10 things to know: CB Justyn Rhett commits to Notre Dame football
Notre Dame’s seventh overall commitment of the 2023 class is in, with Las Vegas Bishop Gorman class of 2023 cornerback Justyn Rhett pledging to join the Fighting Irish.
Here is a breakdown of what the new addition means for the Irish.
1. Notre Dame was intrigued with Rhett and wanted him on campus for its Irish Invasion camp June 6 to finally get an in-person evaluation of him after the NCAA’s 15-month dead period due to COVID-19. He ran a sub-4.50 40-yard dash at the camp and also excelled in his defensive back work. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman offered Rhett on the spot, and after the visit Rhett told BlueandGold.com that his recruitment “starts with Notre Dame.”
In the following months, it was clear that it was Notre Dame’s recruitment to close. Rhett made a return visit Oct. 23 to see the Irish knock off USC 31-16 and had conversations with the defensive staff about the possibility of a commitment, but they wanted him to make a commitment only if he was sure in his decision to make such an early pledge. Rhett took a little bit more time and then made the call to the Irish staff after Freeman was named Notre Dame’s head coach.
2. Freeman, cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens, safeties coach Chris O’Leary and defensive director of recruiting Chad Bowden led the way for Notre Dame in the recruitment. Simply put, Rhett thinks the world of the defensive staff and can’t wait to get to South Bend to be coached by them.
Notre Dame recruited Rhett the hardest, and the high-level combination of football and academics in South Bend was a difference-maker, too, as it is with just about every recruit who picks the Fighting Irish.
3. A week and half after camping at Notre Dame and receiving his offer from the Fighting Irish, he took visits to Alabama and Georgia. The Bulldogs offered him a scholarship back in February, and Alabama offered him in late June.
Those are the only other two other schools Rhett visited during the recruiting process and represent half of the College Football Playoff teams. It’s an impressive win for Notre Dame to beat out those two programs.
4. Rhett looks like a million bucks as a prospect. His 40-yard dash time wowed the Notre Dame staff during the summer, and his combination of straight-line speed with natural cover ability and physicalness make him a can’t-miss prospect. I was out in Las Vegas in October to see Rhett, and I saw him in June at the Rivals Five-Star Underclassmen Challenge in which he won the defensive back MVP award.
I was thoroughly impressed with both of his performances. He will need to learn the intricacies of being physical without drawing a flag because he uses his body in coverage, but he’s a smart young man and will adapt.
5. Bishop Gorman is one of the top programs in the country on a yearly basis, and the Fighting Irish building a pipeline at the Las Vegas powerhouse would be exceptional. Notre Dame has signed three players in the Rivals era from Bishop Gorman: offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley (class of 2012), tight end Alize Mack (2015) and safety Nicco Fertitta (2015). Rhett’s defensive backs coach at Gorman is Fertitta, so having a former Irish player on staff there certainly doesn’t hurt.
Notre Dame would love to add Gorman class of 2023 wide receiver Zachariah Branch, but that is probably a long shot. The Irish staff is evaluating linebacker Palaie Faoa and defensive back Kodi DeCambra, a pair of 2023 recruits. Gorman will be loaded in the 2024 class, too.
6. Rhett joins Irvington (N.J.) High safety Adon Shuler on Notre Dame’s defensive back commit list in the 2023 cycle. Who could be next? Notre Dame would love to secure a commitment from St. Louis De Smet cornerback Christian Gray, who is on campus this weekend. This is Gray’s fourth visit to South Bend going back to June 6, when he also earned an offer following Irish Invasion.
Denton (Texas) Guyer’s Peyton Bowen, Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek’s Caleb Downs, Dallas South Oak Cliff’s Malik Muhammad and Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington’s Micah Tease are other key Notre Dame defensive back targets to know in the 2023 class.
7. “Rhett is as athletic as they come with the length, the long arms and the quick hands to become a superior cover corner. His athleticism is off the charts as is his potential. He shows good cover instincts and is a physical tackler. Smart and disciplined, Rhett shows fluid movements, a smooth backpedal, and good man awareness. He plays for one of the top programs in the country.” — Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming
8. Here is Notre Dame’s 2023 class sorted by commitment timeline:
June 28, 2021 — Four-star DE Keon Keeley, Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep,
June 29, 2021 — Four-star DE Brenan Vernon, Mentor (Ohio) High
Aug. 15, 2021 — Four-star S Adon Shuler, Irvington (N.J.) High
Sept. 1 — Four-star TE Cooper Flanagan, Concord (Calif.) De La Salle
Sept. 22 — Four-star RB Sedrick Irvin Jr., Miami Gulliver Prep
Nov. 3 — Four-star LB Drayk Bowen, Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean
Dec. 11 — Four-star CB Justyn Rhett, Las Vegas Bishop Gorman
9. Here are Notre Dame’s 2023 commits by position:
0 — Quarterback
1 — Running Back
0 — Wide Receiver
1 — Tight End
0 — Offensive Line
2 — Defensive Line
1 — Linebacker
2 — Defensive Back
10. Here is a breakdown of the Irish commits by state:
1 — California
2 — Florida
1 — Indiana
1 — Nevada
1 — New Jersey
1 — Ohio
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