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Notre Dame Football Recruiting Update: Get ready for the spring blitz

There are big things happening up in the Bend

By Joshua Vowles
notre dame football cheerleaders Mike Miller/One Foot Down

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are still a few weeks away from the start of spring football, but recruiting is already heating up in South Bend. As it’s been said many times before — the early signing period has made the spring recruiting season much more crucial to a college football program — especially Notre Dame.

Eleven of Notre Dame’s commitments from the last cycle came before June, with eight of those happening after January. So... get ready. Here’s some stuff to know about right now.

IN THE FOLD

Notre Dame already has 8 commitments for its 2021 class.

Notre Dame Football’s 2021 Commit List (27)

POSITION PLAYER SIGNED STATE HT WT RIVALS ESPN 247 SPORTS 247 COMPOSITE COMMIT DATE EARLY ENROLLEE
POSITION PLAYER SIGNED STATE HT WT RIVALS ESPN 247 SPORTS 247 COMPOSITE COMMIT DATE EARLY ENROLLEE
QB Tyler Buchner ☘️ California 6'2" 200 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 03/08/19 YES
DT Gabriel Rubio ☘️ Missouri 6'6" 290 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/15/19 YES
OT Blake Fisher ☘️ Indiana 6'6" 300 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/15/19 YES
TE Cane Berrong ☘️ Georgia 6'5" 220 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/21/19 YES
WR Lorenzo Styles ☘️ Ohio 6'1" 170 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/13/19 YES
S Justin Walters ☘️ Illinois 6'2" 175 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 02/02/20 YES
OL Pat Coogan ☘️ Illinois 6'5" 290 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 04/15/20 -
DE Jason Onye ☘️ Rhode Island 6'5" 245 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 05/07/20 -
CB Ryan Barnes ☘️ Maryland 6'2" 180 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/06/20 YES
OT Joe Alt ☘️ Minnesota 6'7" 257 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/06/20 -
CB Chance Tucker ☘️ California 6'1" 170 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/22/20 -
RB Logan Diggs ☘️ Louisiana 6’0" 195 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/29/20 -
TE Mitchell Evans ☘️ Ohio 6'7" 240 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/31/20 YES
LB Prince Kollie ☘️ Tennessee 6'2" 205 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 08/07/20 -
OG Rocco Spindler ☘️ Michigan 6'5" 315 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 08/08/20 YES
DE Will Schweitzer ☘️ California 6'4" 220 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 08/16/20 YES
WR Deion Colzie ☘️ Georgia 6'4" 195 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 09/28/20 -
WR Jayden Thomas ☘️ Georgia 6'1" 205 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/02/20 -
CB Philip Riley ☘️ Florida 6'0" 195 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/16/20 YES
K Josh Bryan ☘️ Colorado 6'1" 185 SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ 11/17/20 -
LB Kahanu Kia ☘️ Hawaii 6'2" 220 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/19/20 -
OT Caleb Johnson ☘️ Florida 6'7" 295 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/19/20 YES
CB JoJo Johnson ☘️ Indiana 5'11" 180 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/24/20 -
DE Devin Aupiu ☘️ California 6’6” 225 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 12/09/20 YES
QB Ron Powlus III ☘️ Indiana 6'3" 225 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 12/16/20 YES
S Khari Gee ☘️ Georgia 6'3" 190 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 12/18/20 -
RB Audric Estime ☘️ New Jersey 6'2" 215 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 12/18/20 -

It’s a spectacular start for the Irish in multiple ways. The high number of commitments combined with their skill level makes this a Top 3 class right now according to 247 Composite Team Rankings.

Blake Fisher and Tyler Buchner highlight the current class, and are surrounded with other talent around them. Just as important as how good they are as players — but they also appear to be excellent recruiters in their own right and in their own way. This is extrememly important for Notre Dame and this class moving forward.

WHO’S OUT THERE?

Currently the Irish have 111 known offers out to the 2021 class. Notre Dame has averaged about 188 offers in each of the last 4 cycles, so we can expect that number to go up considerably over the next 5 months.

It’s a different strategy than some other schools around the country.

326??!!! That’s crazy as all hell! Even crazier than the Nebraska Cornhuskers is the Stanford Cardinal lurking around with 27 offers. I think the Trees lost more guys than that to transfer after the 2019 season.

Basically, the Irish are rolling right along with how they have become accustomed to doing it over the years, and are just fine. Again, we should probably expect around 50-70 more offers as the cycle continues.

MONSTER BALL

Notre Dame has a monster recruiting weekend set up in March for the 20th-22nd. Visiting Notre Dame that weekend for the 2021 class:

  • 4-Star QB Tyler Buchner (commit)
  • 5-Star RB Will Shipley (uncommitted)
  • 4-Star WR Lorenzo Styles Jr. (commit)
  • 4-Star TE Cane Berrong (commit)
  • 5-Star OL Nolan Rucci (uncommitted)
  • 5-Star OL Landon Tengwall (uncommitted)
  • 4-Star OL Rocco Spindler (uncommitted)
  • 4-Star OL Garrett Dellinger (uncommitted)
  • 4-Star OL Wyatt Milum (uncommitted)
  • 4-Star OL Blake Fisher (commit)
  • 4-Star DT Gabriel Rubio (commit)
  • 4-Star DE Aaron Armitage (uncommitted)

It’s hard not to use a little hyperbole here, but... that weekend may very well play a huge part in the future of the Notre Dame football program. Like — HUGE.

Certainly having Fisher and Buchner on hand with all of those other elite offensive players is huge for Notre Dame, and can only hope with their chances in landing a few of them this cycle — maybe sometime this spring.

TRANSFER SZN

According to a recent report from Irish Illustrated’s Tom Loy, former Stanford running back Trevor Speights is being heavily pursued by Notre Dame as a graduate transfer. Speights redshirted his freshman year in 2016, and sat out all of 2019 with an injury. As a graduate transfer, Trevor will be immediately eligible for the 2020 season. If both the 2016 and 2019 season’s were missed due to injury, Speights could then be eligible for a sixth year in 2021.

The former Cardinal’s stat line is fairly meager.

On the surface it’s hard to understand the reasoning for Notre Dame’s pursuit of Speights. If granted the 6th year, Speights would have the same amount of eligibility as both Jafar Armstrong and Avery Davis, and walk into a very crowded running back room this fall.

A couple of things to think about:

  • Armstrong could be moved to more of a running back-slash-slot role.
  • Davis could be moved to another position — maybe back to defensive back.
  • There is still the strong rumor of a big injury to one of the backs that we should find out more about once spring ball starts.
  • This could help cover the loss of Tony Jones Jr. to the NFL Draft.
  • Lance Taylor recruited Speights to Stanford, and it should say a lot that Taylor wants him at Notre Dame.

This seems like things are leaning Notre Dame’s way in terms of a landing spot for Speights, but more will definitely be known after his March visit.

DUECES!

Some Irish fans are probably still scratching their heads about the Speights development. If he were to decide to transfer to Notre Dame, that would give the Irish three grad transfers for the 2020 season with WR Bennett Skowronek (Northwestern Wildcats) and S Isaiah Pryor (Ohio State Buckeyes) already in the fold. None of the three are cornerbacks — which the Irish desperately need.

So... the recent 247 Crystal Ball for 4-Star cornerback Duece Harmon to pick Notre Dame is really, really big. Harmon is from Texas, and holds a big offer from Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies as well. This is a giant showdown between Clark Lea and Mike Elko — and I’m here for it.

MORE TO COME

As the spring heats up, we will keep providing recruiting updates similar to this one. We won’t be posting about offers (most anyways) or some of the behind the scenes type of things, because that’s for the premium sites to cover. We will, however, try to put this all into context and provide some commentary — like we almost always do.

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