Four-star linebacker Jaylen Sneed signs as Notre Dame’s top ranked recruit
Arguably the crown jewel of Marcus Freeman’s recruiting efforts during the summer of 2021, class of 2022 linebacker Jaylen Sneed has officially signed with Notre Dame.
Sneed started the day as the only Notre Dame commit with a Rivals recruiting rating of 6.0 or better. The four-star talent from Hilton Head (S.C.) High School was joined in that category by Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei wide receiver CJ Williams before he decommitted from the Irish on Monday.
Sneed has been committed to Notre Dame since July 12. Despite scholarship offers from more than 30 other programs and a recent coaching change in South Bend, Sneed never wavered in his decision to stick with Freeman and the Irish. He was Notre Dame all the way from the day he announced his commitment.
Hilton Head only went 4-7 in Sneed’s senior season, but the 6-1, 208-pound linebacker was a menace for opposing offenses to try to contain. He finished the year with 101 tackles, eight stops behind the line of scrimmage, one sack and eight quarterback hits.
Sneed flashed his athleticism on the other side of the ball, too. He rushed 117 times for 815 yards and 11 touchdowns. He completed 27 of 50 passes for 210 yards with two touchdowns. He’ll likely never play an offensive snap in an Irish uniform, but it’s always nice to have game-changing athletes on the roster in any capacity.
Rivals lists Sneed as the No. 1 player in South Carolina, and the No. 4 outside linebacker and No. 41 overall player in the country.
Sneed could be the next Isaiah Foskey type of player to line up on the outside for Notre Dame. He is relentless in pursuit of the football. That didn’t amount to many sacks in his senior season, but if he continues to line up in a hybrid-edge position like Foskey did for much of the past few months those quarterback takedowns are almost assuredly on the way.
Many were surprised to see Foskey line up off the line of scrimmage in nontraditional 3-4 looks, but that became the norm under Freeman’s tutelage. It resulted in 10.0 sacks in 12 regular season games. Only 15 players across the FBS had more.
Of course, it’s early to talk about Sneed reaching double-digit sack totals in a single season at Notre Dame. He could bulk up and play more of a Jaylon Smith type of role anyway. He has that kind of knack to tackle ball carriers and a natural nose for the ball. That, too, is a lofty comparison, but Sneed isn’t the top-ranked recruit in the Irish class for nothing. He has serious upside and potential.
He will play for a head coach who racked up 264 total tackles and 21.5 tackles for loss during his time at Ohio State. Freeman understands the linebacker position as well as any head coach in the country. That will be a valuable asset in developing a player like Sneed who has aspirations of becoming one of the best in the country.
Sneed went into Wednesday’s early signing period as one of four linebackers committed to Notre Dame in the class of 2022. He was joined by fellow four-star recruits Niuafe Tuihalamaka of Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany High School, Nolan Ziegler of Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central and Joshua Burnham of Traverse City (Mich.) Central High School.
Notre Dame boasted a veteran linebacking corps in 2021. Graduate students Drew White and Bo Bauer could both be gone after the Fiesta Bowl. Jack Kiser and JD Bertrand will be seniors next year. The trio in the class of 2022 in addition to rising sophomore Prince Kollie are the future at the position for the Irish.
That in mind, there’s no mistaking it — Sneed was a huge get for Freeman and company in the early signing period. He will enroll early and go through Notre Dame’s spring practices next semester. He’ll get to work right away with a chance to make an early impression on Freeman and the Irish staff.
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