Listed Measurements: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds.2019-20 year, eligibility: A freshman, Abdur-Rahman has all four seasons of eligibility remaining, including 2019.Depth chart: Wherever Abdur-Rahman lands on the Irish roster, it will include a position change from his high school quarterbacking days, and thus he will be buried on the depth chart at either running back or, more likely, receiver.
Recruiting: The rivals.com three-star prospect ignored half the Big Ten to choose Notre Dame. It certainly helped that the Irish expressed a want to see Abdur-Rahman somewhere on offense, while others suggested he flip to defensive back at the next level.
QUOTE(S)
Why seek out a high school quarterback to play receiver in college? Recruiting coordinator Brian Polian considers it part of the broader projections vital to the process.
“The ability to recognize what they look like and what they’re capable of when they’re 16, 17, but what are they going to be capable of when they’re 22 years old?” Polian said at the start of December’s early signing period. “... What do you see when you see a guy who plays quarterback, why do you think he can play wideout? Because he runs away from everybody. He has great spatial awareness. He makes people miss. We know he can catch the ball, we’ve seen enough of him in person.”
WHAT WAS SAID WHEN ABDUR-RAHMAN’S NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT ARRIVED
“Notre Dame made Abdur-Rahman a bit of a priority as the class began to fill up over the summer. The Irish were not going to wait on him, but they wanted him to take one of the remaining spots. That emphasis derives from a perceived upside to be seen down the line, but it could be much down the line. Abdur-Rahman will need to adjust to running routes, rather than throwing to them.”
2019 OUTLOOK
Including Abdur-Rahman and fellow freshman Cam Hart, Notre Dame currently has 12 receivers on the roster while Irish offensive coordinator Chip Long rarely lines up four wide and may do so even less this year with junior Cole Kmet at tight end. Abdur-Rahman may be the 12th of those dozen receivers, through no fault of his own, making a year on scout team learning the position the natural use of the coming fall.
Why not toss him in at running back? After all, a scrambling quarterback is used to the view from the backfield, right? A valid point, but Abdur-Rahman’s shiftiness and speed may be best utilized in space, not to mention he would be no higher than sixth among the running backs in August.
You won't be making it to the final round with WR @kendall4heisman.
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 19, 2018
This dynamic speed demon knows how to take it to the house. #GoIrish ☘️ #FightClub19 pic.twitter.com/FhcXTiIIsm
DOWN THE ROAD
Abdur-Rahman will need to work on most of the fundamentals at receiver, most particularly route running. Sloppy routes can cost a receiver as much playing time as shodding pass blocking does a running back, and they are even more a technical skill to learn than a matter of effort. Abdur-Rahman will have plenty of time to fine tune such things, being behind five receivers just a year older than him, but as one of only two in this class, he will get his chance in due time.
NOTRE DAME 99-to-2:
Introduction
No. 95: Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, defensive tackle
No. 94: Isaiah Foskey, freshman defensive end, consensus four-star
No. 94: Darnell Ewell, defensive tackle
No. 91: Ade Ogundeji, defensive end
No. 90: Hunter Spears, defensive tackle, early-enrolled consensus four-star
No. 89: Brock Wright, tight end
No. 88: Javon McKinley, receiver
No. 87: Michael Young, receiver
No. 85: George Takacs, tight end
No. 84: Cole Kmet, tight end
No. 83: Chase Claypool, receiver
No. 80: Micah Jones, receiver
No. 78: Tommy Kraemer, right guard, three-year starter
No. 77: Quinn Carroll, offensive tackle, early-enrolled consensus four-star
No. 76: Dillan Gibbons, offensive guard
No. 75: Josh Lugg, offensive lineman
No. 74: Liam Eichenberg, left tackle, two-year starter
No. 73: Andrew Kristofic, offensive tackle, early-enrolled consensus four-star
No. 72: Robert Hainsey, offensive tackle, three-year starter
No. 71: John Olmstead, offensive lineman, early-enrolled consensus four-star
No. 69: Aaron Banks, left guard
No. 60: Cole Mabry, offensive tackle
No. 57: Trevor Ruhland, veteran backup offensive lineman
No. 57: Jayson Ademilola, defensive tackle
No. 56: John Dirksen, offensive lineman
No. 56: Howard Cross, incoming freshman defensive lineman, consensus four-star
No. 55: Jarrett Patterson, starting center
No. 55: Ja’Mion Franklin, defensive tackle returning from injury
No. 54: Jacob Lacey, consensus four-star defensive tackle, early enrollee
No. 54: John Shannon, long snapper
No. 53: Khalid Kareem, senior defensive end
No. 52: Zeke Correll, consensus four-star center, early enrollee
No. 52: Bo Bauer, linebacker, sophomore
No. 47: Kofi Wardlow, junior defensive end
No. 45: Jonathan Jones, senior inside linebacker
No. 44: Jamir Jones, senior defensive end
No. 42: Julian Okwara, senior defensive end
No. 41: Kurt Hinish, junior defensive tackle
No. 40: Drew White, junior inside linebacker
No. 39: Jonathan Doerer, junior kicker
No. 35: TaRiq Bracy, sophomore cornerback
No. 35: Marist Liufau, Hawaiian freshman linebacker
No. 34: Jahmir Smith, sophomore running back
No. 34: Osita Ekwonu, inside linebacker, consensus four-star
No. 33: Shayne Simon, sophomore linebacker
No. 31: Jack Lamb, sophomore linebacker
No. 30: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, junior linebacker
No. 29: Ovie Oghoufo, sophomore linebacker-turned-defensive end
No. 27: J.D. Bertrand, consensus four-star linebacker
No. 25: Braden Lenzy, speedy sophomore receiver
No. 24: Tommy Tremble, sophomore tight end
No. 24: Jack Kiser, early-enrolled freshman linebacker, Mr. Indiana Football
No. 23: Litchfield Ajavon, four-star safety, freshman
No. 23: Kyren Williams, early-enrolled freshman running back