Midterm Recruiting Grades - Defense: The Best Class Since?
- Liam Gaudet
- Aug 1
- 8 min read
Last month, we examined Notre Dame's recruiting efforts on the offensive side of the ball and graded each position group's progress so far this cycle. Today, we attempt to do the same for the defensive side of the ball. Let's go!
Photo by The Irish Tribune
Defensive Line: A
I know what you're going to say - how is this position group not an A+? And while I wrestled with this grade for quite a while, I landed on an A for one simple reason: To push this class to heights truly unforeseen, Al Washington absolutely must land Elijah Golden. The Irish were involved early on with Golden, and an official visit last month had things trending in the right direction. Then, Golden pushed his commitment date back, and now we'll have to wait and see if it will be the Irish or the Crimson Tide. Golden is the missing piece that will tie this truly elite positional class together.
With that being said, Al Washington and Marcus Freeman are due some incredible praise for being able to pull in arguably the best defensive line class in the country, with or without Elijah Golden in the fold. The Fighting Irish have secured commitments from two of the top EDGE rushers in North Carolina in 5-Star Rodney Dunham and 4-Star Ebenezer Ewetade. Both possess incredibly high upside and have the potential to anchor the Irish defensive line for years to come.
As the Irish Tribune's Head of Scouting, Max Uretsky, says of Ewetade:
"Ewetade truly is an all-around balanced defensive end. He displays excellent hand usage, violent get-off, and a high motor. He plays with good leverage in the run game, which allows him to consistently set the edge. He knows how to disengage at the point of attack and is a strong tackler. Can close backside versus zone, and has a knack for punching the ball out and forcing fumbles. In pass-rush situations, he has very good upfield burst and does not stop moving his feet as he works to disengage from blocks. His athleticism shines through when it comes to his ability to bend and flatten off the edge when using an outside rush."
And of Dunham:
"Dunham is everything you want in a pass rush specialist. Like Ewetade, he has rare bend ability, especially for being 6'5. He has elite upfield burst, and there is not any wasted movement when he gets off the line. He has enough power and leg drive to split double teams off the edge and get home to the QB. He runs through chip blocks while maintaining his balance, and it will be very hard for quarterbacks to get outside of him when they leave the pocket due to his change of direction and length. Dunham shows a high level of mental processing when it comes to diagnosing when the ball is coming out quickly and gets his hands up in passing lanes, resulting in plenty of knockdowns. His pursuit effort is top-notch, whether he is on the front or backside of plays. When it comes to stopping the run, Dunham comes off the line with power and uses his long arms to create space between himself and the offensive linemen before quickly slanting inside to make plays on interior runs."
You can tell EDGE was a position of focus for Notre Dame on the trail the past few cycles, as they have landed top-tier talent at the position pretty consistently. Similarly, the interior defensive line has been a pretty specific need for Notre Dame. The Irish addressed that in the portal this offseason by snagging Louisville transfer Jared Dawson, but are looking to establish less of a revolving door at the position after the departures of Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III. Enter Tiki Hola, an elite run-stuffer who has the size and strength to develop into one of the nation's elite at the position. If Notre Dame can pair Hola with Golden, I would put this class up against any other in the nation. Hats off to Al Washington.
Linebacker: B+
Notre Dame hasn't had any issues attracting elite linebackers to South Bend, as they have landed plenty of big names at the position over the past few cycles - most notably Madden Faraimo last cycle, and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa the cycle before. The reason I have linebackers graded as a B+ is not because of the talent at the position in this class, but rather the depth. I think Notre Dame certainly could benefit from adding another player to this class, but there haven't been any rumblings about possible additions.
Regardless, we've made it no secret that we think Kobe Clapper is one of the most outrageously underrated prospects in Notre Dame's recruiting class. His elite blend of run-stopping and mental intangibles will only serve to aid in his development as a downhill linebacker. As Max Uretsky puts it:
"Your off-ball linebackers better be able to stop the run, and Clapper delivers in this area at a high level. He displays good play speed, which allows him to knife in and beat blockers that are coming across the line of scrimmage to their spots. His play strength and balance show his ability to take on chip blockers and maintain his leverage on the ball carrier. His hand usage borders on elite, and he is very adept at shedding blocks, not just from inline tight ends, but guards and tackles as well. He knows how to work through traffic while staying square to the line of scrimmage, rarely overrunning plays. He has a very good feel when playing Zone Runs, filling the backside cutback lanes and meeting running backs in the hole. Excellent tackler who wraps up and explodes through his hips. He is efficient on both the frontside and backside of plays, and shows a lot of juice pursuing plays that are going away from him. Clapper truly does check all of the boxes as a run stopper, and what makes this trait even more special is his ability to do it from multiple alignments."
On the other hand, Thomas Davis Jr. was one of the first commits in the class of 2026, and even after an offer from his father's alma mater in Athens, the Irish were able to keep him in the class, and he shut his recruitment down completely. As mentioned, Davis Jr. has NFL bloodlines and some serious talent.
"Davis Jr. can close on the ball in a hurry. When he is trusting his eyes, he plays extremely fast and explosively. He displays the lateral quickness to be able to chase down outside runs when playing from an off-ball linebacker position. He has also been used as a safety, which speaks to how well he moves as 200+ pound player. Although he may not have as much straight line speed as someone like Notre Dame great Jaylon Smith, he has plenty of quickness to stay in on all three downs and be effective in passing situations."
Secondary: A+
I was going to divide the secondary grades into corner and safety, but because they both fall under the responsibility of Mike Mickens, and they both would also receive an A+ grade, why not combine them? This class is Mickens' magnum opus at Notre Dame, and it has proven that retaining him on staff was incredibly important.
At safety, Joey O'Brien will continue the lineage of the "unicorn" athletes that have filled in before him, in players like Kyle Hamilton, and newcomer JaDon Blair. It's clear the Irish have targeted a specific type of player at the position - length and elite ball skills. O'Brien possesses both, possibly to the highest degree, and has earned 5-Star status because of it. He's the crown jewel of Notre Dame's secondary class and was a massive win for Mike Mickens over Penn State and Oregon. Securing the commitment of O'Brien is what I like to view as the turning point for this recruiting class, and it will only serve to benefit the Irish in future recruiting battles. Similarly, you can't overlook players like Nick Reddish and Ayden Pouncey, who each bring complementary skillsets to the back end of the defense. Pouncey's blend of football IQ and coverage skills positions him well for the future.
"When Pouncey is playing from a deep Zone, his processing speed is off the charts. He reads the QB's eyes and is breaking on routes well before the ball is thrown. When asked to play as a Cover 2 corner, Pouncey does an amazing job of reading the flats while sinking with enough depth to be able to make plays on short/intermediate out-breaking routes that the quarterback is trying to layer between him and the safety. He proficiently reads WR screens and quick throws to the sidelines and blows them up before they ever get started. Any player that can alternate between Zone and Man efficiently, looks like a corner and a safety, and can thrive on the offensive side of the ball has a high football IQ and will earn more opportunities from the coaching staff."
Nick Reddish, on the other hand, will come at you in a flash in run-support. The Irish have covered all of their bases at the safety spot.
"When Reddish is playing as a deep safety, he displays very good change of direction with the way he can plant his back foot and drive, allowing him to help play the run from depth. He is a big hitter who knows how to attack the ball as he tackles, leading to some forced fumbles. He has the ability to play in the box as well, doing a good job of keeping his outside shoulder free when he is the containment player near the line of scrimmage. Reddish has an excellent pursuit and hustle quality about his game, with a willingness to chase down ball carriers from the opposite side of the field and never giving up on the play. Reddish is definitely a player you can move around based on the down and distance, with run support not being an issue regardless of alignment. He could also carve out a role for himself on special teams coverage units due to his pursuit, hitting, and proficiency at leveraging ball carriers."
At corner, the lockdown duo of Khary Adams and Chaz Smith round out this incredible defensive class for the Irish. Adams is viewed as a top-5 CB in the class of 2026, and Smith recently received a much-deserved bump in the recruiting rankings.
As Uretsky says of Adams:
"Adams has elite height for the position, standing at 6'2", with a good wingspan and a frame that will still allow him to bulk up some. He possesses true 4.4 speed, which shows up on both sides of the ball as a cornerback and as a wide receiver, where he was able to average a little over 16 yards a catch during his Junior season. His change of direction is a crucial part of his athletic profile and serves him well, especially when in off coverage. He also possesses excellent stop-and-start ability with top-notch acceleration. Adams has short-area quickness, long speed, and everything in between. He has all the makings of a boundary corner, and his athleticism, paired with more development, gives him the chance to become a true lockdown."
And of Smith:
"One of the most impressive things about Smith's game is his ability to vary his eye discipline for when he is in Man Coverage vs Zone Coverage, which is rare for a young corner. A lot of times, cornerbacks will play with eyes on the quarterback no matter what in hopes of jumping routes and making plays, which is great for Zone, but watching the QB in Man is an easy way to lose your assignment and become susceptible to double moves. When Smith is lined up one-on-one in coverage, his vision is locked on the WR, and only turns back when it is time to locate the ball in the air. He also has an excellent feel for when offenses are going to the quick game, planting his back foot and driving on WR screens, blowing them up behind the line of scrimmage. Smith occasionally gets burned as a two-deep safety, where he shows an understanding of playing with proper depth and has a good feel for when to break and drive on routes in his area. Smith will come in as a very intelligent player, which will give him a leg up, as that is not an easy trait to develop."
It really isn't a stretch to call this secondary class, and perhaps even this defensive class, the best in the country. Marcus Freeman has the recruiting department moving like a well-oiled machine, and by securing the commitment of elite 2027 QB Teddy Jarrard, it's hard to believe that Notre Dame recruiting will take a hit anytime soon.
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