SIGNED: CB Noah Boykin
Washington (D.C.) H.D. Woodson cornerback Noah Boykin submitted his National Letter of Intent to Notre Dame on Wednesday.
RANKINGS
Rivals: 4-star (No. 21 cornerback and No. 204 player nationally, No. 2 player in D.C.)
BGI Grade: 4.0
Upside Grade: 4.5
MEASURABLES
At Nike Football's The Opening Washington, D.C. Regional this past April, Boykin checked in at 6-foot-2 and 168 pounds.
Boykin’s Hudl page lists a squat of 385 pounds.
HONORS
2017 All-USA Washington, D.C. first-team defense by USA Today.
2017 O-D (Offense-Defense) All-American Bowl.
Selected as Best Defensive Back during O-D All-American Bowl.
2017 All-Met Honorable Mention.
RECRUITMENT
POWER FIVE OFFERS: Boston College, Clemson, Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina, NC State, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Tennessee, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The Gators were the presumed favorite following an official visit (Jan. 20) to Gainesville, and after Boykin announced a de-commitment from Maryland a few days later narrowing his recruitment down to the Florida, Maryland, Notre Dame and Virginia.
The Cavaliers appeared to be gaining steam during the 11th hour, but Notre Dame’s efforts throughout the final weeks paid off.
Boykin took an official visit to Notre Dame on Oct. 28 and told BGI he could see himself in South Bend following the trip. He was primarily recruited by cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght.
NOTABLE
• Boykin is the third player in the past two cycles to originally commit to Maryland before winding up signing from Notre Dame joining defensive end Kofi Wardlow and kicker Jonathan Doerer in the 2017 class.
• Boykin is the third player from a Washington, D.C. high school to sign with Notre Dame under Brian Kelly joining Wardlow and 2013 cornerback signee Devin Butler. Both were three-star recruits.
• The Rivals250 prospect is the highest ranked cornerback to sign with Notre Dame since Shaun Crawford in the 2015 class.
2018 PROJECTION
Boykin's length, athleticism and advanced technique should allow him to push for playing time as a true freshman.
BGI ANALYSIS
"Boykin is an intriguing player that reminds me a great deal of Stanford cornerbacks Alijah Holder and Quenton Meeks, a pair of 6-2 cornerbacks that make up one of the best secondaries in the Pac 12.
"The first thing people will point to with a cornerback is speed, and that's the one knock on Boykin, he's not an overly fast player. He's not slow by any means, but he isn't going to blow you away with speed, which is typical of 6-2 cornerbacks. Remember, Seattle Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman ran just a 4.56 at the NFL Combine.
"What Boykin has beyond that are all the traits you want in a cover cornerback. Physically, he has elite length, measuring in at 6-2 with very long arms, and a frame that will allow him to continue adding the necessary weight to hold up at the position. Boykin is a willing tackler that will become even more effective once he gets stronger.
"Athletically, Boykin has a strong all-around skill set. He is light on his feet, he changes direction with ease and he can flip his hips with relative ease. Boykin is a smooth player that does things easily on the football field, which somewhat masks the speed he does possess. Combined with his instincts, it makes Boykin a highly effective cover player." - BGI Football Analyst Bryan Driskell
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