Notre Dame Makes Top Six For 2019 DT Jacob Lacey
Four-star 2019 DT Jacob Lacey of Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren just released a list of his top six schools, and Notre Dame made the cut along with Clemson, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State and Tennessee.
Lacey has visited South Bend five times, and the Irish sit in a great spot with the rising junior talent.
The most recent trip to campus for Lacey was July 16. Lacey said during that trip, the main focus was to meet current Irish players and get a feel for where he'd fit at Notre Dame should he end up in South Bend.
“They showed me how they run things there defensively and they talked to me about how I already do those things,” Lacey explained. “That was a big thing for me to hear about how I would fit in their scheme. They were just saying how great I would fit into the program."
Following that visit, Blue And Gold Illustrated reported in Shamrock Secrets 0n June 22 that Notre Dame had positioned itself well to land Lacey down the road.
Lacey also visited campus on March 24 for a spring practice and said he made that trip in order to spend some time with the men who could be his future coaches.
"This time was more about meeting the new coaches,” Lacey said. “Defensive coordinator Mike Elko, and seeing Coach (Mike) Elston coach the defensive line and things like that. I got to hang out a little bit more with the players, which was a great experience. It was a great day.”
Lacey is a priority target in the 2019 class, and BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell said landing the four-star would give the Irish a player with a solid combination of power and speed.
"Jacob Lacey has been atop Notre Dame’s defensive line board for the 2019 class for quite some time," Driskell stated. "He’s a bull inside, showing top-level power for his age. His quickness at the snap is impressive and he’s only going to get stronger. Lacey is a powerful run defender already, and as his technique improves he’ll become an even greater force. He hustles, plays with a high motor and has the versatility to play either the nose tackle or three-technique spot in the Irish defense."
Driskell added that what really makes Lacey standout is the face that heading into his junior year, he's just begun to scratch the surface of his potential.
"The thing that is really exciting about Lacey is that he’s not even close to maxing out his potential," Driskell explained. "He still has a lot of technique work that is needed, with Lacey needing to play with more consistent pad level and he has to work his feet at the point of contact on a more consistent basis. Lacey also needs to continue reshaping his body, but once that happens his game is really going to explode."
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