Often times the players who turn a good team into a great one are the ones who come out of nowhere to have huge impacts – players who have flown under the radar but develop at the right time and become difference makers. After all, there are only so many 5-star recruits to go around. After them, it’s the coaching staffs that are able to identify the kids who have yet to tap into their potential yet and are able to develop their raw talent that are successful year in and year out.
So far Brian Kelly and his staff have shown they have the ability to do just that. Players like Joe Schmidt, Nick Martin, Will Fuller, Corey Robinson, Cam McDaniel, Kollin Hill, Greer Martini, and Drue Tranquill all played key roles at different points of the 2014 season and none were very highly recruited. Given Notre Dame’s challenges on the recruiting trail consistently finding those hidden gems is absolutely critical for the success of the program and is also one of main reasons that Charlie Weis and Ty Willingham were never able to maintain the early success they had.
With Signing Day less than 24 hours away, here are five players expected to sign letters of intent with the Irish who fit the bill as hidden gems that could end up paying dividends for Notre Dame down the road.
Josh Adams (RB) – Ever since Adams committed to Notre Dame I thought that the Irish got a steal. While Adams did tear his ACL as a junior which brought back some memories of James Aldridge who had 5-star talent before his ACL tear as a senior but was never able to regain form, the Pennsylvania native came back with a vengeance as a senior. Adams posted 1,618 yards on 209 carries (7.7 ypc) with a jaw dropping 27 touchdowns for Central Bucks South.
The key here is that the Notre Dame coaching staff offered Adams after the ACL tear and after they saw him perform at the Irish Invasion so they felt well enough of his recovery to still offer a scholarship. Adams meanwhile showed that the Irish coaching staff’s faith was well placed with his banner season season. Now consider this, almost every athlete who comes back from an ACL injury says that they aren’t fully back until a year later. In four years I think Adams is going to be one of the better players in this year’s class. We might not even have to wait that long to see Adams given Notre Dame’s depth at running back for 2015.
Nick Coleman (CB) – Notre Dame needed to add defensive backs in this class – specifically corners – and the Irish landed three potentially with Coleman, Shaun Crawford, and Ashton White. Of the group, Coleman comes in as the least heralded of the trio, but still brings a ton of talent and potential. He will need a lot of development before he is ready to make his mark, but he’s got the skill-set to make him an asset in this class. He played on both sides of the ball in high school but will be able to focus on just the defensive side of the ball on the college level. He also played a lot of zone coverage in high school and will need to learn Brian VanGorder’s system that requires a lot of man coverage from his CB’s.
Coleman totaled over 1,000 yards rushing the football as a senior and picked off three passes as his team lost in the 4A state championship game. Once he can focus solely on the defensive side of the ball, he’s got the potential to develop nicely for Notre Dame.
Jalen Guyon (WR) – Guyton might be the most shining example of an under the radar recruit in this year’s class. Despite some gaudy stats against elite competition, his star ratings are on the low end with all services except ESPN labeling the Texas receiver a 3-star talent.
According to MaxPreps, Guyton hauled in 74 passes for 1,605 yards with 16 receiving TDs as a senior for Allen High School in Texas where he played against some of the toughest competition in the state. Guyton’s low profile could be a result of catching passes from Kylar Murray – one of the top quarterbacks in the state – which could lead some to believe that his performance is a product of playing with an elite quarterback. Don’t be fooled though, Guyton has legit talent.
Because of Notre Dame’s depth at wide receiver, Guyton won’t be pressed into action early but in a couple years he be just like Fuller in that he came in with a low profile but turned into an All-American caliber wide receiver for the Irish.
Bo Wallace (DE) – Wallace might very well be a boom or bust type player for Notre Dame this year. He brings the potential to be an elite pass rusher in the Notre Dame defense but at the same time, he has got to get a lot bigger in order to tap into that potential. Wallace comes in around the 215 lbs mark but with his 6’5″ frame it looks like he has the ability to add that necessary weight fairly easily, but will he be able to do so and maintain his explosiveness?
At the Semper-Fi All-American Bowl Wallace flashed those elite pass rushing skills. If he can maintain them as he bulks up, Notre Dame very well could have the edge pass rusher that they’ve been lacking for a while. In some ways, Wallace is similar to Justin Tuck coming out of high school. Tuck came to Notre Dame measuring in at 6’5″, 215 lbs just like Wallace. Once Tuck got to Notre Dame though he kept growing… and didn’t stop growing until he became a monster pass rusher for two New York Giants Super Bowl winners. Wallace has similar potential.
Mykelti Williams (S) – Williams committed to Notre Dame late last month and while the Irish have been turning over every rock for a running back, his commitment was hardly a blip on the radar. Williams, however, could end up being one of the steals of the class. Some services do have Williams as a 4-star prospect, but he is hardly a consensus 4-star recruit. Williams didn’t have an overly impressive offer list prior to his commitment to Notre Dame but rumors have swirled over the final week of recruiting that Ohio State was trying to make a last ditch effort at Williams – an effort that Williams wasn’t receptive to.
Williams might not have ideal safety size, but he brings a passion for the game and can deliver the big hit. If he were an inch or two taller, he’d likely have been a 4-star prospect with many more offers.
There are certainly some other recruits coming in with a low profile that could develop into very good players as well. Trevor Ruhland has the potential to become a starting offensive lineman down the road if he continues to bulk up. Notre Dame also landed a trio of less than heralded defensive tackles in Elijah Taylor, Brandon Tiassum, and Micah Dew-Treadway of which at least one is likely to emerge as a player who outperforms his star rating as well.
Brian Kelly and his staff have shown the ability to spot players who continue to develop throughout their time at Notre Dame. Hopefully that trend continues with the class that will sign on the dotted line tomorrow.
Mykelti Williams…
“Williams might not have ideal safety size, but he brings a passion for the game and can deliver the big hit.
If he were an inch or two taller, he’d likely have been a 4-star prospect with many more offers”
The very same exact thing can be said of Nicco Fertitta! (5’7” 172)
If these two guys can add a couple inches of height and 20 lbs of muscle, with the way they hit, WOW, what a fierce Safety tandem they could be!
I love these Zbikowski types. Tough, smart, aggressive, hard hitting, with great instincts and totally fearless!
I like this recruiting class, however it’s abundantly clear we need a safety–badly. Arrington Farrar is a pivotal piece that we need to solidify this class. I hate to bash ND players but Drue Tranquill was awful at safety last year. Williams is a nice pickup but we need Farrar because it appears Reid is not coming to South Bend.
Sadly Farrar will most likely go to Wisconsin.. he wasn’t to impressed on his visit