Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2017 29 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE concerns with the athleticism on the defensive side of the ball. "Thirteenth may be a little high if I were rating them just based on anal- ysis. I'd probably put them closer to the 18th to 20th range. There are some talented kids in this class for sure. It's just going to be develop- ment, there is a lot of development in this class." Josh Helmholdt, Rivals Midwest analyst: "The way it was put to- gether is very unique. They got off to a strong start and landed some of their biggest commits over a year be- fore National Signing Day. When that happens and you build that strong base you expect to capitalize and build on it. "The season didn't go the way Notre Dame wanted, and the talk of Brian Kelly's job was detrimental to their recruiting efforts. They ended up landing six guys in the final week, and all six were offered in the final months. That's wild. That shows that they were scrambling late, and to their credit got some guys to fill needs." BGI: Are there any signees you believe can contribute from day one at Notre Dame? Lemming: "I believe [defensive tackle] Darnell Ewell is one. I've seen Darnell the past couple years when I've stopped by Lake Taylor, and he's a big-time ballplayer. I know he plays both ways, but as a defensive tackle he's got great hands. They certainly need help along the defensive line, and he's a guy who could come in and play. "I also think the tight ends, either Brock Wright or Cole Kmet, who are in my opinion the two best tight ends in the country, could come in and contribute right away." Farrell: "Physically Brock Wright can. He's going to have to get more sudden and a little faster, but that is not necessary right away. "They aren't hurting at tight end, but he could be a contributor as a big, flex target, sit in the soft part of the defense and be a bailout for a new quarterback." Helmholdt: "I love the tight ends. … They ended up being two of the top three in the entire class. [Offen- sive lineman] Josh Lugg is a guy early on that I was underwhelmed with. But at the most important eval- uation I had of him — the U.S. Army All-American Bowl — he was much improved. "Offensive lineman don't contrib- ute early usually, but I'll be inter- ested in seeing what he does in South Bend." BGI: Who is a 2017 prospect that you could see as a player who can outperform his high school rankings? Lemming: "The defensive end they got out of Hawai'i — Myron Tago- vailoa-Amosa — could be that type of guy. I was talking to my contacts out in Hawai'i, and they all really liked him as a defensive end/defen- sive tackle prospect. They believe he could be a sleeper. "On our signing day show we had former Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, who told me they really like [of- fensive lineman] Aaron Banks as a down-the-line guy. He's not there yet. They think he needs to be devel- oped by Harry Hiestand, but they believe he's got the potential to one day end up playing on Sundays. "The sleepers are probably the guys they brought in at the end like [wide receiver] Jafar Armstrong." Farrell: "The last two guys they got with Owusu and Wardlow. The Hampton Roads area has a lot of talent. Owusu is still filling out and learning the game. You don't know what he could be in two to three years. "Wardlow isn't the longest or tallest defensive end in the world, but he's a sneaky powerful kid and maybe a couple of years in the weight room he gets more explosive in his first step and could surprise. Though they weren't four-stars, they were important additions for them." Helmholdt: "Jafar Armstrong is one of the surest things in this class even though he was a late offer and flip. He's a guy you know what you are going to get, though he may not have the upside of a Chase Claypool who they got in the 2016 class. "He's going to be a very trustwor- thy kid. He runs the right routes, catches the balls he is supposed to catch and makes the plays that win you football games." BGI: What do you think is Notre Dame's strongest position group in this class? Lemming: "Harry Hiestand takes a lot of pride in recruiting his own po- sition, and he did a great job of bring- Shawnee Mission (Kan.) Bishop Miege three-star wide receiver Jafar Armstrong, who racked up 3,744 receiving yards during his prep career, was one of six late additions for Notre Dame in the class of 2017 and is considered a player who could outperform his rankings. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM