Great defense almost always starts up front. Notre Dame has seen most of their best defenses over the last two decades driven by great defensive linemen.
We can expect that to continue going forward because they are recruiting at a very high level right now. The train continues to roll with the addition of David Folorunsho. A disruptive athlete who can make an impact at just about any alignment, Folorunsho is a special talent and who has the potential to become an absolute game wrecker.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 280
Projected Position: Defensive tackle
ISD Grade: 99 (5-star)
National Average Grade: 95.5 (4-star)
What he does best:
Folorunsho has elite twitch at his size. His first step explosiveness and ability to run the hoop at his size is unique.
He’s someone who could legitimately line up across any alignment and win his matchup. I’d expect him to play inside at Notre Dame, but he has the skill set to be moved around in pass rush situations.
He has a great motor. He’ll chase down plays that he has no business getting to.
His reactive athleticism allows him to finish plays. His lateral quickness is outstanding.
Folorunsho is advanced with his hands for someone his age. Starting with this stab and then countering with a rip is not something that you see every day from just anyone in college let alone high school.
What he needs to improve:
He can play with better leverage at the point of attack and that will be important against double teams when playing inside.
What’s his ceiling?
Folorunsho has the talent to make an impact from day one at Notre Dame. There just aren’t many humans walking this planet with his athleticism at his size who can also be violent.
The scary part is that he should only get better once he refines his game under Charlie Partridge. There is no ceiling for how good he can be. He has all of the tools to develop into one of the best defensive lineman in college football and be a very high pick when his time to go to the NFL comes.
His size and game is reminiscent of former Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt in a lot of ways with how Folorunsho can win from multiple alignments. At his best, Tuitt was borderline unblockable and could take over a game. I believe Folorunsho can become that same type of dominant player at Notre Dame.
Who he could be:
Former ND DL Stephon Tuitt
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