With National Signing Day just around the corner, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are still in the mix for a number of top recruits.
Fresh off a strong 10-3 season and Fiesta Bowl berth despite dealing with numerous injuries, head coach Brian Kelly is ready to take the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the next level.
Notre Dame is set up to compete for a College Football Playoff spot in 2016 and beyond, with a few key players returning and a solid young core. Kelly will still need to remain strong on the recruiting trail to replace NFL-bound talent like Will Fuller and Jaylon Smith.
So far, the Fighting Irish have the No. 6 ranked recruiting class for 2016 according to Scout.com. That would mark the third straight top-six recruiting class for Kelly, and Notre Dame has finished outside the top 10 just twice in his tenure.
Even though the class is strong as is, the Fighting Irish still have plenty to accomplish before National Signing Day on Feb. 3. Notre Dame is still in the mix for three-five star players, and landing them would potentially vault the Irish into the top five and more.
While Notre Dame will always face one of the toughest schedules in the nation, it may have an opportunity in 2016. The Fighting Irish play only three true road games: At Texas, NC State, and USC.
Adding a few impact freshman could help the Fighting Irish navigate the tough schedule and enter the season as a major threat to reach the playoff. While Kelly has done a great job with recruiting already, these five 2016 recruits could make a huge difference.
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