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5 College Football programs that need a big National Signing Day

By Connor Muldowney

Sep 4, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; The Texas Longhorns logo flag flies during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Texas won 50-47 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 4, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; The Texas Longhorns logo flag flies during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Texas won 50-47 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 12, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly waits to take the field for the game against the Army Black Knights at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly waits to take the field for the game against the Army Black Knights at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

After a 4-8 season, it’s imperative that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish finish strong. Surprisingly, they are off to a solid start, ranked the 12th-best class in the country. They are placed right behind the defending national champs (Clemson), showing that the Notre Dame brand is still easy to sell after a subpar bowl-less season.

Rumors of Brian Kelly’s firing after the 2016 season didn’t come to fruition, but if he doesn’t snag the necessary pieces to finish the 2017 season with 8-9 wins, he may be as good as gone. There are still a number of top targets left on the board for the Irish.

The 2017 class has just 16 commitments as of Thursday night.

Oliver Martin, the No. 47 overall prospect in the country, is the top player left on the board for Kelly and the Irish. His recruitment has been as quiet as anyone’s and, as listed on the Michigan State page, he’s also considering the Spartans, Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan. He will likely announce on signing day.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is a three-star athlete from Hampton, Va., who is also deciding on signing day between the Fighting Irish and the Spartans. He has the ability to play safety and linebacker and is an aggressive defender.

Four-star Hawaii-native Myron Tagovailoa would be a nice addition at defensive end and he’s also considering USC, Vanderbilt and Oregon. Three-star safety Evan Fields is deciding this weekend, but the Fighting Irish are a long shot to land him.

Kelly could finish with some big reels and maybe some under-the-radar additions.

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