Notre Dame Recruiting 2012: 4 Areas Brian Kelly Has Added the Most Depth

There is one thing that Notre Dame does well every year, regardless of how the previous team performs, and that's recruit.

Every season they land some of the top players in the country, and that hasn't changed with Brian Kelly running the show.

Many people don't like the results Kelly is having out on the field, as expectations when he arrived were through the roof. But you can't deny the amount of talented players that are lining up out the door to play for his program.

It may be because of the tradition and everything Notre Dame has to offer, but some of the credit has to go to the head coach as well.

Here are some of the positions that have the most depth under head coach Brian Kelly.

Quarterback

Notre Dame has always recruited well at the quarterback position and that hasn't changed under head coach Brian Kelly.

Last season they landed Everett Golson, who wasn't exactly a top quarterback prospect—but he has all of the tools to be successful. He is a dual-threat quarterback, who has an extremely strong arm and throws a very impressive football.

Irish fans are very excited about this kid possibly being the future of this program. 

This season Notre Dame picked up the top quarterback prospect in Gunner Kiel. Although there may be a threat of him leaving, considering he seems to commit and then leave, fans have to be excited about him as well. He's more of a traditional quarterback who throws with pinpoint accuracy and makes great decisions with the football.

The quarterback position has been extremely weak for the Irish the last two seasons. Having two quality quarterback prospects is a huge step in the right direction and could be the difference between success and another sub-par season.

Running Back

In two years Kelly has added four running backs. Last year it was Cam McDaniel and George Atkinson. Neither really played much in their freshman season, but Atkinson did score two touchdowns on nine carries. McDaniel only touched the ball three times and finished the year with nine yards.

This year they added two more running backs in William Mahone and Keivarae Russell. Both are considered top-30 backs in this year's class and both appear to be game ready as soon as they hit the Notre Dame campus.

They both have a lot of acceleration and don't waste much time hitting the hole and taking off. They both have great size and the potential to break off big runs if they get out in the open field.

Along with running back Cierre Wood, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, the Irish have a lot of great options in their backfield.

Defensive Line

One thing that really sticks out with the elite teams in college football is the defense.

The elite programs are able to pressure the quarterback and forces mistakes. Last year Notre Dame was OK at rushing the passer, as they had 25 sacks, which was tied for 56th in the country. They could always be better though.

Last season the Irish loaded up with defensive ends, including Aaron Lynch, Ishaq Williams, Stephon Tuitt and Tony Springmann. Lynch actually led the team in sacks last season with 5.5 and had 33 tackles total.

This season they landed one of the best defensive tackles in the country in Sheldon Day. He needs to add more weight to his 6'2", 280-pound body, but he gets off the ball well and can quickly disrupt plays in the backfield.

If the Irish want to get where they're trying to go, they have to have a great pass rush. This is a great start, receiving commitments from players like this.

Safety

Notre Dame picked up a solid safety last season in Eliar Hardy but he didn't play last year. He'll have plenty of opportunities next season and will have some tough competition as well.

In this recruiting class, the Irish have received commitments from three different safeties. All of them are rated inside the top 50 on most recruiting sites. The names include Elijah Shumate, C.J. Promise and John Turner. Shumate is the most talented out of the three and is likely the one that is the most ready to see immediate playing time.

But all three are capable of contributing to this team and each provide different strengths to help this team out. 

With Notre Dame losing nearly their entire secondary, the depth at the safety position becomes extremely important and valuable.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]