In the press conference following “signing day” as Coach Brian Kelly calls it, he mentioned a few points that stuck out to me about going through the recruiting process, most significantly was the importance of verifiable speed.
“32-6 only gets you so far”
“It’s a foot in the door but you still have to sell the vacuum cleaner”
“Verifiable speed”
Coach Kelly saying the right things as usual.
— Kyle B (@IrishMockery) December 18, 2019
PS: Follow me on Twitter @IrishMockery
Now that the early signing day for the Irish has passed, I wanted to look a little more closely at the incoming talent and how they size up.
Ohh He’s Fast.
In 2019, we saw the impact of elite speed on the football field through Braden Lenzy. His big-play ability helped propel the Irish despite limited touches.
Now for 2020, the Irish will add two players with verified, elite speed.
All-purpose back Chris Tyree ran a 4.38 Forty-Yard Dash at The Opening Finals All-Star Camp. In addition, his track numbers were also insane. He posted a 55 Meter Dash time of 6.30 seconds – for reference, that is equal to about 60 yards. Tyree also clocked a personal best 10.66-second 100 Meter Dash – about 109 yards.
On the other side of the ball, Ramon Henderson – listed as an ATH, but expected to play cornerback is another kid that has these game-changing wheels. His personal record for 100 Meter Dash was 10.59 seconds, even FASTER than Tyree. That is some verified speed!
For perspective, Lenzy had a personal best 10.62 in high school. All of these times are from track & field and were verified on athletic.net.
Length + Speed = Results
With the addition of two five star players this cycle, Tyree and receiver Jordan Johnson will join freshmen phenom and All-American Kyle Hamilton and offensive tackle Tommy Kraemer as the only five star talents on the current roster for Notre Dame. Kraemer was recently awarded honors on AFCA’s Second Team All-America squad.
Hamilton, though, best shows how this archetype translates to results and is worth building off.
Listed at 6’-4” and 210 lbs – Hamilton is an incredibly lengthy defensive back. What he lacks in overall speed, a modest 4.63 forty time, he makes up for with range.
We saw it on display several times over the course of 2019 where Hamilton’s overall athleticism allowed him to play off receivers and cover ground for pass break ups like he had against Louisville and his pick six against New Mexico.
Instant Playmaker
Defensively, the Irish will welcome Isiah Pryor from Ohio State to solidify Notre Dame’s defensive back field as the premier secondary for 2020. But, part of what made the secondary so successful was our pass rush.
Replacing guys like Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem do not happen overnight, but the Irish feel confident that they can build off that success with a rotation of second year talent.
A key piece will be Daelin Hayes – who plans to return for a fifth year after suffering a season ending shoulder injury.
Big Bodies Big Plays
German defensive end Alexander Ehrensberger is a unique prospect for the Fighting Irish. Listed at 6’-7” – 238 pounds (not KG) he has an opportunity to be an interesting contributor at Notre Dame.
The Irish also went out and got a 6’-3”, 292 pound defensive tackle in Aidan Keanaaina and a 6’-5” defensive end in Rylie Mills who weighs in at 275 pounds. That is a lot of MEAT for the future of the Notre Dame’s defensive line.
I also liked the pick-up of Jordan Botelho – as an inside linebacker 6’-3” / 230 lb is a great base to work off, plus the guy is an absolute beast on tape.
Finally, the Irish restocked Tight End & O Line U with some hog-mollies.
On the offensive line, Tosh Baker 6’-8” 275, Michael Carmody 6’-6” / 285. At tight end, Michael Mayer 6’-5” / 240, Kevin Bauman 6’5” / 238.
A Lot To Be Excited For
Signing Day comes at a great time for Irish fans as the team prepares to take on Iowa State in the Camping World Bowl – a game many Irish fans thought was injustice for a 10-2 season.
While the game will still be a challenge, it was refreshing to see that the departure of Chip Long and uncertainty over who assumes the Offensive Coordinator vacancy at Notre Dame, that the brand of Notre Dame reigned supreme.
I think special teams coordinator Brian Pollian said it best
“I think before anybody asks, the transition on the coaching staff, obviously, that was a difficult decision for him. And when that decision was made Coach Kelly did an unbelievable job of getting out and addressing it with the prospects. I think our staff in general did an unbelievable job of rallying up. But, again, no one person is greater than the university, and in all these cases, like Coach said, the power of this brand over rides any single relationship. The power of this place.”
The University welcomed all of these recruits to the Notre Dame football family. They extended the welcome to their families as well, in a heart-felt fashion. Check out the announcement videos if you have not already.
