Notre Dame 2021 Recruiting: By The Numbers
2 Scholarship quarterbacks signed in the same class — California’s Tyler Buchner and local product/legacy Ron Powlus III — for the second time since head coach Brian Kelly’s initial group inked in 2010. That group in February 2010 included current offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix and Luke Massa. Since then, the other time the Fighting Irish signed more than one scholarship signal-caller in a class was 2014 with DeShone Kizer and Montgomery VanGorder.
3 Running backs still on the board for Notre Dame after not inking any among the 24 players signed in the early signing period on Wednesday. They are led by New Jersey’s Audric Estime, the top-ranked played in the group (No. 132 national prospect by Rivals), who has given a verbal commit to Michigan State but not yet signed.
Meanwhile, Louisiana three-star prospect Logan Diggs gave a verbal pledge to Notre Dame in July, but a recent offer from in-state LSU led him to to hold off on signing until February. San Diego’s Byron Cardwell, a four-star prospect ranked No. 245 by Rivals, also is still being courted.
4 Defensive linemen signed for the fourth consecutive year, with a player designated for each of the four spots: Two in the interior with Gabriel Rubio and Jason Onye, and two on the edge with rangy 6-5 figures Devin Aupiu (strong side) and Will Schweitzer (vyper).
Under defensive line/associate head coach Mike Elston, who has been on Kelly’s staff the past 17 years, this has remained the most balanced position group in recruiting on a year-to-year basis.
5 Finalists for the high school version of the Dick Butkus Award, presented to the nation’s top linebacker, with Tennessee native and Notre Dame signee Prince Kollie among them. The others are Chief Borders (Florida), Barrett Carter (Clemson), Chaz Chambliss (Georgia) and Deontae Lawson (Alabama).
6 Recruits in this year’s class whose fathers suited up in the NFL, including current associate athletics director for football Ron Powlus, who was the No. 3 quarterback in 2000 at Philadelphia behind Donovan McNabb and Koy Detmer.
The others are led by 13-year and two-year Pro Bowl standout offensive tackle John Alt (son Joe), nine-year defensive lineman Marc Spindler (Rocco), six-year defensive back Lorenzo Styles Sr. (Lorenzo Jr.), offensive lineman Aaron Johnson (Caleb) on a practice squad, and defensive lineman Angel Rubio (Gabriel).
10 Ranking of the 24-man class — so far — by Rivals. That would be the highest since the No. 3 rating in 2013. Since 2014, the rankings for the Fighting Irish by the outlet have been No. 11, No. 11, No. 13, No. 13, No. 11, No. 14 and No. 22 last year (mainly because of only 17 signed).
11 All 11 defensive commits — two ends, two tackles, two linebackers, four corners and one safety — stayed in the fold despite the departure of third-year defensive coordinator Clark Lea at the end of the season to become the head coach at Vanderbilt University.
By our count, the next named defensive coordinator for the Fighting Irish will be the 19th (including co-coordinators) in the 41 years since 1980, which means the average tenure is just over two years.
13 States represented among the 24 players signed, from Rhode Island defensive lineman Jason Onye to Hawaii linebacker Kahanu Kia — the fourth product signed from the Islands in the last five recruiting cycles.
Multiple representation from one state is led by California with five. That might be the most from the Golden State in one class at Notre Dame since 1983 when it signed four, led by quarterback Steve Beuerlein.
Georgia remains a mainstay from recent years with three, joining Indiana with the same amount. Illinois, Ohio and Florida had two apiece.
13 Early entrants anticipated in February, which would eclipse the previous record of 10 in 2018. Last year eight of the 17 enrolled in January, although this year the second semester is slated to start the first week of February. Notre Dame's first early entrants were in 2006 when it had three.
This year, the ones we know of planning to enroll in February are: quarterback Buchner, wide receiver Styles, tight ends Cane Berrong and Mitchell Evans, offensive linemen Fisher, Spindler and Johnson, defensive tackle Rubio, defensive ends Schweitzer and Aupiu, cornerbacks Ryan Barnes and Philip Riley, and safety Justin Walters.
330 Listed weight of five-star offensive line recruit Blake Fisher, who stands at 6-6. That is the highest weight for an incoming freshman at Notre Dame since Kelly’s first year in 2010, when defensive lineman Louis Nix III — a recent survivor of a gunshot to the sternum while merely putting air in his car tires at a gas station — was 350. Recent guards Quenton Nelson, another five-star prospect in 2014, and current senior Aaron Banks, were listed at 325 when they arrived.
6,084 Yards of total offense accumulated by Tyler Buchner during his 2019 junior season as quarterback at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, Calif. That was the most in the country that season in the high school ranks, with 4,474 yards passing and 53 touchdowns, plus 1,610 rushing with 28 more scores, or 81 times crossing the end zone.
As a senior Buchner transferred to Helix High in La Mesa, Calif., to face stronger competition but football was cancelled this fall because of COVID-19. He will enroll early this winter at Notre Dame to vie for the starting quarterback slot vacated by fellow Californian and record-setting Ian Book.
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