Coach Brian Kelly received his 17^th commitment for the 2012 recruiting class today from RB Keivarae Russell (Everett, WA - Mariner). Russell chose the Irish over in-state Washington and is listed at 6'0" and 170 lbs.

He joins William Mahone as RB commitments for the class. Russell is playing in the US Army All-American Bowl in January.

Recruiting Service Rankings:

ESPN - 3 Star (#25 RB, #5 WA), 79 Grade

Rivals - 4 Star (#7 ATH, #3 WA), #117 Overall (5.8 Grade)

Scout - 4 Star (#24 RB), #208 Overall

247Sports - 4 Star (#5 APB, #2 WA), #78 Overall (95 Grade)

MaxPreps - 4.5 Star, #138 Overall

On to the highlights after the jump.

Highlights:

KeiVarae Russell 2010 Recruiting Video (via DickKalla)

Impact:

Immediate Future:

Like many RBs coming out of high school, Russell excelled based on superior athleticism. While he shows excellent burst and change of direction, I think he needs a full year of strength and conditioning before seeing action on the collegiate level.

Long Term/Career:

Russell should be a nice compliment to classmate William Mahone's power running style. He has great acceleration and pass-catching ability out of the backfield, so he will be a great fit for the BK's spread offense. Additionally, Russell has been a solid performer as a DB in high school, so he has the flexibility to change positions if needed.

Welcome to Notre Dame KeiVarae!