1. TE Tyler Eifert
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.6, 24th TE
College Offers: Cincinnati, Indiana, Minnesota, NW, Purdue, Vandy, Wake Forest
Why he makes the top 10: ND is TE U, and Eifert belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of it. He was a TE/WR recruit coming out of H.S. and was an afterthought considering he started his career injured. Not a lot of people thought he could fill the shoes of Rudolph, but after the 2012 season not only did we forgot about Rudolph, he made us forget about Calson and Fasano too. It’s easy to see how great Eifert is now but coming out of HS no one would have predicted he’d become an All-American or an all-time great at ND. Eifert is the also the only player on this list to be drafted in the first round. Eifert was drafted in the 1st round by the Bengals.
2. QB Tommy Rees
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.7, 31st QB
College Offers: Bowling Green, Cent. Michigan, Miami (OH), Stanford, Tennessee
Why he makes the top 10: Tommy is the ultimate "sleeper" recruit, many people questioned why he was even offered by Kelly and if wasn't for Eifert being possibly the greatest TE at ND Tommy would be #1.For all the agony he put Irish fans through, his numbers at ND were very impressive and for everything Tommy was not, statistically he was one of the best QB in school history (#3 passing yards, #2 TD, 133.5 Passing Efficiency Rating). Tommy went undrafted
3. LB Joe Schmidt
Rivals Rankings: 0 Star, 0 rating, No Position Rank
College Offers: Air Force, Cincinnati
Why he makes the top 10: Soon to be two-time (I think) captain of the Fighting Irish. Joe is the only former walk-on player in my top ten which gives him even more credit to his "overachiever" status. He started 8 games in 2014 for the Irish but an injury stopped his promising season. Schmidt led the Irish in tackles (65) and solo tackles (42) at the time of a season-ending injury suffered at Navy. He is slated to start again in 2015, pretty impressive for a guy rivals gave 0 stars to as a recruit.
4. DB Matthias Farley
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.5, No Position Rank
College Offers: Duke, Illinois, Maryland, UNC, NCST, UCLA, Wisconsin
Why he makes the top 10: 151 tackles, 7 INT, and 9.5 tackles for loss (so far) earns Farley the #4 spot on my list. He was originally recruited as a WR but was moved to DB his freshman year. His leadership and toughness is unmeasurable and in 2014 he recorded 4 sacks too… Not bad for a recruit that was not even ranked at his position by rivals and only had 7 offers.
5. CB Bennett Jackson
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.7, 61st WR
College Offers: BC, UConn, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, NW, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, WV
Why he makes the top 10: In 2010 Jackson had 645 return yards and only 20 receiving yards as a WR/KR. But after making the switch to DB in 2011 he flourished especially in 2012. That year he had 4 INT and in 2013 he added two more picks including a pick 6 all while playing through a shoulder injury. He started every game in 2012 and 2013 and in 2012 he played so well he had to decide if he wanted to enter the draft or stay in school. Bennett was drafted in the 6th round by the NYG.
6. RB Cam McDaniel
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.6, No Position Rank
College Offers: Air Force, Army, Cincinnati, Colorado, Iowa, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, Navy, Stanford, Tulsa
Why he makes the top 10: Despite being the overlooked RB in the 2011 class (GAIII was in the same class) and a one time DB, Cam amassed over 1,000 yards and 8 TD in his career at ND. Cam led the Irish in rushing in 2013 and was named Captain in 2014. In 2013 Cam ran for 92 yds in a win against USC, that alone might have got him on my list. Cam went undrafted
7. WR/RB CJ Prosise
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.5, No Position Rank
College Offers: BC, Cincinnati, Duke, Maryland, UNC, Penn State, Vandy, Virginia, VT, Wake Forest, Wisconsin
Why he makes the top 10: Coach Brian Kelly's praise of Prosise this past spring might be just coach talk but considering where rivals had Prosise ranked out of HS he has makes the list. Prosise is arguably the most athletic player on the squad, and his 17.8 average yards per catch led the team last year. Prosise will move to RB this season and has a chance to move higher on this list. His 50 yd TD run in the Music City Bowl shows just how fast and electric he can be. ND fans are expecting big things from this year from the former 3 star, as a RB, WR and possible KR.
8. WR Chris Brown
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.7, 81st WR
College Offers: Arkansas, Cincinnati, E. Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky, Marshall, Middle Tennessee St., Morgan St. S. Carolina, UCF, Vandy, Virginia, VT, Wake Forest
Why he makes the top 10: The class of 2012 had three WR commits, 5 star Devonte Neal, Brown and Justin Ferguson. Ferguson and Neal are no longer with ND and Brown will probably be a starter in his second consecutive season. Brown has one more year at ND and has over 800 receiving yards to his credit. Brown is a threat to catch a long TD every time he steps on the field. Rising junior Corey Robinson will limit his catches in 2015 but he should be a major contributor again.
9. S Austin Collinsworth
Rivals Rankings: 3 Star, 5.5, No Position Rank
College Offers: Kentucky, Louisville, Middle Tennessee St., Oregon, Stanford, Vandy
Why he makes the top 10: Austin was named team captain in 2014, but his best season came in 2013. He led the Irish with 3 INT. In 2011, Jackson was named Notre Dame Special Teams Player of the Year after leading the Irish with 16 tackles on special teams, including team-best 14 tackles on kickoffs. Jackson's leadership puts him in the top 10 but due to injuries, he is low on the list. Collinsworth went undrafted
10. QB Everett Golson
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.7, 16th QB
College Offers: Clemson, Duke, E. Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, UNC, Ohio State, S. Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas Tech, VT
Why he makes the top 10: I'm putting Everett on the list because he was a 3 star recruit by Rivals. He comes in at number 10 because most thought he should have been a four star recruit, so his expectations were a bit higher than most 3 star recruits. His H.S. accomplishments and college offers screamed four star talent but his lack of size scared the Rivals "experts" off. His 2012 season was incredible considering it was his first year as the starting QB. And in 2014 his stats were some of the best in the country, well at least through the first 6 games. Golson will leave ND as one of the most exciting and talented QB's to play at he school but also as one of the most frustrating to follow due to his troubles off the field and his lack of leadership on it. In 2 years at ND he had over 5,000 yds passing and 55 total TD.
Others "overachievers" for consideration
WR John Goodman 3 seasons under BK
DT Kona Schwenke 3 seasons under BK
WR Roby Toma 3 seasons under BK
K Kyle Brindza 4 seasons under BK (I didn't put him in the top 10 because kickers are always rated low on rivals)
S/LB John Turner 3 seasons under BK
DE Romeo Okwara 3 seasons under BK
DT Ian Williams 9 games under BK
LB Carlo Calabrese 4 seasons under BK
Players who have a chance to make the list
DT Daniel Cage
LB Greer Martini
DE Andrew Trumbetti
S Dru Tranquill
TE Durham Smythe
Next I will do top 10 underachievers.
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.6, 24th TE
College Offers: Cincinnati, Indiana, Minnesota, NW, Purdue, Vandy, Wake Forest
Why he makes the top 10: ND is TE U, and Eifert belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of it. He was a TE/WR recruit coming out of H.S. and was an afterthought considering he started his career injured. Not a lot of people thought he could fill the shoes of Rudolph, but after the 2012 season not only did we forgot about Rudolph, he made us forget about Calson and Fasano too. It’s easy to see how great Eifert is now but coming out of HS no one would have predicted he’d become an All-American or an all-time great at ND. Eifert is the also the only player on this list to be drafted in the first round. Eifert was drafted in the 1st round by the Bengals.
2. QB Tommy Rees
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.7, 31st QB
College Offers: Bowling Green, Cent. Michigan, Miami (OH), Stanford, Tennessee
Why he makes the top 10: Tommy is the ultimate "sleeper" recruit, many people questioned why he was even offered by Kelly and if wasn't for Eifert being possibly the greatest TE at ND Tommy would be #1.For all the agony he put Irish fans through, his numbers at ND were very impressive and for everything Tommy was not, statistically he was one of the best QB in school history (#3 passing yards, #2 TD, 133.5 Passing Efficiency Rating). Tommy went undrafted
3. LB Joe Schmidt
Rivals Rankings: 0 Star, 0 rating, No Position Rank
College Offers: Air Force, Cincinnati
Why he makes the top 10: Soon to be two-time (I think) captain of the Fighting Irish. Joe is the only former walk-on player in my top ten which gives him even more credit to his "overachiever" status. He started 8 games in 2014 for the Irish but an injury stopped his promising season. Schmidt led the Irish in tackles (65) and solo tackles (42) at the time of a season-ending injury suffered at Navy. He is slated to start again in 2015, pretty impressive for a guy rivals gave 0 stars to as a recruit.
4. DB Matthias Farley
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.5, No Position Rank
College Offers: Duke, Illinois, Maryland, UNC, NCST, UCLA, Wisconsin
Why he makes the top 10: 151 tackles, 7 INT, and 9.5 tackles for loss (so far) earns Farley the #4 spot on my list. He was originally recruited as a WR but was moved to DB his freshman year. His leadership and toughness is unmeasurable and in 2014 he recorded 4 sacks too… Not bad for a recruit that was not even ranked at his position by rivals and only had 7 offers.
5. CB Bennett Jackson
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.7, 61st WR
College Offers: BC, UConn, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, NW, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, WV
Why he makes the top 10: In 2010 Jackson had 645 return yards and only 20 receiving yards as a WR/KR. But after making the switch to DB in 2011 he flourished especially in 2012. That year he had 4 INT and in 2013 he added two more picks including a pick 6 all while playing through a shoulder injury. He started every game in 2012 and 2013 and in 2012 he played so well he had to decide if he wanted to enter the draft or stay in school. Bennett was drafted in the 6th round by the NYG.
6. RB Cam McDaniel
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.6, No Position Rank
College Offers: Air Force, Army, Cincinnati, Colorado, Iowa, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, Navy, Stanford, Tulsa
Why he makes the top 10: Despite being the overlooked RB in the 2011 class (GAIII was in the same class) and a one time DB, Cam amassed over 1,000 yards and 8 TD in his career at ND. Cam led the Irish in rushing in 2013 and was named Captain in 2014. In 2013 Cam ran for 92 yds in a win against USC, that alone might have got him on my list. Cam went undrafted
7. WR/RB CJ Prosise
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.5, No Position Rank
College Offers: BC, Cincinnati, Duke, Maryland, UNC, Penn State, Vandy, Virginia, VT, Wake Forest, Wisconsin
Why he makes the top 10: Coach Brian Kelly's praise of Prosise this past spring might be just coach talk but considering where rivals had Prosise ranked out of HS he has makes the list. Prosise is arguably the most athletic player on the squad, and his 17.8 average yards per catch led the team last year. Prosise will move to RB this season and has a chance to move higher on this list. His 50 yd TD run in the Music City Bowl shows just how fast and electric he can be. ND fans are expecting big things from this year from the former 3 star, as a RB, WR and possible KR.
8. WR Chris Brown
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.7, 81st WR
College Offers: Arkansas, Cincinnati, E. Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky, Marshall, Middle Tennessee St., Morgan St. S. Carolina, UCF, Vandy, Virginia, VT, Wake Forest
Why he makes the top 10: The class of 2012 had three WR commits, 5 star Devonte Neal, Brown and Justin Ferguson. Ferguson and Neal are no longer with ND and Brown will probably be a starter in his second consecutive season. Brown has one more year at ND and has over 800 receiving yards to his credit. Brown is a threat to catch a long TD every time he steps on the field. Rising junior Corey Robinson will limit his catches in 2015 but he should be a major contributor again.
9. S Austin Collinsworth
Rivals Rankings: 3 Star, 5.5, No Position Rank
College Offers: Kentucky, Louisville, Middle Tennessee St., Oregon, Stanford, Vandy
Why he makes the top 10: Austin was named team captain in 2014, but his best season came in 2013. He led the Irish with 3 INT. In 2011, Jackson was named Notre Dame Special Teams Player of the Year after leading the Irish with 16 tackles on special teams, including team-best 14 tackles on kickoffs. Jackson's leadership puts him in the top 10 but due to injuries, he is low on the list. Collinsworth went undrafted
10. QB Everett Golson
Rivals Ranking: 3 Star, 5.7, 16th QB
College Offers: Clemson, Duke, E. Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, UNC, Ohio State, S. Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas Tech, VT
Why he makes the top 10: I'm putting Everett on the list because he was a 3 star recruit by Rivals. He comes in at number 10 because most thought he should have been a four star recruit, so his expectations were a bit higher than most 3 star recruits. His H.S. accomplishments and college offers screamed four star talent but his lack of size scared the Rivals "experts" off. His 2012 season was incredible considering it was his first year as the starting QB. And in 2014 his stats were some of the best in the country, well at least through the first 6 games. Golson will leave ND as one of the most exciting and talented QB's to play at he school but also as one of the most frustrating to follow due to his troubles off the field and his lack of leadership on it. In 2 years at ND he had over 5,000 yds passing and 55 total TD.
Others "overachievers" for consideration
WR John Goodman 3 seasons under BK
DT Kona Schwenke 3 seasons under BK
WR Roby Toma 3 seasons under BK
K Kyle Brindza 4 seasons under BK (I didn't put him in the top 10 because kickers are always rated low on rivals)
S/LB John Turner 3 seasons under BK
DE Romeo Okwara 3 seasons under BK
DT Ian Williams 9 games under BK
LB Carlo Calabrese 4 seasons under BK
Players who have a chance to make the list
DT Daniel Cage
LB Greer Martini
DE Andrew Trumbetti
S Dru Tranquill
TE Durham Smythe
Next I will do top 10 underachievers.
