SIGNED: LB JD Bertrand

Click HERE to sign up for an annual subscription to BlueAndGold.com and get your FREE gift code for $99 in Irish apparel and gear!

Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity linebacker JD Bertand has submitted his National Letter of Intent to Notre Dame.

Rivals: 4.0 stars (No. 36 player in Georgia and No. 17 inside linebacker in the class of 2019)
BGI Grade: 4.0 (top-250 player)
Upside Grade: 4.0

SENIOR SEASON: Recorded 83 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, four sacks and an interception. Also caught nine passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.

JUNIOR SEASON: Notched 62 stops, 8.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks and two fumble recoveries.

• Region 7-AAAA Defensive Player of the Year.
• All Region 7-AAAA First-Team Defense.
• Georgia AAAA Preseason All-State.

POWER FIVE OFFERS: Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, Stanford, TCU, Tenneseee, Wake Forest and Wisconsin.

Bertrand originally committed to Georgia on July 15, 2017, and was pledged to the Bulldogs until Oct. 5, 2018. Georgia and Bertrand mutually parted ways and the four-star immediately began to seek out new options.

Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Clark Lea began to contact Bertrand, and the Irish pledge took his first visit to campus Oct. 13 for the Pitt game.

Things between Bertrand and the Irish continued to pick up, and the Georgia talent was back on campus for another unofficial visit Nov. 10 for the Florida State game.

Bertrand also visited Florida after backing off his pledge to Georgia, but eventually committed to Notre Dame Nov. 19.

• Born on May 5, 2000.
• Two-time Georgia AAAA state champion (2017 and 2018).
• National Honor Society Inductee.
• Eagle scout.

Bertrand will likely redshirt in 2018 unless he is able to earn a role on the Irish special teams.

Bertrand is a fluid and rangy linebacker that lacks ideal size right now, but he has a thicker lower half and seems to have the kind of frame that should allow him to add at least 20-25 pounds with time in a college weight room. What I like about his game — and why I project him as a Mike linebacker — is that he is quite strong and powerful for his size.

The Blessed Trinity star has fast and strong hands, and he explodes his hips through contact. When he hits ball carriers they go back more often than not. He uses those strong hands to effectively keep blockers off his body, and they help him as a pass rusher as well.

Bertrand is a sound tackler that plays with good pad level, goes low and wraps up well. His short area quickness and box speed is impressive, and he’s rangier than one might expect from a 6-1 athlete. He has loose hips that allow him to quickly open up and run. He is just as quick at planting and driving vertically towards the line of scrimmage.

Bertrand shows good change of direction skills, he stays light on his feet and he doesn’t need much to get power when he arrives at the ball. He is good in coverage and is an impact blitzer at the prep level.

The Peach State product is a smart and heady player that makes good reads, takes good angles to the football and shows good instincts in coverage.

----

• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.

• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_CoachD, @BGI_DMcKinney and @BGI_CoreyBodden.

• Like us on Facebook.