's at his best attacking the line of scrimmage, which is ex- actly what he'll be asked to do in defensive coordinator Mike Elko's system. Adams is a good athlete with im- pressive short-area quickness and strong instincts. White's on-field production at na- tional powerhouse Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas and an of- fer list that contained Notre Dame, Ohio State, LSU and Michigan does not match his three-star grade from the national services. White is highly instinctive, making quick reads and then flying to the football. He also has good speed and change-of-direction ability, making him an ideal fit for the Buck position. SECONDARY/ROVER Signed: Jordan Genmark Heath, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Isa- iah Robertson Meeting Needs: An outstanding haul of seven defensive backs in the 2016 class meant Notre Dame could focus more on impact talent than depth. The Irish failed to sign a cor- nerback in the class and came up one deep safety short of its needs in this class. Summary: Robertson and corner- back Paulson Adebo (who signed with Stanford) were early commits and served as the foundation of the secondary class until January, when Adebo decommitted. That came shortly after Elijah Hicks, who pledged in October, decommitted so he could enroll early at California. Notre Dame was able to land a strong safety (Genmark Heath) and a rover (Owusu-Koramoah) in the final week of the recruiting cycle. On Paper Grade: C Robertson is a tall, rangy player that fits well at the free safety po- sition. A standout at wide receiver for Naperville (Ill.) Neuqua Valley, Robertson has the kind of length and ball skills Notre Dame has lacked on the back end ever since Harrison Smith left for the NFL. Being an early enrollee could give him an opportu- nity to quickly make a move up the depth chart. Genmark Heath is a physical, downhill player that could play strong safety or rover in the new de- fense. Despite being relatively new to the game of football, Genmark Heath is a high-IQ defender that shows ex- cellent closing speed and gets his hands on a lot of passes. Owusu-Koramoah was a late ad- dition to the class, but an important one. With the move to the 4-2-5 de- fense, a recruit who fit the require- ments of the position was a must, and he's that kind of player. The Hampton (Va.) Bethel standout is a high-quality athlete, is phys- ical and has as much upside as any defender in the class. SPECIAL TEAMS Signed: Jonathan Doerer Meeting Needs: Notre Dame has a placekicker, punter and long snapper already on the roster, each with at least two seasons of eligibility remaining. The Irish did not have a need on special teams. Summary: When new special teams boss Brian Po- lian was hired, he felt that Doerer was simply too good to pass up. Notre Dame was able to get him on campus the weekend prior to Na- tional Signing Day, which resulted in him backing off his pledge to Maryland. On Paper Grade: A Doerer was rated by kick- ing expert Chris Sailer as the No. 3 kicker in the country. He's tall (6-3) and athletic, and the ball explodes off his foot. He can punt and kick, but he must shore up his technique. Notre Dame expects him to win the kickoff specialist job, which would then allow placekicker Justin Yoon and punter Tyler Newsome to focus on their own jobs. Doerer also gives Notre Dame protection should Yoon or Newsome go down to injury. OVERALL ANALYSIS For the third straight season, Notre Dame landed an outstanding offen- sive haul, with the top tight end unit in the country and one of the premier line hauls. It added depth at all the positions where it was needed, and it added potential impact players in Holmes and Young. Defensively, Notre Dame re- bounded from a rash of decommit- ments and was able to add a quality group of players across the board. The Irish came up short at corner- back, but added talent and depth ev- erywhere else. Overall, the class earns a B grade. Considering the horrible results on the field, Notre Dame was able to put together a class that adds depth and potential impact talent at a number of spots. It was also a balanced class — 10 offensive recruits and 10 defen- sive recruits. ✦ Isaiah Robertson leads a talented trio of incoming safeties. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM