2021 Notre Dame Signee Superlatives
Notre Dame signed an impressive class on Wednesday and more could be on the way in the coming days (or weeks).
ISD took a look at a few superlatives as Wednesday wraps up.
Highest Ceiling
Matt Freeman: QB Tyler Buchner has all the talent in the world and it will be on Notre Dame to develop it.
Jamie Uyeyama: Tyler Buchner. There are so few athletes like him at quarterback that if he can develop the rest of his game together, he has a chance to be one of the best in college football.
Christian McCollum: QB Tyler Buchner: Buchner’s raw athletic tools are impressive enough to make him a borderline five-star prospect. If he’s able to refine his skills as a passer, as Michael Jordan would say, “The ceiling is the roof!”
Most Underrated
Matt Freeman: CB Chance Tucker wins as he’s raw, but shows all the qualities you want in a cornerback, including playing press man.
Jamie Uyeyama: Joe Alt is going to look like a massive steal when all is said and done. It was a great evaluation by the Notre Dame staff for a player who took a big jump as a senior and will only get better.
Christian McCollum: TE Mitchell Evans: Used as a swiss-army knife of sorts early in his high school career and a quarterback as a senior, Evans never got much of an opportunity to show what he can do as a tight end.
Early Impact
Matt Freeman: ATH Lorenzo Styles Jr. has prepared for this for the last two season if not longer. Maturity goes a long way. Oh, he’s an explosive athlete with speed and grown man strength.
Jamie Uyeyama: Lorenzo Styles Jr. A dynamic athlete with the ball in his hands, I think he's too talented to not see the field early whether it's on offense or on special teams.
Christian McCollum: WR Lorenzo Styles Jr.: Styles has the kind of speed that could get him on the field right away even as he gets accustomed to the college game.
Biggest Get
Matt Freeman: Stealing offensive lineman Rocco Spindler from Michigan sent a message.
Jamie Uyeyama: Lorenzo Styles Jr. An elite prospect from Ohio that was an Ohio State legacy. It doesn't get much bigger than that.
Christian McCollum: OL Rocco Spindler: Beating Michigan for an elite offensive lineman from the state of Michigan is always huge.
Biggest Miss
Matt Freeman: RB Will Shipley was needed and likely would have ended up in the class, but COVID hit and it was game over for the Irish.
Jamie Uyeyama: A blue-chip edge rusher. Notre Dame landed a few prospects with potential to be great, but they never really came close to landing that stud edge rusher in the class.
Christian McCollum: RB Will Shipley: Who knows what would have happened in a traditional recruiting cycle?
Biggest Surprise
Matt Freeman: TE Cane Berrong was rated as one of the top tight ends in the country when he committed and stealing him out of Georgia should have been much harder.
Jamie Uyeyama: Deion Colzie. The way it was trending for a long time, it didn't look like Notre Dame would get him back in the class. Things ended up pointing to them as the choice and filled a big need.
Christian McCollum: CB Philip Riley: Rarely is a prospect in play after not only decommitting, but then committing to a rival.
Most Committed
Matt Freeman: There was never a doubt with offensive lineman Blake Fisher.
Jamie Uyeyama: As Christian noted, Berrong could have easily looked elsewhere when Chip Long was let go. He never wavered.
Christian McCollum: TE Cane Berrong: One of the very first pledges in the class, Berrong stayed committed for a year and a half and never wavered even through a position coach change.
Most Athletic
Matt Freeman: Tyler Buchner gets this by a slim margin. Stud in lacrosse and was a hell of a basketball player in addition to his ability to get loose on the football field.
Jamie Uyeyama: Tyler Buchner. He's athletic enough to not only play another position, but also athletic enough to play college lacrosse.
Christian McCollum: QB Tyler Buchner: Before he was one of the nation’s top quarterback prospects, he was one of the nation’s top lacrosse prospects.
Strongest Man
Matt Freeman: DL Gabriel Rubio was lifting fire hydrants during quarantine. Enough said.
Jamie Uyeyama: Blake Fisher. Don't know about the weight he is putting up in workouts, but he uproots defenders with ease in a way that isn't natural.
Christian McCollum: OL Blake Fisher: Go ask some of the Central Indiana high school football defenders if they agree.
Most Improved
Matt Freeman: OL Joe Alt played tight end before this year and continued to play some tight end, but his physical growth was something that stood out in a great way and it led to much better play.
Jamie Uyeyama: Joe Alt put on a good amount of weight and moves even better than when he was smaller. It was obvious the physical and technical gains he made on the field.
Christian McCollum: CB JoJo Johnson: There’s a reason Johnson saw a major increase in attention during the fall and his potential was obvious even as he juggled multiple roles for his high school squad.
Future Captain
Matt Freeman: DL Gabriel Rubio is quiet, but he’s a natural leader and will work by example.
Jamie Uyeyama: Gabriel Rubio has the work ethic and high motor that will immediately gain the respect of his teammates.
Christian McCollum: S Justin Walters: The kind of person who is easy to get along with while finding a way to display his maturity in an understated, but obvious manner.
Most Likely to be a First Round Pick
Matt Freeman: Blake Fisher has great feet for a big man and possesses the strength to be an elite offensive lineman.
Jamie Uyeyama: Blake Fisher is the kind of massive human being that usually is playing up front for Alabama. He has special physical traits.
Christian McCollum: OL Blake Fisher: Jamie Uyeyama says Fisher is the best offensive lineman the Irish have signed in years. That’s good enough for me.