For the most part, I have been pleased with Brian Kelly’s recruiting results thus far. There is no doubt in my mind that Kelly and his staff are aware of the Irish’s current deficiencies and are putting forth the necessary recruiting effort to fill those voids.
To this point, Irish fans seem relatively pleased with the approach Brian Kelly is taking in recruiting; especially defensive recruiting. One of Kelly’s major priorities in the 2011 recruiting cycle has been to aggressively pursue big, tough and physical defensive lineman. So far he has succeeded in that task by landing players such as defensive end’s Aaron Lynch (Cape Coral, FL/ Island Coast), Brad Carrico (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman) and Tony Springmann (Fort Wayne, IN/Bishop Dwenger).
Despite the success that Kelly has had in securing commitments from front-seven players in the 2011 class, I am actually more excited about what he has done in actively pursuing players to man the Irish secondary.
Am I crazy?
The general consensus amongst most Notre Dame fans that I have communicated with, is that they are concerned about both the quality and quantity of the defensive backs currently verbally committed to Notre Dame in the 2011 class. While the departures of freshman Spencer Boyd (transfer), freshman Chris Badger (religious mission) and sophomore E.J. Banks (personal reasons), certainly magnifies the need for quantity in this class, I am actually in opposition to Irish fans who think this class lacks quality.
Notre Dame currently has three defensive back prospects verbally committed in their 2011 recruiting class; Eilar Hardy, Matthias Farley and Jalen Brown. The Irish staff likes all three of them at the corner position in Bob Diaco’s newly installed 3-4 defense.
Here is my case for each guy.
Eilar Hardy (Pickerington, OH/Pickerington)
Height: 6’1
Weigtht: 180 pounds
ESPN ranking: 21st ranked safety in the 2011 class.
Rivals ranking: 12th ranked safety in the 2011 class.
Scout ranking: 14th ranked safety in the 2011 class.
Average ranking: 16th ranked safety in the 2011 class.
Making a case
There is no question in my mind that Hardy is one of the most under-appreciated defensive backs in the entire 2011 class. From the film that I have watched, there are not sixteen (based on average) safety prospects, this year, better than Hardy.
The reason that the Pickerington High star does not get mentioned by the national media, as being one of the elite 2011 prospects, is because he is not a kid that is going to blow you away based on measurables or testing. At 6-foot-1, 180-pounds, he possesses good size, but his 4.55 forty time isn’t going to cause your jaw to hit the floor. What the future Irish defender does bring to the table however, is an ultra-competitive attitude, a fearless demeanor and a set of really solid defensive back skills.
On his film, Hardy shows a solid back-pedal, flexible hips and a very well timed jump when challenging passes. He’s aggressive and feisty, which, combined with his frame, should allow him to be an effective press-corner at the college level. Make no mistake, he is not a corner that you want turning down field and running with a wide receiver. Instead, he is guy that will be able to physically engage with a wide receiver at the line of scrimmage and in the process, will disrupt the timing between quarterback and receiver.
Hardy plays in a very competitive football region, in Ohio, where he faces tough competition on a weekly basis. If there were any further concerns regarding his ability to compete against top end players, those questions were answered this summer when he competed in the elite ESPN Rise Gridiron Kings tournament. He was one of ten players named to the tournament all-star team after he intercepted three passes (including one that he returned for a touchdown) and was a thorn in the side of wide receivers the entire event.
Projection
The recruiting services all rank Hardy as a safety prospect, but Notre Dame is recruiting him to play corner. On the perimeter, the talented Ohioan can use his size, ball skills and well-timed jumping ability, to aggressively challenge wide receivers. Hardy is a guy that will frustrate the opposition and his long arms are going to ensure that he gets his hands on a lot of passes. While his speed is nowhere near elite, he offsets that deficiency some by using his length and knack for timing, to his advantage. The Pickerington High stud has all the physical tools to be as good as he wants to be at the next level. He should contend for playing time early in his career at Notre Dame and it would not surprise me, at all, if he earns national accolades during his time in South Bend. Yes folks, he’s that good.
Matthias Farley (Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Christian School)
Height: 6’1
Weight: 190 pounds
ESPN ranking: 82nd ranked athlete in the 2011 class.
Rivals ranking: Not ranked.
Scout ranking: 49th ranked corner in the 2011 class.
Average ranking: 66th ranked corner/athlete in the 2011 class.
Making a case
Farley is, in my opinion, the most naturally gifted athlete in Notre Dame’s 2011 recruiting class to this point. The only reason he isn’t rated much higher, is because he’s just learning how to play football. The North Carolina standout has only played football for one season, but he has plenty of upside. What I love about Farley is that he’s an athlete first, which means that if he can be taught the skills and techniques necessary to play football, he could end up being a weapon for the Irish.
Farley is also the North Carolina 3A 100 meter track champion, as well as a gifted soccer player. Obviously the sprinting will lend to his speed, but it’s the soccer, a sport that he has played since the first grade, that really gets me excited. Converted soccer players often make outstanding football players if they can adapt to the physicality of the game. Soccer has helped the Charlotte Christian School standout with his fluidity, especially in his hips, as well as his timing in the air. Soccer players usually have outstanding hand-eye coordination and Farley is certainly no exception to that rule.
Very few players that I have seen in this class, possess more room to learn, combined with more upside, than the 6-foot-1 defender. He has an excellent frame for a corner and like Eilar Hardy, will be plenty big and strong enough to press at the line of scrimmage.
Farley spent the entire off-season refining his corner skills and also had the opportunity, this summer, to work with Carolina Panther speed coach Jeremy Boone. I expect him to look quite a bit more like a corner this fall and less like an athlete in the early stages of learning technique.
Projection
There is no question that the future Irish defensive back is raw, but that isn’t always a negative. Farley is not a kid that is going to come in and play right away, but he also isn’t a kid that is going to come in with a bunch of bad habits either. Chuck Martin (ND secondary coach) is going to get a gifted athlete, with a nearly clean slate and therefore, Martin will be able to mould Farley’s skills to best fit the Irish defense. In terms of position, Farley will start out at corner, but it would not surprise me if the long, athletic, defender gets a look at free safety as well. If the 190-pound play-maker has the instincts to play the safety position, his range could be incredible.
With such a high ceiling athletically, there is no telling how good Farley could be. One thing that I am sure of however, is that he is going to be fun to watch play. The North Carolina product is going to be supremely confident in coverage, extremely competitive on 50/50 balls (thanks to his soccer pedigree) and expect him to be a player that takes chances. He is going to be a ball-hawk and don’t be surprised if he lives on the edge at times. Guys that take chances get beat deep once in a while, but they are also the most likely candidates to take an interception the other way, for a score.
If you are looking for a player to compare Matthias Farley too, think Shane Walton, only three inches taller and quite a bit faster.
Jalen Brown (Irving TX/MacArthur)
Height: 6’0
Weight: 180 pounds
ESPN ranking: 23rd ranked corner in the 2011 class.
Rivals ranking: Not ranked
Scout ranking: 75th ranked corner in the 2011 class.
Average ranking: 49th ranked corner in the 2011 class.
Making a case
It’s about time that Notre Dame got back into Texas and landed a defensive back. If Eilar Hardy is underrated and Matthias Farley is raw, then the word I would use to describe Brown is smooth.
When you watch the Texas corner's tape, it’s hard to understand why the scouting services have him ranked so low. Not only does he have the ideal height and frame to play corner, but he also shows a very good back-pedal, above average speed and the willingness to hit after the catch. There is no question that he will have to bulk up quite bit in college, but in my opinion, Brown has all of the skills necessary to be a cover corner in Notre Dame’s 3-4 defense, including the ability to avoid pass-inteference by properly timing his attack. If you want to see a corner that has been properly taught to read-and-react and isn’t afraid to hit somebody, check out the talented Texan's film.
Above everything else that I love about the MacArthur High star, is the competition that he plays against in high school. Texas high school football is some of the most competitive football in the entire country and it’s played by some of the best athletes in the game. Sometimes when you evaluate a kid’s tape, it can be hard to tell if he’s a really good player, or if he is simply playing against weak competition. In Brown’s case, the competition that he plays against is top-notch, therefore, the fact that he stands out is impressive to me. Players from Texas can often end up being underrated because of the amount of top end players in the state, but it doesn’t surprise me, at all, when a three-star player from the Lone Star state, becomes an exceptional college player. There is simply far too much depth in Texas for the recruiting services to properly rate the skill level of all the players. In my opinion, Brown is a victim of that process.
Projection
There is no question that the 180-pound defensive back will benefit greatly from an off-season spent in a college weight room. He’s a tough kid, with all of the necessary skills to be a starting corner at Notre Dame down the road. He reminds me a lot of a more physical Raeshon McNeil coming out of high school, despite the disparity in rankings. Brown is built a lot like McNeil was at seventeen years old and while McNeil might have had better top end speed than Brown, I think that Brown is better schooled as a corner at this point in his career.
Overall, I really like the defensive backs in Notre Dame’s class. Next, it’s absolutely critical to land a safety prospect such as George Atkinson (Livermore, CA/Granada), Quincy Aldridge (Whitehouse, TX/Whitehouse), or Wayne Lyons (Oakland Park, FL/Dillard) to compliment the trio of corners already committed. If Brian Kelly is able to get a top-end safety to commit in the 2011 class, he will have successfully achieved the mix of quality and quantity at defensive back that Notre Dame needs to be successful going forward.
