2017 Notre Dame Recruiting: By The Numbers
0 Players signed by Notre Dame from the local Big Ten states of Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, the first that has happened since the turn to the 21st century. The Irish did have a verbal pledge from Indianapolis four-star linebacker Pete Werner before he opted to enroll at Ohio State.
The last time the Fighting Irish did not sign a player from those three states was with a top-5 ranked recruiting class in 1999 under head coach Bob Davie that included running back Julius Jones (Virginia), center Jeff Faine and linebacker Courtney Watson (both from Florida) and defensive tackle Cedric Hilliard and safety Gerome Sapp (both from Texas).
3 Times in Fighting Irish football history that a Parade All-American did not sign with the program in a recruiting year — with this year the most recent. The others were from the 1963 season (the first year the Parade team came into existence) and 2004. The record for all of college football was 13 by first-year Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust in 1981.
Notre Dame signed one last year, offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer, making it also the lowest count at the school over a two-year period.
4 Pennsylvania natives signed by Notre Dame, the most since 1991 when head coach Lou Holtz’s staff signed six, including fullback Ray Zellars, cornerback Shawn Wooden, linebacker Justin Goheen and lineman Mark Zataveski. All four this year came from the Pittsburgh region with Central Catholic defensive lineman Kurt Hinish and linebacker David Adams, and offensive linemen Joshua Lugg and Robert Hainsey, the latter also from Pittsburgh before he played his last two seasons at Bradenton, Fla., powerhouse IMG Academy.
5 Early entrants from the class of 21 who will begin spring practice with the rest of the team on March 8: running back C.J. Holmes, tight end Brock Wright, offensive linemen Aaron Banks and Robert Hainsey and safety Isaiah Robertson.
5-6 Count this year in the number of verbal commits Notre Dame was able to sign who originally committed to other schools compared to how many changed their minds and left the Fighting Irish.
The five head coach Brian Kelly and his staff were able to land were receiver Jafar Armstrong (Missouri), defensive end Kofi Wardlow (Maryland), safety/rovers Jordan Genmark Heath (Cal) and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Virginia), and kicker Jonathan Doerer (Maryland) — all in the final week before the Feb. 1 Signing Day.
The six lost were defensive linemen Robert Beal (Georgia) and Donovan Jeter (Michigan), linebacker Pete Werner (Ohio State), safety Elijah Hicks (Cal), cornerback Paulson Adebo (Stanford) and receiver Jordan Pouncey (Texas).
Last year Notre Dame did not lose a commit for the first time since 2006 while picking up seven from other schools.
14 The aggregate Notre Dame 2017 recruiting ranking when combining the four major outlets of 247Sports (13th), ESPN (16th), Rivals (13th) and Scout (14th). The Fighting Irish were the lone school to make the top 15 despite finishing the 2016 season with a losing record.
21 Letters in safety/rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s first and last name — one more than defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa’s handle. They now represent the longest first and last names by any Notre Dame scholarship football player. The previous high was 19 by 1986-90 linebacker Michael Stonebreaker and 1999-02 linebacker Carlos Pierre-Antoine.
Current junior receiver Equanimeous St. Brown’s 11 letters in his first name is tied with 1989-92 linebacker Karmeeleyah McGill.
320 Pounds listed by the University of Notre Dame as 6-5 offensive tackle Aaron Banks’ weight. That is the most on Signing Day by any incoming high school Irish football player since 2006 offensive guard Chris Stewart was penciled in at 340, although by the time he reported in the summer the word was he was “two Big Macs short of 400.” Nose guard Louis Nix was listed at 315 in 2010, but was significantly above that when he reported. Banks’ classmate on the offensive line, Dillan Gibbons, also is listed at 315.
1971 The last recruiting cycle when Notre Dame signed two members from the talent-rich Tidewater, Va., area, as it did this year with defensive tackle Darnell Ewell (Norfolk) and safety Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Hampton). Back in 1971 the duo was fullback Wayne “The Train” Bullock and running back Al Samuel, both from Newport News, though not high school teammates.
3,744 Career receiving yards by Jafar Armstrong during his career at Bishop Miege High School at Lee’s Summit, Mo. That eclipsed the 3,596 that 2016 Irish recruit Javon McKinley had at Centennial High in Corona, Calif. — which at the time were the most we ever saw by an Irish player from the high school ranks. The previous high was 2,387 by 2008 five-star recruit Michael Floyd his last two seasons in high school.
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