Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons to be excited about 2018 recruiting class

4. The 2017 class could be a sign of what’s to come

While not always in the best interest of a player’s future, it’s always exciting to see what a freshman can offer in his first year. We saw this to an extent in 2017, with players such as Robert Hainsey, C.J. Holmes (recently dismissed), Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, Kurt Hinish, and others making their respective presences felt in their first year with the team.

It’s hard to tell who Kelly will redshirt heading into any given season, but there are a few incoming freshmen who could follow in the footsteps of their sophomore teammates heading into the 2018 season.

While it’s sometimes wise to sit your high-upside players in their first year, there are a few talented recruits who I can see making an immediate impact for the Irish. With the Irish in such a hole at the wide receiver position, I wouldn’t be surprised to see any combination of Micah Jones, Kevin Austin, Lawrence Keys III, or Braden Lenzy in 2018.

Similarly to the wide receiver position, the dismissals of C.J. Holmes and Deon McIntosh leave quite a hole to be filled in the Irish backfield. Notre Dame has two capable backs in Dexter Williams and Tony Jones Jr., but the lack of depth at the position will likely result in a few meaningful snaps for incoming freshman Jahmir Smith.