2022 Linebacker Class Was Exactly What Notre Dame Needed ... And Then Some

Notre Dame met its needs at linebacker in the 2022 class, and then some

Notre Dame landed one of the nation's best recruiting classes during the 2022 cycle, and there's a chance the Irish aren't done yet. The class was balanced and strong all over, but there is no doubt the four-man linebacker haul is the best part of what is one of the best Irish classes of the last decade.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was the driving force behind that class, and it's not just a talented class, it's not just a deep and athletic group of players, it's a haul that was absolutely needed.

Notre Dame had strong back-to-back classes at linebacker in 2018 and 2019, but much of that haul is now gone, injured or has moved positions. Only four of the eight signees from that two-year haul are slated to be back at linebacker next season. To make matters worse, Notre Dame failed to land a single linebacker in the 2020 class, and the 2021 class had just two linebackers.

It helped that one of the best signees in the class - Prince Kollie - was a linebacker, but Notre Dame came up short on numbers. Landing only two linebackers in a two-year span put the depth chart in a tough spot.

What Freeman needed to land with his first linebacker class was to meet the depth needs, to add impact talent, to add length and to add athleticism to the unit.

Check, check, check, check.

Notre Dame signed the nation's best linebacker class when it landed Jaylen Sneed, Josh Burnham, Nolan Ziegler and Niuafe Tuihalamaka last week.

All four signees graded out as four-star recruits and all four grade out as Top 150 recruits on the Irish Breakdown board. Sneed was a five-star and the other three ranked in the Top 300 on the 247Sports composite ranking.

There is great length in the class and the athleticism is outstanding. On top of that, their unique skillsets mean they not only meet needs on the depth chart, they project to be able to play together.

It's also a group that could push for playing time the minute they get on campus, which is important for a position group that at one time in 2021 needed to move a wide receiver (Xavier Watts) over to fill out the depth chart. All four are also early enrollees, which means they will get a jump start on pushing their way onto the field.

Freeman needed a home run class in year one, and that's exactly what he got. Landing that class will also impact the 2023 class, and already has. With Freeman landing such a deep group of linebackers he can focus on impact talent in 2023 instead of needing to continue pushing for numbers. That means Freeman and whoever ends up coaching linebackers moving forward can focus on a smaller group of high-level players, which increases their chances of having a second straight elite haul.

Notre Dame is already off to a great start, landing Merrillvile (Ind.) Andrean two-sport star Drayk Bowen, who ranks as the nation's No. 37 overall player in the 2023 class.

Notre Dame has signed three High School Butkus Award winners in the last 13 years, and it produced three Butkus Award winners in college. That makes the following statement that much more impressive ....

This is Notre Dame's best linebacker class of the last two decades.

Here's a look at the four signees:

JAYLEN SNEED - Sneed is an exceptional athlete that was named South Carolina's Mr. Football. He has the speed, range and playmaking ability to be a standout at either Rover or the Will linebacker position. It won't be at all surprising to see Sneed force his way onto the field immediately on special teams, and he could be hard to keep off the field on defense as well.

JOSH BURNHAM - Burnham is a bit of a freaky athlete. He possesses elite length (6-4, 215 with long arms), he's an outstanding athlete and he's a dynamic football player. Burnham had over 100 tackles more than 10 tackles for loss and also rushed for over 1,500 yards and scored over 20 touchdowns on offense this season. He needs technical work but he has arguably the highest ceiling of any back in this class, and his skillset projects at both Mike and Will. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Michigan this past season.

NIUAFE TUIHALAMAKA - Tuihalamaka has the most unique skillset in this group. He's a pure Mike linebacker. The future Irish backer is the thickest member of this class at 230 pounds. He has the kind of frame, instincts, foot quickness and power at the point of attack teams covet in a traditional Mike linebacker, and his game reminds me so much of former Notre Dame star Manti Te'o.

NOLAN ZIEGLER - Ziegler is the most overlooked player in this group, but don't let that fool you, this young man can flat out play. Ziegler had over 60 catches, over 1,300 yards receiving and 25 touchdowns as a wide receiver this season. His defensive highlights are impressive and he has the length, range, athleticism and instincts to be exactly what Notre Dame needs at the rover position. He reminds me of a more athletic version of Thomas Brown, who shined as Rover for Wake Forest back in the Mike Elko/Clark Lea days.  

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Irish Breakdown Content

Notre Dame 2021 Roster
Notre Dame 2021 Schedule

Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense

Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board

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