Prospect Evaluation: Notre Dame Commit Will Fuller
By Andrew Hall
Notre Dame landed its 19th verbal commitment on August 5, 2012 in Roman Catholic Wide Receiver William Fuller. Fuller was the third Wide Receiver in this class along with Corey Robinson and James Onwualu. Fuller was previously committed to Penn State before de-committing and committing to the Fighting Irish.
Strengths
Fuller has elite ball-skills. He appears to come down with any jump ball thrown near him. He attacks the ball at its highest point. This allows him to beat the cornerback in a jump ball situation every time. Fuller is as sure handed a receiver as you will find at the high school level. This will be his asset at the next level. In addition to his excellent hands, Fuller seems to have above average speed for a receiver. He is the type of player that catches a 4-yard hitch and turns it into a 40-yard gain. To clarify, he is not a burner per se. However, he has adequate speed to get past the back line of the defense and make plays. In the open field, he is shifty and quick. He always makes the first guy miss. It would appear on film that he has all the tools needed to be a quality slot receiver at the collegiate level. With his skill set, he could also play cornerback and free safety at the next level. But, receiver is probably his best position.
Weaknesses
A lot has been made about his lack of offers. Fuller was only offered by mainly mid-major programs other than Penn State and Boston College. Some of his other offers are from Delaware, Old Dominion and Towson. Those are obviously not FBS offers. With only a few BCS offers, this seems like a prospect that Notre Dame would not normally offer. However, Coach Kelly always likes to find the diamond in the rough. Currently, he lacks the physical size needed to compete in the FBS Division. Fuller only weighs in at 165 lbs. At his height, he probably needs to add about 25 to 30 pounds. Many schools have discounted him for this reason. But, realistically, he could add that weight by his Junior year. If Fuller were to play on defense, the concerns about his size become greater. Realistically, the same weight would be need to play cornerback. However, if he played safety, he would probably need to add more weight. Could his frame hold that weight? Would he be physical enough for it?
Overall, Notre Dame landed a project in Will Fuller. However, he should be an excellent two-year to three-year starter for the Fighting Irish. The three-star ranking given by most services is probably accurate based on the outlook for him. He recently moved up in Rivals to a 4-star recruit. It has been clear since Kelly took the head coaching position at Notre Dame that he would recruit the type of guys that he wants. Some questionable offers now look like brilliant choices. Every player is not going to be an all-star recruit. But, every great team is not built with all-stars but also with role players. Fuller could be an excellent role player.