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On Thursday, 4-Star cornerback Benjamin Morrison gave his commitment to the 2022 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football recruiting class. Morrison, a 6’0” 170 pound defender from Phoenix, Arizona, chose the Irish over a heavy offer list that included the Alabama Crimson Tide, Oregon Ducks, Oklahoma Sooners, Florida State Seminoles... and the infamous Washington Huskies.
COMMITTED! Link for commitment video. https://t.co/QECnhIDVEr pic.twitter.com/wG0NJVWXaO
— Benjamin Morrison (@BMoe_21) July 15, 2021
To be quite blunt about it, the Irish don’t have a great track record going up against Jimmy Lake and the Huskies for west coast defensive backs — so you can mark this down as a HUGE win by Mike Mickens and Brian Polian.
Morrison is most definitely a field corner at the collegiate level. He has excellent speed and shows fairly good instincts. He comes up hard against the run, but needs to break down more in a tackling stance as I saw too many times that he launched towards a defender with his feet off of the ground. The athleticism is certainly there, but his hips look a little stiff.
So... speed, toughness, and a knack to play against the passing game are all excellent checkmarks.
Morrison is now the 19th commitment of Notre Dame’s 2022 recruiting class. The class is currently ranked #2 by the 247 Composite Team Rankings. Hailing from Arizona, Morrison’s commitment now means that 15 different states are represented in Notre Dame’s current class.
Notre Dame Football’s 2022 Commit List (22)
SIGNED | POSITION | PLAYER | STATE | HT | WT | RIVALS | ESPN | 247 SPORTS | 247 COMPOSITE | On3 | On3Consensus | COMMIT DATE | ENROLLED |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SIGNED | POSITION | PLAYER | STATE | HT | WT | RIVALS | ESPN | 247 SPORTS | 247 COMPOSITE | On3 | On3Consensus | COMMIT DATE | ENROLLED |
☘️ | OL | Joey Tanona | Indiana | 6'5" | 280 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 07/25/20 | ✅ |
☘️ | LB | Nolan Ziegler | Michigan | 6'4" | 205 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 08/22/20 | ✅ |
☘️ | OL | Ty Chan | Massachusetts | 6'6" | 275 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 12/2020 | - |
☘️ | DE | Tyson Ford | Missouri | 6'5" | 250 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 01/18/21 | ✅ |
☘️ | DE | Aiden Gobaira | Virginia | 6'6" | 235 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 02/06/21 | ✅ |
☘️ | RB | Jadarian Price | Texas | 5'11" | 180 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 02/21/21 | ✅ |
☘️ | QB | Steve Angeli | New Jersey | 6'3" | 215 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 03/04/21 | ✅ |
☘️ | CB | Jaden Mickey | California | 5'11" | 175 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 03/14/21 | ✅ |
☘️ | LB | Joshua Burnham | Michigan | 6'4" | 215 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 03/17/21 | ✅ |
☘️ | TE | Eli Raridon | Iowa | 6'6" | 228 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 05/02/21 | - |
☘️ | TE | Holden Staes | Georgia | 6'5" | 230 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 05/07/21 | - |
☘️ | DT | Donovan Hinish | Pennsylvania | 6'2" | 275 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 06/04/21 | - |
☘️ | LB | Niuafe Tuihalamaka | California | 6'2" | 235 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 06/19/21 | ✅ |
☘️ | OL | Ashton Craig | Indiana | 6'5" | 283 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 06/26/21 | - |
☘️ | DB | Jayden Bellamy | New Jersey | 5'11" | 175 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 07/02/21 | ✅ |
☘️ | LB | Jaylen Sneed | South Carolina | 6'2" | 210 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 07/12/21 | ✅ |
☘️ | CB | Benjamin Morrison | Arizona | 6'0" | 170 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 07/15/21 | - |
☘️ | WR | Tobias Merriweather | Washington | 6'4" | 185 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 08/04/21 | - |
☘️ | OL | Aamil Wagner | Ohio | 6'6" | 265 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 11/11/21 | - |
☘️ | P | Bryce McFerson | North Carolina | 6'1" | 175 | 6⭐️ SAILER | 6⭐️ SAILER | 6⭐️ SAILER | 6⭐️ SAILER | 6⭐️ SAILER | 6⭐️ SAILER | 11/21/21 | - |
☘️ | OL | Billy Schrauth | Wisconsin | 6'5" | 300 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 11/9/21 | ✅ |
☘️ | RB | Gi'Bran Payne | Ohio | 5'10" | 190 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 04/15/22 | - |
Notre Dame has really beefed up its numbers at cornerback. Morrison is now the third cornerback in this class (if we are slotting Jayden Bellamy as a safety/nickel) and the 7th in the last two classes — or 10 if you want to add the 2019 class into the discussion.
As far as the rest of the numbers go, I’m still sitting on my theory of a 27-28 man class — although the number of actual real targets that hold a Notre Dame offer seem to be declining at a rapid rate.
2022 Notre Dame Football Scholarship Chart
Position / Year | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 5th/6th Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position / Year | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 5th/6th Year |
Quarterback | Steve Angeli | Tyler Buchner, Ron Powlus III | Drew Pyne | - | - |
Running Back | Jadarian Price, Gi'Bran Payne | Logan Diggs, Audric Estime | Chris Tyree | - | - |
Tight End | Eli Raridon, Holden Staes | Cane Berrong, Mitchell Evans | Michael Mayer, Kevin Bauman | - | - |
Wide Receiver | Tobias Merriweather | Lorenzo Styles, Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas | - | - | Braden Lenzy, Joe Wilkins, Avery Davis, Matt Salerno |
Center | Ashton Craig | Pat Coogan | - | Zeke Correll | Jarrett Patterson |
Guard | Billy Schrauth | Rocco Spindler | - | Andrew Kristofic, | Josh Lugg |
Tackle | Joey Tanona, Ty Chan, Aamil Wagner | Blake Fisher, Joe Alt, Caleb Johnson | Michael Carmody, Tosh Baker | - | - |
Defensive Tackle | Donovan Hinish, Tyson Ford | Gabriel Rubio | Aidan Keanaaina, Rylie Mills | Howard Cross, Jacob Lacey | Jayson Ademilola, Chris Smith |
Defensive End | Aiden Gobaira | Jason Onye, Will Schweitzer | Alexander Ehrensberger, Jordan Botelho | NaNa Osafo-Mensah, Isaiah Foskey, Osita Ekwonu | Justin Ademilola |
Linebacker | Nolan Ziegler, Joshua Burnham, Junior Tuihalamaka, Jaylen Sneed | Prince Kollie | - | Jack Kiser, Marist Liufau, JD Bertrand | Bo Bauer |
Safety | Jayden Bellamy | Justin Walters | Xavier Watts, Ramon Henderson, Brandon Joesph | - | D.J. Brown, Houston Griffith |
Cornerback | Jayden Mickey, Benjamin Morrison | Ryan Barnes, Chance Tucker, Philip Riley | Clarence Lewis | Cam Hart | TaRiq Bracy |
Specialists | Bryce McFerson (P) | Josh Bryan (K) | Alex Peitsch (LS) | - | Michael Vinson (LS), Blake Grupe (K) |
Totals | 22/85 (22) | 45/85 (23) | 60/85 (15) | 71/85 (11) | 86/85 (15) |
This is a HUGE win for Notre Dame. Not only do they get one of the better cornerbacks on the west coast which adds a lot to this class and to the team moving forward — they beat Jimmy Lake head on for a west coast kid. This is not something that should be dismissed lightly, because that’s a really hard thing to do.
I’m really excited about this commitment and you should be too.
FIST PUMPS UP FOR MORRISON!