Gunner Kiel to Notre Dame: Grading the Irish's Top 2012 Recruits

It's official. 

After a day of rumor-spreading and speculation, Notre Dame has officially announced that No. 1 QB recruit Gunner Kiel is a member of the Irish football roster.  

Kiel has caused waves throughout the world of college football recruiting, as he's now de-committed from both Indiana and LSU in just the past few months, but he's now found himself a collegiate home, and he gives Notre Dame's 2012 recruiting class a major boost. 

Brian Kelly has done a terrific job on the recruiting trail these past few years, and he's set to bring in another highly rated crop of big-name prospects once again this year. 

Kiel may be the gem of the 2012 class, but there's plenty of other incoming talent that Irish fans will have to look forward to. 

Here's a look at a few top 2012 recruits besides Kiel who will have the chance to make a name for themselves in South Bend next season. 

WR Deontay Greenberry

With star senior wideout Michael Floyd moving on to the NFL, Notre Dame is going to need some of its other receivers like Theo Riddick and tight end Tyler Eifert to step up and become go-to targets in the passing game, but there’s also room for standout receiver recruit Deontay Greenberry, a Fresno, California native, to come in and make his presence felt as a freshman.

The 6'3", 180-pound Greenberry has the type of size-speed-hands combination that you look for in a top-notch receiving prospect, and he definitely has the kind of skill set to flourish in Brian Kelly’s high-powered spread offensive attack.

Greenberry's size will make him a valuable red-zone target, but he's also got the type of speed and route-running ability to stretch a secondary no matter where an offense is on the field. 

Outlook: Greenberry should compete for substantial playing time in the Notre Dame receiving corps in 2012, and he could develop into the No. 3 receiving option by the time September rolls around.

DT’s Sheldon Day and Jarron Jones

If your team plays a 3-4 defense, you need to have a strong nose tackle to really solidify the front seven, and Notre Dame might be about to pick up two future studs in Jarron Jones and Sheldon Day, two 4-star recruits who have the potential to dominate at the collegiate level.

Both the 6'6", 300-pound Jones and the 6'2", 285-pound Day have the type of size and strength to eat up blockers in the middle of a defense.

Jones, who played for Aquinas Institute in New York, and Day, who played for Warren Day down the road in Indianapolis, are considered two of the top defensive tackles in the country. 

The two monster middle men have the type of surprising agility and athleticism for their size to become versatile interior presences who can stuff the run and rush the passer with equal effectiveness, and both of them have the potential to become difference making defenders over the next few years. 

Outlook: Both will be valuable rotational pieces along a strong looking defensive line, with Jones being a key backup to Louis Nix III, and Day likely seeing time at either nose tackle or defensive end behind Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt. 

CB Tee Shepard

Now that stud cornerback recruit Ronald Darby has de-committed from Notre Dame, highly touted cornerback recruit Tee Shepard is now looked at as one of the saviors for the Irish secondary.

With both of last year's starting cornerbacks Gary Gray and Robert Blanton moving on, cornerback is going to be one of the most glaring holes on the team going into 2012, and Shepard is the type of impact freshman who could come in and make a name for himself right from the get go. 

Shepard, who battles hearing impairment, is a great story and the type of kid that Irish fans will be rooting hard for in the coming years, and he should reward them with some key plays in the secondary, as he's considered to be one of the top cover corners in the country.

Outlook for 2012: Shepard should be right in the mix for one of the two vacant cornerback positions, and since he's enrolling early, he'll have a terrific chance to learn the scheme and pick up all of the nuances of the defense during spring practice. 

S Elijah Shumate

I really liked what I saw when I got a first-hand look at 4-star safety prospect Elijah Shumate, when New Jersey's Don Bosco Prep played rival Bergen Catholic this past season.

Shumate possesses the type of speed and range that you look for in a playmaking safety, and with his instincts and smarts, he's the type of back-end defender that will rarely get beat deep for a big play.  

The 6'1'', 205-pound incoming freshman is blessed with a ton of talent and potential, and he should challenge for immediate playing time. Shumate's got the type of grittiness and determination to make an instant impact as a special teams demon and situational defender in his first year in South Bend. 

Outlook: Shumate should add valuable depth at the safety position, and if he plays up to his potential in camp, he'll have a great opportunity to win one of the two open safety jobs. 

OT Ronnie Stanley

Notre Dame already has one of the top offensive tackles in the entire country in Zack Martin, but it never hurts to add depth to a key unit like the offensive line, especially when you're losing three starters from the year before. 

Highly touted offensive tackle prospect Ronnie Stanley, who played his high school ball for Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, is considered to be one of the top offensive line prospects in the country by every major recruiting service. 

With his 6'7", 285-pound frame, Stanley has room to grow into a dominant run blocker at the collegiate level, but he also possesses the quickness, foot-speed and overall athleticism to more than hold his own in pass protection. 

Outlook: Stanley should add valuable depth behind Zack Martin, and he should be right in the thick of the offseason competition to replace Taylor Dever.