Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Why Irish Must Go All out to Land Arik Armstead

There are several high-profile prospects still on the radar for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and head coach Brian Kelly, but with national signing day approaching, all of the program's efforts should be focused on securing Arik Armstead.

Arsmtead is ranked as the No. 24 overall recruit in the ESPNU 150 and has the ability to play either offensive line or defensive line. Scout.com's Brandon Huffman believes he will be an offensive tackle on the next level, but Arik himself has said he wants to play defensive line.

At 6'7" and 280 lbs, Armstead is an extremely athletic and versatile player regardless of how the Irish decide to use him. Notre Dame has already secured quarterback Gunner Kiel as well as some solid skill position players, so I think getting a player like Armstead who can excel in the trenches should be a top priority.

On top of that, there is the added bonus that Armstead's brother, Armond Armstead, could follow Arik depending upon where he goes, as they have said they want to play together. Armond is an NFL-caliber defensive lineman who seems to be considering a transfer, so the Irish could score a two-for-one deal. Armond has one year of eligibility remaining and has already been a starter, so there won't be much polishing to do.

That possibility has to be very intriguing to Kelly. Not only does Arik ooze potential, but his brother could make an immediate impact. While the Irish are still in pursuit of a couple wide receivers and some defensive players, I don't think there is any question that signing Arik Armstead will make the biggest possible splash.

Seeing as Armstead is a California native, nabbing him would be a big coup for Kelly. Obviously Notre Dame is a school with national appeal thanks to its prestige, but Armstead could easily go to Cal or USC instead. Getting him to come to South Bend, Ind. instead would be sending a big message to other national powers.

Signing Armstead wouldn't simply be the Irish flexing their muscles, though. It would be a move that would legitimately help the team. During the Charlie Weis tenure and in the early part of Kelly's tenure, Notre Dame has been a team that has a lot of style, but often lacks substance.

That means that the Irish have always had good skill players, but haven't won the smaller battles along the line. Arik and Armond Armstead would go a long way in changing that culture, though, so I think Kelly has to exhaust all of his resources in getting the job done.

I wouldn't say that Kelly's recruiting class would be a failure without Armstead, but I think it's fair to say that it would be incomplete.

Update: Charles Goldberg, via al.com, is reporting that Arik Armstead is no longer considering Notre Dame.