Notre Dame Football: Which 2012 Recruits Are Worth Getting Excited About?

2012 is setting up to be a big make-or-break year for Notre Dame and head coach Brian Kelly.

Kelly’s teams have gotten off to slow starts in each of his first two seasons, but once again, it looks like the coach will be able to rally his squad and lead the Irish to a strong finish down the stretch, as they’ve now moved their record to 7-3 and found their way back into the polls for the first time since Week 1.

Still, the pressure is going to be on the head coach next year, but luckily for Kelly, he’s going to have some nice young talent to work with.

Kelly’s been having tremendous success on the recruiting trail since his arrival in South Bend, and after hauling in a top-10 class this year, the 2012 group is shaping up to be another stellar catch.

We’ve seen this year’s highly touted freshmen, like defensive linemen Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt and running back George Atkinson, make an early impact—and next year, the Irish are definitely going to need to rely on a few first-year players to help out early in their careers.

Here’s a look at some current commits about whom Notre Dame fans should really get excited.

WR Deontay Greenberry

With star senior wideout Michael Floyd set to move on to the NFL after this season, Notre Dame is going to need some of its other receivers like Theo Riddick and tight end Tyler Eifert to step up and become go-to targets in the passing game, but there’s also room for freshman standout Deontay Greenberry, a native of Fresno, California, to come in and make his presence felt.

The 6'3'', 180-pound Greenberry has the type of size-speed-hands combination that you look for in a top-notch receiving prospect, and he definitely has the kind of skill set to flourish in Brian Kelly’s high-powered spread offensive attack.

Tay B’s got the potential to be a star down the road, and he, Riddick and Eifert could make quite the receiving trio next year.

CB Ronald Darby

Notre Dame will lose both of its starting senior cornerbacks—Gary Gray and Robert Blanton—after this season and the Irish will definitely have room for a freshman like Ronald Darby to come in and get some early playing time.

Darby, who plays for Potomac High School in Maryland, is rated as a 4-star recruit by both
Rivals and Scout and he’s considered one of the top cornerback prospects in the country.

The 5’11’’, 175-pound corner is one of the fastest defensive backs in the nation, and he’s got the type of raw athleticism that will be hard to keep off the field.

DT Jarron Jones

If your team plays a 3-4 defense, you need to have a strong nose tackle to really solidify the front seven, and Notre Dame might be about to pick up an absolute monster in Jarron Jones out of Aquinas Institute in New York.

The 6'6", 300-pound Jones has the type of size and strength to eat up blockers in the middle of a defense and shut down the running game.

Jones is a U.S. Army All-American and one of the most coveted and highly rated defensive line prospects in the country.

OT Taylor Decker

Notre Dame already has one of the best young tackles in college football in Zack Martin, but the Irish are going to need to find someone to plug in for departing senior right tackle Taylor Dever.

All they may have to do is take Dever's locker and scribble a CK over the V, because Irish may have found his perfect replacement in Taylor Decker out of Butler High School in Ohio.

The 6’8’’, 300-pound Decker is the total package and he’s got all the skills you’re looking for in a dominant bookend.

Decker’s got the type of strength and agility combination to come in and be effective in both the passing and the running game.

RB Will Mahone

Cierre Wood is really developing into a great offensive weapon in the running game, but it never hurts to add playmakers to the backfield.

Current commit Will Mahone out of Austintown Fitch High School in Ohio is exactly the type of impact back that can come in and really add a boost to an offense.

Mahone possesses the power to really pound it inside the tackles, and he also has the moves to make would-be tacklers miss in the open field.

The 6’0’’, 205-pound Mahone is definitely a big pickup for Kelly and the Irish, and he looks like he'll be the future successor to Wood.