1. A.J. Henning, 4-star WR
Wide receiver will always be a position of need in any class, so Notre Dame will recruit both A.J. Henning and Michael Redding III. They’d love to get both of them, but they’d be more than willing to settle for one or the other. If they had to choose, I’d assume they would choose A.J. Henning.
Henning plays as both the slot and outside receiver, but he is more natural in the slot. At 5-foot-10, he is mostly a gadget guy that can make plays once he gets the ball in his hands. That being said, he has the skills to get open down the field and the strength to make contested catches.
Four of the six 247Sports Crystal Balls chose Notre Dame as Henning’s landing spot, but the lead expert predicts that he will commit to Michigan. There is still a lot of time before he commits one way or another, so both teams will be pressing hard to sway his mind.
With there being a new quarterback in Henning’s potential freshman year, it would be huge for Notre Dame to pick him up. Having a possessions receiver than can turn plays behind the chains into touchdowns is incredibly valuable, especially for a first-year starting quarterback. If Notre Dame wants this class to be one of the best under coach Bryan Kelly, they will need to land players like Henning.
This recruiting class has a lot of potential to carry Notre Dame into the next era of college football, and these players will be keys to helping them get there.