Six Notre Dame Commits Who Have Improved Their Stock This Fall
The 2019 football season has given us standout performances, and Notre Dame’s commits in the 2020 and 2021 classes have been impressive all year. There are six Irish pledges who have especially impressed with their play on the field, and we highlight them in this article.
QB Tyler Buchner, La Jolla (Calif.) The Bishop’s School
Well, this one is obvious. You have to start with the Irish’s 2021 quarterback commit. We can be honest here; when you throw for 3,358 yards and rush for 1,149 yards and account for 61 total touchdowns through just 10 games, clearly the talent you're playing against on Friday night needs to be taken into consideration. But what also needs to be mentioned is that no matter what the competition is, Buchner is playing against his peers and is simply crushing them with his play.
Not only is Buchner putting up these crazy numbers, he's learning more about the game every week and is an excellent leader for Bishop's football program. The weekly praise that he receives as just a high school junior doesn't get to his head either. He missed his entire sophomore season due to a knee injury, and what he's been able to do this season is movie-like.
Buchner is currently ranked as the No. 65 overall prospect nationally by Rivals, but deserves consideration for a bump because he has been simply spectacular as a thrower and runner this year.
WR Xavier Watts, Omaha (Neb.) Burke
Burke was bounced in its second round playoff matchup, but in a season where the team went 9-2, Watts was a dominating force on offense and defense.
He caught 61 passes for 1,072 yards and 14 scores, plus contributed 68 tackles, three tackles for loss, three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. Beyond just his stats, Watts made such a big impact on games with his aggressiveness as a defensive back and ability to make big plays for his offense when they needed it most.
Despite a modest 5.6 three-star ranking by Rivals, Watts is a superb talent and was very coveted by the Irish coaching staff.
WR Jay Brunelle, Shrewsbury (Mass.) Saint Johns
Sometimes Brunelle can be overlooked because Notre Dame has such three top-100 national talents committed at receiver in the 2020 and 2021 classes, but this guy is becoming a complete receiver. Speed? Check. Soft hands? Check. Crisp routes? Check. And the best part of his game right now, in my opinion, is his big-play ability.
Whether he’s catching a screen and juking out defenders downfield for a big game or using his body to shield defenders and make a high pointing the ball in traffic, Brunelle is a weapon in the passing game.
DT Aidan Keanaaina, Denver Mullen
It was a tough year for Mullen. They started the season 2-0 but then lost six straight contests. Most of them were blowout losses, but Keanaaina continued to have strong individual performances, showed great effort, and by all accounts, was a great leader for his football team.
Mullen finished the regular with a pair of wins, but fell 24-16 in the first round of the playoffs. In nine games played per MaxPreps, Keanaaina recorded 68 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, and six forced fumbles. It was a very strong season for the space-eating, future nose tackle of the Irish.
TE Michael Mayer, Park Hills (Ky.) Covington Catholic
Not only has Mayer been dominant as a pass catcher, but he’s a force on defense as well, as he regularly picks off passes and wreaks havoc in the opposing backfield. In the regular season, he caught 35 passes for 679 yards and 11 touchdowns. On average, he catches a touchdown on every 3.2 receptions.
A lot of the competition Mayer's team played this fall was weak, but in huge games against Lexington Catholic and La Salle Mayer showed up big time and led his team to victories.
WR Deion Colzie, Athens (Ga.) Academy
Colzie doesn't get targeted a ton, and he had just 26 receptions in nine regular-season games, but he produced with 532 yards. He’s a big-play weapon; he gets left in single coverage and absolutely feasts with his ability to separate and make tough catches look easy. He is also asked to do a lot as a cornerback and has a couple of interceptions returned for touchdowns this season.
It can be hard at times for high school receivers to make big impacts as the teams can be more run-oriented, but Colzie makes the most of every opportunity, and he is such a weapon downfield every time Athens Academy needs a big play.
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