It’s almost become standard that when a Notre Dame loses a commitment at one position, they gain a commitment shortly after. The timing doesn’t come as a surprise with them landing a commitment from safety John Gay III.
He that started to blow up with offers in late January and the Irish offered him shortly after that. He’s a versatile and intriguing prospect.
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 185
Projected Position: Safety/nickel
ISD Grade: 88 (3-star)
National Average Grade: 87.7 (3-star)
What he does best:
He has a lot of experience as a slot defender and it’s easy to see why he succeeds there. He is physical with his block destruction on the perimeter.
His size and length help him in man coverage, but I was impressed with his change of direction skills when playing man as well.
He does a nice job of finding the football in coverage.
He brings added value as a blitzer as well.
What he needs to improve:
Gay lined up deep more often as a sophomore and I would have liked to see more film of him there as a junior. It’s not to say he is incapable of succeeding there, but he has a lot more experience as a slot defender and playing closer to the line of scrimmage.
What’s his ceiling?
His size and his movement at that size is impressive. That makes him a truly intriguing option as a slot defender/nickel. He reminds me a lot of current Notre Dame safety Ethan Long who appears to have all the makings of a high level starter for the Irish in the future.
Gay’s size and athletic profile is similar to Long’s. Long also played a lot as a slot defender in high school as well.
The reason I gave him a grade of 88 is because I’m not quite certain about Gay’s ceiling. I don’t have verified athletic testing for him and I hope to either get that and see more film of him in general. I’m excited to watch his film from his senior season.
Who he could be:
Current ND safety Ethan Long
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