Notre Dame 2020 Signees: Offense

Breaking down all nine of Notre Dame's 2020 offensive signees

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has talked frequently in recent seasons about wanting to add more impact talent to the Irish offense, and adding more speed was especially important to future success.

Mission accomplished.

Notre Dame’s 2020 offensive haul was light on overall numbers but high on impact talent at across the board. The light on numbers part is by design, as Notre Dame met its numbers objectives at every position except the offensive line, and there the staff only came up one man short.

A case could be made that this was Kelly’s best offensive haul, with Notre Dame landing a composite Top 250 player at every position, something that has only happened one other time (2015) during Kelly’s tenure.

Let’s take a look at the 2020 offensive class. (Note: Player comps refer to where those players were coming out of high school and into college, and refer to style of play and skill. Their NFL careers have no bearing)

To read the defensive breakdown, CLICK HERE.

QB Drew Pyne, 6-0, 181 — New Canaan, Conn. / New Canaan

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 200 nationally)
Upside Grade: 4.5

Player Comp: Brett Rypien, Boise State

Analysis: Pyne was a four-year starter for New Canaan, and the talented signal caller ended his career with 9,411 passing yards, 105 passing touchdowns, 1,182 rushing yards, 20 rushing touchdowns and he completed 63.1-percent of his 1,111 career passes.

Pyne lacks the physical intangibles of other top quarterbacks. He’s on the small side and doesn’t have the cannon arm we see is other top quarterbacks, but Pyne brings the more important traits that make a top quarterback prospect. Pyne is smart, reads defenses well, shows excellent anticipation for his age, is accurate and he’s both mentally and physically tough. His feel for the position is as good as any quarterback in the country.

Pyne has a lightning quick release that is easily repeatable, and when his footwork is right he’s highly accurate. His quick release and ability to anticipate allows him to get the ball out on time, and helps ease his lack of elite arm talent. Pyne’s arm is strong enough to push the ball downfield. I’ve seen him hit receivers in stride on post routes over 40 yards down the field, and that’s before he gets in a college weight room. He also gets very good zip on throws of less than 15 yards and he gets the ball out with good zip on out cuts and comeback throws.

The New Canaan standout shows good pocket mobility, toughness, and top-level pocket presence. The one critique I have of him in this regard is when Pyne is running around he lets the ball get a bit too far away from his body. Pyne does throw quite well on the run by keeping his eyes downfield, attacking downhill and he snaps the ball off with good accuracy and velocity.

RB Chris Tyree, 5-9½, 179 — Chester, Va. / Thomas Dale

IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 50 nationally)
Upside Grade: 5.0

Player Comp: Nyheim Hines, NC State

Analysis: It has been decades since Notre Dame landed a running back with the explosiveness that Tyree brings to the game. Tyree twice won the fastest man competition at the Nike Football The Opening Finals, and as a sophomore and junior he had the fastest 55-meter dash time in the country for his class.

Tyree is an explosive runner, and if he gets a step he is going to score. Tyree can hit home runs in a number of ways; he can quickly explode through inside run lanes on inside zone or power calls and he can outrun the defense to the perimeter. Where Tyree is most dangerous is on perimeter runs like outside zones and sweeps where the defense has to work laterally, and Tyree is able to explode vertically through open run lanes for big gains.

Tyree has quick feet and is elusive in space. His balance is top notch, and once his footwork improves from a technique standpoint you’ll see his suddenness and make-you-miss skills take off. Tyree shows good patience, vision and second-level anticipation skills, and he’s a decisive runner that is willing to put his shoulder down and ram the defense when the need is there.

Tyree is a weapon in the pass game as well, finishing his career with 49 receptions for 695 yards and three scores. He’s dynamic in the screen game, but Tyree also shows the ability to line up in the slot and effectively run routes, he can catch the ball on the run and he’s even had to go outside and win one-on-ones on the perimeter. The Thomas Dale star rushed for 3,930 yards and 37 touchdowns in his career, and he returned four kickoffs and two interceptions for touchdowns in his career.

WR Jay Brunelle, 6-1½, 201 — Shrewsbury, Mass. / Saint John’s

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 300 nationally)
Upside Grade: 4.5

Player Comp: Amara Darboh, Michigan

Analysis: No player saw a bigger jump up my board as a senior than did Brunelle. He exploded onto the scene during the summer, earning an offer from Notre Dame after a dominant camp experience. His junior film wasn’t as good as his non-padded camp performance, which is why I kept his grade down when he committed. After breaking down his senior film it was obvious the jump in athleticism we saw this summer translated onto the field.

Brunelle always had good long speed, but his burst off the line improved as a senior, which made his vertical game more impactful. Brunelle eats up the cushion of defenders in a hurry, and he showed impressive acceleration coming out of the top ends of his routes. Brunelle is a strong player and has a good frame, and as he fills it out his ability to work the middle of the field will become a top asset.

Brunelle shows a good feel for working himself open on all three levels. He has good length and strong hands, and he’s a physical player in the pass game and as a blocker. Each of those traits make him effective in traffic and allow him to win one-on-one battles on the outside. Brunelle shows good focus in traffic and tracks the deep ball well, showing the ability to adjust his speed and body positioning to shield the ball from the defender.

The Saint John’s standout isn’t as elusive or fluid as the other receiver commits, and although he does damage after the catch in high school, it doesn’t translate as well to the next level. In college, I project Brunelle to do most of his damage before and up to the point fo the catch. That makes Brunelle a perfect complement to Watts and Johnson, adding value to the quality of this receiver class.

WR Jordan Johnson, 6-2, 180 — St. Louis, Mo. / DeSmet

IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 50 nationally)
Upside Grade: 5.0

Player Comp: DeVante Parker, Louisville

Analysis: Johnson is an intriguing wide receiver prospect. He lacks any elite physical trait, but his all-around skillset makes him one of the top pass catchers in the country. He finished his prep career with 83 catches for 2,033 yards (24.5 YPC) and 27 touchdowns. Johnson had to play defense as a senior for a DeSmet squad that finished undefeated and won a state championship.

Listed at 6-2 and just 180 pounds, Johnson is a strong athlete that has impressive length, which allows him to play bigger than he is. He shows a good burst off the line, gets to full speed in a hurry and quickly eats up the cushion of defensive backs. Johnson has impressive foot quickness and loose hips, traits that give him the potential to develop into an elite route runner in college. His suddenness and burst allows Johnson to explode out of breaks and get separation.

Johnson has long arms and strong hands, which gives him an impressive catch radius. His ability to out-play defenders for the football is as good as you’ll find in the country. Johnson’s body control, length and ability to track the ball makes him a big-time weapon on the outside as a downfield target and back-shoulder pass catcher. He can catch the ball in traffic and do damage after the catch. At times he’ll lose focus and drop a pass or two, but his pass catching skills are otherwise elite.

Johnson’s ball skills and athleticism fit perfectly into Notre Dame’s boundary receiver position, but his route running and athletic traits also project well to the field positions, and that versatility only adds to his value as a prospect.

WR Xavier Watts, 5-11, 185 — Omaha, Neb. / Burke

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 nationally)
Upside Grade: 5.0

Player Comp: DaeSean Hamilton, Penn State

Analysis: In my view, Watts is one of the most underrated wide receivers in the country, if not the most underrated. ESPN and 247Sports came around enough to make him a four-star recruit, but Rivals ranked him as a third-star and the No. 89 wide receiver in the country. If there are 88 wide receivers better than Watts then this is the greatest wide receiver class in the history of high school football.

Watts was a dominant prep player on both sides of the ball. The Burke star finished his career with 163 catches, 2,978 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns. He has been at his best in big moments, with Watts hauling in 47 passes for 796 yards and nine touchdowns in nine playoff games. Watts also registered 126 tackles, eight interceptions and 13 pass break ups the last two seasons as a safety.

At this point Watts dominates with natural ability. He’s quite raw as a route runner, needing a lot of work with his release against press coverage and his downfield route running. Where Watts thrives from a skillset standpoint is as a pass catcher. The Burke star has tremendous ball skills thanks to a combination of strong hands, top-level body control, elite concentration when the ball is in the air and excellent timing. Watts has the vision, suddenness and acceleration to be an impact player with the ball in his hands, which is something Notre Dame wants and needs more of in its offense.

Being an early enrollee will help him get a jump on developing the nuances of the position and will help him continue to reshape his body. Being a two-way player as well as a basketball player at Burke has kept his speed and wide receiver skills from reaching their full potential. He’s just scratching the surface of what he could be.

TE Kevin Bauman, 6-4, 226 — Red Bank, N.J. / Red Bank Catholic

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 200 nationally)
Upside Grade: 4.5

Player Comp: Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State

Analysis: There just isn’t a lot of film accessible on Bauman, which makes giving him a strong evaluation more difficult, so keep that in mind when reading this evaluation. Most of my analysis of him is coming off highlights, one junior game film and camp workouts. Sources that I trust have Bauman graded higher than I do, but they have seen a lot more film.

What I have seen from Bauman I like, and he has a lot of room for continued development. He’s got good size and his game combines the “old school” feel at the position with the ability to play the modern game. Bauman works the middle of the field effectively, showing a good feel for working open and the strength to get separation against more athletic players. He’s not a top-level athlete, but Bauman shows enough foot quickness and flexibility to get into and out of breaks quickly, and he’s a more advanced route runner right now than Mayer.

Bauman has strong hands, literally. He also shows fast hands and good timing, which combines with even better arm length to give him a wide catch radius. His willingness to attack the football and absorb contact will endear him to the Notre Dame quarterbacks and allows him to project as a top third-down and red zone weapon at the next level.

Bauman shows good strength for his age, especially in the upper body. He has plenty of room to fill out his frame and like all players his age must continue getting stronger, especially his lower body. Bauman has top-level potential as a blocker, but he must finish better and be more consistent with his effort.

TE Michael Mayer, 6-5, 234 — Alexandria, Ky. / Covington Catholic

IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 50 nationally)
Upside Grade: 5.0

Player Comp: Zach Ertz, Stanford

Analysis: Mayer was already one of the top players in the class - and in the country - before his senior season, but this fall the Covington Catholic star took his game to yet another level. In fact, I gave Mayer the highest grade for a Notre Dame tight end prospect since Kyle Rudolph back in the 2008 class.

Mayer is a dominant two-way player, earning all-state honors as a tight end, defensive end and inside linebacker at different times in his career. The 6-5, 240-pound tight end has top-level length, and his combination of size and athleticism is rare. Mayer shows a good start off the line and has very good deep speed. He accelerates well out of vertical cuts and angled cuts, and he shows excellent body control and ball skills. His size and ability to track the ball like a receiver make him a matchup nightmare in the pass game.

Mayer can play all over the field, thriving as an attached tight end, in the slot and he’s a legitimate pass-catching weapon when lined up outside. Mayer shows a good feel for the game, but he needs to be sharper with routes like in cuts and speed outs. Right now he tends to round those routes off and drift out of his breaks, but he shows the foot quickness and athleticism to develop into a strong route runner in college.

He’ll need to improve his blocking to really take the final step and be an elite player, and it's that part of his game that keeps him from being a five-star on my board. Mayer has the tools to be a strong blocker, but he’ll need to work on driving his hips through contact and finishing better. Once that part of his game comes he’ll play like a five-star tight end.

OL Tosh Baker, 6-7, 283, Phoenix, Ariz. / Pinnacle

IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 50 nationally)
Upside Grade: 5.0

Player Comp: Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame

Analysis: Baker is without question one of the best offensive tackle prospects in the entire country, but the thing is he isn’t anywhere close to his full potential. Right now Baker dominates at the prep level thanks to his natural God-given ability. If he can turn his potential into production, Baker is the kind of talent that could one day develop into an All-American and a high NFL Draft pick.

At 6-7 and 283 pounds, Baker has elite size and length. If he maxes out his frame with good weight I expect Baker to get into the 315-pound range. He’s a starting center for the Pinnacle basketball team, and playing hoops keeps his weight down. I expect him to quickly add weight and strength when he gets in college and stops playing basketball.

Baker is an impressive athlete for his size, possessing nimble feet and top-level lateral quickness. His change of direction is excellent, at least when his technique is correct and he keeps his base and sinks his hips. At times Baker will get too tall and narrow his base, which slows down his change of direction, but when he keeps his feet wider and bends his knees he moves side to side with ease. These traits are why Baker is an elite pass blocker at the prep level and why he projects as an elite pass blocker in a Notre Dame uniform.

Even when Baker gets beat off the line, his elite length, quickness and punch allow him to recover and make the block. After a year in the weight room his ability to anchor against power rushes will take a much-needed leap forward. It should also improve his run blocking, which is an area where his grade is lower. Baker flashes the ability to be an impact run blocker, but he doesn’t explode off the ball as frequently as he needs to, and he’s not the finisher he needs to be at this point. If his technique catches up to his potential the run game will also be a strength of his game.

OL Michael Carmody, 6-6, 292 — Mars, Pa. / Mars Area

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 200 nationally)
Upside Grade: 4.5

Player Comp: Michael Deiter, Wisconsin

Analysis: A critique I had of Carmody as a junior was he seemed to struggle handling the big weight jump he had from his sophomore season as he transitioned into more of a football player. Carmody is a standout on the Mars Area basketball team and he’s the younger brother of Notre Dame hoops player Robby Carmody. As a senior, however, Carmody was far more comfortable with the added size, and the result was a huge jump in play.

Carmody has taken well to the physical part of the game. He’s a physical blocker that plays with an edge, showing the kind of nastiness you’d expect from a Western Pennsylvania lineman. Carmody comes off the line with aggression, driving his feet through contact and he’s an excellent finisher. He has a powerful punch, but right now he doesn’t use his hands as well as he should. Carmody also has a tendency to bend at the waste. If his hand play, bend and overall technique improve he projects to be an outstanding run blocker in college.

Carmody improved as a pass blocker in his final season, using his length and foot quickness to thrive on the edge. Those traits help him overcome his lack of ideal footwork and technique. Carmody doesn’t have a lot of experience in pass protection, so that part of his game will need a lot of work at the next level.

The Mars Area standout is a versatile prospect that could play either tackle or guard at the next level. He has the length and athleticism to eventually develop into a quality tackle, but he’ll need a lot of work from a technique standpoint. Carmody is an aggressive player with a nasty disposition, traits that project incredibly well to guard, which could end up being his best position.

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