Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Meet the Fighting Irish's 2017 Class

Despite a massively disappointing 4-8 season in 2016, Notre Dame still managed to clean up on the recruiting trail. The Fighting Irish signed the nation's No. 13 class, according to Scout, a 21-man group that features players from all over the country and with various skill sets. It also includes five players who enrolled early and will be part of spring practice in a few months.

"We couldn't be where we are today unless we had 15 student-athletes that were committed to Notre Dame from the start to the finish," coach Brian Kelly said, per JJ Stankevitz of CSN Chicago. "Really during a very difficult season, this group of 15 really had to endure the things that would occur out there in recruiting during a very difficult season. Other schools reminding them about a very difficult season that we had. Then there was them sticking together because of why they wanted to come to Notre Dame."

On national signing day, the main focus tends to be on those last few players who make their decisions, of which Notre Dame had a few, as well as how schools rank as a whole. Not enough attention is given to each individual player, which is where we stand today as we take a more in-depth look at the Irish's next batch of potential stars.

David Adams

Height/Weight: 6'2", 225 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star inside linebacker/No. 88

High School: Central Catholic (Pittsburgh)

Senior Year Stats: 84 tackles, 14 sacks, one interception (one TD), two fumble recoveries, 160 rushing yards, five TD

Commit Date: March 20, 2016

Linebacker is probably Notre Dame's deepest position on defense, which means David Adams might not see the field as a freshman despite being the second highest-rated signee in the 2017 class. If he does get into action, it will be because of a toughness that was shown in high school when he played with an arm injury.

Adams picked the Fighting Irish over the likes of Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and Pittsburgh. He's rated as the fourth-best inside linebacker in the country.

Jafar Armstrong

Height/Weight: 6'0", 200 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star wide receiver/NR

High School: Bishop Miege (Lee's Summit, MO)

Senior Year Stats: 54 catches, 1,277 yards, 21 TD

Commit Date: Jan. 29, 2017

Jafar Armstrong was originally committed to Missouri but flipped just before national signing day, and in doing so helped beef up a Notre Dame receiving corps that lost No. 2 target Torii Hunter Jr. He in effect made up for the late decommitment of Jordan Pouncey, who ended up signing with Texas.

Armstrong had more than 3,700 receiving yards for his prep career, scoring 45 touchdowns. He figures to work out of the slot early on, though after bulking up, he could end up playing further outside and make that No. 107 ranking among receivers highly inaccurate.

Aaron Banks

Height/Weight: 6'7", 310 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star offensive guard/No. 163

High School: El Cerrito (Alameda, California)

Commit Date: Dec. 9, 2016

One of Notre Dame's five early enrollees, Aaron Banks chose the Fighting Irish over Baylor, Michigan, Oregon and Tennessee. He's one of three guards the Irish added for 2017, the ninth-best prospect at that position.

Because of significant depth on the offensive line, including six blockers added in the current class, Banks is a strong redshirt candidate unless a rash of injuries pops up.

Avery Davis

Height/Weight: 6'0", 192 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star quarterback/No. 189

High School: Cedar Hill (Texas)

Senior Year Stats: 2,876 passing yards, 37 TD, five INT; 369 rushing yards, six TD

Commit Date: March 19, 2016

Rated as the 11th-best passer in the 2017 class, Avery Davis probably won't be able to expect to be higher than third on the depth chart as a freshman behind likely starter Brandon Wimbush and 2016 signee Ian Book. And with the Fighting Irish holding a commitment from 2018 4-star Phil Jurkovec, that means the window for Davis to play might be small.

Then again, DeShone Kizer was in a similar position to start his career at Notre Dame, and after Everett Golson transferred and Malik Zaire got hurt, he was thrust into the starting role early in 2015 as a redshirt freshman and is now among the top-rated quarterbacks in the 2017 NFL draft.

Auburn, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Tennessee were among the other schools that offered Davis.

Jonathan Doerer

Height/Weight: 6'3", 190 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star kicker/NR

High School: South Mecklenburg (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Senior Year Stats: 9-of-16 field goals, long of 44; touchback on 92 percent of kickoffs

Commit Date: Jan. 29, 2017

Justin Yoon has made 28 of 34 field goals in his two seasons at Notre Dame and is firmly entrenched as the starting kicker, but with Yoon only having a 43.6 percent touchback rate, there's an opening for Jonathan Doerer to find a role in his first season.

Ranked as the sixth-best kicker in the 2017 class, Doerer was previously committed to Maryland before flipping late last month. He also held offers from Army and North Carolina State.

Darnell Ewell

Height/Weight: 6'4", 295 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star offensive guard/No. 146

High School: Lake Taylor (Norfolk, Virginia)

Senior Year Stats: 52 tackles, eight sacks, two fumble recoveries (one TD)

Commit Date: July 15, 2016

Scout ranked Darnell Ewell as an offensive lineman, putting him as the sixth-best guard in the 2017 class, but in high school, he shined on both sides of the line and is most likely going to end up playing on the defensive end for Notre Dame. It's where they have a greater need and based on what the Fighting Irish saw in him where he has the brightest future.

"He holds the point of attack very well and can be an effective pass-rusher up the gut as well as being an animal against the run," SB Nation's Joshua Vowles wrote.

Ewell has a very good shot to play immediately on the interior of Notre Dame's defensive line.

Jordan Genmark-Heath

Height/Weight: 6'2", 205 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star athlete/NR

High School: Cathedral Catholic (San Diego)

Senior Year Stats: 59 tackles, four interceptions; 197 rushing yards, eight TD; 291 receiving yards, two TD

Commit Date: Jan. 26, 2017

A two-way star in high school, Jordan Genmark-Heath comes to Notre Dame ready to contribute in whatever way possible. He's going to get looked at first as a safety, but with starters Devin Studstill and Drue Tranquill returning, among others, his best shot to play as a freshman could be as a rover in new defensive coordinator Mike Elko's 4-2-5 alignment.

Genmark-Heath was a late addition that came after the Fighting Irish were able to flip from California. He's rated as the No. 41 athlete in the 2017 class.

Dillan Gibbons

Height/Weight: 6'4", 310 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star offensive guard/NR

High School: Central Catholic (Clearwater, FL)

Commit Date: April 4, 2015

Dillan Gibbons is the oldest of Notre Dame's 2017 commitments, having pledged to the school over Louisville, Michigan State and Ohio State nearly 22 months ago. At that time, he was already over 300 pounds and since then has just been getting stronger, and he's also shown off his great talents from an eating standpoint.

Last March he accepted Bleacher Report's challenge to finish off a 10-inch, three-pound cheeseburger along with fries in less than 30 minutes. He came up short but still looked impressive doing so.

Rated as the No. 26 guard in the class, Gibbons may end up moving outside in the future, but for the time being, he'll get looked at inside and is most likely going to redshirt this fall.

Robert Hainsey

Height/Weight: 6'5", 270 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star offensive tackle/No. 129

High School: IMG Academy (Pittsburgh)

Commit Date: July 10, 2016

An early enrollee from Pittsburgh who moved to Florida to get better competition at football prospect factory IMG, Robert Hainsey has the ability to play multiple positions on the line. He was a left tackle as a high school senior but was on the right side when playing in last month's Under Armour All-American game, where he also saw time at guard.

Rated as the 14th-best offensive tackle in the 2017 class, Hainsey picked Notre Dame over Georgia, Louisville, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. He'll need to add more weight and improve his strength before getting on the field, likely meaning his first season will involve a redshirt.

Kurt Hinish

Height/Weight: 6'2", 285 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star defensive tackle/NR

High School: Central Catholic (Pittsburgh)

Senior Year Stats: 27 tackles, three sacks

Commit Date: March 21, 2016

One of two signees from Central Catholic (along with linebacker David Adams), Kurt Hinish is rated as the 28th-best defensive tackle in the 2017 class, who picked Notre Dame over such suitors as Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.

He and fellow signee Darnell Ewell, another two-way lineman, will go toe-to-toe during the summer to get into the playing rotation as a freshman.

C.J. Holmes

Height/Weight: 6'0", 196 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star athlete/No. 155

High School: Cheshire Academy (Hamden, Connecticut)

Senior Year Stats: 1,169 rushing yards, 13 TD

Commit Date: July 8, 2016

If C.J. Holmes manages to make his mark with Notre Dame for on-field achievements, that may include being able to celebrate with the school's iconic leprechaun mascot. But it won't be the first time the two have interacted.

Last summer Holmes announced his commitment via a Bleacher Report video in which he went fishing, catching the leprechaun on his line and reeling him in. Other possible “catches” included Alabama, Michigan, Tennessee and UCLA.

Scout tabbed Holmes as an athlete (and rated him the ninth-best in 2017) because of his ability to run the ball and catch passes as well as his work as a defensive back. But with the Fighting Irish, his best fit is in the backfield.

Cole Kmet

Height/Weight: 6'6", 240 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star tight end/No. 109

High School: Saint Viator (Lake Barrington, Illinois)

Senior Year Stats: 802 receiving yards, five TD

Commit Date: Oct. 2, 2015

Cole Kmet shined as both a tight end and defensive end in high school, racking up seven sacks as a senior. If Notre Dame were in worse shape on the edge and at linebacker, he might be getting groomed to play on that side, but instead, he joins what could be the Fighting Irish's deepest tight end group in recent memory.

He's one of two tight ends added for 2017, along with Brock Wright, while Notre Dame also returns three-year starter Durham Smythe while Alize Jones is back after missing last year because of academics. Kmet picked the Irish over the likes of Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State and Tennessee.

Kmet is considered the fourth-best tight end in his class.

Josh Lugg

Height/Weight: 6'6", 293 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star offensive tackle/No. 107

High School: North Allegheny (Pittsburgh)

Commit Date: Aug. 14, 2015

Rated as the 12th-best offensive tackle in the country, Josh Lugg is the highest-ranked of Notre Dame's six offensive line signees, yet he'd been on board with the 2017 class for nearly 18 months despite holding a ton of offers including ones from Alabama, Ohio State and UCLA.

Lugg would have the best shot of all the Fighting Irish freshman blockers to play this season, but it's still a long shot. With starters Mike McGlinchey and Alex Bars both back and notable 2016 signees Liam Eichenberg and Tommy Kraemer already having a year in the system, Lugg's a distant fifth on the depth chart. He'd be best served spending his first year building strength and adapting to the college game.

Jonathon MacCollister

Height/Weight: 6'4", 255 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star offensive tackle/NR

High School: Bishop Moore (DeLand, Florida)

Senior Year Stats: 42 tackles (seven for loss), five sacks, two fumble recoveries; two receiving TD

Commit Date: June 17, 2016

Despite being a standout at defensive end and tight end, Scout rated Jonathon MacCollister for his work as an offensive lineman and graded him 76th-best at tackle. Notre Dame isn't looking at him on offense, though, but rather as someone who can beef up the defensive line.

It will still be difficult for him to get on the field as an edge-rusher, though, with Jay Hayes and Andrew Trumbetti both returning for 2017 and plenty of other depth available at the position.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

Height/Weight: 6'2", 188 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star safety/NR

High School: Bethel (Hampton, Virginia)

Commit Date: Feb. 1, 2017

One of two players Notre Dame added on national signing day, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah made quite a first impression via a phone call to Brian Kelly that interrupted the coach's press conference to discuss the 2017 recruiting class.

"

Props to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah for best possible interruption to a press conference...

(and yes, Coach ordered 🍕)#SCTop10 #IRISHEL17E pic.twitter.com/YtxlYnVtgw

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) February 1, 2017"

Owusu-Koramoah picked the Fighting Irish over Michigan State, and he also had offers from North Carolina State and Vanderbilt as well as FCS national champion James Madison. Some of those schools might have been interested in him as a safety, where Scout considers him the 83rd-best player at that position, though Notre Dame is pegging him as a hybrid linebacker/safety who floats in coordinator Mike Elko's 4-2-5 defense.

Isaiah Robertson

Height/Weight: 6'1", 195 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star safety/NR

High School: Neuqua Valley (Bollingbrook, Illinois)

Senior Year Stats: 50 tackles, two fumble recoveries, one interception; 380 receiving yards, four TD

Commit Date: April 15, 2016

An early enrollee, Isaiah Robertson stayed committed to Notre Dame despite seeing numerous coaches who recruited him to the school go elsewhere. That includes Mike Denbrock and Mike Sanford, offensive assistants who are no longer around to try to get him used on that side of the ball.

Instead, Robertson is going to first get looked at in the secondary. He was rated as the 30th-best safety in 2017 and had offers from Illinois and others.

Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa

Height/Weight: 6'4", 270 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star defensive end/NR

High School: Kapolei (Ewa Beach, Hawaii)

Senior Year Stats: 51 tackles (34 for loss), 18 sacks

Commit Date: Feb. 1, 2017

Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa might be best known for being the brother of 2017 Alabama quarterback signee Tua Tagovailoa, but from a Notre Dame standpoint, he has an even bigger significance. He's the first Fighting Irish player to come from Hawaii since Kona Schwenke in 2010.

January visits to Navy, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt prompted Tagovailoa to pick the Irish over Vandy, USC and others. He's rated as the No. 126 defensive end in his class and the third-best at that position from Hawaii.

As one of several defensive line players added for 2017, Tagovailoa-Amosa has a long road ahead to get on the field as a freshman. Working toward 2018 and beyond is his best course of action.

Kofi Wardlow

Height/Weight: 6'3", 233 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star defensive end/NR

High School: Saint John's College (Washington, D.C.)

Commit Date: Feb. 1, 2017

The final piece of Notre Dame's 2017 class, Kofi Wardlow's letter of intent came in at the tail end of coach Brian Kelly's press conference. He'd been committed to Maryland heading into Wednesday but flipped at the last minute, picking the Fighting Irish over Michigan State and Virginia Tech.

Wardlow faces the same situation as fellow signees Jonathon MacCollister and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa in that there are a slew of players ahead of them on the depth chart. Redshirting looks very likely unless he has a huge summer or there are a rash of injuries on the edge.

Drew White

Height/Weight: 6'1", 220 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star inside linebacker/NR

High School: St. Thomas Aquinas (Boca Raton, Florida)

Senior Year Stats: 107 tackles (two for loss), one sack, two blocked punts

Commit Date: March 21, 2016

Drew White was a prep stud for one of Florida's top high schools, but because of his lack of size, he wasn't very high on most teams' interest lists. Rated as the 38th-best inside linebacker in 2017, White had offers from LSU, Michigan and Ohio State, but because he committed nearly a year ago, those other schools didn't make too hard a push for him.

Since he's not going to get taller, unless White can put on more bulk, he might end up being part of the rover group that fits in the new 4-2-5 system, or he could end up developing into a special teams standout.

Brock Wright

Height/Weight: 6'5", 240 lbs

Position/Ranking: 4-star tight end/No. 76

High School: Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas)

Senior Year Stats: 492 receiving yards, four TD

Commit Date: June 26, 2015

Brock Wright's pass-catching numbers don't look so great, but when you consider he also spent a lot of time staying home to block for the run or protect the passer, the picture gets clearer. And with Notre Dame likely using more two-tight end sets under new offensive coordinator Chip Long, the opportunities for the Fighting Irish's highest-rated 2017 signee are many.

Rated as the third-best tight end in his class, one spot ahead of Cole Kmet, Wright should be playing from the opening game in some fashion.

Committed for more than 18 months despite offers from Alabama, Michigan, Stanford and USC, Wright will be one to watch this fall.

Michael Young Jr.

Height/Weight: 5'10 ½", 178 lbs

Position/Ranking: 3-star wide receiver/NR

High School: Destrehan (Saint Rose, Louisiana)

Senior Year Stats: 507 receiving yards, six TD

Commit Date: June 20, 2016

Don't let Michael Young's size turn you off. What he lacks in height, he makes up for in terms of toughness. His ability to go over the middle and grab passes in traffic could be a boon for new starting quarterback Brandon Wimbush if Young is able to crack the receiver rotation this season.

Pegged as the 75th-best wideout in the 2017 class, Young picked Notre Dame over Arizona State, Arkansas, Oregon and Texas A&M.

All recruiting information courtesy of Scout.com, unless otherwise noted. All statistics provided byCFBStats, unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.