Notre Dame 2024 safety target Taebron Bennie-Powell sets commitment date
After playing out of position during his first season at Liberty Township (Ohio) Lakota West High last fall, rising senior Taebron Bennie-Powell got a chance to show his skills at his natural position at last Thursday’s Notre Dame football evaluation camp.
So impressed was the Irish coaching staff, the coaches offered the 6-foot-1, 182-pound aspiring college safety a scholarship the same day. Less than a week later, this Wednesday, Notre Dame will get to find out if the admiration is mutual.
Bennie-Powell tweeted out Monday that he’ll make his college announcement public on Wednesday. He’ll choose from an offer list that includes Kentucky, Duke, West, Virginia and Pitt in addition to the Irish.
Notre Dame stands at 19 commitments so far in the 2024 class and ranks third nationally in the Rivals team recruiting rankings (2,153 points) behind only defending national champ Georgia (2,688) and Michigan (2,327).
Three-star prospect Kennedy Urlacher of Chandler, Ariz., is the lone safety in the class so far. Bennie-Powell is also rated a three-star recruit, after playing outside linebacker for Lakota West during their 13-1 season. The Firebirds lost to Cincinnati Moeller, 38-20, in an Ohio Division I regional final.
“I gotta expand on this one,” Lakota West head coach Tom Bolden tweeted, responding to Bennie-Powell’s offer from the Irish. “He did what was best for his team junior year "playing out of his position" cuz of 2 dudes at safety. Never complained, owned it. Watched him at his ‘natural’ position this spring and summer and... HE'S THE BEST DUDE OUT THERE AT IT!”
Lakota West’s starters at safety in 2022 were current Notre Dame freshman safety Ben Minich and Ohio State freshman safety Malik Hartford. Both were deemed four-star prospects.
Bennie-Powell, who first visited ND last Sept. 10 when the Irish were upset by Marshall, transferred from Lakota East after his sophomore season.
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