Film Don't Lie | Jerome Bettis Jr.
Lou Holtz might have had the most talented roster in all of college football in the early ‘90s and it’s been a nostalgia trip to see some of his former players have sons who are now being recruited by Marcus Freeman.
The Irish signed Bryce Young, the son of Bryant Young in the 2024 class. They already have a commitment from James Flanigan, the son of Jim Flanigan, in the 2025 class. They’ve now added a commitment from Jerome Bettis Jr. in the 2025 class.
Bettis Jr. isn’t considered the same caliber of prospect as the other two, but he has the potential to develop into a solid boundary receiver in college.
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 192
Projected Position: Wide receiver
ISD Grade: 86 (3-star)
National Average Grade: 85.8 (3-star)
What he does best:
He does a great job of high pointing the football. He shows the ability to adjust well to the football with good body control.
He’s a natural hands catcher with good ball skills.
He does a great job on back shoulder throws in contested catch situations. He knows how to box out defenders.
What he needs to improve:
He’s not an elite athlete. He hasn’t tested like one and hasn’t shown that potential on the field in terms of his deep speed or short area quickness.
He’ll most likely have to win with size, strength, and body positioning at the college level, so it’s imperative he becomes a beast in the weight room in order to win on the boundary.
That strength will be necessary because he’ll need to be a tackle breaker after the catch. He’s not someone who has shown the potential to make defenders miss in space. He may not ever be someone who can stretch the field with his speed (he ran a 4.77 at an Under Armour Camp in Atlanta), so physical and technical development is going to be huge for him.
I think he needs to become a bully.
What’s his ceiling?
Bettis Jr. has skills that should translate to help him be a contributor at Notre Dame. At the moment, I don’t see a prospect who can do that early on. He’ll need to develop into a stronger, twitchier athlete in order to do so.
Playing against bigger, longer corners in college, who know how to play bigger, is going to be his toughest obstacle because he might be someone who has to rely on winning contested catches in man coverage to be successful.
He’s not as tall, but I see him as a similar prospect to former Notre Dame receiver Corey Robinson. Robinson had a 40 catch season for the Irish in 2014.
Who he could be:
Former Notre Dame receiver Corey Robinson
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