Leftovers & Links: A precedent for Notre Dame coaches improving in their second seasons

By Douglas FarmerApr 4, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT

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Though an independent, Notre Dame’s schedule does not change much on a year-to-year basis. The Irish have kept USC, Stanford and Navy on the annual schedule, three games that director of athletics Jack Swarbrick has long upheld as non-negotiables in his schedule-making. That may change in the future as the Big Ten adds USC and constant consternation around the Pac-12 persists, but for now, it remains the case.

Notre Dame’s five-team ACC draw each year usually focuses on if Clemson is or is not on the schedule, but the collective quality of the five ACC teams does not vary much. Back when that rotation was unofficially more Big Ten-focused — leaning heavily on Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue — that same premise of scheduling consistency was valid.

Thus, there is some logic to comparing the historic trends of Irish coaches’ progress in their second seasons compared to their debuts.

And since Ara Parseghian brought back stability to Notre Dame after Joe Kuharich’s abrupt springtime departure (60 years ago last month) led to a one-year interim gig for Hugh Devore, Irish coaches have consistently improved in their second seasons.

Of seven coaches following Parseghian, only Tyrone Willingham took a step backward in his second year. If there was any rationale for him being the only coach in Notre Dame history not to be given a five-year runway, going from 10-3 to 5-7 in 2003 was it.

Brian Kelly did not improve, going 8-5 in both 2010 and 2011, but his second season in South Bend included the Irish spending two November weeks in the polls thanks to winning eight of nine in the middle of the season, the kind of concept-proving run that laid the groundwork for Notre Dame’s unbeaten regular season in 2012.

That championship appearance coming in Kelly’s third season paralleling a common Irish trend may be a product of these years of second-season success. Dan Devine, Lou Holtz and Brian Kelly all reached their peaks in their third seasons at Notre Dame, and it warrants mentioning that Devine went 9-3 in his second season and Holtz went 8-4, particularly notable after going 5-6 in his 1986 debut season.

There is a precedent for expecting an Irish head coach to post a better record in his second season, one that dates back 50 years. A first-year dip has also been relatively common, something that can be easily traced to their predecessors as often as not. Four of the last seven Notre Dame head coaches, including Freeman, led the way to worse seasons in their debut than their predecessors’ final seasons. The previous three — Gerry Faust, Dan Devine and Bob Davie — were all part of the second-year improvement trend.

So there is long-term reason to think Freeman should enjoy more success in 2023 than he did in 2022, before even getting into what should be improved quarterback play for the Irish sparking a dynamic offense.

Scheduling-wise, it is all even more the case given the three biggest foes on the Irish schedule are the same in 2023 as they were in 2022, now hosting two of Ohio State, Clemson and USC rather than traveling to two of them. Freeman’s second season will have the benefit of a second idle week in the back half of the season, but otherwise, the calendars are very comparable.

If he follows the path of six of Notre Dame’s last seven coaches, something better than 9-4 should await the Irish in 2023. And that kind of tick upward has created a foundation for three championship-quality seasons for three of those coaches.

COACHING TRANSITIONS SINCE 1974
1974: Ara Parseghian’s final season: 10-2
1975: Dan Devine’s first season: 8-3
1976: Devine’s second season: 9-3
1977: Devine’s national championship: 11-1

1980: Devine’s final season: 9-2-1
1981: Gerry Faust’s first season: 5-6
1982: Faust’s second season: 6-4-1

1985: Faust’s final season: 5-6
1986: Lou Holtz’s first season: 5-6
1987: Holtz’s second season: 8-4
1988: Holtz’s national championship: 12-0

1996: Holtz’s final season: 8-3
1997: Bob Davie’s first season: 7-6
1998: Davie’s second season: 9-3

2001: Davie’s final season: 5-6
2002: Tyrone Willingham’s first season: 10-3
2003: Willingham’s second season: 5-7
2004: Willingham’s final season: 6-6
2005: Charlie Weis’s first season: 9-3
2006: Weis’s second season: 10-3

2009: Weis’s first season: 6-6
2010: Brian Kelly’s first season: 8-5
2011: Kelly’s second season: 8-5

2021: Kelly’s final season: 11-2
2022: Marcus Freeman’s first season: 9-4

#OTD 92 years ago: Famed Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne was killed in a plane crash in Bazaar Township, Kansas. He was 43 years old.https://t.co/9IMjGjpzLZ pic.twitter.com/l9iYDJDvd1

— Margaret Fosmoe (@MFosmoe) March 31, 2023

INSIDE THE IRISH
— Notre Dame’s biggest offensive progressions this spring will be smallest to spot from afar
— A quick run through Notre Dame’s offensive depth chart, led by Sam Hartman and Joe Alt
— Georgia OL prospect the first commit for new Notre Dame OL coach Joe Rudolph

Last Saturday we can bet college football or college basketball until we have Navy as a dog against Notre Dame in 147 days

— Stuckey (@Stuckey2) April 1, 2023

OUTSIDE READING
— Three-Round 2023 NFL Mock Draft
— For Americans, life includes a risk of being shot and killed in school, church, the store, wherever
— How to build a championship college basketball roster
— Nasty locker room. Tiny gym. FAU belongs in Final Four, but it’s stunning it actually happened.

One sports media thing to keep in mind for next year:

The new Big Ten deal gives Fox Sports a ton of basketball inventory. NBC and Peacock get CBB inventory too.

The Caitlin Clark show will appear on a lot of outlets next year.

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 2, 2023

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Notre Dame adds four-star RB and in-state OL after biggest recruiting weekend of summer

By Douglas FarmerJun 6, 2023, 3:00 PM EDT

Following its biggest on-campus recruiting weekend of the summer, Notre Dame has already added two pieces to its future rushing game. First, consensus four-star running back Kedren Young (Lukin High School; Texas) committed to the Irish late Monday night, and then consensus three-star offensive lineman Styles Prescod (Hamilton Southeastern H.S.; Fishers, Ind.) followed suit midday Tuesday.

The No. 16 running back in the class and No. 213 overall prospect, per rivals.com, Young chose Notre Dame over Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas and Michigan. In total, eight Division I programs from his homestate of Texas offered Young scholarships.

At 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, he runs angry before running away from defenders, who have a hard time squaring him up on the rare occasions they get a chance at a tackle. Young’s highlight reel borders on tedious it is filled with so many breakaway runs, scoring 19 touchdowns and averaging more than seven yards per carry as a junior.

He is the second running back in Notre Dame’s class of 2024, joining consensus four-star running back Aneyas Williams (Hannibal H.S.; Mo.). The Irish need such a duo given the distinct likelihood current junior Audric Estimé heads to the NFL after this season, leaving Notre Dame with only three unproven ball carriers in the backfield.

Either sophomore Gi’Bran Payne or Jadarian Price could break through as Estimé’s complement in 2023, but both have worrisome injury histories, making a sheer numbers approach to the position prudent.

I am blessed to be in this position after a tough ride. I want to thank all of the coaches that have recruited me. I truly appreciate the love y’all have shown me and my family. After an great visit, I am extremely blessed to say I have committed to the University of Notre Dame! pic.twitter.com/XAlvMxP8tu

— Kedren Young (@KedrenY) June 6, 2023

Both Young and Prescod were at Notre Dame for the so-called Irish Invasion this past weekend, a camp the Irish coaching staff uses as a chance to evaluate many top prospects in person while also giving them an opportunity to see campus before possibly taking an official visit this fall.

For Prescod, it was a shorter trip. From a suburb north of Indianapolis, he had about a two-hour drive to South Bend, the rare prospect close enough to Notre Dame to give the Irish a geographic advantage, even as half the Big Ten chased the offensive lineman, including Iowa, Michigan and Indiana.

Notre Dame first sought the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Prescod when Harry Hiestand was still the Irish offensive line coach, with new position coach Joe Rudolph finishing the push.

Prescod plays tackle in high school, and while Indiana high school football is not the stiffest of competition, he looks the part of a collegiate tackle, as well. Most notably, Prescod sets a clean edge even if he is not yet fully grown. He also has some power to his blocks, while still needing to add 20-30 pounds of muscle.

If that day comes, Hiestand’s, Rudolph’s and Notre Dame’s expectations of Prescod as a prospect should become reality.

The third offensive lineman in the class, he joins four-star Peter Jones (Roswell; Ga.) and three-star Anthonie Knapp (Malvern Prep; Penn.).

The combination of Young and Prescod brings the Irish class of 2024 to 19 total commits, the most in the country at the moment. Notre Dame ranks No. 2 in class rankings, per rivals.com, behind only Georgia (with 17 commitments) and ahead of Michigan (17), LSU (16) and Penn State (17).

This is the second year in a row the Irish have spent the summer in the top three, falling to No. 11 when all was said and done last cycle. There are obviously no assurances another such late drop will not befall Notre Dame, but regardless, the summer momentum furthers the Irish coaching staff’s recruiting pitch.

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Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 76 Joe Alt, first-team All-American left tackle

By Douglas FarmerJun 5, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT

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Listed measurements: 6-foot-8, 315 pounds.
2023-24 year, eligibility: A junior, Alt has two years of eligibility remaining.
Depth Chart: Alt will be the Irish starting left tackle this fall, not surprising given he will be the first-team All-American left tackle in most, if not all, preseason considerations.
Recruiting: Notre Dame recruited Alt as an offensive lineman when he was a 240-pound tight end. He was up to 280 pounds by the time he signed with the Irish in December of 2020, still needing to add weight as his frame continued to grow.

Throughout that entire process, he remained a three-star prospect despite his father’s NFL pedigree, a 13-year NFL tackle. Few three-star recruits are drafted, even fewer are surefire first-round draft picks, and fewer yet are All-Americans as sophomores.

CAREER TO DATE
Alt’s career hit the fast track when injuries to three young tackles ahead of him in the first month of the 2021 season left Notre Dame with no choice but to throw him into a starting role; less than two years after Alt was a high school tight end, he was the starting left tackle following in the footsteps of Zack Martin, Ronnie Stanley and Mike McGlinchey.

There is obviously no way to ever know how long it would have taken Alt to blossom on Saturdays if not for the back-to-back-to-back injuries of Blake Fisher’s torn meniscus, Tosh Baker’s concussion and Michael Carmody’s sprained ankle in September of 2021, but it is an entertaining parlor wonder.

Instead, Alt will go down as a three-year starter at left tackle, not missing a game in 2022. Counting this coming season, Alt will be the fifth consistent starter at left tackle for the Irish in the last 14 seasons. Three of those previous four were drafted in the top 20 with Liam Eichenberg going No. 42 overall in 2021.

2021: 13 games, 8 starts.
2022: 13 starts.

NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS
Logically, Alt is likely making more this year than all but one or two other players on Notre Dame’s roster. Given he has proven himself and will consistently be a headline player in 2023, even as an offensive lineman, that should not surprise anyone.

Much of that income will not be noticed publicly, but some of it will come from the most obvious of sources, working with the next generation of players.

The Believe in the Basics camp is quickly approaching. Make sure to sign up to get coached by the Notre Dame Offensive Line! https://t.co/Vs44ny2YnE pic.twitter.com/ha7lsJycGf

— Joe Alt (@JoeAlt7) April 26, 2023

This space has said it before, and it will say it again. The NCAA’s prohibiting players from working in camps like that up until a few years ago was the most obtuse of its many obtuse policies.

Alt will also profit off sports cards and signing them. Again, an obvious thing that was never going to harm anyone except the NCAA’s monopoly and schools’ control of players, which is why it was outlawed for so long.

☘️🏈Let’s keep it going!!! ☘️🏈
Exciting announcement! We are beyond thrilled to add the amazing ALL-AMERICAN left tackle from NOTRE DAME @JoeAlt7 as our Newest FYSC EXCLUSIVE ATHLETE! Welcome to the FYSC fam we are pumped to have you with us! #FYSC #JoeAlt #NotreDame #Exclusive pic.twitter.com/OPUU40nfEq

— Forever Young Sports Cards (@FYSC_cards) April 13, 2023

QUOTES
When Harry Hiestand retired, it was generally understood Irish head coach Marcus Freeman would have his pick of offensive line coaches from across the country. Notre Dame returns three veteran starters up front, including a clear first-round draft pick in Alt. That line should make its position coach look good the next couple of years. Pulling Joe Rudolph out of Virginia Tech, where Rudolph had made a long-term commitment just a year ago, proved that understanding to be true.

“Some guys just have amazing talent,” Rudolph said of Alt in mid-April. “Amazing athleticism, amazing size.

“And then there’s some guys that just have the quality of leadership and the grit and the way they’re going to get it done in the moment. They’re going to be a great leader and make guys around them better. You don’t always find that all in one guy.

“He’s as close as I’ve got to see all of that in one guy. He brings it from all facets, and it’s much appreciated. … Very unique young man.”

WHAT WAS PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“If Alt was able to help solidify the Irish line, along with left guard Andrew Kristofic stepping in for Zeke Correll, with his size after just one summer in a collegiate strength and conditioning program, then all expectations should be fast-forwarded even further. It defies logic to think someone once projected as a possible 2024 contributor could now be a stalwart on the Notre Dame line in 2022, but Alt has made that a potential reality.

“That is not meant to jump the proverbial shark or to move the figurative goal posts. It is just the possible continuation of Alt’s rapid ascent.

“At the absolute least, he should start throughout the season, barring injury. His length was what made Alt an intriguing prospect as a recruit, along with his lineage. Taking so well to adding weight already should make him durable, as well.

“He will give up some sacks, just as he did early in his first start, but that is the inevitability of the position. Under returned offensive line coach Harry Hiestand’s eye for fundamentals, Alt should correct those mistakes shortly after he makes them. That could make for a very impressive November.”

Highest graded returning Offensive Tackles💪 pic.twitter.com/CZ8H6Q7jl0

— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 6, 2023

2023 OUTLOOK
Alt ended last season as a first-team All-American. Remember: He was recruited as a project, not as a three-and-done, multi-year All-American first-round draft pick.

Walter Camp has already named him a preseason first-team All-American for 2023, and a pile more of those nods should come before the season. So his 2023 will be marked by three possibilities: unanimous All-American, Outland Trophy, Joe Moore Award.

If Alt pulls off those first two, Notre Dame will be in good position for the third, the honor given to the best offensive line every season. If that becomes reality, then the Irish ceiling in 2023 ticks toward Playoff contender.

There are few other ways to genuinely track a left tackle, but Ohio State’s primetime visit on Sept. 23 will shine a light on Alt. Buckeyes junior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau could be a top-15 pick in the spring. Alt faced a similar prospect last season, not giving up a pressure to Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy on 15 snaps matched up against each other. Worth noting: Murphy went No. 28 in the NFL draft.

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A post shared by Joe Alt (@jalt16)

DOWN THE ROAD
There is an easy way to judge the veracity of a 2024 mock draft right now: Is Alt in the top 15? If not, find a more in-touch analyst.

Not much else needs to be said here. If Alt is looking at a top-15 projection, and that is on the low end, no one in South Bend should try to dissuade him from jumping to the NFL. Tosh Baker or Blake Fisher should assuage most 2024 worries about the left tackle position.

Some pieces of context to Notre Dame left tackles in the NFL draft to remember when Alt hears his name called:

2014: Four-year starter Zack Martin goes No. 16 overall.
2016: Two-year starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley goes No. 6 overall.
2018: Two-year starting left tackle Mike McGlinchey goes No. 9 overall.
2021: Three-year starting left tackle Liam Eichenberg goes No. 42 overall.

Notre Dame’s Joe Alt headlines a STACKED class🔥

PFF’s 2024 NFL Draft Watch List: Offensive Tackles⬇️https://t.co/AZQX2JHYmf

— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 3, 2023

NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
The summer countdown begins anew, Rylie Mills to Deion Colzie
No. 99 Rylie Mills, senior defensive tackle, moving back inside from end
No. 98 Devan Houstan, early-enrolled four-star defensive tackle
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, junior defensive tackle, one of three Irish DTs with notable experience
No. 95 Tyson Ford, sophomore defensive tackle, up 30 pounds from a year ago
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, a senior defensive tackle now ‘fully healthy’ after a 2022 torn ACL
No. 91 Aiden Gobaira, sophomore defensive end, former four-star recruit
No. 90* Brenan Vernon, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 90* Boubacar Traore, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, the next starter at ‘TE U’
No. 86* Cooper Flanagan, incoming freshman tight end, four-star recruit
No. 85 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end, up 20 pounds in a year
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, senior tight end coming off a torn ACL
No. 83 Jayden Thomas, junior receiver, probable No. 1 target in 2023
No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but next year …
No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman
No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star recruit
Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter gives Notre Dame desperately needed backline depth
Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford gives Notre Dame newly-needed backfield depth, experience

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Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star recruit

By Douglas FarmerJun 3, 2023, 7:00 AM EDT

rivals.com

Listed measurements: 6-foot-5, 310 pounds.
2023-24 year, eligibility: A sophomore, Chan has all four seasons of eligibility remaining.
Depth Chart: Chan might crack the two-deep as the backup to junior Blake Fisher at right tackle, conceivably competing with classmate Aamil Wagner for that theoretical honor. “Theoretical” because the practical backup to Fisher would more likely be senior Tosh Baker, though Baker will not be listed as No. 2 at both left and right tackle.
Recruiting: Chan’s low-maintenance recruitment fit both an offensive lineman prospect and a Massachusetts product, turning down Boston College, Penn State and Syracuse when he committed to Notre Dame more than a year before he could sign his National Letter of Intent. The No. 11 offensive tackle and No. 221 overall prospect in the class, per rivals.com, Chan never wavered in that lengthy commitment.

CAREER TO DATE
Chan did not see the field as a freshman.

NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS

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A post shared by Ty Chan (@chansanity5)

QUOTES
When new Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph twice mentioned Baker getting work at guard this spring, it sparked a thought that perhaps Chan and/or Wagner was impressing at tackle. At this point, that is nothing more than a sparked thought, but it is something to keep in mind if Baker again works on the interior in preseason practices.

WHAT WAS PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“Vague expectations show Chan as a reserve at right tackle in 2022, putting him behind sophomore Blake Fisher and junior Tosh Baker, though if injuries were to tear through the line (again), junior Michael Carmody would find his way onto the field long before Chan.

“Which is to say, Chan should enjoy the typical freshman season that Fisher and Joe Alt did not in 2021. He will work on his technique under (former Irish offensive line coach Harry) Hiestand’s tutelage, more of a need for this class than perhaps any other after so many of their 2020 seasons, their junior seasons, were turned upside down by the pandemic.

“Chan has much of the lower body muscle one would want from a collegiate offensive tackle, but his upper body still needs to develop some punch. Working in the strength and conditioning program will also benefit him.

“One thing neither Heistand nor strength coordinator Matt Balis will need to worry much about is Chan’s footwork. Assuredly, some of his exact steps may need fine-tuning, but someone able to deftly move around the post in a basketball game usually takes well to the exact steps at tackle. Exhibit A: Ronnie Stanley.”

2023 OUTLOOK
Chan’s 2023 should look much like his 2022, though a spot on the travel roster and perhaps some special teams protection work could be added to his portfolio. Otherwise, it would take a rash of injuries to move Chan past not only Alt and Fisher but also Baker and senior Carmody, a one-time starter at tackle during the 2021 rash of injuries.

This is the typical track of an offensive line prospect; Alt and Fisher are the exceptions that prove the rule. Chan lost his junior season of high school football to the pandemic, and he comes from rather infertile preps territory in Massachusetts. Developing the fundamentals of pass blocking against collegiate defensive linemen should be atop his priority list for the time being, and that is exactly what scout-team work is for.

Furthermore, Chan appeared to have some wrist or arm injury at the end of spring practices. If that is something that has plagued him this summer or continues to, that could knock him a step backward in development, particularly behind Wagner.

All of which is to say, Chan may provide Notre Dame depth in 2023, but little more.

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A post shared by Ty Chan (@chansanity5)

DOWN THE ROAD
Alt will be in the NFL next season. Fisher might be, but that is not the same certainty. If only one starting gig is available, Baker will get the first shot at it and with a decent runway. But after him, Chan and Wagner will be competing with incoming freshman Charles Jagusah.

That same trio should be the primary challengers for both starting gigs in 2025, when Fisher should be in the NFL and Baker will be out of eligibility.

Such a timeline is, again, the usual for an offensive line prospect and why Chan can spend the short-term focusing on his fundamentals.

NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
The summer countdown begins anew, Rylie Mills to Deion Colzie
No. 99 Rylie Mills, senior defensive tackle, moving back inside from end
No. 98 Devan Houstan, early-enrolled four-star defensive tackle
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, junior defensive tackle, one of three Irish DTs with notable experience
No. 95 Tyson Ford, sophomore defensive tackle, up 30 pounds from a year ago
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, a senior defensive tackle now ‘fully healthy’ after a 2022 torn ACL
No. 91 Aiden Gobaira, sophomore defensive end, former four-star recruit
No. 90* Brenan Vernon, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 90* Boubacar Traore, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, the next starter at ‘TE U’
No. 86* Cooper Flanagan, incoming freshman tight end, four-star recruit
No. 85 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end, up 20 pounds in a year
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, senior tight end coming off a torn ACL
No. 83 Jayden Thomas, junior receiver, probable No. 1 target in 2023
No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but next year …
No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman
Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter gives Notre Dame desperately needed backline depth
Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford gives Notre Dame newly-needed backfield depth, experience

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300-pound defensive tackle Sean Sevillano joins Notre Dame class of 2024

By Douglas FarmerJun 2, 2023, 1:30 PM EDT

Notre Dame added its second defensive lineman commitment in two weeks with the Friday announcement from consensus three-star defensive tackle Sean Sevillano (Clearwater Academy; Fla.). The massive interior prospect is the first defensive tackle to join the Irish class of 2024.

And “massive” might not be saying enough. At 6-foot-2, Sevillano weighs more than 300 pounds. Keep in mind, he has yet to start his senior year of high school.

And while he is big, Sevillano does not play slow. If there is a hole in the offensive line protection, he is quick enough to get up the field and bother the quarterback, logging 22 sacks last season. If there is not a hole, his sheer size is likely to create one.

He uses his body weight to bring down ball carriers, content to drop his weight on them and force them to consider moving forward with 300 added pounds rather than using that force to knock through them. While that is an example of his size as an asset, some college running backs will be able to shimmy out of that trap or strong enough to even carry him for an extra yard, so some discipline to actively tackle will need to be developed.

In a similar respect, Sevillano’s size represents raw potential. He is already clearly strong, but if more of his frame becomes devoted to muscle, he could become a genuine collegiate force.

How much of that size and frame is immediately functional may determine if Sevillano is a day-one contributor for Notre Dame in 2024. Starting tackles Rylie Mills and Howard Cross both have eligibility through 2024, but both could also consider the NFL draft after this season. Cross, in particular, will be a multi-year starter and would be a sixth-year veteran in 2024; it may simply be time for him to move on. There are other players between Sevillano and Cross, namely current junior Gabriel Rubio and sophomore Donovan Hinish, but none with a bounty of experience. Furthermore, no defensive line rotation can ever be too deep. If Sevillano arrives on campus as a hard body to move, a situational role in goal-line packages could await him, but if he arrives as needing conditioning work above all else, it could be a season on the scout team while suffering under strength coordinator Matt Balis’s tutelage.

Sevillano chose Notre Dame over finalists Ohio State, Auburn and Miami, becoming the 17th Irish commitment and the fourth defensive lineman, following consensus four-star end Loghan Thomas’s pledge last week.

Notre Dame’s class of 2024 now ranks No. 3 in the country, behind only Georgia (with 16 commits) and Michigan (17), though not behind the Wolverines by much. Ohio State and Oregon loom at Nos. 5 and 6 with just 13 and 14 commitments, respectively.

Those team rankings will obviously continue to fluctuate plenty between now and the December signing period, but spending a second straight summer in the top five should reflect only well on Marcus Freeman’s continued recruiting emphasis.

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