Notre Dame Recruiting 2012: Will Any Irish Recruits Start as True Freshmen?

Whether you’re a Brian Kelly fan or a detractor, you have to give the Notre Dame coach some respect for all that he’s been able to accomplish on the recruiting trail during his time in South Bend. 

Kelly put together one of the top-rated recruiting classes of 2011, and he’s once again in the process of assembling another stellar group of talent this year.

Kelly has already received commitments from some of the most talented prospects in the country, and he’s also begun closing in on a few more top-rated uncommitted targets in these final few days before National Signing Day.

When it’s all said and done, it definitely wouldn’t be surprising to see Notre Dame finish with a Top-5 recruiting class, especially if Kelly can find a way to reel in a few more highly touted recruits like OT Arik Armstead, WR Nelson Agholor and LB Ken Ekanem.

The question is, though, how many of this year’s recruits will pay early dividends as freshmen in the 2012 season.

QB Gunner Kiel, who made national headlines when he shockingly reneged on his commitment to LSU and enrolled at Notre Dame last week, is the most high-profile recruit of this year's incoming class, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he'll just be handed the starting job from day one.

Returning starter Tommy Rees and his backup Andrew Hendrix both have the edge on Kiel when it comes to experience, and Brian Kelly knows that he can't afford to live with the mistakes that all true freshmen make in their first season, since 2012 is going to be such a pivotal year for the coach and his team. 

The two recruits who actually have the best chance of starting as freshman are WR Deontay Greenberry and his cousin CB Tee Shepard, two players who both fill big areas of need for the Irish. 

With star receiver Michael Floyd, one of the best receivers in school history, now heading off to the NFL, the Irish are going to need to find some go-to receiving targets to pick up the slack. Theo Riddick and Tyler Eifert should and will be the top two options, but there's definitely room for the 6'3'', 185-pound Greenberry to come in and make a name for himself. 

The biggest need is at the cornerback position, though, where Tee Shepard, who has already enrolled in school, will be expected to come in and immediately compete for a starting spot. Shepard is a terrific athlete and he should benefit from getting an early start, as there are some flaws in his technique that he's going to need to work out before he can be relied upon.  

While Greenberry and Shepard are the two most likely recruits who will be able to earn a starting job as freshmen, it wouldn't be surprising to see guys like OT Jarron Jones and S Elijah Shumate come in and compete for starting spots as well. 

Jones could be a viable replacement for Taylor Dever at right tackle, while Shumate could step in and fill the void that Harrison Smith leaves at safety. While this class may not produce a ton of early starters, since cornerback is the only real glaring weakness for 2012, with so much talent set to arrive in South Bend, the Irish will definitely be well-stocked for the foreseeable future.