Breaking down Notre Dame’s 2010 recruiting class

Jason Thompson | March 1, 2010 | View Comments |

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth and final article in a series written by Jason Thompson pertaining to Brian Kelly’s first season as Notre Dame’s head football coach. Today, Jason breaks down the 2010 Irish recruiting class.

Other articles in this series:
Brian Kelly’s immediate impact at Notre Dame
Breaking down Notre Dame’s offensive coaches
Breaking down Notre Dame’s defensive coaches

While Brian Kelly had hardly a month to hit the recruiting trail, he should be fairly proud with his 2010 class. His recruits are adequate given the circumstances, but they are not home runs by any stretch of the imagination.

Kelly maintained the vast majority of Weis recruits while adding many of his own, which resulted in a Rivals.com top-15 recruiting class. The Irish easily could have dropped out of the top 25 — much to the chagrin of fans — had they not scored several key recruiting wins of top programs.

The 2010 recruiting class is encouraging because most of the program’s needs were address. Notre Dame pulled in two four-star offensive lineman to help replace the 2009 graduating class. The Irish also pulled in three four-star bruisers on the defensive line and linebacker positions to regain control in the trenches. The class was topped off by four-star recruits at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and athlete all brought in to help implement Kelly’s new offense.

Defensive back is the one area that could have been better addressed as the Irish secondary was abysmal in 2009. Although no big name defensive backs headlined this recruiting class, four three-star recruits were brought in order to bolster the secondary. Seeing a four- or five-star recruit would at this position would have been nice.

Breaking Down the Top Recruits:

DT Louis Nix, Jacksonville, Fla. — Four Stars

Nix is perhaps the most important recruit brought into South Bend this offseason, as he will bolster the defensive line for years to come.

Nix controls the middle of the field with his 320-pound frame, and typically creates mayhem in the pocket for opposing quarterbacks.

Expect Nix to make limited contributions as a freshman, but he projects as a starter for the rest of his time at Notre Dame.

OT Matt James, Cincinnati, Ohio — Four Stars

The Irish stole James away from Ohio State, which makes him the biggest statement recruit of the class. James could start immediately thanks to the departure of four offensive lineman from last season’s squad.

At 6-feet-8-inches and 290 pounds, James is a goliath of an offensive tackle, but will need to work on his agility and footwork in order to dominate at the college level. Offensive line coach Ed Warriner will fine tune James quickly, and will get the giant out on the field to keep quarterback Dayne Crist upright.

WR Tai-ler Jones, Gainesville, Ga. — Four Stars

Jones was brought in to fill the big shoes left behind by the soon-to-be-drafted Golden Tate.

The speedy receiver from Gainesville has an uncanny ability to explode for yards after the catch. He runs crisp routes and will not lose many one-on-one battles in open space.

Jones is a little undersized and will need to bulk up before he can reach his true potential. He will also need to increased his top speed if he wants to blossom into an over-the-top threat. Still, Jones should provide the Irish spread offense with the explosive underneath play it requires.

LB Prince Shembo, Charlotte, N.C. — Four Stars

Shembo was recruited by none other than current Irish star Manti Te’o. With the defense moving to a 3-4 scheme, another linebacker was an important acquisition.

Shembo — who can lineup as a linebacker or a defensive end — excels in blitz packages and has a powerful frame and a tremendous work ethic. He comes out slightly bigger than both Te’o and Zeke Motta, and he should increase both his size and speed over time.

In order to be truly successful at the linebacker position, Shembo will need to work on his reads and shutting down the more agile running backs and receivers in space.

Expect Shembo to to be utilized immediately in special blitz packages and for him to become a great understudy to Te’o.

TE Alex Welch, Cincinnati, Ohio — Four Stars

Welch will begin his career under the shadow of Notre Dame standout Kyle Rudolph and will most likely red shirt as a freshman.

Don’t expect Welch to stay quiet for long, as he is a very versatile threat at his position. If he adds some weight to his 225-pound, 6-foot-5-inch frame, Welch has the potential to be one of the elite tight ends in the country.

Welch has a very gifted set of hands, is a great run blocker and can line up both in the flats and off tackle. His agility is good for a tight end, and if his speed improves he will become a big match up problem for linebackers.