Notre Dame Football: Landing 4-Star DE Is Major Win for Brian Kelly and Irish

Just a few days after landing Jaylon Smith, Brian Kelly proves he is still getting after it on the defensive end of things where recruiting is concerned.

The head coach reportedly landed a commitment from a Georgia defensive end, 4-star prospect Isaac Rochell, according to Scout.com (via CBSSports.com). This is a big get for Kelly in a couple of different ways, both on and off the field.

On the field, Rochell is a player that is capable of manning the long-stick defensive end position in the Fighting Irish's 3-4 scheme. More depth at the defensive end spot is always a good thing, and Notre Dame—a team that loses a couple of DEs in the next few seasons—is always going to be pushing to refill the cupboard. 

In a larger sense, this addition to the 2013 campaign shows that Kelly is focused and making a point of getting defenders in the fold for the Fighting Irish.

While Notre Dame's offense, from the time of Charlie Weis through Kelly, has had some talented ballplayers, the defense has been struggling to finish the job of getting the Irish to a BCS Bowl.

Aaron Lynch was a great start, although now the defensive end is out of the picture with his transfer. There are solid pieces for the defensive future, and Rochell looks to be included in this mix.

Another off-field byproduct of this big get by the Irish is the team's push into the South. Georgia is SEC country, and only the ACC has made any sort of significant inroads into the state. This is the second time that Kelly has plucked one from the state of Georgia during his tenure at Notre Dame, and that's a good sign for a program that wants to recruit nationally.

Not only have Florida and North Carolina become stops for the Irish, but now Georgia is giving Notre Dame a shot at recruiting success.