Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2018 27 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE but he's a kid I could see being in- stinctual and smart enough to pick up the defense and play right away. "Houston Griffith is physically ready to play right away." Lemming: "On the defensive side, Jayson of the [Ademilola] twins might be ready to step in and play a little. Linebacker ... they are all really good. It's a matter of time before they prove it. I've always loved the Bauer kid. He reminds you of the old Penn State linebackers — guys that would knock things out as an inside guy. "Jack Lamb has the range, but had some injuries this year. If he's healthy and gets stronger, he could be a big-time player and play right away. Shayne Simon is a rover once Drew Tranquill graduates. He's perfect there and could wind up being a bet- ter player. I think he has All-American written all over him. "The secondary recruits are all really good. Derrik Allen has been committed for a while and has out- standing ability. He could become a five-star player. … I've also seen Houston Griffith since he was a fresh- man — he's big-time and could play corner and safety. Boykin was a major catch. I had DJ Brown as a player to watch and he moved up my list." BGI: Who could outplay their rankings on offense? Farrell: "Offensive lineman Cole Mabry could because he's so light right now. He's a few years away from becoming close to what he's go- ing to be. Down the line, we could be looking at a kid like that and be surprised." Lemming: "The one guy that will outplay his ranking is Phil Jurkovec. I have him as one of the top 15 players in the country and most don't have him in their top 50. To me, he's a no- brainer with the way he's played the last three years in Western Pennsyl- vania. "He breaks all these records as a runner and passer, and leads his team to a state title. All he needs is another 10 or 20 pounds of muscle. He could benefit from a redshirt year and then become a four-year starter." BGI: Who could outplay their rankings on defense? Farrell: "Cornerback DJ Brown re- ally impresses me. He's a mid-level three-star kid, but he's big. I think he's going to end up being a safety, and he could end up being a kid we look back on and say maybe we should have had him ranked a little bit higher." Lemming: "Linebacker [Bo] Bauer. I have him high, but a lot of people don't. I love him." BGI: What's the strongest position group? Farrell: "I'm going to go with the wide receivers. Obviously they got a good quarterback, but you just need one per class. There's no need for two. "When you talk about depth and different types of guys, you've got Mi- cah Jones, who's a huge, tall red-zone receiver who could grow into a tight end. You've got Austin, who's a big, physical outside receiver, and Keys, who's a shifty slot guy. "You've got to look at the defensive backs. I do like the linebackers, but I think it's the defensive backs. There's a lot of them, and there's a lot of po- tential there for guys to play multiple positions. If they don't work out at one, move them to safety. Some of these guys might be able to play on an island that we don't expect." Lemming: "I have been saying line- backer, but it is probably the second- ary. TaRiq Bracy could be a terrific running back. He was one of the bet- ter running backs I saw on film this year. "I think he's the sleeper and much better than most people give him credit for. He's a big-time ball player. He's the guy Notre Dame needed, and no one is talking about him." BGI: What's the weakest position group? Farrell: "I'm not 100 percent sold at the running back position. I like their tight ends, and I like the offensive line, so I'll go with running back on offense. C'Bo Flemister was a good get on the last day and Jahmir Smith is a solid kid, but I don't see a super- star in there. But Josh Adams was a three-star, so what do we know? "On the defensive side of things, you have to look at defensive end. It's just not a position that was really ad- dressed that well." Lemming: "Running back. I don't think they brought in a game-break- ing player there at all. Losing a couple of guys may hurt them. Lack of depth is really showing … Jahmir Smith, the kid from North Carolina, is a good, solid running back. He's more of a one-step fullback-type tailback. He's the guy that can get you the tough, inside yards. That' what Notre Dame needed. "They had two of the best offen- sive linemen in the country, but they still struggled getting that one yard. I think he can get them that yard. He Four-star wide receiver Kevin Austin could see the field early in his Notre Dame career. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM