Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Fighting Irish Back on Track Under Brian Kelly

After having the 10th-best recruiting class in the nation last season, coach Brian Kelly is at it once again with his Notre Dame Fighting Irish. With National Signing Day now all said and done, the Fighting Irish took a step closer to building their success with having the ninth-ranked class in the nation.

The team did finish this past season at 8-5, but they looked like a much better team than they had in past before Kelly took over the program. There is still room to grow, but he has done a fine job in gaining those pieces throughout recruiting this season.

The Irish didn't sign anybody on NSD, but they still have a shot to land Davonte Neal, who is the No. 1-rated athlete in the country. The dual threat running back would certainly be a huge addition to this recruiting class, especially after the Irish lost wide receiver Deontay Greenberry to the Houston Cougars.

The Fighting Irish were looking really good with Greenberry heading to South Bend, but now they will have to settle for what they already have—which is still very good.

Kelly already has his future quarterback, as 5-star recruit Gunner Kiel committed to the Irish back on January 17.

That was a big splash for the Irish, as he is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.

Kelly also has locked up seven other 4-star recruits, including running back William Mahone and athlete KeiVarae Russell, who has played is mostly considered a running back.

The Irish also managed to sign some strong recruits in defensive tackles Sheldon Day and Jarron Jones. Neither was within the top 10 for their position, but they are solid pieces that have the potential to become a true force on the line for years to come.

The only thing the Irish really needed and failed to get with Greenberry changing his mind, was a wide receiver. They did get Justin Ferguson from Florida, but he is a 3-star recruit who doesn't come in with the potential that a guy like Greenberry had.

By all means, this recruiting class was a huge win for Kelly and the Irish. They have once again taken the program to another level, despite the loss of a top recruit at the last minute. If the team can continue to build classes like this, who knows how far Kelly can go.

With a quarterback like Kiel taking over in the next year or two, the team is going to need to continue to build the pieces around him so that they will have a dangerous offense while becoming a dominant program once again.

The Fighting Irish are back on track, and it looks like they will once again be a prominent name in college football for many years to come.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.