Get to know the class of 2020 prospects committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in this feature from Blue & Gold Illustrated.
Committed: July 5, 2019
Notre Dame landed a monstrous addition to its 2020 class when Omaha (Neb.) Burke wide receiver Xavier Watts announced his commitment to the Fighting Irish in early July. Don't let Watts' mid-level three-star ranking fool you; the Notre Dame coaching staff is extremely high on Watts' talents and value him much higher than the Rivals.com evaluators do. Notre Dame worked long and hard in this recruitment, and the efforts of Chip Long, Del Alexander, and Co. paid off. Watts picked Notre Dame over the likes of Michigan, Iowa State, Nebraska, and several others.
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Notre Dame Lands Dynamic WR Xavier Watts
Class Impact: WR Xavier Watts To Notre Dame
Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 WR Xavier Watts
Shamrock Secrets: An Inside Look At The Recruitment Of WR Xavier Watts
Committed: July 4, 2019
Southaven (Miss.) cornerback Caleb Offord didn't take long to decide on his commitment to Notre Dame. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound prospect landed an offer from the Irish on May 23, took an unofficial visit to Notre Dame on June 7, and returned to South Bend for an official visit on June 21. Offord announced his pledge to the Irish on Independence Day. Offord became Notre Dame's third defensive back commit in the 2020 class and has very high upside with his football smarts and especially his length.
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Notre Dame Adds Commitment From CB Caleb Offord
Class Impact: DB Caleb Offord To Notre Dame
Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 CB Caleb Offord
Academics Come First For New Notre Dame Commit Caleb Offord
Committed: June 26, 2019
Shrewsbury (Mass.) Saint Johns wide receiver Jay Brunelle wanted to be a part of Notre Dame's 2020 recruiting class for a long time, and he joined it in late June. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound three-star prospect dominated at Irish Invasion, resulting in an offer from Notre Dame. Fresh off of a Michigan official visit, some thought that Brunelle could be leaning towards the Wolverines, but Brunelle's heart was set on the Irish, and announced his pledge to Notre Dame.
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Notre Dame Grabs Commitment From WR Brunelle
Class Impact: WR Jay Brunelle To Notre Dame
Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 WR Jay Brunelle
Notre Dame Offer Meaningful For 2020 WR Brunelle
Committed: June 24, 2019
Danville (Ky.) Boyle County cornerback Landen Bartleson was a strong Notre Dame lean for several months, and once he got the green light to commit, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound prospect announced his pledge to Notre Dame. Bartleson plays a lot of running back for his high school team, but the Irish see Bartleson as a pure cornerback. He held other offers from the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
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Talented CB Landen Bartleson Commits To Notre Dame
Class Impact: CB Landen Bartleson To Notre Dame
Coach's Take: Bartleson A "Perfect Fit" At Notre Dame
Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 CB Landen Bartleson
2020 BGI Big Board: Cornerback
Notre Dame CB Target Landen Bartleson Closing In On Commitment?
Committed: June 16, 2019
Mars (Penn.) offensive lineman Michael Carmody will join his brother, basketball player Robby Carmody, at Notre Dame. The four-star offensive tackle took two visits to Notre Dame in June and ended his recruitment with a commitment to the Fighting Irish. Carmody also held offers from the likes of Auburn, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Texas A&M. Notre Dame offensive line coach Jeff Quinn and Co. did a fantastic job of securing Carmody's commitment, as Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas A&M were pushing for him hard. Carmody could play guard or tackle at Notre Dame.
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Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 OL Michael Carmody
Class Impact: OL Michael Carmody To Notre Dame
Four-Star OL Michael Carmody Commits To Notre Dame
Committed: June 10, 2019
A day after his official visit, Middletown (N.J.) Mater Dei cornerback Clarence Lewis announced his commitment to Notre Dame. Lewis gave the Irish its much needed first defensive back pledge in the class. He added an offer from Notre Dame on May 4, and the athletic prospect thought very highly of the Irish right away. He wanted to make a commitment by the end of June and hoped to visit Notre Dame -- both happened in early June. Lewis is a very athletic, high ceiling defensive back.
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Q&A With 2020 Notre Dame CB Commit Clarence Lewis
Class Impact: CB Clarence Lewis To Notre Dame
Notre Dame Lands 2020 CB Clarence Lewis
Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 CB Clarence Lewis
Notre Dame 'Stands High' With Lewis Following Official Visit
Committed: May 23, 2019
Notre Dame landed a monstrous running back commitment from Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale standout Chris Tyree in late-May. The Rivals100 prospect narrowed his recruitment down to Alabama, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and had thoughts of committing to Oklahoma following his April official visit, but the Irish staff did a marvelous job in recruiting the nation's No. 1 all-purpose back. Tyree gives the Irish offense a dynamic running back and is one of the fastest prospects in the country.
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Notre Dame Commit Chris Tyree Motivated By Competition
Film Room: 2020 RB Chris Tyree
Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 RB Chris Tyree
Class Impact: RB Chris Tyree To Notre Dame
Committed: May 6, 2019
Notre Dame landed its top offensive tackle in early May when Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle Rivals100 prospect Tosh Baker pledged to the Fighting Irish. Baker made two unofficial visits to Notre Dame, and the Irish started to surge in his recruitment this spring. Notre Dame offensive line coach Jeff Quinn spent the entire day evaluating Baker at his school in early May and soon after closed the deal on the 6-foot-8. 275-pounder. Notre Dame has its left tackle of the future in Baker, the nation's No. 51 overall player.
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Class Impact: OT Tosh Baker To Notre Dame
Rivals100 OT Tosh Baker Commits To Notre Dame
Coach's Take: Irish Commit Baker A Future Sunday Player
Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 OT Tosh Baker
Committed: May 6, 2019
Notre Dame beat out Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, and many others for Rivals250 defensive lineman Rylie Mills from Lake Forest (Ill.). The 6-foot-5, 270-pound four-star prospect has the size and versatility to play strong side end or defensive tackle. In April, Mills took official visits to Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, and those three schools were his three finalists. The Fighting Irish offered Mills in February of 2018 and have been communicating with him for around two years.
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Rivals250 DE Rylie Mills Breaks Down Notre Dame Commitment
Rivals250 DE Rylie Mills Commits To Notre Dame
Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 DL Rylie Mills
Class Impact: DE Rylie Mills To Notre Dame
Rivals250 DL Rylie Mills Could 'Easily Picture' Himself At Notre Dame
Committed: April 24, 2019
Notre Dame offered Alex Peitsch on April 17, and it took him just a week to announce his commitment to the Fighting Irish. Peitsch will come to Notre Dame as a scholarship long snapper. Kohl’s Professional Camps, the nation’s premier evaluators of specialists, ranks him as the No. 1 long snapper in the country. Peitsch formed a strong connection with special teams coordinator Brian Polian in the few months leading up to his Notre Dame pledge.
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Specialist Alex Peitsch Explains Notre Dame Commitment
DC Long Snapper Alex Peitsch Commits To Notre Dame
No. 1 Long Snapper Alex Peitsch 'Honored' To Land Irish Offer
Committed: April 18, 2019
The state of Hawaii's top recruit in the class of 2020 picked the Fighting Irish in mid-April in a surprising move. Jordan Botelho's recruitment came together very quickly, as Notre Dame seemed like a long shot to land his commitment a month before his pledge, but they skyrocketed up his list and made a huge impression on him during his April official visit. Botelho is listed as an outside linebacker by Rivals.com, but the Rivals250 recruit is expected to play drop end for the Irish.
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Botelho Locked In With Notre Dame
Notre Dame Lands Four-Star Jordan Botelho
Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 LB/DE Jordan Botelho
Class Impact: LB Jordan Botelho To Notre Dame
Committed: April 6, 2019
St. Louis (Mo.) Desmet wide receiver Jordan Johnson originally planned to make his announcement on July 28 but moved his date up as he pledged to the Irish on April 6 during an official visit weekend. He picked Notre Dame well over 20 other scholarship offers and is a dominant five-star prospect. Johnson is ranked as the No. 4 wide receiver nationally and simply dominated at the Rivals Camp stop in St. Louis, which landed him an invite to the Rivals Five-Star Challenge in Atlanta in June.
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Notre Dame Commit Johnson Earns MVP At Rivals St. Louis
Thoughts On Notre Dame Targets From Rivals St. Louis
Notre Dame Commitment Profile: 2020 WR Jordan Johnson
Committed: February 13, 2019
Notre Dame landed the interior defensive line prospect it wanted when Brighton (Colo.) Mullen defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina pledged to the Irish. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound four-star prospect was a national recruit, and it came down to Notre Dame, Florida, and Ohio State. Keanaaina felt a "perfect fit" at Notre Dame not only as a player in Clark Lea's defense but as a person as well.
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Irish Commit Keanaaina On Relationships, Helping ND Recruit
DT Commit Aidan Keanaaina Bonds With Top Targets During Official Visit
Irish DT Commit Aidan Keanaaina Fired Up For Notre Dame Official Visit
Class Impact: DT Aidan Keanaaina To Notre Dame
Committed: January 31, 2019
Notre Dame's first defensive line commit of the 2020 class came from overseas as German defensive end Alexander Ehrensberger committed to the Irish. Ehrensberger has obvious upside with his 6-foot-7, 235-pound frame. BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell said the following: "Ehrenberger shows an impressive burst off the edge. He comes off low, quickly gets into the backfield and is disruptive as a pass rusher and run blocker."
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German DE Alexander Ehrensberger Talks Notre Dame Commitment
Irish DE Commit Alexander Ehrensberger Is A 'Hardworking, Blue-Collar' Kid
Committed: July 1, 2018
Alexandria (Ky.) Covington Catholic tight end Michael Mayer had his choice of powerhouse programs to choose from and picked Notre Dame in the summer of 2018, ending his recruitment before his junior year. Mayer is very solid in his pledge to the Fighting Irish. He's ranked as the No. 3 tight end in the nation and as the No. 71 overall recruit in the Rivals250 for the 2020 class.
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FILM ROOM: 2020 Notre Dame Commit - TE Michael Mayer
Michael Mayer Continuing To Build Bonds With Chip Long & Irish 2020 Commits
Michael Mayer 'Brought Energy & Explosiveness' To Both Sides Of The Ball
Committed: June 13, 2018
Notre Dame has a pair of the top tight ends in the nation in Mayer and Kevin Bauman from Red Bank Catholic (NJ). Much like Mayer, Bauman also had his pick of powerhouse programs to choose from and committed to the Irish before his junior season. Bauman is very firm with his pledge to Notre Dame. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder is ranked as the No. 4 tight end in the nation.
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Notre Dame TE Commit Kevin Bauman Feels Better Than Ever
Tight End Commit Kevin Bauman Has Another Great Visit To Notre Dame
Irish 2020 TE Commit Kevin Bauman Plays Key Part In State Title Win
Committed: April 16, 2018
New Canaan (Conn.) quarterback Drew Pyne was Notre Dame's first commitment of the 2020 recruiting class. He landed an offer from the Irish in the summer before his sophomore year and pledged to the Irish the following spring. The Rivals100 prospect has been committed to Notre Dame for a year and is a vocal leader of the class and helps the Irish recruit other top prospects. Pyne won the quarterback MVP award of the Rivals Camp Stop in the Northeast during the spring and is a polished prospect.
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Class Impact: 2020 QB Drew Pyne To Notre Dame
Q&A With Notre Dame QB Commit Drew Pyne
2020 QB Drew Pyne Commits To Notre Dame
Irish QB Commit Pyne Excited About Future At Notre Dame
QB Drew Pyne Goes Into Recruiting Mode During Latest Notre Dame Visit
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