Notre Dame Football Recruiting: The Irish Are Facing A Huge Numbers Crunch

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have some difficult decisions to make on the recruiting trail. As they try to close the 2018 class with recruits that they absolutely need at certain positions, they face a scholarship limit that has no easy solution.

After updating the scholarship chart for 2018 with known and probable departures, the Irish are sitting at 86 scholarships for 2018. Although I had mostly maintained that Notre Dame would probably sign about 22 recruits, there have been recent rumblings that they might take up to 25.

With 18 recruits currently committed to the Irish, those numbers would mean between 4 and 7 more commitments. It also means that we would have to have 5-8 departures to stay at 85 or under.

The recent commitment of Tariq Bracy puts Notre Dame one over the 85 man limit.

YIKES!

There is still a long list of names that remain a possibility for the Irish as potential commitments:

• WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
• WR Lawrence Keys
• TE Tommy Tremble
• OT Nicholas Petit-Frere
• OT Luke Jones
• DE Malik Langham
• LB Solomon Tuliapupu
• CB Houston Griffith
• CB Kyler Gordon
• CB Noah Boykins
• S Julius Irvin

So, who do you think leaves Notre Dame? Will it be mostly younger guys with a “writing on the wall” vision, or will it be more of the older guys looking for more playing time elsewhere?

There are certainly some tough choices ahead for this coaching staff, and even for the players on the roster. What moves will be made? Here is a list of players that we could see leave Notre Dame before spring or summer.

• QB Avery Davis (T)
• WR C.J. Sanders (T)
• DT Jerry Tillery (NFL)
• LB Te’von Coney (NFL
• LB David Adams (T)
• LB Drew White (T)
• S Nicco Fertitta (T)
• S DJ Morgan (T)
• P Tyler Newsome (T / NFL)

Please keep in mind that these are merely guesses / suggestions as to who may possibly leave. This should not be took as gospel, but as a conversation starter. Believe me when I say that this conversation is going to have to happen at some point.

I find it hard to believe that Brian Kelly would make WR Chris Finke a walk-on again, but I suppose if we are thinking about all the options, that is another suggestion.

Notre Dame almost never has the full 85 when summer camp begins, and in my 11 years of doing this, I can’t recall that ever being the case. Still, that reality may finally be ready to unfold with this recruiting class - a class that Notre Dame absolutely needs to help fill its depth chart for 2019 and beyond.