Notre Dame Signs Linebacker Jaylen Sneed
Notre Dame signs 2022 South Carolina linebacker Jaylen Sneed.
JAYLEN SNEED PROFILE
Hometown: Hilton Head, S.C.
High School: Hilton Head
Height: 6-2
Weight: 210
2021 Stats: 76 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 4 sacks / 815 rush yards, 11 TD
IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 50 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0
Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, USC, Florida State, Michigan, Texas, Oregon, Auburn, Tennessee, Michigan State, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Iowa State, Louisville, Kansas State, Wake Forest, Indiana, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Duke, Syracuse
Recruited By: Marcus Freeman
Player Comp: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
RECRUITING RANKINGS
On3: 5-star - No. 26 overall - No. 2 linebacker
247Sports: 4-star - No. 41 overall - No. 5 linebacker
Rivals: 4-star - No. 45 overall - No. 4 outside linebacker
ESPN: 4-star - No. 47 overall - No. 6 outside linebacker
SI99: No. 51 overall - No. 4 linebacker
Composite: 5-star - No 33 overall - No. 3 linebacker
FILM ANALYSIS
Sneed isn’t the biggest linebacker, checking in at 6-2 and 215 pounds, but his length is impressive and he has plenty of room to fill out that frame. He shows a strong lower body and the potential to add a good 10-15 more pounds, which will only enhance his power and explosiveness.
What makes him a top prospect at this point is his athleticism and upside. Sneed is an extremely explosive athlete, one with elite burst, impressive lateral quickness and good speed. His initial burst, short-area quickness, change of direction and flexibility makes him play with exceptional speed. He showed even better closing speed as a senior, and his game took off because of hit, helping him earn South Carolina Mr. Football honors.
Sneed has the kind of foot quickness and downhill explosiveness that should allow him to eventually develop into an impactful inside linebacker. His range, length and instincts also lend to him being an effective player in space. Sneed is also an outstanding edge rusher thanks to the aforementioned initial burst I talked about and ability to chew up a lot of ground in a hurry.
The Hilton Head star shows a good feel for the game, possessing quick reaction skills and the ability to diagnose between run and pass relatively quickly. At times he doesn’t take the best angles, but that can certainly be improved. After playing on the edge as a junior, Sneed moved off the ball as a senior and his game really took off.
Sneed has continued to develop in coverage, so much so that he covers well enough and has enough range to be an impactful cover player at all three linebacker positions in this defense.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Notre Dame has talked to Sneed about playing just about every linebacker position. He was initially recruited to play rover, but the talk recently has been more about playing inside. Sneed certainly has the tools to be a playmaking Will linebacker thanks to his tremendous range, his coverage skills and his pass rushing potential. He'll get every chance to work himself into the rotation as soon as he arrives in South Bend.
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 and our premium message board! 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
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook