Notre Dame Commit Ethan Long Is Perfect For The Modern Game

Breaking down the junior film of Notre Dame safety commit Ethan Long

Notre Dame received some big news this past Monday when 2025 Wallingford (Conn.) Brunswick School safety Ethan Long chose the Irish over finalists Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. On paper, there is a lot to like about Long, both from a physical, upside and recruiting resume perspective.

As a player, Long brings a unique skill set to the table that is so valuable in today’s college football. Let’s take a look at what the Connecticut native brings to the gavel on film specifically.

EYE IN THE SKY

Brunswick School asks a lot of Long. You will see him playing as a true middle of the field safety at times, two high, in the slot and rotating down into the box as tunes. He does some things really nice from depth, boasting clean eyes, good fluidity and solid range to make plays coming from over the top.

The opposing offense was running double pump and go to the bottom of the screen, trying to force Long to choose. You can see the intelligence he has on that play, clearly diagnosing and reading the quarterback's eyes. Once he sees that he is trying to work outside, he quickly ranges over for the big interception.

Long plays with tremendous smoothness on the backend. He isn’t necessarily an explosive athlete, but he is a very easy mover in general. Long also has a longer stride length, which allows him to open up his hips and cover a lot of ground.

You can once again see good eye discipline, which Long clearly sees that they are trying to work vertically outside. The ball is under thrown but Long still is able to range over quickly and put himself into a great position. Long is one of those players who has a propensity to always be around the football.

Brunswick School has utilized Long a ton in the slot during this past year, asking him to play some man coverage at times. In that role, Long is a very smooth customer with the hip mobility and short area quickness to match opposing wide receivers even when playing vertically.

With his combination of length and movement skills, he should have some legitimate upside to play down in the slot at times. Long should be able to match size and make plenty of plays in the pass game. You can see Long’s ability to carry vertically and match athleticism down the field.

At 6-2 and 185 pounds, Long has a great frame to work with. His power profile continues to get better and better. You can see the natural hit power he brings to the table. As Long develops physically, he has a chance to make his impact felt over the middle of the field.

Long is also a very energetic player when he has the chance to make his presence felt. He is the modern day safety on the back end, he can cover a ton of ground but also be the physical presence. The poor wide receiver never even saw it coming.

As a true safety that plays from depth, you need to be able to fill against the run. Long needs to be able to dissect quickly, while making sure to come with a proper angle. He does just that on this rep.

Long stays balanced while coming up, playing behind his pads and bringing a nice pop as a tackler. Again, once Long adds a little more mass and power to his frame, that part of his game will become even more of an asset. There is some substantial upside for Long in the run game, where he is a consistently solid tackler.

The safety position is one of the more important, and vital positions, on the defensive side of the football. They are the last line of defense, having to make a ton of plays in the open field. Long excels in that area, showing the talent to finish plays.

Despite the opposing ball carrier trying to work free in the open field, you can see Long mirror him and stay in good position. From there, his quickness and length is able to finish the tackle in space. He is one of the more consistent tacklers you will see on the field as a high schooler.

As a junior, Long also did a tremendous job of forcing fumbles. He frequently puts his shoulder on the football, leading to three forced fumbles this past season. On this play, you can see sound technique working from the slot,

Long is patient attacking outside-in. He comes to balance once again, and arrives with force. The ball is forced out for a huge play. Every time there is a big play, there’s a good chance that Long is going to be around it.

UPSIDE MOVING FORWARD

In today’s game, a lot is asked of the safety position. They, or course, must have a big impact in the passing game. Safeties must also be able to make plays in the run game, showing a good mix of physicality and movement skills. Some even play in the slot at times, putting their man cover skills to the rest as well.

When you watch Long, he has the upside to truly be a versatile player from his safety position. As he continues to develop physically, there isn’t a role that he shouldn’t be able to impact. In a modern game of diversity, Long is the perfect fit. 

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

Irish Breakdown Content

2024 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2024 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2024 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

———————

Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.

BECOME A MEMBER

Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!

Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @RiseNDraft
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook

Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsle