Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Rochell Signs Letter of Intent
By Andrew Hall
Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back T.J. Yeldon (4) runs against Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive end Stephon Tuitt (7) during the first half of the 2013 BCS Championship game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Issac Rochell
Defensive End
4-Star
McDonough, GA
Commitment Date: 6/7/12
Normally, a player of Issac Rochell’s caliber would be needed as soon as possible on the field. However, with Tuitt, Nix, Day, Jones, Springmann and others, a very talented Defensive Linemen may find it difficult to make it on the field this season. But, make no mistake, Rochell is a steal for the Fighting Irish. If he did not land at Notre Dame, he would probably be playing for the Georgia Bulldogs. There is no questioning his talent. It is only a matter of time for Rochell.
From the Slap the Sign Evaluation:
"Isaac Rochell is a 6’4’’ 250 pound defensive end. The film I watched was of him playing defensive end, defensive tackle, and offensive tackle. He has many strengths, in my opinion his 2 greatest strengths is his ability to fire off the ball quickly and using his hands to get off blocks. On film you can see that the combination of his size, speed, and the use of his hands makes him the 4 star player that he is. Rochell also has great vision, when he engages with the offensive lineman his eyes are always on the ball. He then gets off the block takes a good pursuit angle and makes a play on the ball carrier. The one thing that really stuck out to me was the great use of his hands. He rarely lets the offensive lineman get inside his pads. One common trait you see with quick athletic defensive lineman is the over pursuit of plays. By this I mean after shedding the block a defensive lineman will just run straight up field, disregarding what is going on with the offense. Rochell breaks down after shedding the block and takes the correct angle of pursuit. There is one particular play where Rochell is the backside end to a sweep and he takes a textbook pursuit angle to make the tackle 50 yards down field. I couldn’t believe it, a guy that size running down a tailback is a testament to the how good this guy is pursuing the football.Like everyone in the world even Isaac Rochell has weaknesses, but these weaknesses are easy fixes and nothing to worry about. There are times during the film when Rochell tends to get too high and expose himself a little too much to the offensive lineman. By not staying low you can expose too much of your chest and this will allow the offensive lineman to get into your pads and engage, which is hard to get out of at the college level. Also, his pass rushing could be a little more diverse when it comes to getting off the block. Adding a spin, dip and rip, and a swim move could give this guy more to work with. Rochell uses his pure athletic ability and hands to get off blocks, which is good, but playing the teams Notre Dame plays you will have to mix it up. The offensive linemen Rochell will see at Notre Dame will be nowhere close to what he saw in high school.Overall Rochell is a solid recruit that I see being an asset to this team in the near future. We talk about the lack of depth on the defensive line for Notre Dame, especially with Kapron Lewis-Moore leaving next year. Someone needs to step up and make plays. I don’t see Rochell playing much if any his freshman year since Sheldon Day will more than likely take Kapron’s spot next year. Who knows maybe he will surprise us."