After putting together another strong draft class, Notre Dame football has its fans excited for what’s to come over the next few years.
While we may not see much of the 2018 draft class over the course of this upcoming season, it’s never too early to look forward to what they can bring to the table in coming years. For reference, take a look at the Irish’s 2017 class. This group of athletes are in the same position that their freshman teammates will be in by the time the 2019 season rolls around.
We’ll go into the similarities between the two classes later, but it’s important to note that no one class can be taken as a direct impression of another. With that said, head coach Brian Kelly will certainly be looking to get some of his 2018 recruits involved in a similar fashion to how he utilized his 2017 class. Regardless of how that turns out, here are five reasons to be excited for the Irish’s latest haul.
5. The Irish have significant diversity at the top
Recently, Notre Dame has been highly regarded for its play in a few areas. The Irish have produced a plethora of stars along the offensive line, and have passed along a few standouts from the tight end and linebacker position as well. Apart from Notre Dame’s recent Alize Mack project, they’ve maintained that pace with solid seasons from upcoming draftees such as Quenton Nelson, Mike McGlinchey, Nyles Morgan, and Greer Martini.
The Irish stuck to the script in 2017, with seven of their top eight rated commits playing either on the offensive line or at the tight end or linebacker position. This wasn’t the case in 2018, however, as Note Dame’s top eight recruits featured players at six different positions. In fact, the Irish’s top three recruits included cornerback Houston Griffith, wide receiver Kevin Austin, and quarterback Phil Jurkovec.
The Irish still boast plenty of talent at their premier positions as well, with four-star linebackers Shayne Simon, Jack Lamb, and Matthew Bauer rounding out one of the nation’s top classes. Notre Dame also received commitments from tight end George Takacs and offensive tackle Jarrett Patterson, both four-star products.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how the Irish handle top-tier products from positions outside of Notre Dame’s big three. It might be unfamiliar territory for Kelly, but don’t be surprised to see a change in the landscape of Notre Dame’s strengths over the coming years regardless of success.
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.
3. The arrival of Phil Jurkovec
Dual-threat quarterback Phil Jurkovec’s highly anticipated arrival to Notre Dame has come, and many Irish fans couldn’t be more thrilled. It’s been a while since the Irish have received a commitment from a quarterback of Jurkovec’s caliber, with many recruiting sites rating him as the best Irish quarterback prospect since Gunner Kiel in 2012.
However, it’s worth noting that current quarterback Brandon Wimbush was rated very similarly to Jurkovec when he entered the scene in 2015. With that said, Jurkovec provides a greater advantage in the pass game despite being tagged a dual-threat quarterback. Jurkovec also boasted a fantastic 39-to-6 touchdown to interception ratio in his final year at Pine-Richland.
With Wimbush, Ian Book, and Avery Davis rounding out the realistic quarterback depth chart, Jurkovec will likely have to wait his turn before suiting up for the Irish. However, with a year under his belt and shaky first impressions from both Wimbush and Book, look for Jurkovec to make his mark on the college football landscape as early as 2019.
2. Chip Long will have a lot to work with for years to come
Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long enjoyed much of his success alongside quarterback Riley Ferguson in Memphis, a time during which Long’s creativity was perfectly translated through a fast and athletic offense. The Irish certainly had their fair share of fast and athletic in 2017, but much of that speed was suppressed by a bruising ground game.
Notre Dame will be able to soften the blow of workhorse runningback Josh Adam’s departure to an extent, but what Williams and Jones Jr. lack in sustainability will have to be masked by a more dynamic passing attack. Operating under Wimbush limited the passing offense’s upside in 2017, but inconsistencies in the receiving corps didn’t help either.
However, with another year under his belt and fresh legs on offense, look for Long to implement a very different offense beyond 2018. We may see a jumpstart on this plan with Ian Book under center, but what Long truly envisions for this offense may not be totally felt until Jurkovec claims the starting job.
In addition to Jurkovec, the Irish made clear their desire for speed during the recruiting process, adding athletes Braden Lenzy, Tariq Bracy, and Joe Wilkins Jr. to the mix for 2018. Notre Dame also went in heavy at the wide receiver position, nabbing four-star products Kevin Austin and Lawrence Keys III. Needless to say, Long will have many more tools in his toolbox come Week 1 of the 2018 regular season.
1. The Irish have another strong linebacker corps in the making
One of the strongest aspects of Notre Dame’s 2017 season was the success of its linebacker unit. However, with the losses of Morgan and Martini along with the impending departures of Tranquill and Coney, the Irish will be hoping for yet another group to step up and maintain the legacy of one of Notre Dame’s strongest position groups.
First, let’s take a look at who the Irish have at their disposal for the 2018 season. The common consensus is that Tranquill will be moved from the rover position to inside linebacker, thus solidifying him and Coney as the team’s two bona fide starters. Should this be the case, incoming coordinator Clark Lea will either implement a position on the outside or try other players at rover.
While exactly who those players will be is still up for discussion, let’s shift our focus to who the Irish could have on the field years from now. The Irish recorded quite the haul in terms of linebackers this season, receiving the commitments of Jack Lamb, Shayne Simon, Matthew Bauer, and Ovie Oghoufo. While Oghoufo doesn’t meet the hype of his peers, he’ll provide decent depth at the least.
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As for the other three, Lamb, Simon, and Bauer have the potential to establish themselves in a similar manner to the Irish’s latest group of Morgan, Martini, Tranquill, and Coney. There has been talk of moving Simon to the rover, but others have suggested scrapping the position and rolling them out as a traditional unit. Regardless, this group has the potential to wreak havoc for years to come.