2023 - State of the Recruiting Class

[IRISHMAN]

We will have plenty of speed on offense, Freeman brought in an entire track team in the 23 class

i wonder if this is the fastest class in the country.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

We will have plenty of speed on offense, Freeman brought in an entire track team in the 23 class

Seriously. They could probably put together a sub-40 in the 4x100.

 

[JamIrish]

Singer did an article referencing the speed in the class. Interesting enough, Micah Bell wasn't featured and he's probably the fastest. Christian Gray has also reportedly ran multiple 4.39-4.41 40's at ND and Ohio State camps.

Newsstand: Does Notre Dame have the fastest recruiting class in the country?

This question was posed by The Underclassmen Report with details on top speeds for four Notre Dame commits in the 2023 cycle.

www.on3.com

 

[FOTY977]

This calculator on 247 is pretty cool if you want to run the scenarios: 2023 Notre Dame Football Class Calculator

But long story short:

1. The class is currently 289.25 points, with a 92.89 average recruit rank.

2. Minchey won't make much difference in class ranking. He is a .91 which puts him in the bottom third of this class and he would only bump the total points up from 289 to 290. Top classes are in the 300s. Bama is currently at 310 and they will add more 4 and 5 stars.

3. The '23 class is already better than any class Brian Kelly ever signed, now it's just a matter of by how much. Kelly's best class was 2013. It was the #5 class with a total of 284.77 and an average of 92.3. Also, this class ranking has a huge asterisk - it was bolstered by Eddie Vanderdoes (a 5 star) who never even enrolled in ND.

4. In the post-Holtz era, the only class that comes close is Weis's 2008 class (Floyd, Rudolph, Crist). However that was before 247 did these composite rankings so it's hard to do an apples to apples comparison.

Anyway, the big takeaway is this will be the best class at least since Weis, and '24 will probably be even better.

This is why you don't hire first year HCs.

 

[jprue24]

but Bell and Gray at CB is by far the best combo ND has been able to recruit in who knows how long.

Since Walls and McNeil.

 

[IAIrish]

Since Walls and McNeil.

Morrison and Mickey may want a word.
Even if Mickey turns out average....

 

[Crazy Balki]

ND is also adapting their defensive recruiting very well to be more DB heavy.

They're going after Hillman and Barnes still and seems all but guaranteed they'll land 1, and a strong possibility they get both.

You have a situation with Gray, Bell, Bowen, Minich, Shuler, along with Hillman and/or Barnes. 6, potentially 7 defensive backs.

It'll be interesting to see how the LB situation shapes up next year and moving forward. ND can potentially bring back Bertrand, Marist and Kiser as 5th years, on top of guys like Kollie, Jr and Sneed. But if we're going to play primarily nickel as the base, you're only going to have 2 LBs on the field. That doesn't include others like Ziegler, Drayk and Ausberry. Loaded up at LB moving forward, but not a ton of reps to go around.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Morrison and Mickey may want a word.
Even if Mickey turns out average....

I think he's referring to recruiting rankings.

Walls and McNeil were the 4th and 5th ranked corners in the 2006 class and were both top 100 overall players and rated over 97.

Morrison and Mickey were both ranked outside of the top 200 overall and outside of the top 25 for corners and rated below 92.

 

[jprue24]

Morrison and Mickey may want a word.
Even if Mickey turns out average....

Just going off the rankings, not the results.

 

[IAIrish]

Just going off the rankings, not the results.

Got it. Makes sense.

 

[IAIrish]

ND is also adapting their defensive recruiting very well to be more DB heavy.

They're going after Hillman and Barnes still and seems all but guaranteed they'll land 1, and a strong possibility they get both.

You have a situation with Gray, Bell, Bowen, Minich, Shuler, along with Hillman and/or Barnes. 6, potentially 7 defensive backs.

It'll be interesting to see how the LB situation shapes up next year and moving forward. ND can potentially bring back Bertrand, Marist and Kiser as 5th years, on top of guys like Kollie, Jr and Sneed. But if we're going to play primarily nickel as the base, you're only going to have 2 LBs on the field. That doesn't include others like Ziegler, Drayk and Ausberry. Loaded up at LB moving forward, but not a ton of reps to go around.

We've already seen Burnham transition to viper from last year's class. Thoughts on Ziegler following him? Seems like the right frame for it.

These LB recruits are all really talented, but only so meany reps to go around, unless they can successfully run the 3-3-5 and not get gashed in the run game.

It makes sense for Zinter to follow a similar route, imo. His skill set is more moving forward/being aggressive.

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

*The Rico Walker situation is rather interesting. Would they make room for an additional spot or does it mean they can only take Barnes or Hillman and not both?

Rush DE is a prized position along with QB, LT, lock down corner. I like the potential of all the skill athletes, but regardless if they get up to 27/28 in the class, I would have a top 250 DE right after QB in necessity. Far ahead of DB 7, LB 3/4, or WR 5.

If that guy doesn’t exist, it would be interesting how much convincing or all in the staff would do with Terek at OL vs turn away one of the 3 athletes.

 

[KPENN]

Matt Freeman from ISD thinks ND is in great position to keep Bowen and Greathouse

 

[Dale]

247Sports Crystal Ball: Cam Calhoun to the Wildcats

Can Kentucky close with a top prospect in Ohio?

247sports.com

 

[Dale]

Mickens apparently poking around in Cinci for more corners. UK writer says ND wanting him to visit. Committed and decommitted from WVU and UC. Michigan and Sparty have jumped in recently

 

[Luckylucci]

Matt Freeman posted that there isn’t a set number and that the total number of new players could be over 30, including transfers.

 

[greyhammer90]

Matt Freeman posted that there isn’t a set number and that the total number of new players could be over 30, including transfers.

But really, how? I'm not an expert on this stuff, but 30 is crazy.

 

[Luckylucci]

But really, how? I'm not an expert on this stuff, but 30 is crazy.

Haven’t looked at the math on it just feels like roster turnover might be higher than expected.

 

[greyhammer90]

Haven’t looked at the math on it just feels like roster turnover might be higher than expected.

That's kind of strange right? Generally feels like the team mentality is positive. Maybe I'm just an oldhead who associates transfers/turnover with high levels of drama when that might not be the case anymore in the world of easy transfers and NIL.

 

[Sea Turtle]

Freeman wants to turn over the roster with his guys I would guess.

 

[Dale]

ND lost Keys, Clark, Ajavon, Simon, Ghee, Moala, Offord, Carroll, Wallace, Johnson, Takacs, Flemister and Bramblett last year so that was 13.

Year before it was Aupiu, Brunelle, Gibbons, Johnson, Jones, Oghoufo, Lamb, Rutherford, Smith, Armstrong, Franklin, JGH, Robertson, Olmstead, Wardlow and Grunhard 2 years ago - 16 guys.

I don’t know what’s considered high relative but ND has had pretty healthy churn of the right guys in the end tbh. Some contributors in there but not really anyone we’d be kicking ourselves over considering. So project 12 - 15 transfers.

 

[greyhammer90]

ND lost Keys, Clark, Ajavon, Simon, Ghee, Moala, Offord, Carroll, Wallace, Johnson, Takacs, Flemister and Bramblett last year so that was 13.

Year before it was Aupiu, Brunelle, Gibbons, Johnson, Jones, Oghoufo, Lamb, Rutherford, Smith, Armstrong, Franklin, JGH, Robertson, Olmstead, Wardlow and Grunhard 2 years ago - 16 guys.

Wow, so Freeman beat Clemson with only 35 scholarship players? Amazing.

 

[IAIrish]

ND lost Keys, Clark, Ajavon, Simon, Ghee, Moala, Offord, Carroll, Wallace, Johnson, Takacs, Flemister and Bramblett last year so that was 13.

Year before it was Aupiu, Brunelle, Gibbons, Johnson, Jones, Oghoufo, Lamb, Rutherford, Smith, Armstrong, Franklin, JGH, Robertson, Olmstead, Wardlow and Grunhard 2 years ago - 16 guys.

I don’t know what’s considered high relative but ND has had pretty healthy churn of the right guys in the end tbh. Some contributors in there but not really anyone we’d be kicking ourselves over considering. So project 12 - 15 transfers.

Truth. I could realistically see transfers from every position group. It's not related to team morale, but more likely playing time as Freeman and staff upgrade the talent.
Most are the graduates who use their extra eligibility elsewhere.

 

[Dale]

Oh related, the OSU site is also already talking about Dasan McCullough hitting the portal:

“McCullough will be a transfer portal target for Ohio State this offseason.”

Monday Boarding House

Monday Boarding House

247sports.com

 

[NDMatt91]

As far as transfers, what are we thinking?

1 QB, 1 WR, 1 DL?

 

[NDMatt91]

Oh related, the OSU site is also already talking about Dasan McCullough hitting the portal:

“McCullough will be a transfer portal target for Ohio State this offseason.”

Monday Boarding House

Monday Boarding House

247sports.com

He's a sports marketing and management major. So that pretty much rules him out given how strict the undergrad requirements are, right?

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

He's a sports marketing and management major. So that pretty much rules him out given how strict the undergrad requirements are, right?

High end QB in the portal is Freeman’s 6 star recruit this cycle. I would contend McCullough for 2 years is a 5.9 where the depth chart is otherwise:

-Journeyman senior Botelho
-Redshirt Frosh Gobaira
-Convert LB/Redshirt Frosh Burnham
-True Frosh Traore
-True Frosh Mukam
*possible 6th year Ademilola whose twin brother won’t be back
*possible 5th year 6 ft, little used Ekwonu
*Convert a SDE whose depth is Mills, Nana, Ehrensberger, Vernon

(Interior DL - Cross, Rubio, Ford, Keanaaina, Onye, Hinish, Houstan)

He was able to receive an offer on 2/20/20 as a high school sophomore from ND, and early enroll at Indiana where he has 2.5 semesters of credits. He shouldn’t be behind at ND from true freshman, first semester non athletes.

 

[allenm5333]

He's a sports marketing and management major. So that pretty much rules him out given how strict the undergrad requirements are, right?

Could easily change majors if he got his basic freshman year courses in.

 

[Crazy Balki]

He's a sports marketing and management major. So that pretty much rules him out given how strict the undergrad requirements are, right?

Doesn't ND have a pretty extensive sports marketing program?

I'd say that would be one of the majors that would be an easier transition to ND.

Either way, Dasan will still be a freshman. ND shouldn't have too much trouble with those, similar to Amir Carlisle. It's the non-grad upperclassmen is where they run into issues.

 

[stlnd01]

Truth. I could realistically see transfers from every position group. It's not related to team morale, but more likely playing time as Freeman and staff upgrade the talent.
Most are the graduates who use their extra eligibility elsewhere.

Looking at this, there are a lot of guys with two-to-three years of eligibility remaining (after this season, this chart is pre-2022) and talented younger players already ahead of them on the depth chart, not to mention what's incoming.

Notre Dame football scholarship chart

A look at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2022 football scholarship numbers and how they're distributed between class year and position.

www.on3.com

Wouldn't be surprised to see a bunch of transfers out of the sophomore class, and it wouldn't be about morale so much as opportunity to see the field. Not a bad problem to have.