Notre Dame Football: How WR Recruit Davonte Neal Would Salvage 2012 Class

We're less than a day away from finding out where the top remaining recruit, Davonte Neal, will play his college ball. He will make his decision tomorrow morning and will instantly improve a team's recruiting class.

He's considering schools such as North Carolina, Notre Dame, Arkansas and Arizona, after he narrowed down a list that included nearly every top school in the country.

Although I think he'll end up staying home and will play for the Wildcats, Notre Dame is the school that could probably end up using him the most. 

Missed out on Deontay Greenberry

Notre Dame should be fine at the wide receiver position this year, but with majority of them being upperclassmen, the Irish need to pick up a few in recruiting. They landed a top receiver in Deontay Greenberry, but he ended up switching his commitment to Houston (which ended up being the surprise of the year as far as recruiting is concerned).

Neal is about five inches shorter than Greenberry, but he does run much better routes and has elite speed that the Cougar commit lacks. They may be two different receivers, but Neal is probably more complete than Greenberry is anyway. He'll be able to pick up huge chunks of yards after the catch and provide the Irish with a key offensive weapon next year and moving forward.

Would add a playmaker

The Irish are a very talented team, but they seem to lack elite playmakers and guys that have game-changing speed. Neal has both, and he could really make a difference for this football team on the offensive side of the ball.

Neal would provide the speed this offense so desperately needs and would help this offense increase its big-play ability. Last season, Notre Dame's longest passing play was 56 yards, which was tied for 107th-worst in the country. That would change with Neal on the field, as he'd stretch the defense and make things easier for players like Jones, Riddick and Eifert.

With Gunner Kiel at quarterback and a two-headed monster at running back in William Mahone and Keivarae Russell, adding Neal would really create a solid nucleus to build around the next few years.

Versatility

Anytime you're able to add a top recruit, it's a bonus for your program, but when that player is an elite talent on both sides of the ball, you really hit the jackpot. Neal can play wide receiver, cornerback, safety and is a huge threat in the return game as well.

Both the wide receiver position and the secondary is full of upperclassman, which means Neal could be real busy his sophomore season. And being able to put him wherever he's needed most is a huge advantage for head coach Brian Kelly and company.

Not too many teams have versatile players that can play either side of the ball at a high level. The Irish have a chance to become one of those teams.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].