Class Impact: Breaking Down Teddy Rezac Committing To Notre Dame

Breaking down how the commitment of linebacker Teddy Rezac impacts the Notre Dame 2024 recruiting class and depth chart

Notre Dame landed another defensive player today with Omaha (Neb.) Westside linebacker Teddy Rezac committing to the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame was able to finally get on the board at linebacker by landing Rezac, beating out the in-state Nebraska Cornhuskers and Missouri for his commitment.

Here's a look at what the commitment of Rezac means for the Notre Dame 2024 recruiting class and how he fits into the Fighting Irish defense.

NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT

Rezac is the 15th player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2024 class. He is the seventh defensive player to commit to the Irish in this cycle and he becomes the first linebacker on the board.

Notre Dame landed back-to-back outstanding linebacker classes in the 2022 and 2023 cycles. The Irish landed a four-man class in 2022 and three more in the 2023 class. Notre Dame has moved two of the 2022 linebackers (Josh Burnham, Niufau Tuihalamaka) to Vyper, but the Irish are still in a strong position at linebacker.

Both Nolan Ziegler and Jaylen Sneed redshirted in 2022, and the freshman class of Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry and Preston Zinter made up one of the nation's best linebacker hauls in the 2023 class. All three had some outstanding moments during spring practices. 

Having so much youth on the roster, and so much talented youth, Notre Dame only needed a minimum of two linebackers in the 2024 class, but three was the target number. The talent of the 2022 and 2023 linebackers on the roster also meant the Irish staff could take some chances on high upside prospects at linebacker in the 2024 class, even if they had lower floors.

That is where Rezac fits. Right now he's a projectable player due to a thin frame and lack of power. He's likely someone that will need time to develop, and he earned just a 3.5-star grade on the Irish Breakdown board. So why did they take Rezac? That's easy, because he is really fast, extremely athletic and has a very high ceiling. Rezac earned a 4.5-star upside grade on the IB board. There is a lot of talent and athleticism added to the class with Rezac, which I'll dive into more below, but it was the success of the 2022 and 2023 classes that allowed Notre Dame to focus more on Rezac's upside.

NOTRE DAME FIT - ANALYSIS

Notre Dame is recruiting Rezac as a Rover, although there is the possibility he could grow into more of an inside backer. Rezac plays all over the field for Westside, lining up anywhere from free safety to slot defender to edge rusher to off ball linebacker. That versatility fits into the Rover position quite well, and his skill set fits into the position as well.

There are two traits that really stand out almost immediately when you watch Rezac, and the first is his speed. Rezac covers a lot of ground in a hurry, and he's reported to run anywhere from a 4.48 to a 4.52, and that shows up on film. His field speed really stands out, and Rezac shows the range you want and need in a modern linebacker. His movement is easy as well, and he changes direction with ease. His agility and foot quickness combine with his speed to make him an ideal space linebacker. Rezac can plant and drive downhill in a hurry, and you can see his long speed show up when he's playing side to side as a defender, and running deep routes at wide receiver.

Rezac is also an instinctive and natural football player. He makes great reads on defense, takes good angles to the football and he's a more than willing tackler. Rezac, right now, is very thin (he's listed at 6-4, 195 pounds) and he lacks big time pop as a tackler. He'll need to fill out and obviously add a lot of strength, but he will stick his nose into the box and try to hammer ball carriers. When he can lay a big hit he will do so, but Rezac also shows the understanding of when to wrap up and make a sound tackle in space when needed.

In that last paragraph is one of the areas that drags down Rezac's grade. He earned a 4.5-star upside player on the Irish Breakdown board, which is that of a Top 50 national recruit. His current grade is 3.5-star, which is more of a Top 350 caliber player. The gap in the current and upside grade is all about his size and strength. 

Rezac's athleticism and instinctive and technical grades are among the best on the board in the 2024 linebacker class for Notre Dame. His speed grade is higher than anyone on the linebacker board. What drags his grade down are those two traits, and that will determine if this turns out to be a savvy offer that shows the staff can find standouts before everyone else, or a guy who ultimately can't play as a full-time linebacker at a place like Notre Dame.

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Irish Breakdown Content

2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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