Thoughts On Notre Dame Targets At Rivals Camp Orlando
Blue & Gold Illustrated recruiting insider Mike Singer spent his Sunday afternoon at the Rivals Camp stop in Orlando, Fla. Here are his quick thoughts on the Irish targets in attendance for the event.
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy defensive end Tunmise Adeleye, who recently transferred to the Florida powerhouse from Katy (Texas) Tompkins, shined in Orlando on Sunday afternoon. He looked the part with his 6-4, 255-pound frame and showed his explosiveness in drills and during the one-on-one periods.
Adeleye even slid inside on a couple of times to compete against guards, and they were just no match for his combination of strength and speed. Adeleye, who ranks as the nation's No. 44 prospect and No. 5 strong side defensive end, added an offer from Notre Dame in January, and it's easy to see why the Irish are high on his talents.
He has a solid spin move to get inside and his explosiveness is legit. The likes of Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas and others are after Adeleye.
In the one-on-one reps I saw of Vero Beach (Fla.) High defensive end Keanu Koht, the rising senior struggled. He was paired with Rivals100 tackle Micah Morris on four occasions, and Koht, at 6-6, 225-pounds, didn't have the strength to get past Morris when they were engaged.
Koht is quick and it's clear that he has all of the tools to be an excellent edge rusher, but he has a lot of bulking up to do to compete at a high level. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and defensive line coach Mike Elston both stopped at Koht's school in January.
I got the chance to see class of 2022 quarterback Gunnar Smith from Lake Mary (Fla.) High, and I thought he had a nice performance. I was focused more on the linemen during the day, but Smith was a smooth and accurate passer. He was one of the most productive passers in the state last season as a sophomore, and Smith showed that he has the precision as a passer to play at the Power Five level. Notre Dame has not offered a 2022 quarterback yet, and Smith will be a guy to keep an eye on.
Notre Dame is evaluating Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic offensive tackle Caleb Johnson but has yet to offer. He was a solid performer going toe-to-toe against a really loaded defensive line group. I didn't see anything that screamed that Notre Dame needs to offer this young man right now, but he wouldn't be a bad option if the Irish do decide to offer him.
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