There is a lot happening along the defensive line, so we decided to check in with our sources and here is the latest on where things stand.
*** Four was the ideal number for the defensive line class, and Notre Dame has gotten to that number. With that being true, sources indicated that the staff will only take another DE if they view him as an impact player, and the drop position is where they want that play to be. With three of the four players in the current class projected as strongside ends or interior players, adding another drop to go with Jordan Bolelho is the goal, but if they don't get an impact player at the position they are just fine with where they are right now. Right now there is really only one pure defensive end recruit currently on the board.
*** The reason Bakersfield (Calif.) Christian three-star Benjamin Yurosek isn't visiting Notre Dame on the 21st of June is because that visit weekend was no longer an option for him. Notre Dame has moved on from Yurosek, and the reasons above explain why. He is not a pure drop candidate is is viewed more as a strongside player. Stanford has been in a very good position with him for awhile, and with Notre Dame no longer on him it makes the odds of him landing at Stanford even greater, which is why I put my FutureCast pick in for Stanford yesterday.
*** The same is true for Dedham (Mass.) Noble & Greenough School three-star athlete Cam Large. Most schools are recruiting Large as a tight end, but Notre Dame was looking at him to play defense. Large projects as a strongside player, and that is why Notre Dame backed off of him and why he never set up a visit to South Bend for June.
*** Buford (Ga.) Lanier four-star end Phillip Webb recently noted that he was considering a Notre Dame visit, but that visit won't be happening because he is another player that the Irish staff has recently stopped recruiting. Webb was always a long shot, but with the staff comfortable with its current numbers and liking another player more, our sources informed us that Webb was not going to be in the mix moving forward.
*** So where does that leave the board now? At this point, after talking to sources, it seems there is one player on the board, and that is Olney (Md.) Good Counsel three-star Mitchell Melton. It would seem Notre Dame is much higher on Melton than the services, who all rank him as a three-star recruit, but the staff views him as an impact athlete with a lot of upside. Talking to BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell, the reason for Melton being a top target, beside just the fact Notre Dame thinks he's really talented, is that he is the ideal complement to Botelho. Melton comes off the edge in high school but also spends a lot of time as an off-ball linebacker that shows prowess in coverage. That gives him good all-around drop traits, which would complement Botelho quite nicely. Botelho is more of an impact edge rusher, but Melton brings the all-around game, which makes that duo similar to the current duo of Julian Okwara (Botelho) and Daeiln Hayes (Melton).
*** Talking to different sources, there are two reasons Notre Dame has narrowed things down when it comes to defensive line recruiting. One, they are comfortable with the current roster and two, as we have discussed in other updates, the numbers for this class are going to be smaller, so the only way the staff was going to get to 5-6 defensive linemen was if they were able to land extra impact players. So going through spring practice and then the May evaluation period, it would seem decisions were made to focus on numbers at other positions, which is why Notre Dame originally went after some linemen but then backed off.
*** Four was the ideal number for the defensive line class, and Notre Dame has gotten to that number. With that being true, sources indicated that the staff will only take another DE if they view him as an impact player, and the drop position is where they want that play to be. With three of the four players in the current class projected as strongside ends or interior players, adding another drop to go with Jordan Bolelho is the goal, but if they don't get an impact player at the position they are just fine with where they are right now. Right now there is really only one pure defensive end recruit currently on the board.
*** The reason Bakersfield (Calif.) Christian three-star Benjamin Yurosek isn't visiting Notre Dame on the 21st of June is because that visit weekend was no longer an option for him. Notre Dame has moved on from Yurosek, and the reasons above explain why. He is not a pure drop candidate is is viewed more as a strongside player. Stanford has been in a very good position with him for awhile, and with Notre Dame no longer on him it makes the odds of him landing at Stanford even greater, which is why I put my FutureCast pick in for Stanford yesterday.
*** The same is true for Dedham (Mass.) Noble & Greenough School three-star athlete Cam Large. Most schools are recruiting Large as a tight end, but Notre Dame was looking at him to play defense. Large projects as a strongside player, and that is why Notre Dame backed off of him and why he never set up a visit to South Bend for June.
*** Buford (Ga.) Lanier four-star end Phillip Webb recently noted that he was considering a Notre Dame visit, but that visit won't be happening because he is another player that the Irish staff has recently stopped recruiting. Webb was always a long shot, but with the staff comfortable with its current numbers and liking another player more, our sources informed us that Webb was not going to be in the mix moving forward.
*** So where does that leave the board now? At this point, after talking to sources, it seems there is one player on the board, and that is Olney (Md.) Good Counsel three-star Mitchell Melton. It would seem Notre Dame is much higher on Melton than the services, who all rank him as a three-star recruit, but the staff views him as an impact athlete with a lot of upside. Talking to BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell, the reason for Melton being a top target, beside just the fact Notre Dame thinks he's really talented, is that he is the ideal complement to Botelho. Melton comes off the edge in high school but also spends a lot of time as an off-ball linebacker that shows prowess in coverage. That gives him good all-around drop traits, which would complement Botelho quite nicely. Botelho is more of an impact edge rusher, but Melton brings the all-around game, which makes that duo similar to the current duo of Julian Okwara (Botelho) and Daeiln Hayes (Melton).
*** Talking to different sources, there are two reasons Notre Dame has narrowed things down when it comes to defensive line recruiting. One, they are comfortable with the current roster and two, as we have discussed in other updates, the numbers for this class are going to be smaller, so the only way the staff was going to get to 5-6 defensive linemen was if they were able to land extra impact players. So going through spring practice and then the May evaluation period, it would seem decisions were made to focus on numbers at other positions, which is why Notre Dame originally went after some linemen but then backed off.
