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Ranking the 2021 Signees

Bumpdaddy

ND Expert
Oct 20, 2014
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I’m a little late doing this. Sorry for the delay. As usual, I’d love to see as many of you as possible go on record with your own rankings (you don’t have to include comments as I did). You can see my and other board-member rankings for 2019 HERE (I’m really liking my Kyren ranking so far) and 2020 HERE (remember, it’s still early).

Obviously, this year’s rankings are a bit iffier. Not many camps, no official visits, and no all-star games. Several players had their senior seasons canceled entirely while others were only able to play a handful of games, so the recruiting sites did a lot more guessing than usual. That being said, I honestly believe we ended up with a very strong class with some amazing talent at the top and the top being much deeper than normal. I also think we have more hidden gems than usual.

I've ranked the players according to how much of an impact I think they will have while playing at ND. Players that I think have the potential to be multi-year starters and/or possibly a 1st or 2nd round NFL draft pick are ranked near the top of the list. Players that I think will likely be backups for most of their ND careers will be ranked near the bottom. The rest will be filled in between accordingly.

And, since the class is pretty huge, I've split the rankings in half so that I don't exceed the character limit per post.

2021 signee rankings 1-14

1. Tyler Buchner, QB
- Let's get the negatives out of the way first. He has question marks: He's only had 1 full year as a starting HS QB after getting injured his SO year and his SR year was canceled. His short to intermediate passing game has never been his strong suit and he raised even more question marks after he switched to a new private QB coach and then had some rocky throwing sessions at the Elite 11 finals. If that hadn't have happened I think he would have remained everyone's number 1 ranked ND recruit. I’m sticking with him at #1 because everything that was true about him before the Elite 11 is still true - he has a strong arm, throws a great deep ball, has elite improvisational skills, and runs very well. So while he might be the biggest bust risk within the top 7 recruits, his upside is still the highest too and I’m banking on that upside winning out. I’m banking that he will get his short-passing issues fixed, that he will be the starter by 2022, and that he has a good chance to be the best all-around QB we've had in the BK era.

2. Rocco Spindler, OL - Deciding between Big Blake and Rocco at #2 was difficult but I went with Rocco because he is closer to being physically ready right now and I think there are less questions about what his best position will be - I'm guessing either G or C but most likely G. He's an incredible athlete who is destined to be a 3-year starter, eventual all-American, and an early-round draft pick.

3. Blake Fisher, OL - "The Mayor" is one strong, massive beast who tosses dudes like rag dolls. He has good, consistent knee bend and good hands. He gets off balance at times, however, and will need Balis's help to continue to refine his body; something almost every young O-linemen needs. Within a year or two, I expect him to be dominating as a starter somewhere but will it be LT, RT, or G? That’s still up in the air.

4. Gabriel Rubio, DT –Mason Smith is Rivals’ #1 overall player in 2021, the #1 DT, and the #2 composite DT. I challenge anyone to find a significant difference between his film and Gabe’s film. Yes, that sounds overboard but go ahead and compare the tapes. Gabe is special. He is a relentless brute who I believe will be the best DT recruit of BK’s tenure.

5. Prince Kollie, LB – It’s crazy that I have Kollie ranked 5th but that’s how good the top 4 are. There was angst early on that he was just our plan C guy (I’m looking at you IIO… wherever you are), but plan C, D, or whatever, it doesn’t matter. The Butkus Award winner is a hard-hitting all-around athlete who is going to be a stud for us for at least a few years before he gets drafted.

6. Lorenzo Styles Jr., WR – electric in a way that we haven’t seen at the WR position in BK’s tenure. Torii Hunter, Jr. before the injuries is the closest comparison but Styles is a faster, quicker version. He would be a game-breaking slot receiver on most teams but, so far, ND hasn’t figured out how to feature that position and Styles definitely needs to be featured. Maybe Styles will inspire a philosophy change or maybe he mostly lines up on the outside much like Fuller did. Either way, they will need to find a way to throw to him often.

7. Deion Colzie, WR – This is the type of WR BK and co. know exactly how to use. And he isn’t just some dude that has similar measurables to Boykin and Claypool. His game is also similar in that he has very good speed, runs fluid, has great hands, and has a physicality that makes him very hard to defend. He’s only going to get bigger, stronger, and faster under Balis and will be scary good by his jr. year.

8. Philip Riley, DB – Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. A boring word but exciting to see from a CB recruit on film. This guy sticks to people and his ball skills are high level. I would love to rank him higher but that would mean I’d have to rank someone else lower and I can’t do that so don’t let this ranking fool you.

9. Joe Alt, OL – this is the first reach on this list but not totally out of left field since he’s also at the top of most observers’ “better than his star-rating” list. He’s at the top of that list for me as well, but I think I actually have him ranked higher overall than most. He has the frame and length of a left tackle. He moves and blocks extremely well. He just needs to grow into that frame without losing much mobility and, word is, he is currently doing just that. Within the next 2 years or so, he’s got a pretty good shot at being the starting left tackle, and if that happens, even this relatively high ranking will seem too low.

10. Audric Estime, RB – I had to rank one of the two 4-star RBs higher and Estime was the easy pick for me. He’s big, strong, fast, and explosive, but the clear clinchers for me are his feet, vision, and balance. Diggs is good in all 3 areas as well but Estime is on another level. And he looks a bit faster than Diggs too. Happy to have both in the fold but I think Estime will be number 1 in a 1-2 punch and will be a national name at some point.

11. Justin Walters, DB – this is my next reach and a much bigger one than Alt. Look, he was destined to see a ratings bump after the camp circuit and a senior season but neither happened due to Covid, so he committed early as a 3-star and I think a lot of people sort of forgot about him. He was told by the coaches that he’s similar to Alohi and that definitely shows up on film but he is a slightly taller version who hits really, really hard. If you checked out his signing day video you will see that he is an all-business, lunch pail type of player that has future captain written all over him.

12. JoJo Johnson, DB – whaddya know… another rankings reach and a bigger reach than the last one. JoJo is a dynamic athlete. And he’s capital F FAST. He needs a lot of refinement as a CB, but if that doesn’t work out I’d be shocked if they don’t find a use for him somewhere including on offense. He has too much talent to stay on the sidelines.

13. Khari Gee, S (or LB?) – under-ranked by most of the services but highly ranked by most Irish fans and for good reason. He has the length at safety every coach would drool over, but is that where he’ll end up playing? I know he’s listed as a safety right now and solid posters like Telx like him to stay there… Heck, I like him there, but he’s been showing good physical growth every year and he plays more like a LB to me so I think he’ll end up being either a rover or a will. No matter where he ends up, he’s going to be good and will outperform his star-rating.

14. Devin Aupiu, DE – I really like his frame, his athleticism, and his potential. Balis and Elston just need to develop him and I think they will.
 
2021 signee rankings 15-27

15. Mitchell Evans, TE
– Yes another reach and I have him ranked higher than Berrong. I really like Berrong but Evans appears to have more potential. He’s a very smooth runner for a big guy and there just aren’t many guys out there like him. If TE doesn’t work out then he could be an athletic OT somewhere down the line.

16. Ryan Barnes, DB – When you see Barnes at number 16 then you know this class is stacked… or at least I’m that one homer who believes it is. Ordinarily, Barnes would easily be a top 10 recruit. He covers a lot of ground in a hurry and he’s a terrific tackler. If he doesn’t end up at CB he will likely do very well at S. There’s really nothing I don’t like about him.

17. Will Schweitzer, DE – Schweitzer reminds me of a slightly taller version of Jack Lamb and that’s no knock since Lamb was a pretty good player before his injury. He won’t be playing the same position, obviously, and he’ll need to bulk up, but I think he has a very good chance to crack the 2-deep by his jr. season.

18. Logan Diggs, RB – I could easily be wrong with this ranking and I hope I am. If I am then that’s really great news for the ND backfield over the next few years. By no means do I think Diggs will be a bust. I just think he’s more of a complimentary back than a feature back, or at least I believe he will be used that way because there will always be 1 or 2 guys just ahead of him. He runs hard, has good feet, and has a really nice all-around game. I just think Estime is a step above.

19. Kahanu Kia, LB – A longer-than-tall athlete who covers ground quickly with long strides. A great tackler with a high motor. If he takes his Mormon mission after his fr. year we may not see him on the field until after 2023.

20. Cane Berrong, TE – Cane is ESPN’s #1 H-back TE in the 2021 class and I can see why. His game is a bit like Tremble’s – very good blocker and runner who can catch. He actually might have better hands than Tremble. He is a safer bet to succeed than Evans who I rated higher but only because of Evans’ higher ceiling. I really like Cane regardless.

21. Caleb Johnson, OL – He’s in the “first off the bus” club. Big dude who mauls people on the football field. He has the length of an OT but moves more like an OG. I’d love to put him higher but the other guys stand out more.

22. Chance Tucker, DB – I have Chance ranked lower than most and I hope I regret it. He looks fast, is very fluid and has good cover skills. Perfect DB, right? Well, he’s also a bit small and gets pushed around too much. He has moxie, though, so maybe that and some added muscle will get him into the lineup over the next few years.

23. Jason Onye, DE – Onye is a project, which isn’t a bad thing since our last project at DE will likely be drafted in a couple of months. He’s a very good run stopper and a decent pass rusher. If he can get his upper body to be as thick as his lower body, I actually like him better as a DT prospect.

24. Jayden Thomas, WR – There’s nothing I don’t like about Thomas’ game but there isn’t much I love either. Well, maybe his hands. He looks like he might have very good hands and that might be what puts him ahead of some other guys with more overall talent.

25. Joshua Bryan, K – He’s a very good punter too. He looks like he has a stronger leg than what we’ve been used to over the last several years. He might give Doerer a run for his money this fall.

26. Pat Coogan, OL – There’s actually nothing I don’t like about Coogan. He’s mean and nasty. He’s a bit like Trevor Ruhland was in HS but with better feet. There are just too many better prospects ahead of him. Hopefully, he’ll prove me wrong.

27. Ron Powlus III, QB – Most of us know the story here. Happy to have him.

For what it’s worth, I would have ranked Abiara ahead of Aupiu and Schweitzer but he also would have been used differently. I’m happy with the two DE’s we got regardless. Overall, I think this is one of BK’s strongest classes.

That’s it. Looking forward to seeing some of these lower-ranked guys make me look silly.

Now, for posterity’s sake, let’s see some rankings from the rest of you.
 
Whoa.... this is a hardcore thread. I woudn't even know where to start. I'm an armchair 'expert' at very best, and I definitely don't geek out on recruiting like I used to when I first joined Rivals, which I will admit was very much a guilty pleasure thing to do. So I'll just throw in some remarks about a few players...

-- Buchner of course looks to be the dream, messianic QB we've been waiting and pining for all this time during the BK years. Someone who can really be that transcendent QB everyone insists we have to have. His video is dazzling, and he certainly looks the part overall to a T of the ideal ND type recruit. So much so that I could have seen him possibly starting as a true frosh if it weren't for covid robbing him of his senior year. And now we have Jack Coan thank goodness.

-- I kind of like Logan Diggs, and I'm pretty glad that he stuck with ND even though he did actually sign a LOI in December and any theatrics over him vacillating between ND/LSU was essentially a sham, if I understand correctly. But given how well Kyren has done as a similarly unheralded tier-two or tier-three type prospect, I'm hoping for something similar from Diggs. His video is not bad at all.

-- Being from Hawaii myself, I'm stoked about Kia, but come to find out he's Morman and will take a mission and I'm wondering if he'll ever end up suiting up for us. But his video looks great, he definitely looks good enough to compete at ND IMO. If Nick Herbig, who we probably should have recruited in addition to JB, can be a frosh A-A, KK can certainly play for us.

-- I like Justin Walters as a potential big-hitting SS and a homeboy from the Chicago area. He's going to be the next Glenn Earl!

-- Everyone seems to think Lorenzo Styles is a legit special talent, and that's awesome, but I wonder if he's more of a natural at CB. And if true I'd certainly be willing to take a 1st-round CB and we'll just find different WRs.

-- I haven't even glanced at Khari Gee's film, but I'm just stoked to get a NSD flip like that out of the blue from a fairly top-end prospect. That's a good sign of an ascending program. Estime too of course.

-- And I'm high on Gabriel Rubio. Another kid who was born to play for ND, and if I recall his clips are pretty impressive as well. Getting premium DL is always huge.

-- And of course gotta mention Powlus. Everybody knows that programs give out scholarships to legacy players sometimes, when they otherwise wouldn't have been considered, especially prominent legacies like two-time Heisman non-winner Ron Powlus Sr. And Jr.'s clips look impressive to me. I would absolutely consider Ron Powlus III as someone with easy potential to be a starter at ND, no less than Ian Book when he entered the program. Is he likely to start for us at ND one fine day?? Probably not, to be fair. But this is not some glorified preferred walk-on as favor for a friend. He has legit D-1 tools. Practically looks like Jeff George in his HS clips. He definitely has arm talent, and we'll just go from there.
 
Bump - Your 2019 rankings were more or less spot on. Well done.

How would you rank the 2021 class as a whole compared to the past 4-5 ND recruiting classes?
 
"Everyone seems to think Lorenzo Styles is a legit special talent, and that's awesome, but I wonder if he's more of a natural at CB. And if true I'd certainly be willing to take a 1st-round CB and we'll just find different WRs. "

Having seen him up close and personal, he is not a bad DB -- has the skill set to do it. But, he is a special talent with the ball in his hands as well.

His younger brother on the other hand -- will be one of the top DB's in the country when he is a senior in HS (will be a Jr in fall 2021).
 
"Everyone seems to think Lorenzo Styles is a legit special talent, and that's awesome, but I wonder if he's more of a natural at CB. And if true I'd certainly be willing to take a 1st-round CB and we'll just find different WRs. "

Having seen him up close and personal, he is not a bad DB -- has the skill set to do it. But, he is a special talent with the ball in his hands as well.

His younger brother on the other hand -- will be one of the top DB's in the country when he is a senior in HS (will be a Jr in fall 2021).

I don't know, if it were me, and my call, that guy would be a CB. We can find other WRs, but he looks like he could be another Patrick Petersen or Eric Berry or someone like that as a DB. But that's just my opinion, and he wants to play offense and that's where he's going to play and he does look pretty great with the ball in his hands too there's no doubt.

Let's at least stop comparing him to Tori Hunter. A lot of ND fans me included have him circled as the real deal, and someone who's going to be a special player. So no offense to Hunter, but I'm going to replace him with Devonta Smith as far as flattering comparisons for our young prodigy.
 
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Your 2019 predictions were astounding! I really hope you are right about Tyler... We are due for a transformative QB, not a knock on Book, who got us so many wins, but the kind of player who could help us beat a Bama...
 
Bump - Your 2019 rankings were more or less spot on. Well done.

How would you rank the 2021 class as a whole compared to the past 4-5 ND recruiting classes?

If I just go off of my impressions at the time and don't use any hindsight, I would rank the last 5 classes in this order (letter grade is in parentheses to indicate my overall feeling about each class at the time):

  1. 2021 (A)
  2. 2019 (A)
  3. 2020 (A-)
  4. 2018 (B+)
  5. 2017 (B-)

I believe the last 3 classes have been very good and the only reason I knocked 2020 down slightly is due to the staff's decision not to recruit any LBs and passing on a very solid prospect like Cody Simon.

I believe 2017 was the weakest class if for no other reason than BK and co. completely struck out on landing any CB prospects, and they only signed 2 DBs total - Isaiah Robertson and Jordan Genmark Heath who were both considered safeties at the time. I liked JGH at the time but I thought he might end up at LB, which he did, but never was able to become a full-time starter. Overall, I liked the rest of that class, but the hole the staff created at DB was too hard to ignore.

I have this year's class ranked at the top for two reasons: it's the biggest class so it has the most depth with no position holes, and the top-end talent is really deep. Most classes under BK have anywhere from 2-4 "can't miss" recruits (if there is such a thing) like Kyle Hamilton or Michael Mayer. I believe the top 7 in this class are 'can't miss.' I have Colzie at 7 and I can't picture him not starting and being a stud at some point. I'm very close to including Philip Riley in that list at number 8, but I need to get a better feel for how fast he runs. If he's at least around the 4.5 range then I think he's a lock to be a star.

And even though Buchner is the only one in my top 7 who might be a bust risk, he also has huge star potential at the most important position. I haven't felt this enthusiastic about a HS QB's film since Golson and I think Buchner's looks better. And the rest of the class has potential stars almost throughout.

Of course, they won't all be able to start but, if some of these guys end up being career backups, it will almost certainly mean BK and co. recruited studs in subsequent classes and, obviously, that just means we will have quality depth through pretty much every position.
 
If I just go off of my impressions at the time and don't use any hindsight, I would rank the last 5 classes in this order (letter grade is in parentheses to indicate my overall feeling about each class at the time):

  1. 2021 (A)
  2. 2019 (A)
  3. 2020 (A-)
  4. 2018 (B+)
  5. 2017 (B-)

I believe the last 3 classes have been very good and the only reason I knocked 2020 down slightly is due to the staff's decision not to recruit any LBs and passing on a very solid prospect like Cody Simon.

I believe 2017 was the weakest class if for no other reason than BK and co. completely struck out on landing any CB prospects, and they only signed 2 DBs total - Isaiah Robertson and Jordan Genmark Heath who were both considered safeties at the time. I liked JGH at the time but I thought he might end up at LB, which he did, but never was able to become a full-time starter. Overall, I liked the rest of that class, but the hole the staff created at DB was too hard to ignore.

I have this year's class ranked at the top for two reasons: it's the biggest class so it has the most depth with no position holes, and the top-end talent is really deep. Most classes under BK have anywhere from 2-4 "can't miss" recruits (if there is such a thing) like Kyle Hamilton or Michael Mayer. I believe the top 7 in this class are 'can't miss.' I have Colzie at 7 and I can't picture him not starting and being a stud at some point. I'm very close to including Philip Riley in that list at number 8, but I need to get a better feel for how fast he runs. If he's at least around the 4.5 range then I think he's a lock to be a star.

And even though Buchner is the only one in my top 7 who might be a bust risk, he also has huge star potential at the most important position. I haven't felt this enthusiastic about a HS QB's film since Golson and I think Buchner's looks better. And the rest of the class has potential stars almost throughout.

Of course, they won't all be able to start but, if some of these guys end up being career backups, it will almost certainly mean BK and co. recruited studs in subsequent classes and, obviously, that just means we will have quality depth through pretty much every position.

So what are your thoughts on the soon-to-be, presumably permanently relaxed transfer rules? Do you think that hurts or helps ND? It seems to me that if we're losing any numbers of players to the transfer portal each year, that will necessarily free up plenty of scholarships and we'll be able to take large classes every year, yes? Whether they are grad transfers who've already graduated after three calendar years, or guys who just up and leave, this is going to be a pretty earth-shaking rule change.
 
So what are your thoughts on the soon-to-be, presumably permanently relaxed transfer rules? Do you think that hurts or helps ND? It seems to me that if we're losing any numbers of players to the transfer portal each year, that will necessarily free up plenty of scholarships and we'll be able to take large classes every year, yes? Whether they are grad transfers who've already graduated after three calendar years, or guys who just up and leave, this is going to be a pretty earth-shaking rule change.
Well, it will be interesting to see if they leave the rule as is or if they tweak it or eventually get rid of it entirely. Right now, about half the kids in the transfer portal are not projected to get scholarships. Some will be forced out of football entirely and will have to pay their own way if they plan to get their degrees. If that percentage remains high over the next few years I don't see how the NCAA will want to continue with the rule as is.

As long as the percentage of portal-players who are left out in the cold is high, it should help ND quite a bit in the long run because players at high academic schools will likely be less inclined to risk transferring before they get their degrees.

But in the short-term, yes, I think we'll see more transfers which will mean our recruiting classes are likely to be larger than expected. That's great in terms of infusing the team with young, untapped potential each year, but it will be bad in terms of building quality depth and experience. I think all the big programs will likely be faced with the same problem so there likely won't be a real advantage or disadvantage for anyone.
 
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"Everyone seems to think Lorenzo Styles is a legit special talent, and that's awesome, but I wonder if he's more of a natural at CB. And if true I'd certainly be willing to take a 1st-round CB and we'll just find different WRs. "

Having seen him up close and personal, he is not a bad DB -- has the skill set to do it. But, he is a special talent with the ball in his hands as well.

His younger brother on the other hand -- will be one of the top DB's in the country when he is a senior in HS (will be a Jr in fall 2021).
Personally would like to see him at corner,returning kicks and 8-10 plays a game on offense. He's that dynamic.
 
"Everyone seems to think Lorenzo Styles is a legit special talent, and that's awesome, but I wonder if he's more of a natural at CB. And if true I'd certainly be willing to take a 1st-round CB and we'll just find different WRs. "

Having seen him up close and personal, he is not a bad DB -- has the skill set to do it. But, he is a special talent with the ball in his hands as well.

His younger brother on the other hand -- will be one of the top DB's in the country when he is a senior in HS (will be a Jr in fall 2021).
If Sonny has a growth spurt he'll be playing hoops at the next level. Amazing athlete.
 
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2021 signee rankings 15-27

15. Mitchell Evans, TE
– Yes another reach and I have him ranked higher than Berrong. I really like Berrong but Evans appears to have more potential. He’s a very smooth runner for a big guy and there just aren’t many guys out there like him. If TE doesn’t work out then he could be an athletic OT somewhere down the line.

16. Ryan Barnes, DB – When you see Barnes at number 16 then you know this class is stacked… or at least I’m that one homer who believes it is. Ordinarily, Barnes would easily be a top 10 recruit. He covers a lot of ground in a hurry and he’s a terrific tackler. If he doesn’t end up at CB he will likely do very well at S. There’s really nothing I don’t like about him.

17. Will Schweitzer, DE – Schweitzer reminds me of a slightly taller version of Jack Lamb and that’s no knock since Lamb was a pretty good player before his injury. He won’t be playing the same position, obviously, and he’ll need to bulk up, but I think he has a very good chance to crack the 2-deep by his jr. season.

18. Logan Diggs, RB – I could easily be wrong with this ranking and I hope I am. If I am then that’s really great news for the ND backfield over the next few years. By no means do I think Diggs will be a bust. I just think he’s more of a complimentary back than a feature back, or at least I believe he will be used that way because there will always be 1 or 2 guys just ahead of him. He runs hard, has good feet, and has a really nice all-around game. I just think Estime is a step above.

19. Kahanu Kia, LB – A longer-than-tall athlete who covers ground quickly with long strides. A great tackler with a high motor. If he takes his Mormon mission after his fr. year we may not see him on the field until after 2023.

20. Cane Berrong, TE – Cane is ESPN’s #1 H-back TE in the 2021 class and I can see why. His game is a bit like Tremble’s – very good blocker and runner who can catch. He actually might have better hands than Tremble. He is a safer bet to succeed than Evans who I rated higher but only because of Evans’ higher ceiling. I really like Cane regardless.

21. Caleb Johnson, OL – He’s in the “first off the bus” club. Big dude who mauls people on the football field. He has the length of an OT but moves more like an OG. I’d love to put him higher but the other guys stand out more.

22. Chance Tucker, DB – I have Chance ranked lower than most and I hope I regret it. He looks fast, is very fluid and has good cover skills. Perfect DB, right? Well, he’s also a bit small and gets pushed around too much. He has moxie, though, so maybe that and some added muscle will get him into the lineup over the next few years.

23. Jason Onye, DE – Onye is a project, which isn’t a bad thing since our last project at DE will likely be drafted in a couple of months. He’s a very good run stopper and a decent pass rusher. If he can get his upper body to be as thick as his lower body, I actually like him better as a DT prospect.

24. Jayden Thomas, WR – There’s nothing I don’t like about Thomas’ game but there isn’t much I love either. Well, maybe his hands. He looks like he might have very good hands and that might be what puts him ahead of some other guys with more overall talent.

25. Joshua Bryan, K – He’s a very good punter too. He looks like he has a stronger leg than what we’ve been used to over the last several years. He might give Doerer a run for his money this fall.

26. Pat Coogan, OL – There’s actually nothing I don’t like about Coogan. He’s mean and nasty. He’s a bit like Trevor Ruhland was in HS but with better feet. There are just too many better prospects ahead of him. Hopefully, he’ll prove me wrong.

27. Ron Powlus III, QB – Most of us know the story here. Happy to have him.

For what it’s worth, I would have ranked Abiara ahead of Aupiu and Schweitzer but he also would have been used differently. I’m happy with the two DE’s we got regardless. Overall, I think this is one of BK’s strongest classes.

That’s it. Looking forward to seeing some of these lower-ranked guys make me look silly.

Now, for posterity’s sake, let’s see some rankings from the rest of you.
Really nice job Bump. I kept thinking you had too many guys rated too low, but then couldn’t find anyone I wanted to move down.
 
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2021 signee rankings 15-27

15. Mitchell Evans, TE
– Yes another reach and I have him ranked higher than Berrong. I really like Berrong but Evans appears to have more potential. He’s a very smooth runner for a big guy and there just aren’t many guys out there like him. If TE doesn’t work out then he could be an athletic OT somewhere down the line.

16. Ryan Barnes, DB – When you see Barnes at number 16 then you know this class is stacked… or at least I’m that one homer who believes it is. Ordinarily, Barnes would easily be a top 10 recruit. He covers a lot of ground in a hurry and he’s a terrific tackler. If he doesn’t end up at CB he will likely do very well at S. There’s really nothing I don’t like about him.

17. Will Schweitzer, DE – Schweitzer reminds me of a slightly taller version of Jack Lamb and that’s no knock since Lamb was a pretty good player before his injury. He won’t be playing the same position, obviously, and he’ll need to bulk up, but I think he has a very good chance to crack the 2-deep by his jr. season.

18. Logan Diggs, RB – I could easily be wrong with this ranking and I hope I am. If I am then that’s really great news for the ND backfield over the next few years. By no means do I think Diggs will be a bust. I just think he’s more of a complimentary back than a feature back, or at least I believe he will be used that way because there will always be 1 or 2 guys just ahead of him. He runs hard, has good feet, and has a really nice all-around game. I just think Estime is a step above.

19. Kahanu Kia, LB – A longer-than-tall athlete who covers ground quickly with long strides. A great tackler with a high motor. If he takes his Mormon mission after his fr. year we may not see him on the field until after 2023.

20. Cane Berrong, TE – Cane is ESPN’s #1 H-back TE in the 2021 class and I can see why. His game is a bit like Tremble’s – very good blocker and runner who can catch. He actually might have better hands than Tremble. He is a safer bet to succeed than Evans who I rated higher but only because of Evans’ higher ceiling. I really like Cane regardless.

21. Caleb Johnson, OL – He’s in the “first off the bus” club. Big dude who mauls people on the football field. He has the length of an OT but moves more like an OG. I’d love to put him higher but the other guys stand out more.

22. Chance Tucker, DB – I have Chance ranked lower than most and I hope I regret it. He looks fast, is very fluid and has good cover skills. Perfect DB, right? Well, he’s also a bit small and gets pushed around too much. He has moxie, though, so maybe that and some added muscle will get him into the lineup over the next few years.

23. Jason Onye, DE – Onye is a project, which isn’t a bad thing since our last project at DE will likely be drafted in a couple of months. He’s a very good run stopper and a decent pass rusher. If he can get his upper body to be as thick as his lower body, I actually like him better as a DT prospect.

24. Jayden Thomas, WR – There’s nothing I don’t like about Thomas’ game but there isn’t much I love either. Well, maybe his hands. He looks like he might have very good hands and that might be what puts him ahead of some other guys with more overall talent.

25. Joshua Bryan, K
– He’s a very good punter too. He looks like he has a stronger leg than what we’ve been used to over the last several years. He might give Doerer a run for his money this fall.

26. Pat Coogan, OL – There’s actually nothing I don’t like about Coogan. He’s mean and nasty. He’s a bit like Trevor Ruhland was in HS but with better feet. There are just too many better prospects ahead of him. Hopefully, he’ll prove me wrong.

27. Ron Powlus III, QB – Most of us know the story here. Happy to have him.

For what it’s worth, I would have ranked Abiara ahead of Aupiu and Schweitzer but he also would have been used differently. I’m happy with the two DE’s we got regardless. Overall, I think this is one of BK’s strongest classes.

That’s it. Looking forward to seeing some of these lower-ranked guys make me look silly.

Now, for posterity’s sake, let’s see some rankings from the rest of you.

Great post ! And great descriptions ! I just wanted to comment on Jayden Smith. I completely agree with your description after watching his highlite video. But ! He is from Georgia ! Georgia ! He is a big man and is going to make some big plays for the Irish !
 
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Transfer rules: I heard Polian talking about ND needing a Transfer coordinator (like in HS recruiting) going forward. I do feel -- given the strength of ND's academic grad programs AND the fact we're a top tier team but not SO top tier (like Bama or Clemson or OSU) that a transfer could actually see the field at ND.
 
Transfer rules: I heard Polian talking about ND needing a Transfer coordinator (like in HS recruiting) going forward. I do feel -- given the strength of ND's academic grad programs AND the fact we're a top tier team but not SO top tier (like Bama or Clemson or OSU) that a transfer could actually see the field at ND.
Did he have anyone in mind? ;)
 
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