Recruiting Comparison: Notre Dame vs. Florida State
Notre Dame kicks off its 2021 season this weekend when it takes on the Florida State Seminoles. Notre Dame is coming off a 10-2 campaign while the Seminoles were 3-6 a season ago, but Florida State will be improved.
Part of our pregame coverage is a look at how the two teams look from a recruiting standpoint. Here are the 247Sports composite rankings for the starters and top rotation players for the Notre Dame offense and Florida State defense.
All but three of Notre Dame's offensive starters were four-star recruits. Tight end Michael Mayer was ranked as a five-star recruit and the other non four-stars were the two grad transfers, quarterback Jack Coan and lineman Cain Madden. Notre Dame also has a number of four-star recruits coming off the bench. Notre Dame has four Top 100 recruits on its offense, including two along the offensive line. A fifth Top 100 player - running back Chris Tyree - will get a ton of playing time.
Florida State has just five four-star recruits on its starting defense, but all of its top reserves were four-star players. The Seminoles have just one Top 100 recruit in the starting lineup, and that is safety Akeem Dent, who is moving over from cornerback.
Now let's look at the Notre Dame defense and the Seminole offense.
Despite it being the strength of the team in recent seasons the Irish defense has thrived turning lower ranked players into stars. Notre Dame has five four-star players in its starting lineup on defense, with two payers ranking in the Top 100. There are a pair of former Top 100 recruits coming off the bench as part of the linebacker rotation.
Florida State has just two four-star players in its starting lineup on offense, although the Seminoles are bringing in some talented four-star recruits off the bench at the skill positions.
CLASS RANKINGS
Here are the class rankings of the two programs from the last five seasons. (247Sports composite)
NOTRE DAME
2021 - 9
2020 - 18
2019 - 15
2018 - 10
2017 - 10
FLORIDA STATE
2021 - 22
2020 - 22
2019 - 18
2018 - 11
2017 - 6
Advantage: Notre Dame
Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge
Irish Breakdown Content
Notre Dame 2021 Roster
Notre Dame 2021 Schedule
Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Offense
Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Defense
Notre Dame 2022 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2022 Class Big Board
Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board
———————
Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content, our premium message board and gets you a FREE subscription to Sports Illustrated! Click on the link below for more
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: @CoachD178
Follow me on Parler: @BryanDriskell
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook