Coach Brian Kelly received his 4th verbal commitment for the 2014 class today from OG Jimmy Byrne (Cleveland, OH - St. Ignatius). Byrne is listed at 6'4" and 275 lbs.

Byrne committed to Notre Dame over several reported offers that included Ohio State and Michigan State. He attends the same high school as current LB Dan Fox.

Recruiting Service Rankings:

ESPN - ESPN Watch List

Rivals - 4 star, 5.8 Grade

Scout - 4 star (#14 OT), #93 Overall

247Sports - 3 star (#20 OH, #16 OG), 88 Grade

Highlights (click to go to video)

Impact:

Immediate Future:

Byrne is only a high school junior, so it is difficult to project where he will be when he reports to camp in the summer of 2014. He is currently listed at 275 lbs, which isn't far from his probable collegiate playing weight of 300-310 lbs. It is rare for an offensive lineman to play in their first season, so I expect him to follow the trend and take his first year to add necessary weight, spend time at Longo Beach and refine technique.

Long Term/Career:

Given his frame, Byrne projects as an interior lineman in college. Scouting reports have been very good to glowing. He plays RT in high school and could end up there for the Irish if needed. His highlight film consists mostly of pass blocking, which he appears to be ahead of most high school lineman. On a few of the plays shown, he gets to the second level quickly when run blocking and seals the edge on outside zone runs. Overall, he will compete for playing time early and will be another solid offensive lineman for the Irish during his career.

Welcome to Notre Dame Jimmy!