Notre Dame's Massive Group Of Early Enrollees Could Make An Early Splash
Notre Dame will have a much different look in the spring, as it will begin life without a number of its best players from the 2020 season. The list includes at least three starting offensive linemen, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, quarterback Ian Book and ends Daelin Hayes and Adetokunbo Ogundeji … and that’s just part of the list.
Notre Dame will also be receiving a number of talented reinforcements when the players return to school in February. Some will have a chance to make an immediate impact, and they will certainly draw a great deal of attention from Fighting Irish fans.
Let’s take a look at who will be stepping on campus in the winter and what opportunities await them when spring practice starts. We’ll go position-by-position.
QB TYLER BUCHNER
There isn’t a player in the 2021 recruiting class that will have more eyes on him the moment he gets on campus. Not only is he immensely talented, Buchner is arriving as Book leaves, and the depth chart that returns has combined for just 60 combined career snaps and just six career pass attempts.
With sophomore Brendan Clark battling knee issues, there could be opportunities for Buchner to get even more reps in the spring. My first question will be has he gotten his throwing motion back on track, and if not has he gotten more comfortable with the altered throwing motion to the point where he is making the kind of throws he did as a junior.
Many will point to Buchner as a potential starter in 2021, but we need to pump the brakes on that and let Buchner go through spring with less pressure on his shoulders. The spring will be about him building up his body, learning the offense, getting comfortable with his surroundings, shaking off the rust after not playing his senior season and getting to know his teammates.
We should wait until the fall before we start talking about Buchner competing for a starting job, but his talent is such that it will be hard to tamp that down.
QB RON POWLUS III
Powlus was a surprise signee for the Irish. His offer list was comprised of MAC schools, but Notre Dame signed the son of former quarterback Ron Powlus. The younger Powlus is a big-bodied quarterback with a strong arm, and he’ll give the Irish another arm to go through the spring. This will be especially important if Clark is limited or a no-go.
WR LORENZO STYLES JR.
Styles had one of the better senior seasons of any player in the Irish class. He was a really good player as a junior, but Styles was outstanding as a senior. He brings a speed element to a wide receiver depth chart that certainly needs a boost in that trait.
The Pickerington, Ohio native could play either the field outside spot or in the slot, and if given the opportunity he should be able to push the returners, especially in the slot. Styles is also a highly productive punt returner, so I’m curious to see if he gets a shot to field punts during the spring.
Freshmen who show up early have had a greater chance at earning playing time, which could help him climb up the depth chart a bit faster than most freshman wideouts under Kelly.
TE CANE BERRONG
Berrong is another player that saw his body and game take a jump as a senior. The depth chart is loaded, which will make it hard for Berrong to make much of a charge, but getting on campus early will be very good for him. It gives the talented first-year tight end a head start academically and it gives him five extra months in the weight room.
Learning behind the current veterans on the depth chart should also be beneficial to Berrong. Getting him a redshirt season is ideal, but Berrong’s combination of athleticism, ball skills and blocking ability will give him a chance to have some standout moments early on.
TE MITCHELL EVANS
I’m very curious to see what Evans looks like when he arrives at Notre Dame. He has great listed size but he’s also a baby-faced kid that could still see a lot of growth. My understanding is Notre Dame is definitely recruiting him at a tight end, which means he should get plenty of time to develop at the position.
I have a feeling his body will go through a lot of transformation during his Irish career, but in the spring we’ll get a chance to see where he starts.
OL BLAKE FISHER
Buchner will have a lot of eyes on him, but Fisher is a player that I’m extremely excited to see, especially if left guard Aaron Banks declares for the NFL Draft, or returns and is moved to left tackle.
Fisher was recruited to play tackle, and he absolutely has the physical tools to play on the edge. Any doubt about that was answered and dismissed during his brilliant senior season of high school. The returning tackle depth chart will lack experience, but it’s talented and there are a number of talented young blockers (Andrew Kristofic, Tosh Baker, Quinn Carroll). We could also see Joshua Lugg move back outside, where he started five games - and played well - in 2019.
The interior depth chart isn’t as deep and there isn’t nearly as much upside. If Banks leaves or moves to tackle I could see Fisher being a player capable of making an immediate push for playing time. A scenario in which he goes into the spring as a backup to Dillan Gibbons, with the thought that he could push himself into a rotation situation as a first-year player would be quite intriguing.
Showing up early allows Fisher to get a jump start on academics, which is incredibly important for players that have an opportunity to play in their first season. It also gives him extra time in the strength program and gives him a head start on the playbook and technical drills that should help him improve his already impressive game.
OL ROCCO SPINDLER
Everything I just said about Fisher and his opportunity to play as a freshman due to the questionable depth chart inside and his immense talent is also true of Spindler. While the Michigan native doesn’t have Fisher’s elite size, he’s plenty of big enough to compete as a first year player, and his wrestling background should aide him early.
Sprindler showing up early gives him a much-needed head start on adding the necessary strength to compete early for playing time. I rarely look at freshman offensive lineman as player that will make an early push for playing time, but the combination of mass departures and Spindler’s talent makes him a young player that I’ll at least have my eye on to see how quickly he adapts.
OL CALEB JOHNSON
Johnson is a big player with a good body and impressive punch for a young player. Johnson is more of a tackle, but he is another player that could move inside if the need arose. The Ocala, Fla. native will need more time than Fisher or Spindler, but I’m curious to see how he holds up as a first-year player.
DT GABRIEL RUBIO
Notre Dame needs more beef up the middle, and current freshman Aidan Keannaina and Rubio are two players that should provide that in the spring. Even if Notre Dame loses Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and Kurt Hinish this offseason the depth chart is still loaded, and a freshman moving up it will be a challenge. Rubio, however, is not your typical freshman.
The St. Louis native has impressive size (6-5, 285) and power, but what really stands out about Rubio is his incredible drive, work ethic, motor and supreme confidence in himself. Despite already having a scholarship offer and a spot in the class, Rubio showed up at Notre Dame’s lineman camp in the summer of 2019 looking to dominate, and his competitiveness was impressive.
The numbers and talent of the returners should mean Rubio takes a year to really develop and work into the rotation, but don’t tell Rubio that. You can expect he’ll show on campus with a thirst to be on the field early and often.
DE DEVIN AUPIU AND WILL SCHWEITZER
Notre Dame loses Hayes and Ogundeji after this season, and the depth chart at end isn’t incredibly deep in bodies. Adding Aupiu and Schweitzer this spring helps replenish things a bit. Both will need a lot of time in the weight room and cafeteria before they are ready to make a push for playing time, but I’m really looking forward to seeing how their athleticism stacks up as first-year players.
While they are unlikely to make a push for serious playing time as freshmen, we’ll get a chance this spring to see if they have the bodies, strength, motor and athleticism that creates buzz about what they can be after some time in the strength program.
CB RYAN BARNES
Notre Dame certainly doesn’t have a need for bodies at cornerback, as the defense is expected to return at least six cornerbacks in 2021. While the numbers are good, the 2020 class was not nearly as strong as the 2021 class, the 2019 class hasn’t made much of a splash yet and there is certainly a need for a boost in talent on the outside.
A freshman earning playing time certainly won’t be easy, but Barnes and Riley certainly have the tools to make an early push.
Barnes getting in early is especially beneficial for him, as it will allow him to shake off some rust after the state of Maryland canceled the 2020 fall football season. Barnes lost a much-needed opportunity to grow his game, but enrolling early will allow him to make up for lost time. I graded Barnes out as the top cornerback in the class and a Top 150 caliber player, and if I’m right we will see that start to show up this spring.
CB PHILIP RILEY
Riley is one of the most physically advanced secondary players Notre Dame has landed in the 15 years that I’ve been breaking down recruiting classes for the Irish. He’s an easy 190+ pounds, he has impressive length and he’s an extremely strong and physical football player. Riley has the size and power to play right away.
The question for Riley still spring is will he be able to handle playing cornerback or will a move to safety be in his future. We’ll get our first chance to see that this spring.
His situation reminds me a bit of Houston Griffith when he showed up at Notre Dame. It was obvious that Griffith was better suited for safety, but Notre Dame continued to try him at corner, and the staff continued to move him around throughout his career. If Riley shows in the spring the ability to cover on the outside he’ll get a chance to stick on the perimeter, but if he struggles to cover on the outside the hope is the staff doesn’t do to him what it did to Griffith, that it puts him in one spot that it feels his future is brightest and then leave him there unless he’s moving to another position to be the definite starter.
S JUSTIN WALTERS
I’m really curious to see how Walters looks physically this spring. Based on workout videos and photos he’s posted he appears to have added to his 175-pound frame. This young safety has impressive hitting ability for someone with his lack of girth, and he ran well on film. Missing out on his senior season stunted his development a bit, and this spring will be the first time we’ve seen him on the field since the fall of 2019.
Notre Dame has serious depth issues at safety, and if Walters is physically ready to play, and if he picks up the defense quickly, he could be hard to keep out of the two-deep, and he’ll be even harder to keep off the special teams.
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