Notre Dame Football Recruiting: 6 Defensive Targets to Keep an Eye on

The Notre Dame coaching staff has made offers to many of the best prospects in the 2012 class and a few are nearing their decisions. 

It is essential that the Irish bring in a strong class on the heels of the outstanding 2011 crop. The program hasn't brought in back-to-back excellent classes since 1989 and 1990. 

Notre Dame has a chance to do that this season, as many of the nation's top prospects have shown interest in the Irish.

A few of those targeted players may very well commit to playing for Brian Kelly and Co. in the next few months. 

Who should you be keeping an eye on?

Follow along as we count down six targets to watch closely.

6. DE Troy Hinds

Davis (UT) High defensive end Troy Hinds is rated as a 4-star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.

He recently trimmed his list of schools to BYU, Cal, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Stanford and Utah.

Brandon Huffman of Scout.com has provided his thoughts on Troy Hinds.

"Hinds lines up at end and can play either end spot. He's quick off the ball, with very good strength and burst off the edge. His strength is in pass rushing but he can also stuff the run. Most game plans this year have been designed to go away from him, but he's still tallied numerous tackles because of his speed. He's a good athlete to boot, and could even play tight end in college."

It's obvious that Troy Hinds is an excellent pass rusher and Notre Dame is in need of depth at defensive end once Kapron Lewis-Moore and Ethan Johnson graduate following this season.

5. DB Armani Reeves

One of the biggest concerns of this season's Notre Dame squad is the lack of depth at defensive back.

West Roxbury, Massachusetts native Armani Reeves would be an excellent addition to the thin unit. 

Scout.com provides a short biography of Armani Reeves.

"As a junior, Reeves had 1,701 total yards and 16 touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, he registered 37 tackles and intercepted four passes. He had two punt return touchdowns as well."

It's apparent that he's a great player in each phase of the game, but his specialty is at cornerback.

According to Armani Reeves' profile on Rivals.com, his final two schools are Penn State and Notre Dame.

4. DT Jarron Jones

Rochester, New York native Jarron Jones was originally committed to Penn State but backed out of his verbal commitment a few weeks ago after getting cold feet.

The interesting thing about that decision is that it came on the heels of an unofficial visit to Notre Dame.

Jarron Jones is being recruited by Irish defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, who was able to lure Ishaq Williams away from Penn State during the last recruiting cycle.

Let's hope that he can pull off the same feat during this cycle.

3. DE Ifeadi Odenigbo

Centerville (OH) High weak-side defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo is considered to be one of the best talents in the state of Ohio for the current recruiting crop. 

Notre Dame is definitely in the mix to sign the 6'4", 210-pound athlete as he has narrowed his choices to Cal, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Stanford.

Ifeadi Odenigbo projects as an outside linebacker, per Scout.com.

"I think he has as much upside as anyone in the state. He has so much that you can't teach. His explosiveness, his first step and closing speed are all special, and the fact that he's barely played the game is scary. I believe he'll grow into a true defensive end, but think he'd be best as a stand up OLB in a 3-4. That said, there's a spot for a kid this long, athletic and straight up fast in any defense. Needs to get bigger and stronger."

If he were to commit to Notre Dame, Ifeadi Odenigbo would fit in perfectly to Bob Diaco's 3-4 scheme.

He'd also benefit from Paul Longo's strength and conditioning program.

2. DT Tommy Schutt

Tommy Schutt, a 6'3", 290-pound behemoth defensive tackle, has identified Florida, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Penn State as the finalists for his services.

Allen Trieu of Scout.com recently gave his thoughts on the 5-star prospect.

"Very good athlete who gets off the ball and shows good ability and effort in pursuit. Compact and strong, he gets under the pads of offensive linemen and does a good job with his hands disengaging. Right now, he's a disruptor and a playmaker and plays outside a lot. In college, if he's going to be a true defensive tackle, he'll have to be a little more disciplined and tie up blockers more, rather than being the one making the play."

The Irish need a "disruptor" and a "playmaker" at defensive tackle to provide depth behind current tackle Louis Nix.

It will be interesting to see how Tommy Schutt's recruitment pans out because of the fact that the Irish are heavily recruiting fellow defensive tackle Jarron Jones.

1. DB Shaq Thompson

The major area of concern for the Irish coaching staff heading into the current recruiting cycle was defensive back.

The staff has done a great job to this point, having secured commitments from defensive backs Tee Shepard, John Turner, CJ Prosise and Ronald Darby.

One more defensive back may be added to that group in the form of Shaq Thompson of Sacramento.

He's an extremely gifted player, as described by Scott Kennedy of Scout.com.

"Thompson is an elite athlete that stars on his team at defensive back, running back and receiver. He has the ability to play any of those on the college level, but his size and skill set may relegate him to safety. He has exceptional balance, instincts and closing speed. He is a sure tackler that seems to be more comfortable closing on a ball carrier than jamming a man at the line. Could play all four spots in the defensive secondary."

That "closing speed" is something that Notre Dame has lacked for years, so bringing in a player with that kind of speed would put the Irish secondary back at the "elite" level.

The best news for Irish fans concerning Shaq Thompson is that he's currently being recruited not only by the coaching staff, but also by fellow 2012 prospect and Irish commit Tee Shepard.