Notre Dame Signs RB Audric Estime

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have signed running back Audric Estime.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have signed running back Audric Estime.

AUDRIC ESTIME PROFILE

Hometown: Montvale, N.J.
High School: St. Joseph’s

Height: 6-1
Weight: 215

2020 Stats: 1,857 rushing yards, 9.8 YPC, 22 TD (8 games) / 14 catches, 185 yards, 2 TD
2019 Stats: 1,190 rushing yards, 6.9 YPC, 15 TD (10 games) / 13 catches, 65 yards, 1 TD

Career Stats: 3,924 rushing yards, 7.5 YPC, 50 TD (30 games) / 32 catches, 304 yards, 4 TD

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 200 caliber player)
Upside Grade: 4.5

Offers: Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Louisville, Iowa State, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Michigan State, Indiana, Minnesota, Duke, Washington State, Maryland, Arizona State, Rutgers

Rivals: 4-star - No. 132 overall
247Sports: 4-star - No. 241 overall
ESPN: 3-star
Composite: 4-star - No. 241 overall

FILM ANALYSIS

Backs with Estime’s size (6-1, 215) are supposed to be physical runners, and when the occasion calls for it the St. Joseph’s star is certainly that. Estime is a vertical, one-cut runner that can hammer teams when it is needed. His leg drive is impressive, he shows a quick dip-and-rip and he can finish runs with authority.

What surprised me was how smooth Estime is as a runner. He has tremendous balance for a big man and he’s a surprisingly nimble runner. Estime isn’t an overly sudden athlete, but he knows how to set up defenders, and his combination of balance and power makes him extremely hard to bring down in space.

Estime can take some time to get going and he doesn’t have an elite burst, but he does possess an impressive second gear that allows him to rip off long runs. Think of him as a faster version of Tony Jones Jr. in this regard. Estime is an efficient runner that shows very little wasted motion, from both a technique standpoint and when he’s in space. That helps him maximize the speed and athleticism he does possess.

The St. Joseph’s star is a fundamentally sound and efficient runner, and I love the fact he always puts the ball in his outside arm, but doesn’t switch the ball when he has to cut. He protects the ball well, he plays with great pad level and he shows a tremendous feel for the position. He isn’t used much in the pass game, but he catches the ball clean when called upon, and his size and power should allow him to develop into a great pass blocker.

NOTRE DAME FIT

The Jones comparison makes a lot of sense here, and it’s an example of how effectively Estime could fit into the Notre Dame offense. He is thick and physical enough to be an every down back, showing the ability to hammer teams between the tackles, to make plays on the stretch plays, to handle his business as a pass catcher and to thrive in pass protection.

Estime has experience as a runner out of the shotgun and from the I-formation. Adding him a year after speedster Chris Tyree gives the Irish an impressive thunder and lightning type of situation. If Notre Dame is also able to add Logan Diggs in February, it would give the Irish as good as a three-man group as the program has had in a very, very long time.

JOHN GARCIA, SI ALL-AMERICAN ON ESTIME

“Estime hit an apex as a senior with a 2,000 yard campaign from scrimmage in which he made things look easy through eight games on Friday nights. The big body, who is 6-1, 210 pounds, isn't just a downhill player successful behind his pads. He plays decisive with great instincts and quickness relative to his size with strong one-cut principles. There is an understanding of blocking schemes and when to press the whole, with urgency and subtle shiftiness thereafter. Estime can also hold his own out of the backfield as a pass-catcher, always important in today's football culture especially when you consider his frame and body control to potentially present even more problems for a defense in space.”

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