The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were on the cusp of making it to the College Football Playoff, but will their 2018 recruiting class help get them back there?
College football royalty in terms of programs undoubtedly includes the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Gold Domes are entrenched in the lore of the sport and no one can take them away from that. However, after years of down years for the program, Brian Kelly seemed to have them almost all the way back this past season, getting them as high as No. 2 in the country.
Now it’s about staying there, and that’s obviously all about recruiting. Their recruiting trail this season hasn’t been fruitful at the top as they have no 5-star recruits and no player in the top 50 of the 247 Sports Composite Rankings. With that being said, the Fighting Irish still have some intriguing talent on the way.
Houston Griffith is a cornerback out of Texas and the Fighting Irish’s highest-ranked recruit at No. 70 overall. Meanwhile, they have the Nos. 82 and 83 recruits in the country coming in with wide receiver Kevin Austin and dual-threat quarterback Phil Jurkevoc. All three promise to bring great things to Notre Dame in the future if they can keep on developing on their evident talent.
These are the big names that will be taking their talents to South Bend in the fall, but there’s always more. Let’s take a look at the full 2018 Notre Dame recruiting class on this National Signing Day:
Next: National Signing Day: Predictions for top 25 uncommitted recruits
Not having any 5-star recruits is obviously disappointing for a program like Notre Dame. Having said that, they have a deep incoming crop of recruits that could well keep them in the national fold for some time, especially if they can continue to succeed with player development as they have in recent years.
Grade: B-