Brian Kelly and his staff are entering their third full recruiting cycle, and the Irish staff is looking to put together another strong group of prospects. The Notre Dame coaches are looking to counter the average finish to the Class of 2012 with a dynamic haul with the Class of 2013. Kelly and his staff have done an excellent job getting an early start on the current junior class, which should help them get off to a fast start.
One benefit working in Notre Dame’s favor is a deep and talented group of Midwest football players. There are a higher number of impact players in the Midwest than we’ve seen in the past few seasons. That should give Notre Dame a foundation to build around as it looks to put together a strong Class of 2013. Even the state of Indiana has a few impact players in it, and the state of Illinois is loaded with talented offensive linemen and a few impact skill players.
Notre Dame’s first commit, Steve Elmer, is a Michigan standout and arguably the best of a deep and talented group of Midwest linemen. If Notre Dame is going to put together an elite Class of 2013 recruits it must do well in the Midwest. Over the next week we will break down the top players in the Midwest and talk about where Notre Dame stands in their recruitment.
We’ll start with the state of Indiana, which has a high number of four-star players in the junior class. There are some players in the group that will not make it to Notre Dame for a number of reasons, but the Irish staff cannot strike out in the state. It must be able to land at least one of the players on this list, and if the staff is able to land two of the top four players on this list it will give the Irish an outstanding foundation to the Class of 2013.
Here are the top Indiana recruits:
JAYLON SMITH, OLB, 6-3, 215, FORT WAYNE(BISHOP LUERS)IN
EARLY OFFERS: Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, Tennessee
COACH D’S EVAL: Jaylon Smith is one of the best outside linebackers I have seen in the last couple of classes. He is a five-star athlete and a five-star football player. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds with a great frame he has the build of a linebacker. He has long arms and an athletic frame that should allow him to gain a lot of good weight and add a lot of strength. Right now he is a solid tackler who gives good effort, but with more strength work he could be a punishing hitter at the next level. On the football field he runs like a safety and excels as a big play running back for Bishop Luers. His size, range, and athleticism is perfect for Notre Dame’s Dog linebacker position. He can do it all. Smith can drop into coverage and make plays, he is strong against the run, and he has a knack for getting after the quarterback on blitzes. The Bishop Luers standout has excellent sideline-to-sideline speed. He has good initial quickness and a second gear that allows him to quickly close on the football. He also possesses quick feet, great balance, and smooth hips which allows him to change direction with ease. Those traits also allow him to show excellent lateral quickness as he moves in space. With his quick feet and smooth hips he is able to quickly open and turn in coverage. Smith is also a bright and instinctive football player that can quickly redirect and make a play on the football. Not only can he cover but he can also play the football, which should lend to him being a high turnover player at the next level. Smith also shows good play recognition and excellent instincts as a blitzer. As he continues to physically mature his game will only take off even more. There is constantly talk about Notre Dame needing to add more SEC-caliber speed. With Smith, there is an SEC-type athlete playing his high school football in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
WHERE THINGS STAND: Teams from all over the country have already offered Smith, and expect the talented junior’s offer list to continue to expand. He will likely be one of the highest ranked players in the country and could easily be a five-star player. He camped at Notre Dame last summer and visited or the USC game. His mother has said she wants him to stay close to home and reportedly has high interest in Notre Dame, which bodes well for the Irish. But Smith is wide open and will ultimately do what is best for him. His older brother Roderick is a sophomore running back at Ohio State and the Buckeyes will be formidable, but Smith maintains that he will not make a decision based on where his brother goes to school. Notre Dame appears to be putting the full court press on Smith and have attended a couple of his basketball games. They need to go after him as hard as they do any player in this class. He is the best player in the state, he is one of the nation’s best overall players, and outside linebacker is a big need in the Class of 2013. Smith has built up a strong early relationship with defensive line coach Mike Elston. Notre Dame simply cannot allow him to get out of the state. He could be the cornerstone of this recruiting class.
TIM KIMBROUGH, ILB, 6-1, 220, INDIANAPOLIS(WARREN CENTRAL)IN
EARLY OFFERS: Cincinnati, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Purdue
COACH D’S EVAL: If Notre Dame is looking for measureables than Tim Kimbrough will likely not be a player the Irish staff is high on. If the Notre Dame staff is looking for athletic, physical, and highly productive football players that can make plays they should be all over this in-state standout. As a junior, Kimbrough racked up an impressive 176 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. Kimbrough is an intelligent player on the field and reads quite well. Once he makes his read he flies downhill and delivers punishing blows. He is a sound tackler and more than willing to take on bigger players in the hole. Kimbrough is a rangy player with good speed and lateral quickness. He has good hips and changes direction with ease. The Warren Central standout has quick and active feet in the box, allowing him to quickly drive downhill and attack the ball carrier. Kimbrough uses his intelligence and quickness to make a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage. He also does a good job of keeping his feet light and active, so he is always in position to immediately plant and drive towards his gap once he makes his read. He uses his size to his advantage by constantly being the low man, and his long arms allow him to keep defenders off his body. The only knock one can find with his game is at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds he does not have ideal size for an inside linebacker, but he more than makes up for it.
WHERE THINGS STAND: Kimbrough’s recruitment has yet to pick up full steam, but expect that to change relatively soon. Assuming he has the grades for Notre Dame it would be wise for the Irish staff to make a move on Kimbrough sooner rather than later. If they jump in at the same time or after the rest of the national programs it will be much more difficult to land this talented in-state player. Kimbrough was a high school teammate of Class of 2012 signee Sheldon Day, which will certainly help Notre Dame’s cause in his recruitment. Teams like Ohio State, Michigan State, Tennessee, and Florida are starting to show a lot of interest, so it would be smart for Notre Dame to beat them to the punch if he is academically where he needs to be. Adding an in-state player like Kimbrough would be huge for Notre Dame in the Class of 2013. Not only would it give them another standout player from one of the state’s top programs, it would give them a playmaker at a position that is a top need in this class.
DARIUS LATHAM, OL/DL, 6-6, 280, INDIANAPOLIS(LAWRENCE CENTRAL)IN
EARLY OFFERS: Indiana, Louisville, Minnesota, Mississippi, Purdue, Tennessee
COACH D’S EVAL: There is not much film available on Latham and I have yet to find any of him playing defensive line. Despite that, you can see on the film that is available that Latham possesses certain traits that would most certainly allow him to project on the defensive line at the next level. Latham is a two-way standout and is listed as an offensive lineman by some services and a defensive tackle by others. Latham prefers defensive line and I could see him being that type of player at the next level. His combination of size and athleticism would lend to him playing either tackle or guard for Notre Dame, but he also has the frame and raw tools to develop into a nose guard. Latham is an outstanding basketball player, and if you really want to get a feel for his athleticism go watch him on the basketball court. For a 280-pound athlete he moves very well. He is light on his feet and changes direction well. Although he is tall at 6-foot-5, Latham has a low, squatty build that allows him to play with good leverage on the football field. This trait should allow him to play over the center at the next level. He has good agility and quick feet for a big man. I also love the fact that Latham is active with his feet when he is engaged. He shows a good base when working to the second level and shows a good punch when he works up field. I would like to see him learn to shoot his hands with more authority at the point of attack, and more strength will come once he stops playing basketball. Latham has a bit of a mean streak in him and is not afraid to mix it up inside.
WHERE THINGS STAND: Latham visited Notre Dame during the fall and has maintained an interest in the Irish program. What remains to be seen is whether or not that interest is mutual. As of about a week ago the Irish had not been in much contact with Latham. He has picked up a few offers recently and his offer list is likely to expand. What is not known at this time is whether his offer list is smaller because of the fact he is so busy with basketball or whether or not it has to do with an academic issue. Once his basketball season concludes and he starts making spring visits that should shake itself out. Latham is certainly a player who is talented enough to play for Notre Dame, so it will be interesting to see if or when the Irish pick up their contact with him.
ELIJAH DANIEL, DE, 6-4, 255, AVON(HS)IN
EARLY OFFERS: Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Marshall, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Purdue, South Florida, Tennessee
COACH D’S EVAL: Avon High School standout Elijah Daniel is not only one of the top players in the state of Indiana, he’s one of the top players in the entire Midwest. At 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds he has the size to play on the edge as either a strongside 4-3 end or a powerful 3-4 outside linebacker. Daniel gets off the line extremely well and is able to quickly shoot gaps and disrupt the offense. He anticipates the snap well and has good short area quickness. Daniel moves quickly in tight areas, a trait that is ideal for an edge rusher. The Avon standout is also an active player that never stops moving his feet and never stops working. He is a high effort player on film and is strong at the point of attack. He hustles from the backside and works hard to get to the quarterback. Daniel possesses quick and active hands which he uses to keep blockers off his body. As he develops better technique his hands will become one of his best assets as a pass rusher. Daniel has good natural strength and is a willing tackler. If he can square up a ball carrier he is going to deliver a punishing blow. He has the ability to develop into a strong two-way player at the next level. While he has good quickness off the ball, he does lack a great second gear. Daniel also tends to play a bit high and is a little stiff through the hips. He is not a natural knee bender and does not change direction as well as some other elite players.
WHERE THINGS STAND: Daniel has shown some early interest in Notre Dame but the odds of him ending up at Notre Dame come Signing Day are very slim. He visited Notre Dame for the USC game and has always spoken highly of the Irish program, but a number of factors will likely prevent the two sides from ever ending up as a compatible pair. He did not move to Indiana until the third grade and has ties to the South. Daniel was born in Alabama and his former foster family still lives in the state. His oldest brother played at Georgia and Daniel seems to have a strong interest in heading South, although he is legitimately open at this time. Keep an eye on Marshall, where his older brother Armonze currently plays. Daniel maintains that the Thundering Herd will be in the mix, although beating programs like Florida, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee will be very hard to do. Keep an eye on Alabama as a key player in this race should they decide to offer. Daniel also missed time as a junior due to a team suspension.
TIMOTHY GARDNER, OL, 6-5, 320, INDIANAPOLIS(LAWRENCE CENTRAL)IN
EARLY OFFERS: Indiana, Notre Dame, Purdue, Wisconsin
COACH D’S EVAL: No film available.
WHERE THINGS STAND: Gardner is a massive player with a huge frame but still needs to rework his body, that much is obvious from the few interview clips available of him. Gardner claims to have a Notre Dame offer and also says he grew up a Notre Dame fan. He also says that he is still waiting on his “dream offer.” Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston has visited Gardner at school so there does seem to be some mutual interest. He has said he would like to make it up to Notre Dame for a Junior Day, and if that happens his interest in the Irish program will be shown to be legitimate. Gardner said he might consider deciding before the season, but also says the more likely scenario is that he waits until after taking all five officials during the fall. Expect to see Notre Dame stay on Gardner throughout the process, but there is also a chance Notre Dame could meet its needs at the offensive line position well before he is ready to commit.
