Potential Rankings Risers Among Notre Dame Defensive Recruits
Recruiting can be a volatile and fickle process at times. High school players develop at completely different rates, some peaking early and others happening much later. With projection being such a big part of the process, sometimes coaches will have to take a gamble on upside in the process.
For the Notre Dame staff, they have already landed and are still actively recruiting several 2024 recruits who are viewed as underrated. For some, there is projection that needs to happen. Luckily, there is a senior year for them all to still play.
Let’s take a look at a few of the recruits who have a chance to take a massive step forward during their final seasons.
THE COMMITS
DE Bryce Young - Charlotte (N.C.) Christian
A consensus three-star recruit when he was offered by the Irish, Young has seen his recruiting profile grow over the last few months. He is now considered a four-star recruit and the No. 236 overall player in the country according to On3. He's also ranked as a four-star by Rivals.
During his junior year in 2022, Young was a playmaker on the defensive side of the football for Charlotte Christian. He racked up 92 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles during that campaign.
While his rankings are going in the right direction, Young’s boost is happening because of his growth increase this off-season. The 6-5, 245-pound pass rusher is still a massive work in progress on the field. There is a good chance that Young is able to really flash that growth as a senior. If he does then the rankings will continue to rise even further.
DE Cole Mullins - Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek
Despite playing for one of the premier programs in the state of Georgia, Irish defensive end commit Cole Mullins carries just a three-star ranking by every major recruiting platform. ESPN still hasn’t even ranked Mullins, who ended up holding offers from Notre Dame, USC, Miami, Kentucky, North Carolina, Stanford, Virginia, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Northwestern, Duke, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest among others.
Mullins was able to put together a standout junior campaign for Mill Creek in 2022. The 6-4, 240-pound defender collected 58 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and six sacks on the season.
Playing with 2023 Alabama safety signee Caleb Downs, there were plenty of coaches who came through Mill Creek on the recruiting trail. That made Mullins even more visible, leading to that long offer list. The recruiting rankings and media notoriety have not followed. Now being the big name on the defense in 2023, Mullins has a chance to rise to be considered one of the better defensive ends in the 2023 class.
LB Bodie Kahoun - Roanoke (Va.) Patrick Henry
The 6-2, 220-pound standout linebacker has continued to see his offer list expand over the last few months. Some of the notable programs that have offered so far include the Irish, Miami, Tennessee, Florida State, Utah, Virginia Tech, Virginia, NC State, West Virginia and Indiana among others.
The dual-sport star is currently one of the top athletes on the 5-A level in Virginia. Despite his obvious connection to the state of Virginia, Kahoun actually did grow up in Zionsville, Indiana. He has his Midwest roots and is clearly very aware of the brand that Notre Dame boasts.
Kahoun is also a standout lacrosse player for Patrick Henry. The star midfielder had been committed to Ohio State for lacrosse since September of 2022. His ability to potentially play football, or both sports, in college has changed his outlook to explore different options on the next level. That journey has led him to this commitment with the Irish.
Despite his obvious gifts, including his nice frame and reported 4.54 forty yard dash speed, Kahoun is not well thought of from a recruiting ranking perspective. A big reason for that is because he is still very new to the linebacker position. Having a full off-season at that spot, Kahoun has the chance to take his game to the next level as a senior.
CB Karson Hobbs - Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop Moeller
Notre Dame was able to flip Hobbs from his South Carolina commitment during the end of the 2022 season. He is a player that the Irish staff values tremendously, quickly identifying him as a player that they wanted.
Hobbs’ recruiting ranking does not currently match the opinion of the Notre Dame staff. Neither does the on field product all the time, although his senior year is expected to be a big one. The consensus three-star recruit has a chance to quickly change the narrative.
Some part of the optimism comes from Hobbs’ track and field season. As a part of the Archbishop Moeller state championship 4x100 meter relay, the 6-1, 180-pound cornerback has been putting up some really nice times. That includes a 10.41 100 meter split last weekend.
If that speed shows up on film in 2023, Hobbs could be looked at as a massive steal for Notre Dame.
KEY TARGETS
LB Chris Cole - Salem (Va.) HS
Cole’s recruiting ranking does not match his offer list currently. 247Sports finally raised him to four-star status in their ranking. Still, they have him as the No. 30 linebacker recruit in the 2024 class, which has been noted as being a lackluster group this cycle.
Despite that oddly low ranking, Cole currently holds an impressive offer list. Some of the notable programs that have extended offers so far include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Penn State, Tennessee, Miami, Texas A&M, Auburn, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Duke, Vanderbilt and West Virginia among others.
At 6-3 and 210 pounds, Cole could potentially play rover on the next level and grow into a WILL linebacker pretty early in his career. The athletic gifts are easy to see. It’s just about harnessing them, which he has a chance to do as a senior.
S Davis Andrews - American Fork (Utah) HS
The 6-2, 190-pound athlete was a playmaker on the back end of the defense for American Fork. In twelve games, he recorded 45 total tackles, intercepted four passes, had three forced fumbles and recovered another.
As of now, Andrews will also be taking official visits to Utah and UCLA. Both of those visits are still being finalized in terms of dates.
Andrews has seen his offer list expand extensively over the last few months. The interest has spread away from the general PAC 12 schools, including some Midwest and SEC interest as well. Some of the notable programs who have offered so far include the Irish, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah, Stanford, Arizona, Colorado, Washington State, Northwestern, Cal and BYU among others.
There is a chance that the recruiting rankings will never match the talent for Andrews, who comes from a state in Utah that does not get much notoriety. His production as a senior, however, could potentially mirror that of some of the better safeties in the class. He has a chance to really develop as a senior, making a larger amount of impact plays.
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