Markese Stepp to Notre Dame: Fighting Irish Land 4-Star RB Prospect

Markese Stepp, a 4-star running back out of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, announced Sunday he will play college football for Notre Dame.

Stepp took to Twitter to declare his verbal commitment to the Fighting Irish: 

The class of 2018 ball-carrier ran for 1,300 yards on 155 carries with 17 touchdowns in 2015, per 247Sports.

According to 247Sports' rankings, Stepp is the second-best prospect out of Indiana, the No. 12 running back and the 210th overall player in the 2018 class.

Listed at 6'0" and 205 pounds by 247Sports, the prodigy from Indy already has a frame cut out for the college gridiron. With two more years at the high school level to put on some additional bulk, Stepp could see his stock rise by the time he's a senior.

Hudl provided highlights of Stepp's electrifying sophomore year and also shows him registering a 4.42-second 40-yard dash:

It's too early to project how Stepp will pan out at the NCAA level, but he shows enough natural talent even at this stage of his career to suggest he's destined for success.

What stands out about Stepp is how fluid and effortless he is in his stride. Although he doesn't possess eye-popping lateral quickness, his transitions into cuts are seamless. He doesn't waste any motion, and he's able to get north and south in a hurry.

In addition to running with an enviable blend of power and speed, Stepp shows exceptional balance, which makes him all the more difficult to bring down in the open field. He often blows by defenders in space and can take on multiple tacklers to grind out extra yardage or even reach paydirt.

Although he can improve the finesse parts of his game as his college days approach, he has the physical tools and uncanny instincts to be a playmaker in South Bend.