Notre Dame Football: Aaron Lynch, 5 Freshmen Ready for Immediate Impact

Brian Kelly and his staff did an excellent job on the recruiting trail during the 2010-11 season, resulting in a top-10 class according to many major recruiting services.

Heading into the last recruiting cycle, there were many holes that needed to be filled, primarily on the defensive line.

Mission accomplished.

Not only was it a top-10 class, but it was the best year for recruiting in terms of defensive players since the Lou Holtz era.

Many of those players will be on the field on Sept. 3 when South Florida rolls into South Bend.

Follow along as we count down the five Notre Dame freshmen ready for an immediate impact.

5. George Atkinson III

Originally recruited to Notre Dame as a receiver, George Atkinson will make the transition to his natural position of running back due to the lack of depth at that spot.

Atkinson will most likely be sharing time with Jonas Gray as the backup to Cierre Wood.

Atkinson will be a terrific complement to Gray because of his blazing speed, as witnessed by a time of 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Speed isn't his only asset.

He's an extremely versatile player who has the ability to move out to the slot as a receiver.

Look for Atkinson to play a similar role to Theo Riddick.

4. Davaris Daniels

With the potential season-long suspension of Michael Floyd, the wide receiver position looks suspect at best.

If Kelly decides Floyd did not make the necessary changes in his life, then he will never play another down for Notre Dame.

That means someone will have to step up and attempt to fill his rather large shoes.

There may be no better candidate than four-star recruit Davaris Daniels.

He is a 6'3", 190-pound speedster from Vernon Hills High School in Vernon Hills, Ill.

Daniels is similar to Floyd because of his sticky hands and game-changing ability in the passing attack.

He is also a very potent vertical threat down the field.

3. Stephon Tuitt

Kelly's main goal in this past recruiting cycle was speed and depth along the defensive line.

That goal became a reality with the signing of five-star defensive end Stephon Tuitt from Monroe, Ga.

Tuitt committed to the Irish, flipped to Georgia Tech, then back to the Irish on signing day.

He is a monster on the line and will contribute right away as a run stopper.

2. Ishaq Williams

Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco proved his recruiting skills by reeling in five-star defensive end and Brooklyn native Ishaq Williams.

Diaco showed up to Williams' house at 4:30 a.m. just as Williams and his father were set to leave for a visit to Penn State.

That sealed the deal.

Williams never visited Penn State and verbally committed to Notre Dame on the spot.

His commitment was a huge one.

Williams may quite possibly be one of the fastest defensive players in the 2011 recruiting class.

That speed coming off the edge is something Notre Dame has lacked ever since Holtz left town 15 years ago.

Expect Williams to get a significant amount of playing time this season.

1. Aaron Lynch

Aaron Lynch is the gem of the 2011 recruiting class.

He already has an NFL body and a skill set that is unmatched by any other recruit in the nation.

Having Williams and Lynch as bookends will be an absolute nightmare for opposing offenses for the next four years.

Lynch is the kind of defensive prospect who Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis simply couldn't bring in.

It looks like that is all changing under Kelly.