Notre Dame Football: Checking in with the 2013 Recruiting Class

Notre Dame’s commitment list for the class of 2013 has more than tripled since it held its primary Junior Day on March 24, landing verbal pledges from seven more players in addition to three previous commitments. In terms of total commitments, the Irish trail only Michigan (16), Texas (13), Texas A&M (13) and Florida (11). The 10 commitments top SEC powerhouses Alabama and Georgia.

It’s common to receive a recruiting boost after a Junior Day, but landing six commitments in 72 hours is unprecedented, even for Notre Dame. Notre Dame would like to land at least 20 players for 2013, and possibly as many as 22. In theory, as many as half of the spots have been filled. However, the Irish must proceed cautiously on the heels of losing four of their early commitments in the 2012 class (Ronald Darby, Taylor Decker, Deontay Greenberry and Tee Shepard).

Signing day is still 43 weeks away, but let’s assess the current landscape of the 2013 class and who the Irish might land next. We’ll start with the 10 current commitments.

OL Hunter Bivin (Owensboro, Ky.): 6’7”, 288 pounds

Bivin is a prospect with great size and a ton of upside. He plays primarily left tackle for Apollo High School in Owensboro, which runs a pro-style offense. Bivin’s size allows him to dominate smaller defensive ends at the high school level, but he’s still rather raw.

He plays very upright and will have to work on lowering his pad level to combat faster, stronger major college defensive linemen. Playing in a small town in western Kentucky known more for producing NASCAR drivers than football players, his competition level is less than many other top tackles.  Bivin has plenty of upside and could even get a look at guard, but will need plenty of polish once he arrives in South Bend.

DB Devin Butler (Washington, DC): 6’1”, 185 pounds

Butler is the most recent addition to Notre Dame’s 2013 class, giving the Irish a verbal commitment this past Wednesday. His offer list was good but not spectacular, highlighted by Georgia Tech, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and Wisconsin. His only SEC offer came from Vanderbilt. Butler’s size and physicality makes him a good fit for Notre Dame’s defensive system.

While a commitment from another Washington, D.C.-area cornerback may bring back bad memories of Darby, a one-time Irish commit in the 2012 class, Butler seems unlikely to replicate Darby’s de-commitment prior to National Signing Day. Bringing Butler on board allows Notre Dame to become a little more aggressive in cornerback recruiting for the 2013 class, with two commitments already in the books at a much-needed position.

OL Steve Elmer (Midland, Mich.): 6’6”, 305 pounds

Michigan has built a very sturdy fence around its borders for the 2013 class, but the Irish were able to poach Elmer from the Wolverines’ backyard as their first commitment of the class. Elmer hopes to arrive in January and go through spring practice next year.

Elmer appears more ready to play early, as he plays in a spread offense in high school that emphasizes the zone read plays that Cierre Wood excelled at last season for the Irish. He has very good mobility for his size and can be a pile-driver in the running game. Elmer committed to Notre Dame shortly after a visit to Michigan for last year’s game between the Irish and Wolverines, so there is virtually no threat of a de-commitment here, especially with early enrollment likely.

ATH Rashad Kinlaw (Galloway, N.J.): 6’2”, 180 pounds

Notre Dame feels like it found a true diamond in the rough with Kinlaw, whose junior season was almost entirely lost with a leg injury. The Irish have projected him at cornerback, as he has the extra few inches that defensive coordinator Bob Diaco likes in his cornerbacks.

Kinlaw’s older brother, Rodney, was a running back at Penn State in the middle of last decade, so he comes from an athletic family. The most notable names on his offer list are Iowa and N.C. State, a testament to the concerns about his injury, as he has the size and speed to make an impact at the highest level of college football. He made his decision to attend Notre Dame on his trip home from South Bend last weekend.

TE Jacob Matuska (Columbus, Ohio): 6’5”, 240 pounds

Much like Brady Hoke is doing at Michigan, Urban Meyer is dominating his home state at Ohio State. However, the Irish were able to sneak into Columbus and land the versatile Matuska, who could potentially play either tight end or defensive end for the Irish.

While the Buckeyes had not yet offered Matuska, Michigan, Nebraska and Oklahoma all had. He’ll definitely need time to develop, especially if he does make the switch to the defensive line. Likely to redshirt in 2013, Matuska gives the Irish the frame and intelligence that they’re looking for to become a contributor down the road.

OL Mike McGlinchey (Philadelphia, Penn.): 6’9”, 280 pounds

When Notre Dame hired Harry Hiestand as offensive line coach in January, there were few concerns about his teaching ability, but recruiting was not thought to be his strength. With three offensive line commitments on Junior Day weekend, those concerns were squelched. No recruit may have been more impacted by Hiestand than McGlinchey, who told Irish Illustrated that Hiestand’s relationship with him was a major factor in his commitment.

At 6’9”, McGlinchey, can fit plenty of his additional weight on his frame. His offense at William Penn Charter in Philadelphia is heavy on the triple-option, so he’s moving forward most of the time. He does a good job of lowering his pad level in the running game, and once he adds additional strength, should be in the mix for playing time in 2014.

OL Colin McGovern (New Lenox, Ill.): 6’7”, 280 pounds

The Irish continued to capitalize on the plethora of Midwest talent in this class, landing McGovern as the first of the Junior Day commitments. Hailing from just outside of Chicago, McGovern has the nasty streak that Midwest offensive linemen are known for, punishing defenders with pancake blocks and always playing to the whistle.

McGovern had offers from Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Tennessee and Wisconsin, among others. He’s rated the lowest of the four offensive line commitments by most recruiting services, but if he turns out to be the best of the bunch, I wouldn’t be totally surprised. This is a great get for the Irish—the type of player they need to be landing when only two hours away from campus.

ATH James Onwualu (St. Paul, Minn.): 6’1”, 205 pounds

Notre Dame tapped into its pipeline at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, which began five years ago with Michael Floyd to land Onwualu. While not having the pure wide receiver ability of Floyd, Onwualu will give the Irish a versatile weapon more in the mold of Theo Riddick or George Atkinson III.

His offer list includes Northwestern, Stanford and Vanderbilt, so he appears to be a good fit in the Notre Dame student body. He’ll likely begin as a wide receiver, but with his recruiter, Tony Alford, coaching both running backs and slot receivers, the Irish may try Onwualu at multiple positions.

WR Corey Robinson (San Antonio, Tex.): 6’4”, 195 pounds

While still very raw, Notre Dame knows it got a player with a great pedigree when it landed the son of former NBA superstar David Robinson. The elder Robinson was known for his intelligent play and strong work ethic while with Navy and the San Antonio Spurs, so there are few concerns about the younger Robinson’s fit in a program like Notre Dame.

With his father standing at 7’1”, Robinson may not be done growing. He’s already a legitimate downfield threat with his size, but is also used in the short passing game at San Antonio Christian High School. He has good ball skills, and his long strides help make up for not being the fastest out of breaks. He’ll have to adjust to facing more physical defensive backs, but there’s a lot to like about both his body and mind.

QB Malik Zaire (Kettering, Ohio): 6’1”, 190 pounds

The left-handed Zaire was maybe the biggest surprise of the recent haul of commitments, as Meyer and the Buckeyes were heavily recruiting the quarterback from outside of Dayton. Zaire is rated the No. 7 dual-threat quarterback by Rivals. To call him a left-handed version of Everett Golson is not that much of a stretch.

He works primarily out of the shotgun in high school and is very accustomed with what Brian Kelly wants to do with his offense. He throws a nice deep ball and keep plays alive with his feet. Like Golson, he’s on the smaller side at 6’1”, but Kelly’s offense doesn’t require ideal quarterback size. Southpaw Kent Smith was Kelly’s first quarterback at Central Michigan, so working with a left-handed passer is not foreign to him.

What’s Next?

A pair of running backs, Ezekiel Elliott of St. Louis and Ryan Green of St. Petersburg, were squarely on Notre Dame’s radar after both were on campus for Junior Day. Elliott pledged his commitment to Ohio State earlier this week, but expect the Irish to stay in contact with him. Green appears to be more of an ideal fit for Kelly’s offense, but he has upwards of 30 major offers. This will likely be a battle all the way until National Signing Day, but Notre Dame is a major player with Green.

Despite losing Adam Breneman to Penn State last month, Notre Dame a is a major player for another top tight end, Mike Heuerman of Naples, Fla. The Irish will have to win a battle with a number of heavyweights including Miami (FL) and Ohio State for Heuerman. He is expected to announce his decision during the last week of April.

Fort Wayne, Ind. Linebacker Jaylon Smith is also not near a decision, but he’s the highest-ranked recruit with whom Notre Dame is a serious contender. He’s been to campus multiple times (and is expected for the April 21 Blue-Gold Game) and will almost certainly attend a game this fall. In what’s becoming a trend, it is likely a battle with Ohio State for Smith’s services. The same is likely true for Wyomissing, Penn. linebacker Alex Anzalone.

Assessment

Notre Dame is right where it needs to be. This class to has be strong in both quality and quantity after a disappointing finish to 2012. There should be no quarterback drama this year as there was in 2011 and 2012 with Zaire onboard so early.

Smith and Green are the two players who could take this class from very good to great. They will be the ones to keep an eye on over the coming months. The Irish should be done at offensive line and quarterback, so defense will be the primary focus going forward. This class projects to still be a top-10 class come February, with a top-five finish not out of the realm of the possibility.

With the Midwest having the strongest collection of prospects it has had in years, Notre Dame must capitalize and make this class its best under Kelly. So far, it’s on track to be just that. However, as Notre Dame fans learned the hard way this past February, don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

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