Notre Dame Football: Irish Land Commitment from Las Vegas Lineman

Notre Dame received its 16th verbal commitment for the class of 2012 on Thursday, as Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas) OT Ronnie Stanley announced that he will play for the Fighting Irish next fall.

Stanley is rated the No. 14 offensive tackle in the national by 24/7 Sports and No. 19 by Rivals.com. He is Notre Dame’s third offensive tackle commitment, joining fellow 4-star recruits Taylor Decker and Mark Harrell.

Early on in his recruitment, the Nevada native seemed to be leaning towards USC, but the final decision came down to Arkansas, Nebraska and Notre Dame. There are no current players from Nevada on Notre Dame’s roster.

Landing a third offensive tackle was a must for the Irish. Josh Garnett (Tacoma, Wash.) and Andrus Peat (Tempe, Ariz.) remain on the radar, but with Stanley’s commitment, they would now be seen more as icing on the cake.

Redshirt sophomore Zack Martin will likely remain on the left side of the offensive line for the next two seasons, but Taylor Dever must be replaced on the right side.

Sophomore Christian Lombard is the projected starter for 2012, but Stanley will be part of the competition for a backup role along with Decker, redshirt freshman Tate Nichols and Florida State transfer Jordan Prestwood.

Martin’s brother, Nick, is currently a reserve tackle but could move inside depending on the development of rising sophomores Conor Hanratty and Matt Hegarty as well as the potential return of Mike Golic, Jr. for a fifth year.

With Stanley onboard, much of the recruiting focus now turns back to the skill positions. With Michael Floyd graduating and Theo Riddick shifting to the backfield, signing a fourth wide receiver in the class is imperative.

Nelson Agholor (Tampa, Fla.) is a 5-star recruit, according to Rivals.com, but luring him away from the Sunshine State’s two marquee programs, Florida and Florida State, will be difficult. Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz.) was in South Bend last weekend for an official visit, but the 4-star recruit is an Ohio native and has drawn the interest of new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.

Youngstown’s William Mahone is Notre Dame’s lone running back commitment, but the Irish are a top contender for KeiVarae Russell, a fellow 4-star back from Everett, Wash. Russell could decide between California, Washington and Notre Dame later this month.

Brian Kelly and his staff have been more adept than the previous staff at addressing needs and projecting depth charts years down the road. A 2011 class focused heavily on the defensive front has given way to this year’s class, heavy on offensive skill players and defensive backs.

With seven weeks remaining until National Signing Day, there are still spots to fill for the Irish. Recruiting will slow during the dead period around the Christmas holiday, but Notre Dame will hope to mirror its strong close from last year that helped land Ishaq Williams, Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt.

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