This cycle featured a much smaller class than usual (only 18 high school kids originally, minus one who would be in this review had he not made a daring early bid for Fulmer Cup supremacy), and the entire class signed in December’s early signing period. That led to a very quiet January and February period that saw the Irish pick up a lone grad transfer, in a spot in the calendar where we used to see frenzied activity every year. Yawn.

Anyway, we reviewed our staff grades for the offense yesterday, so today we’ll polish it off with the defense. Enjoy!

Overall Class Grades

As a reminder, here’s our standard grading scale for this exercise:

95-100: Truly elite prospect with All-American potential
90-94: Multi-year starter with All-conference level potential
85-89: Eventual starter with chance to play as underclassman
80-84: Raw prospect with decent potential but a couple years away from impact
75-79: Likely a backup
70-74: Reach by the coaching staff

Staff Offense Defense Overall
Brendan 90.3 86.0 88.3
Eric 90.1 83.3 86.9
Jaden 90.3 86.1 88.3
Tyler 90.0 85.9 88.1
Average 90.2 85.3 87.9

 

Defense Signees

247C 18S Name Hometown Ht/Wt Pos. Stars
.9721 85.8 Isaiah Pryor Lawrenceville, GA 6-2/200 S * * * *
.9481 94.3 Jordan Botelho Honolulu, HI 6-3/230 WDE * * * * *
.9306 86.8 Rylie Mills Lake Forest, IL 6-5/275 SDE * * * *
.8871 86.3 Aidan Keanaaina Denver, CO 6-3/292 DT * * * *
.8776 84.0 Caleb Offord Southaven, MS 6-1/180 CB * * * *
.8706 83.0 Ramon Henderson Bakersfield, CA 6-2/183 DB * * * *
.8647 82.5 Clarence Lewis Middletown, NJ 5-11/185 CB * * * *
.8412 80.0 Alex Ehrensberger Dusseldorf, Germany 6-7/238 SDE * * * * *

Note that Isaiah Pryor’s 247 Composite score, like Ben Skowronek’s in yesterday’s post, is from his high school recruiting profile in the 2017 cycle.

S Isaiah Pryor

18S Average: 85.8

Brendan: 87

Bit of a tricky grade here for the grad transfer. Had ND beat out OSU three years ago for him, I would’ve graded him probably in the low 90’s. But he didn’t stand out in Columbus, and that depresses it a bit now. On the other hand, he’s still a tremendous athlete and will certainly be in the two deep immediately at least, and given that he’ll participate in spring ball he’ll have a very good chance at starting. He’s a key infusion of talent at a thin position.

Eric: 83

It shouldn’t be a huge knock on Pyror for failing the ridiculous high defensive back standards at Ohio State. I try to keep that in mind. From the little that I’ve seen he seems a little stiff and heavier than his listed 200 pounds. As a recruit, I definitely would’ve envisioned him taking the safety > Rover > MLB route like so many before him. So, I don’t know how well he’s going to fit in at safety. I’d say it wouldn’t surprise me if he was moved away from safety but he’s needed so much at this position for Notre Dame. I am worried he’ll be an awkward fit there but potentially a solid safety in 2020, all the same.

Jaden: 88

Tough to say with Pryor, but with the lack of bodies at safety next year, it’d be surprising if he didn’t get meaningful snaps. My biggest fear with him will be a lack of quickness and speed, which would ultimately limit him in coverage. It didn’t work out at OSU, but hopefully his stint at ND is a pleasant opportunity for both parties.

Tyler: 85

Pryor will be competing for a starting spot immediately after he arrives on campus. He and Houston Griffith will almost assuredly be the 1A and 1B to play opposite Kyle Hamilton next fall. It’s tough to project just how impactful he will be on the field considering most of his film is 3+ years old and he was jumped on the depth chart by really good players at OSU. Worst case scenario, he should be a solid addition for depth purposes. Best case, he and Griffith push each other to the point where we have a very good trio of safeties again for the next 2 years.

WDE Jordan Botelho

18S Average: 94.3

Brendan: 95

A twitchy, explosive athlete with a proclivity for violence. Tell me that doesn’t sound like a dream prospect to every defensive coordinator in the country. I’m betting Botelho will be at least a four-game candidate in 2020 and pushing for a rotation role at least in 2021. He’s an exceptional talent who would be ranked even higher if he was on the mainland.

Eric: 94

I don’t love how much time he spent in high school playing in the D-Gap seemingly free to roam and make plays. I feel like it’s an unrealistic position that doesn’t translate at all to the college level. That said, he looks like a major problem for Notre Dame opponents coming soon. Talent-wise he should probably be the top pass rusher on the team by 2021 and I’m interested to see if he’s used as a true freshman. Botelho has a really gifted mix of athleticism and a general meaness on the field that I love.

Jaden: 93

Botelho is one of the most important members of this class at the all-important position of drop end. Already at a solid 230 lbs, he could find playing time as a freshman. Regardless, he displays really nice bend and speed around the edge. He plays with a ton of toughness, which I love to see.

Tyler: 95

An absolute terror off the edge. His pass-rushing potential is off the charts. His quickness and athleticism is likely to make opposing offensive tackles look silly for the next few years.

SDE Rylie Mills

18S Average: 86.8

Brendan: 88

Mills mostly plays DE for his high school (which also gave us Tommy Rees, by the way), but will likely move inside at the next level eventually. He was hampered by an ankle injury his senior year but still put together a pretty solid highlight reel of abused blockers and murdered quarterbacks. He might need a year to get into the rotation, but I definitely think he has the potential to be a front line player.

Eric: 82

The comparisons to 2019 recruit Hunter Spears are obvious. Mills looks a little longer and more athletic. He doesn’t seem overly quick (to be expected) nor overwhelmingly violent for his size. I can see a tough transition to the interior at the college level. All of this is normal. I don’t see a real high ceiling but a solid player down the road.

Jaden: 90

Mills is a big-bodied DL with some position flexibility. He actually moves really well for his size and shows heavy hands with impressive strength. Once he improves technique and pad level, I’d expect him to be really stout against the run. To me, he feels like a guy who will grow in the system under Elston and be a really productive player by his junior year, just as Kurt Hinish was this year. With that being said, he has a much better frame and higher ceiling than Hinish.

Tyler: 87

His upside is probably highest on the interior, but he is physically ready to play strong side end as a true freshman. Hopefully that won’t be necessary, but Mills is a very powerful kid with a great frame. His work ethic is supposed to be outstanding, so it’ll be interesting to see how his body develops as he gets into a college weight training program.

DT Aidan Keanaaina

18S Average: 86.3

Brendan: 87

If you could somehow mate a fireplug with a bulldozer (do yourself a favor and don’t picture it), you’d get the Big Kahuna. Keanaaina is a cubist’s monster come to life, a prototypical nose tackle who I think will thrive gumming up the middle of the defensive line. He won’t penetrate like Sheldon Day but he won’t have to – the guy next to him can do that while Kahuna occupies two blockers.

Eric: 82

I’m a bit torn on this one because Keanaaina is a seriously large kid with an impressive first step. Normally, I’d be jacking this grade up. Instead, I worry his size is going to be limiting. He’s built like an apartment building below the waist and once he’s in the Irish strength program and re-works his upper-body I think he’ll weigh as much as anyone on the roster. He should be a quality nose guard altough I don’t know if his ceiling is really high.

Jaden: 90

The Big Kahuna is a type of DL that ND hasn’t had in a long while. A massive body who will play nose tackle, but also has impressive athleticism. In his senior film, he displays some lateral quickness and a high motor. By all accounts he has a terrific work ethic, and I’d expect him to put up some monster numbers in Balis’ weight room. In three years, I envision him being a run-stuffing force in the middle of ND’s defense.

Tyler: 86

Maybe I’m stereotyping here, but Aidan is kind of built like a character off of Disney’s Moana with his thick lower body. And man is he quick off the snap. He’ll definitely grow into a big, powerful body at nose tackle eating up blocks in the run game.

CB Caleb Offord

18S Average: 84.0

Brendan: 85

I really like this kid. I know people worry about a Mississippi prospect not getting offered by either in-state Power 5 school, but I think those schools are missing out. Offord might be the most game-ready corner in the class; his technique is really good already, particularly in man coverage, and he has excellent instincts. He doesn’t have the raw athleticism of the other DBs, but I think he might see the field first, especially since he’s the only DB in this class who will enroll early. There’s also a great anecdote about him picking off Deion Sanders’s kid in 7-on-7 and then letting Deion know about it, which, yes please.

Eric: 84

Offord is a real lanky corner although I was a bit surprised to see him not quite as tall on his film as I thought he would be. He has good fundamentals and nice burst when he needs it. Assuming he’s closer to 6’0″ he should develop into a quality corner with good speed and the type of length that can be disruptive. The next step for me is whether he can become more physical at his size.

Jaden: 82

I like Offord’s length but he will need to add some weight to his frame before contributing. He looks to have pretty good instincts and technique as a CB, which could put him at an advantage over the other incoming CB’s. One of the bigger question marks is his speed, which he’ll need to prove at the next level.

Tyler: 85

Offord is probably the most natural CB the Irish are landing this year. If someone from this group is going the see the field soon, I’d probably place my money on him. Excellent frame, pretty smooth athlete, good instincts. He has a knack for reading the play and makes some nice breaks to the football.

DB Ramon Henderson

18S Average: 83.0

Brendan: 82

Henderson is a track kid whose junior film was almost exclusively as a receiver; what defensive film there was, wasn’t particularly flattering. As a senior he showcased the same long stride but developed a *lot* as football player, especially as a defender. He was much more physical in all phases of his game, and seems to have a better understanding of how to use his 6’2″+ frame. I think that stride means his best fit is at safety, not corner, but there’s reason for optimism that he could develop into a good player in a couple of years. He and Xavier Watts could also flip-flop sides of the ball.

Eric: 85

Holy giant strides! Watching Henderson run is like witnessing Myles Boykin in fast-forward. Well, before we knew how fast Boykin truly was, you get my point. It’s hard not to like his skills on offense. If he’s able to stay on defense it’s enticing to see him playing a center field role while chasing ball carriers across the field. There’s a lot of raw material that gives Notre Dame plenty to work with once he gets on campus. If he had a more defined position and skill-set his grade would be higher.

Jaden: 83

An intriguing late add to the DB class. Like the others, he’s far from a finished project at this point. But he has some exciting tools, most notably his speed. He’s an established track runner, which you can tell from his WR film. Physicality will likely be a main question mark, but his speed absolutely makes him worth the late spot in this class.

Tyler: 82

I was prepared to give him a lower grade based on his junior year defensive film. He made noticeable improvements as a senior, though. Looks more physical than he did in the year prior, and a little more natural on the defensie side of the ball. Exellent size at 6’2″/190. Great straight-line speed. Ran a 10.59 100-meter in track last spring. He’s definitely still raw, and likely the biggest project out of the current crop of DBs, but the potential is definitely there.

DB Clarence Lewis

18S Average: 82.5

Brendan: 84

Lewis is another two-way player who, not surprisingly, shows excellent ball skills. He also has a knack for making easy interceptions, which is maybe lucky but maybe a sign that he has developed an ability to be in the right place at the right time. I think [Fulmer Cup hopeful’s name redacted] is faster, but Lewis looks fast enough to do some damage too. I actually think he profiles as a pretty solid safety, although I imagine the first look he’ll get at ND will be as a corner.

Eric: 80

Lewis looks like the biggest of the Irish corner prospects even though he’s not listed as such. Like others, his film features a lot of offense where he’s pretty effective with nice long speed. I can see why some think he’ll grow into a safety. Nothing about him screams corner and I think eventually he might move to the back of the defense.

Jaden: 83

Lewis is a solid athlete who might be the best candidate to slide to safety. He doesn’t have many defensive highlights, but he does show some impressive insticts and understanding in zone schemes. Like the others, he’s a kid who will need a little refining before being ready for important playing time.

Tyler: 83

Probably the best bet of the group of DBs to end up at safety. He ran a faster 40-yard dash compared to Offord and Bartleson this summer, but I’m not sure how much of that is just him being better than the other two at running 40-yard dashes. He just seems best suited in a position where he can survey the field in front of him, read, and react.

SDE Alex Ehrensberger

18S Average: 80.0

Brendan: 80

Wer weiß? The enigmatic Teuton has wowed with Rocky IV-style training videos and highlights of apparent seventh graders (or other German HS footballers, hard to tell) tossed around like Stoffpuppen. He’s the ultimate long play, but then again you don’t find über-athletic 6’7″ guys growing on trees, so it’s worth a shot. He’s another early enrollee and he’s actually 19 already, so maybe he’ll be more ready than we realize. Probably not though.

Eric: 76

If he was playing against solid competition in Ohio I’d feel better about a grade and comment. Based off his film, Ehrensberger has a lot of nice tools. He’s surprisingly quick for his size and moves really well. I can see why the staff would take a flier on him. Still, I’m just playing the odds here. He’s a foreigner walking into a whole new level of football and he’s ridiculous tall, to boot. If he’s really north of 6’6″ there’s so many different ways his career could go on either side of the lines.

Jaden: 80

Kind of a difficult grade due to his competition and unique background. On film, he does look athletic. He could be a physical specimen with some time in the weight room. I really like Elston and the staff taking a chance on him, too. DL recruiting and depth has improved so much that the staff can afford to take a chance on a bit of an unknown.

Tyler: 84

A raw player with extremely high potential. How many 6’7″ kids with his kind of athleticism exist in the world? Not many. In some ways he reminds me of Ade Ogundeji — a raw athlete with an elite frame who hasn’t played a ton of football in his life. I could see his career playing out similarly. Or at least I hope it does.