Visitors Preview: Notre Dame Junior Day - Defense
On Saturday, Notre Dame will host its first Junior Day of the 2019 class, and several top Irish targets will make their way to South Bend for the event.
Last year, Notre Dame held a Junior Day on Feb. 11, and landed commitments from four-star receiver Micah Jones, four-star receiver Braden Lenzy, four-star cornerback Kalon Gervin and three-star offensive tackle Cole Mabry.
If Notre Dame can see the same success out of this year's Junior Day, the 2019 class could get off to a big start for the Irish.
Here's a rundown of the prospects expected to be in town this weekend. We already broke down the offensive recruits on campus, now we discuss the defensive recruits that will be joining Notre Dame defensive tackle commit Jacob Lacey.
Top Offers: Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee
The Skinny: This will be Anderson's third trip to South Bend over the past year. He made his first for last year's Sophomore Day and returned to take in the Georgia game this past fall.
BGI continues to like where Notre Dame stands with Anderson. He's stated multiple times in the past he could see himself at Notre Dame and his willingness to keep making visits is a positive sign.
Anderson is hoping to take a deeper look into the academic side of Notre Dame this time around, so he can continue becoming more and more comfortable with the program.
To read more about Anderson and his visit, click HERE.
Driskell's Take: There is a lot to like about Joseph Anderson, who fits perfectly into Notre Dame's strongside end position. Anderson has elite size for the position and possesses a strong natural punch and lower body strength. His body needs a lot of work, but that is why his upside is so high. There is a lot of room between where Anderson is now and where he can end up.
Once he gets into a college weight room is his game is going to take off. Anderson plays the run well and shows a natural feel as a pass rusher. His hand play is outstanding for his age, which makes him very hard to block. Anderson has to work on improving his first step off the ball, but he's a fluid athlete and shows good speed around the edge for a power player.
In many ways he reminds me of former Notre Dame star Stephon Tuitt thanks to his size, power and overall game. With more consistency he could emerge as one of the top ends in the entire country.
Top Offers: Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA, USC,
The Skinny: Osafo-Mensah has expressed a good bit of interest in Notre Dame since being offered on May 10, and will get his first look at campus this weekend. The four-star is friends with both Jacob Lacey and Hunter spears, who will also be on campus this weekend. Osafo-Mensah and Spears have even discussed rooming together should they both end up in South Bend.
All of the big Texas schools have offered Osafo-Mensah, and pulling him out of the state could prove difficult, but the fact that he's willing to come up to Notre Dame on his own dime says a lot about his interest. Osafo-Mensah has a great relationship with defensive line coach Mike Elston, and is looking forward to spending time with him this weekend.
To read more from Osafo-Mensah previewing the visit, click HERE.
Driskell’s Take: Right now Osafo-Mensah is a raw player that needs to get bigger, stronger and continue learning the nuances of the game, but very few ends in this class with the upside and potential that Osafo-Mensah brings to the game.
Osafo-Mensah has tremendous size potential, has a good punch, has strong hands and impressive natural strength for someone listed at 215 pounds. It won’t take him long to get to 250+ pounds. Osafo-Mensah’s feel for the game is excellent, and he knows how to use his hands to beat blocks and keep blockers off his legs. Once his body fills out he’s going to be extremely hard to block.
Athletically, Osafo-Mensah bursts off the line quite well and has excellent acceleration to the quarterback or ball carrier. That closing speed combines well with his size and feel for the game to give him immense potential as a pass rusher at the next level. He fits at the drop end position in the Notre Dame defense, but he will need to learn to play in coverage and will have to work on being more consistent with his get off.
Top Offers: Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech,
The Skinny: Spears has shown as much interest in Notre Dame as any target in the 2019 class. This weekend will be Spear's second visit to campus after taking the first trip for the USC game on Oct. 21.
As of now, Spears plans to announce his commitment on Sept. 15, his 18th birthday, and is looking the hardest at Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and TCU. Spears has a great relationship with defensive line coach Mike Elston, and Notre Dame has a great chance of eventually landing the Texas talent.
To read more from Spears previewing the visit, click HERE.
Driskell’s Take: Spears is a pure power player that brings position flexibility to the table. He can play as a four-down power end, much like current Notre Dame end Jay Hayes. Spears could play strongside end in a 3-4 defense and in time he could also develop into a three-technique in a four-down defense. His combination of skills makes him a potentially impact player at all three spots.
At 6-5 and 260 pounds, Spears already has the ideal size for the strongside end position. His body is still very young and needs a great deal of refinement, which is partly what makes him such an intriguing prospect. He has very good playing strength, holds up well when run at and shows the strength to shed blockers and get to the ball carrier, but that is all natural strength. Once he gets time in a college weight room and reshapes his body there is a strong chance his game really takes off.
Spears is a quality athlete for his size; he shows solid agility, he stays light on his feet and flashes a good burst off the line. His balance is impressive, and Spears shows a good understanding of angles, which helps him work through blockers. Moving forward Spears will have to work on his second gear around the edge, using his hands better off the snap and finishing better.
Top Offers: Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin
The Skinny: Out of all the uncommitted prospects headed to South Bend this weekend, Smith has been to Notre Dame the most. The Rivals150 defensive tackle will be making his fourth trip to Notre Dame since the summer where he earned an offer during a camp and became a top target for the Irish staff.
Smith took in two games this fall (Georgia and USC) and came away even more impressed with the Irish program after each trip. Following the USC visit, Smith stated he didn't have a top list, but he thought the Irish would be around the top two or three.
Like Anderson, BGI believes the Irish are in good spot to land one of the nation's top defensive tackles in 2019.
To read more from Smith's last trip, click HERE.
Driskell’s Take: It is easy to see why the Notre Dame staff has made Smith a high priority . He’s everything Notre Dame needs inside. Smith is a short, squatty defender with excellent size (6-3, 302). He can play with power and eat up space, and he can penetrate and make plays in the backfield. Smith could play both the nose tackle and three-technique in the Irish 4-2-5 defense.
Smith is an extremely physical player with an elite punch and outstanding natural strength. He’ll need to improve his conditioning and reshape his body a bit, but Smith will enter college with enough strength to push for early playing time. His punch allows him to shock blockers at the snap and to stack and shed when his technique is right. Once his hand play improves, Smith will be extremely difficult to handle. Part of that will include improving his ability to keep blockers off his body and off his legs.
Smith is a nimble athlete for a big man, showing an impressive burst off the line, good agility and very good balance. That allows him to stay off the ground even when he lets blockers get into his legs. Smith is a punishing tackler that does a very good job keeping his eyes up when he comes off the line. He’ll need to be more consistent with his pad level, but Smith plays with a good motor.
Top Offers: Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin
The Skinny: Hickman added Notre Dame to his offer last in May and will be making his first trip to South Bend this weekend. The Rivals150 athlete hasn't said much during the process in terms of his Irish interest, but told BGI in the summer that the program's combination of academics and athletics has his attention.
Given it is Hickman's first time in South Bend, Notre Dame has an opportunity to really blow away the talented athlete. The Irish staff likes Hickman at safety.
Driskell’s Take: Hickman is a standout on both sides of the ball for DePaul Catholic, making plays at both wide receiver and cornerback. On offense, Hickman shows the size and ball skills to be an effective player, but the Irish staff likes him on defense.
Hickman has good size for a safety, although he plays mostly cornerback in high school. The DePaul standout has some tightness through the hips, which is why cornerback isn’t his best spot on defense, but as a safety it shouldn’t limit him at all. He shows good instincts as a football player and has very good ball skills on both sides of the ball. His foot quickness and above average speed combine with his leg and ability to accelerate to allow Hickman to cover a lot of ground.
Hickman is a strong athlete that competes hard for the football, tackles well and with some technique work will allow him to be physical in coverage. Most of his film is as a wide receiver, so it’s hard to evaluate him on defense, but all the physical tools are there.
Top Offers: Tennessee, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
The Skinny: Walker will make his second trip to Notre Dame this weekend after visiting over the summer. A game visit was in the plans for Walker, but an ACL injury early in his junior campaign put that on hold.
The Irish staff remained in constant communication with Walker after the injury, which stood out to him at the time. Walker told BGI he's been in touch a good bit with head coach Brian Kelly recently.
Walker is looking to get a better feel for the overall environment at Notre Dame including spending more time with the coaches, touring more of the campus and if he feels wanted by the staff.
To read more from Walker previewing the visit, click HERE.
Driskell’s Take: Walker is an interesting prospect, because right now he is more about potential than he is a dominant player at this point. Of course he’s a standout at the prep level, but his game needs a lot of technical work. Once that comes he could be really good, and that is why schools like Notre Dame have targeted him so early.
The Ensworth standout is a high-quality athlete with a lot of tools. He has good speed, good range and quick feet. He is a strong defender with a good punch and good tackling potential. Walker is a fluid athlete with loose hips and quick feet. All the tools are there for him to eventually develop into a top cover defender as either a cornerback or a safety.
Where Walker needs work is with his technique. He needs work on reading routes and using leverage in coverage. Walker allows himself to get moved by a receiver’s release, which opens up more room for the receiver to work. His footwork also needs to be improved. Far too often he loses his base and when a receiver cuts his feet are out of position. Once his footwork improves his man skills will become much better.
Top Offers: Auburn, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Penn State, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wisconsin
The Skinny: Like Sheffield, Wallace is another talented junior that recently added Notre Dame to his offer list. Wallace told BGI that he "couldn't stop smiling" once he learned he had an offer from the Irish.
During this weekend's visit, Wallace wants to "immerse" himself in the Notre Dame culture he's heard a lot about and bond with the coaches and players while touring all the school has to offer. Wallace is friends with Irish 2018 signee Derrik Allen.
Wallace is in no rush to make a decision, and the Irish could put themselves in a strong position with a good visit tomorrow.
To read more about Wallace and Notre Dame, click HERE.
Driskell’s Take: Wallace is one of my favorite cornerback prospects in this class. He plays both cornerback and safety for Lovett, but cornerback is where I see his future in college. There are a lot of athletic traits that I like about Wallace, but his feel for the game is the first thing that jumps out. Wallace is a highly instinctive player that makes good jumps on the ball, shows good route recognition ability and has a natural feel for playing the ball in the air.
The Lovett standout is an impressive athlete, possessing all the physical traits you want in a top cornerback, with the exception of height. His speed is good enough to play man coverage, but his other traits help him to play even faster than I bet he tests. His footwork is excellent; Wallace has top-level foot quickness, impressive agility and he’s extremely fluid. His change of direction and transition skills are excellent.
Wallace is a willing tackler that covers a lot of ground. He could play safety in college, but his size would be a bit of a limiting factor, but it wouldn’t be at cornerback. His athleticism and instincts makes football look very easy for him.
Top Offers: Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, Texas A&M
The Skinny: After a commitment to Florida State that lasted over nine months, Watson opened up his recruitment and quickly set up a visit to Notre Dame.
The Irish staff has been making a strong push for the Rivals100 prospect over the past few months which paid off with Saturday's trip. Watson is looking forward to experiencing Notre Dame for the first time and learning more about the program on an off the field.
Watson has built a solid relationship with running backs coach Autry Denson and cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght during the process. The defensive back isn't going to jump into another commitment and plans to make several more trips in the coming weeks.
To read more about Watson's thoughts on Junior Day, click HERE.
Driskell’s Take: Getting he former Florida State commit on campus this early will be huge for Notre Dame. Watson is an extremely talented player that could be a starter at cornerback or safety at the next level. Unlike some cornerback prospects who might be able to play corner but definitely can play safety, Watson projects as a starting caliber player at both spots.
Watson has elite length for a cornerback, looking every bit of the 6-2 he is listed at by Rivals. The Grayson standout has long arms and long legs, and he’s a long strider that covers a lot of ground. His length makes his speed deceiving, but make no mistake, Watson can run. He can show good short area speed and quickness, a must for cornerback, and he can show the long speed and range needed to thrive at safety.
His overall athletic skillset is really impressive. A lo of taller athletes tend to be tight in the hips, but that isn’t an issue for Watson, who is a smooth and fluid athlete with good transition speed. He changes direction with ease and drives downhill in a hurry versus the run game. Watson’s footwork and technique need work, but the tools are obvious with him.
Notre Dame will also welcome a few other visitors this weekend including three 2019 prospects looking for an offer and a 2020 prospect with an offer already.
2019
Norwin (Pa.) High three-star safety Jayvon Thrift will also be in town with offers from West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, among others. Thrift will be joined by fellow Pennsylvania product Keith Maguire of Malvern (Pa.) Malvern Prep. The three-star linebacker ranks as the No. 12 inside linebacker in the class. He holds early offers from Baylor, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia and West Virginia, among others.
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