What's Next For Notre Dame At Cornerback In The 2022 Class

Notre Dame can now focus on top-level talent at cornerback after landing a commitment from Jaden Mickey

Notre Dame is now on the board at cornerback in the 2022 class after landing Corona (Calif.) Centennial cover man Jaden Mickey. It was a big pickup for Notre Dame, and it comes a year after landing an outstanding four-man haul in the 2021 class.

After signing three corners in the 2020 class and four more in the 2021 class the Irish really only need one cornerback in the class. Cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens remains hot on the recruiting trail, and now with Mickey in the class he can narrow the board and focus on landing either high-impact talent or versatile players that could possibly move to another position (e.g., safety).

COVER CORNERS

Mickey is a pure cover corner, and that's what Notre Dame needs most outside in this class. Landing another pure cover player would be the ideal scenario for Notre Dame. Not only would it add a needed skillset to the roster, a second pure cover corner that could play to the field would give Mickey the opportunity to compete for playing time in the slot in nickel situations.

The best cornerback on the board is Lexington (Miss.) Holmes County standout Khamauri Rogers. In fact, the Top 50 national prospect would be the best cornerback to sign with Notre Dame in a very, very long time should the Irish be able to pull off the upset and eventually land him in the class.

Getting Rogers out of SEC county is going to require an all hands on deck approach. Mickens and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman will lead this charge, and the way the pair has recruited since arriving its the first time in a long time I've felt the Irish staff had the combination of position coach and DC to land a truly elite cover player like Rogers.

Apopka (Fla.) High School athlete Nikai Martinez is another top cover player on the board for Notre Dame. Martinez has legitimate interest in the Irish, but like Rogers, he will be difficult to get out of the South. He lacks the length or elite athleticism that Rogers possesses, but Martinez is fast, physical and really smart on the field.

Notre Dame made the top 12 for Buford (Ga.) High School cornerback Ryland Gandy, one of the most underrated cover players in the country. Gandy can absolutely fly, and his potential as a man player is enormous. There is a lot he has to learn, but give him time with a coach like Mickens and he could be one of those "three-stars" that turns into a college football star. Gandy is also teammates with Jake Pope, who is one of the safeties the Irish staff is pushing the hardest for in the 2022 class.

West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West cornerback Jyaire Brown is also a target of the Irish staff, but flipping an Ohio State commit from the Buckeye state is highly unlikely.

BIG CORNERS

The advantage to taking a big corner in the class is that there could be more versatility with that type of player, especially if Notre Dame once again comes up short at safety, which has often been the case in recent seasons.

Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic cornerback Jaeden Gould is my top big cornerback on the board for Notre Dame, but how hard the Irish are pushing for him right now remains to be seen. Gould is a pure boundary cornerback should he stay outside, but his ability to drive downhill and his range could translate extremely well to safety as well, should the need come for the program he ultimately chooses.

Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany corner Ephesians Prysock is an interesting player. He ranks as the No. 200 player in the country on the 247Sports composite list, but his upside is extremely high. What makes Prysock unique is that he could thrive at both cornerback spots, but he also could be an ideal fit for the third safety role, which is part corner, part safety and in some instances part linebacker.

Prysock is incredibly long but he's also very skinny right now. What surprised me when I broke down his film was how physical he was for being such a skinny player. As he fills out and adds more weight room strength he could become a highly, highly intriguing prospect due to his versatility. I could see Prysock emerging as a starter at the slot position and having a player with cornerback skill and safety length would create nightmare matchups for opponents.

Related Content

Notre Dame 2022 Scholarship Offers

Notre Dame 2022 Class Big Board

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