Recruiting Review Of Class 2011 Prospects Part 2 (Defense)

You begin to run out of adjectives when trying to describe the 2011 Defense Class, especially the defensive line class. Ranked by Rivals as "possibly the best defensive line class ever", it's impossible to not get excited about what the future holds up front for the Irish defense. Landing this stellar class was no easy feat for Brian Kelly and his staff. Recruiting Coordinator Chuck Martin along with Tony Alford, Bob Diaco, Mike Elston, Kerry Cooks were relentless in their pursuit to land the best possible players to help the ND defense achieve the next level of success. I have followed college football recruiting pretty religiously since 1993 and I have never witnessed as many ups and downs and back ups in a Notre Dame recruiting class ever. Let's take a look at some of the amazing stories that unfolded to landing this outstanding defensive class.


Defensive Line
Aaron Lynch is considered by many to be the top player in the Class of 2011, and if not the top, definitely in the top three. Notre Dame has struggled to land top flight defensive line prospects in the last decade. ND ended up the bridesmaid as recent top recruits Justin Trattou (Florida), Omar Hunter (Florida), and Chris Martin (Cal then Florida) all were committed to ND only to eventually decommit. That looked to be a great possibility with Aaron Lynch this year as well. Lynch (6-6 250lbs) arrives as January early enrollee from Island Coast HS in Cape Coral, Florida. Lynch committed to Notre Dame originally back in July 2010. When you are as skilled as Aaron Lynch is though, schools are not going to sit back and let you go to Notre Dame without a fight though. Schools throughout the Southeast and the rest of the country stayed in contact with Lynch and plead their case as to how much they needed him. Florida State was one of those schools and eventually swayed Lynch to decommit from ND and change over to FSU in mid-November. It looked like ND was going to be the bridesmaid again for another top Defensive Line talent. Behind the scenes coach Tony Alford stayed in touch continuously with Lynch, and never begged or pleaded with Lynch about recommitting to ND. According to Lynch, these talks were more like a father and son talked about normal everyday life. Alford's hard work and constant contact paid off when in mid-January just before the semester was to resume classes, Lynch recommitted and signed as an early enrollee to Notre Dame. Hardly ever do you see a player decommit from a school and then eventually recommit back to the first school. Many times there are just too many bridges burned, but it happened with Lynch, along with Stephon Tuitt, who we will talk about as well.
Blessed as a tremendous pass rusher he will bring that dimension to the Irish defense immediately in the 2011 season. The last player ND landed at defensive line that looked as physically ready to contribute from the first game of their freshman year was Victor Abiamiri back in 2003.
Year To Contribute (11'): Slated to start out at the Defensive End slot behind senior-to-be Kapron Lewis Moore, Lynch has a very good chance to be second string the opening game of the season against South Florida. Enrolling early and having a full spring practice head start on fellow freshman will only help Lynch. He has my vote for the top player in this class.



Stephon Tuitt recruitment and eventual signing with Notre Dame was very similar to Aaron Lynch. Tuitt (6-5 260lbs) from Monroe Georgia, will come to Notre Dame with 5 star (Rivals #2 overall defensive end prospect) credentials. He received offers from the likes of Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, LSU, Tennessee and many more. Normally the chances for ND are not very good to land an elite prospect from the Southeast with offers from all the power schools in the SEC and who does not does not list any other schools in the Midwest other than ND. Tuitt originally committed to ND back in mid-September. Coaches throughout the southeast continued working on Tuitt, especially Georgia Tech whose campus he had visited a few times before. By mid-January, Tuitt had formed a good bond with Yellow Jackets assistant coach and ace recruiter Andy McCollum. McCollum talked Tuitt into visiting Georgia Tech one more time at which time Tuitt soon flipped his commitment over to them. Losing anybody two weeks before signing day hurts, but losing somebody of Tuitt's caliber was heart wrenching to Irish fans. Rumors on the Notre Dame message boards were that the Irish coaching staff wasn't giving up and were going to fly down and visit Tuitt. Three days after Tuitt committed to Georgia Tech, ND coaches Chuck Martin, Mike Elston and Bob Diaco had an in-home visit with him and were able to re-secure his commitment to ND. Tuitt is the highest ranked defensive line prospect to sign with ND since Victor Abiamiri in 03'.
Year To Contribute (11'): Again, just like Aaron Lynch, Tuitt will be stepping into a possible second string role from the very first game of the 2011 season. Tuitt is slated to play the defensive end role currently occupied by senior-to-be Ethan Johnson. Unlike Lynch though, Tuitt will not be an early enroll player and will be entering with the rest of the freshman during the summer. The future defensive end tandem of Lynch and Tuitt has ND fans salivating.



Brad Carrico was the first commitment to the Class of 11', when he originally committed in March 2010. At 6-6 and 260lbs from Dublin Ohio (same school as former players Brady Quinn and Chinedum Ndukwe); Carrico has been told he will begin his career at defensive line. When Brian Kelly became the ND head coach, he mentioned that his staff broke players down into three simple categories when recruiting: Skill(QB,RB,WR,DB),Big Skill (LB,TE),Power (O-Line, D-Line). It's the mindset that if you are a Power position, you should be able to interchange a player from Offensive Line to Defensive Line and vice versa. Carrico fits this criteria to a "T". Big and strong, Carrico could grow into a good run stopping presence, if the coaching staff decides to keep him there.
Year To Contribute (12'-13'): As mentioned before on my review of the some of the offensive line prospects, many interior line players on either side of the ball can benefit greatly from a redshirt freshman year. If defensive line doesn't work out for Carrico, I believe he could have a nice future at offensive tackle or offensive guard.



Tony Springmann is very similar in his attributes to fellow signee Brad Carrico. Listed at 6-6 and 257lbs from Bishop Dwenger HS in Fort Wayne Indiana, Springmann committed a few short weeks after Carrico in April 2010.
Year To Contribute (12'-13'): Again like Carrico, I think Springmann could greatly benefit from a year with Coach Longo in the weight room. Springmann probably won't ever be able to rush the passer like an Aaron Lynch or Stephon Tuitt, but I could see him developing into a solid clog in the middle of that defense. If not defensive line, I'm sure Coach Warriner on the offensive line would love to have him over there.



Chase Hounshell is one of those kids every coach just wishes they had on their team. He has a motor that never stops and plays with unbridled intensity. Hounshell is 6-5 260lbs from Lake Catholic HS in Kirtland Ohio. Recruiting services have him ranked a bit too low in my opinion (Rivals & Scout both list as a 3 Star) because they obviously don't see some of the same attributes that 25 colleges saw enough of to offer full ride scholarships. Hounshell received an early offer from Urban Meyer and Florida back in August 10' and wasted no time jumping on it. Can't blame a kid for not wanting to turn down that offer. Once his senior season started, a buzz started as well. Lots of scouts and recruiting experts were raving about his senior film and how much he'd improved since his junior year. Once January came around and Urban Meyer had resigned from Florida, Hounshell ended up receiving an offer from his childhood favorite team (Notre Dame). A few days later accepted the offer and eventually signed with ND.
I'm excited to see what the future holds for him because I personally can't wait to watch him on the field.
Year To Contribute (12'): I really believe that after a year in the weight room getting bigger and stronger, that Hounshell will be a contributor whether it's on the defensive or offensive side of the ball. He comes in less heralded than many of the other defensive line players but he is a kid that will show up on film to the coaches because of the effort he gives.




Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Ben Councell is a kid who I think hasn't even begun to scratch the surface on what type of player he can be in the future. Councell is a four star (Rivals)6-5 225lbs prospect from AC Reynolds HS in Asheville North Carolina. Prior to his senior year, Councell had not received much publicity, but as the 2010 season came and went and he attended some of the All Star games, his stock literally skyrocketed. Councell brings great speed and athleticism to the table and because of his long frame and ability to play sideline to sideline, he will be a great fit on the outside of the Irish 3-4 defense. In the Shrine Bowl All Star game featuring the top players in North Carolina and South Carolina in December 2010, Councell walked away with the defensive MVP when he racked up 13 tackles, a sack, and a blocked punt. That game featured the likes of players like #1 ranked overall player JaDeveon Clowney.
Year To Contribute (11'): I think at the very least because of his size and speed combination he will be a great special teams player in his freshman year.

Sorry, but i haven't been able to find any highlight videos on the internet of Ben Councell that allow for embedding.

Ishaq Williams (pronounced ee-shack) commitment to ND can be placed squarely on the shoulders of Bob Diaco. In one of the most amazing recruiting stories you will hear, Williams comes to ND as a January early enrollee. Williams is a soft spoken, 6-5 230lb 5 star (Rivals) outside linebacker/defensive end from Brooklyn New York. It was very hard to find updates on Williams from any of the recruiting services (Rivals, Scout etc) throughout the entire recruiting season up until December on the basis alone that he is a quiet kid that keeps to himself. Williams wanted to enroll in January wherever he ended up choosing, so once December came around, it started heating up in the Williams sweepstakes. Williams visited ND on Dec 8th, and Syracuse (his parents alma mater) on Dec 10th. Following a great showing at the practices and game at the Army All American All Star game, Williams was slated to visit Penn State on Friday Jan. 14th. Penn State had long been rumored as one of the heavy favorites, and with January classes starting just days away, he needed to make a decision. Along comes Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco. Diaco called Ishaq's father Shaun around midnight Thursday night and asked if he could come by for a visit on Friday morning before the Williams left for Penn State. The elder Williams agreed, and Bob Diaco showed up on the door step at 4:30 am Friday morning, "clean shaven, penny loafers shined, hair perfect". The elder Williams and Ishaq realized just how important he was to the future of the Notre Dame defense, and Bob Diaco walked out of the house with a commitment and into Notre Dame recruiting folklore history.
Year To Contribute (11'): Williams will be groomed behind senior to be Darius Fleming at the Dog linebacker position which lines up at both linebacker and defensive end in the 3-4 defense. Extremely athletic, long, and fast, Williams will be a stalwart in coming years for the Irish.



Anthony Rabasa is 6-3 230lbs from Columbus HS in Miami Florida. Rabasa grew up a Miami fan, but after a late July visit to South Bend with his family, he fell in love with Notre Dame and committed upon returning home. Rabasa had racked up 21 scholarship offers from the likes of Florida, Florida State, LSU, Nebraska, and even his childhood favorite Miami. Nothing ever swayed Rabasa through the entire recruiting season and he stayed strong in his commitment to ND. As a prospect, he is absolutely relentless in his pursuit to get to the quarterback. In high school, he lined up as a defensive end, but I think he'll transition to outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense once he arrives at ND.
Year To Contribute (12'): There is a possibility that Rabasa might see the field in the upcoming 11' season, but I would venture to guess that if he does, it would be as a special teamer. If not, a year with Coach Longo and transitioning to outside linebacker will do wonders for him.



Inside Linebacker
Jarrett Grace is exactly what coaches look for from their inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. One of the things Coach Kelly has previously mentioned, was needing to get "bigger" on defense in all areas. Grace is a 6-4 240lb inside linebacker from Colerain HS in Cincinnati Ohio. Grace is a punishing hitter who will fit perfectly into a Bob Diaco defense at ND. He is listed with 20 scholarship offers from the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Stanford.
Year To Contribute (12'): Grace comes in as a freshman behind starting inside linebackers Manti Te'o and Carlo Calabrese. Behind those two, it's pretty unproven , with Dan Fox, Anthony McDonald, David Posluzny, along with current freshman Kendall Moore and Danny Spond. There have been whispers that Kendall Moore could be a player to watch in the future. All in all, there is a possibility you might see Grace as a special teamer as a freshman but I think guys like Dan Fox and David Posluzny could fill the same role without having to burn Grace's redshirt. I believe there is a great future for this kid though.



Defensive Back
Jalen Brown comes to Notre Dame as a true cornerback which is something that Notre Dame sorely needs at this point. Brown is listed at 6-0 173lbs from MacArthur HS in Irving Texas. Brown received a host of Big 12 region offers from the likes of Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Kansas State amongst others. Brown displays great technique in his backpedaling, and along with his good height, he should develop into a very solid cornerback for Notre Dame.

Year To Contribute (12'): This is a tough one to guess because of how thin ND is at cornerback. A lot of it depends on how former wide receiver Bennett Jackson transitions over to cornerback. If he struggles, then Jalen Brown has a very good chance of having to see the field as a freshman because ND would only have 3 cornerbacks ahead of him. Notre Dame will lose starters Gary Gray and Robert Blanton after the 2011 season, so Jalen Brown will see A LOT of playing time as either a redshirt freshman/true sophomore.

Sorry, but i haven't been able to find any highlight videos on the internet of Jalen Brown that allow for embedding.

Eilar Hardy will join the Irish with the highest credentials of all the incoming freshman defensive backs. Hardy is a 4 star recruit by both Rivals and Scout. He is listed at 6-1 175lbs from Central HS in Pickerington Ohio. Hardy had 14 scholarship offers from the likes of Michigan State, Maryland, Iowa, and Wisconsin. He was a running back and safety in High School, and it will be safety where he will play for the Irish. His style of play reminds me a lot of current ND safety Jamoris Slaughter.
Year To Contribute (11'): Most likely to begin his career at one of the safety spots where ND currently returns Harrison Smith, Zeke Motta, and Jamoris Slaughter. Dan McCarthy is a possible option, but as of now it is not completely clear how he will return from injury. That puts Hardy as possibly into the 2-deep at one of the safety spots right away as a freshman. In a perfect world, I'm guessing the coaching staff would like to redshirt Hardy, but because of the thin numbers at the safety position I could see him being forced into action in the upcoming 2011 season.



Josh Atkinson comes to Notre Dame from Granada Hills HS in Livermore California. As you probably already know, he is the twin brother of fellow signee George Atkinson III. Make no mistake about it, Josh will be coming to Notre Dame to make a name for himself. Josh is listed at 6-0 180lbs, which is a bit smaller than his twin brother, but still possesses more than adequate enough size to player cornerback. You can guarantee that Josh has received good coaching growing up, as his father was All-Pro defensive back George Atkinson II with the Oakland Raiders. The younger Atkinson wears the same #43 as his father did in his playing days as a tribute to him. Josh received 10 scholarship offers from the likes of Oregon, Utah, Washington, Arizona State, and Arizona.

Year To Contribute (11'-12'): From interviews i've come across reading about Josh, he has every intent of not only coming in and playing this upcoming year, but to make his presence felt at cornerback in the 11' season. I'm guessing the Irish coaching staff would like to redshirt one of the two freshman cornerbacks (Jalen Brown & Josh Atkinson) so it will be a battle to see who emerges first. Both will become solid players for the Irish either way though.



Matthias Farley