Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com APRIL 2018 39 17. JAHMIR SMITH, RB Sanford (N.C.) Lee County He has been an incredibly pro- ductive runner the last two years, rushing for 3,858 yards and 67 touch- downs despite missing the second half of many games due to Lee County blowing opponents out. He lacks blazing speed, but he is a qual- ity all-around athlete. Smith makes easy cuts, changes di- rection well and can accelerate when he gets through the hole. His feel for running the football is top notch, his second-level anticipation is strong and he is a decisive runner. BGI Grade: 4.0/Upside Grade: 4.0 18. JARRETT PATTERSON, OL Mission Viejo (Calif.) High Patterson is a long and lean blocker that has the frame to really fill out well. He has an ideal body type for offensive tackle. Patterson is a gifted pass blocker who has the physical tools and in- stincts to handle the edge in college. He's quick off the ball, stays light on his feet and shows good change of direction skills. He has a nice punch, but improved strength and using his hands more consistently will help, especially in the run game. BGI Grade: 4.0/Upside Grade: 4.5 19. GEORGE TAKACS, TE Naples (Fla.) Gulf Coast Takacs has outstanding size, check- ing in at 6-6 and 245 pounds with a frame similar to former Notre Dame standout Troy Niklas. A good athlete for his size, he can work the under- neath routes, but also shows the abil- ity to stretch the field. Takacs has really good length, which he combines with strong hands. His ball skills are top notch when he's focused. He competes well in the run game, but he must con- tinue getting stronger and filling out his frame. BGI Grade: 4.0/Upside Grade: 4.5 20. COLE MABRY, OL Brentwood (Tenn.) High Mabry made huge strides as a se- nior. An athletic player with a de- sired frame as a junior, he was not able to move defenders and didn't dominate like you'd expect from a Notre Dame offensive line recruit. By his senior year, though, Mabry had started to fill out his frame and had improved his strength, which took his game to a much higher level. He was more forceful and his run blocking really took off, but he re- mained quick and athletic. BGI Grade: 4.0/Upside Grade: 4.5 21. JUSTIN ADEMILOLA, DE Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep One of the most overlooked play- ers in the class, Ademilola is going to arrive at Notre Dame with a huge chip on his shoulder. A tactician with an excellent motor, he was every bit as productive as his twin brother Jay- son the last three years at St. Peter's. Ademilola is a strong defender that uses his leverage to help overcome his lack of ideal length. He has a wide array of pass rush moves, which help his average athletic skills play up. BGI Grade: 3.5/Upside Grade: 4.0 22. OVIE OGHOUFO, LB/ROVER Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison Oghoufo is one of the more intrigu- ing players in this class. Right now, he is still a raw player that needs a lot of time in the weight room, and one who must learn a lot more about the technical aspects of the game. However, Oghoufo is one of the better athletes in the class, and his ceiling is quite high. If he can tap into that immense potential he could end up being one of the surprises in this class and turn into an impact player. BGI Grade: 3.5/Upside Grade: 4.0 23. C'BORIUS FLEMISTER, RB Zebulon (Ga.) Pike County Flemister had a breakout season as a senior. While he rushed for 2,348 yards and 35 touchdowns, numbers similar to his junior year production, he took his game to another level. Flemister added a lot of good weight, he became a more explosive athlete and his running back skills took over. He was a pure downhill runner as a junior, but as a senior he combined decisiveness with patience and that made him really effective. BGI Grade: 3.5/Upside Grade: 4.0 24. D.J. BROWN, CB Washington (D.C.) St. John's Collegiate Brown continues the trend of im- pressive length that Notre Dame added to the cornerback position in the 2018 class. He is 6-1 and physical, so much so that he could play safety down the road if he can't crack the cornerback two-deep. Brown is a high football IQ player; he has excellent route anticipation skills, he reads the quarterback well and he gets his hands on a high num- ber of passes. He is on the thin side, but he is really physical. BGI Grade: 3.5/Upside Grade: 4.0 25. JOHN DIRKSEN, OL Maria Stein (Ohio) Marion Local He did not progress as well during his senior year as was hoped for, but the tools that made him a coveted player were still obvious. At 6-5 and 303 pounds, his size is outstanding. He is country strong, which shouldn't be surprising considering he grew up on a dairy farm. Dirksen is a quality athlete that was actually better as a pass blocker last fall than he was as a run blocker. The more his technique improves, the better he'll be blocking for the run. BGI Grade: 3.5/Upside Grade: 4.5 26. LUKE JONES, OL Little Rock (Ark.) Pulaski Academy He is built more like an interior player than a tackle, but his feel on the edge is quite strong. He's a natu- ral in space, showing the ability to quickly get into his pass set, beat rushers to spots, and quickly antici- pate and react to double moves. Jones is a bit of a waist bender, but he does show quality foot agility, change of direction ability and lateral quickness. With a bit more weight room work, he could be a force in the run game. BGI Grade: 3.5/Upside Grade: 4.0 27. PAUL MOALA, S Mishawaka (Ind.) Penn He earned his scholarship to Notre Dame by showing up to camp last summer and dominating. He is a quality athlete, a physical hitter and an instinctive player who is con- stantly around the football. At the very least, he should de- velop into a strong special teams player and a rotation player on defense. With Moala, Notre Dame is getting a high-effort player and someone willing to do whatever he is asked to do. BGI Grade: 3.0/Upside Grade: 3.5 ✦