In-Depth Breakdown Of DB A.J. Lytton – Recent Irish Offer

Notre Dame has offered one of the best defensive backs in the country.

Must Read: Sinclair's Hot 5 Big Board - Irish '18 Recuiting

Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Dr. Henry Wise High School defensive back A.J. Lytton is one of the premier defensive backs in the country and another dynamic recruit out of the state of Maryland in the ’18 cycle.

Lytton dances along the 5 star line among all recruiting services and has the offer list to boot. Lytton holds offers from Alabama, Florida State, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Penn State, Oklahoma and many more.

In ’16, Lytton played both sides of the ball and returned kicks.

On offense, he caught 33 passes for 683 yards and 11 touchdowns. On defense, he had 26 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 3 interceptions. He also added 308 yards in the return game.

I have a very strong feeling that opposing quarterbacks don’t test him much, and I don’t blame them.

Lytton has a great frame for the cornerback or free safety position. He’s long, rangy and can definitely add the weight that he needs to be competitive at the college level.

I see serious potential in Lytton in the return game. He’s a long-stride type runner but shows great vision and decision making with where he runs with the football and can make people miss. Once he reaches his second gear, he often breaks away from the pack.

I really like Lytton as a defensive back. His length and natural athleticism is exceptional. He shows great awareness and knows when to break on the ball carrier as well as the ball. You can’t teach the instincts that he possesses.

In his film, which is of his sophomore season, there is a lot of signs that he will be a high impact defensive back. I’m undecided whether he would be best suited at the cornerback position or free safety. He does a lot of things well, including going sideline to sideline very well.

He should be a solid contributor to the defensive turnover ratio. He’s a dangerous ball hawk.

Offensively, he has solid talent at receiver. He runs polished routes and has the speed and explosion you want to see. His ball skills and focus on the ball are exceptional, a big part of why he’s such a great defensive back.

Off the cuff, I don’t have high hopes for Lytton as his offer list suggests we may be in for a really tough battle with Power 5 programs from the south. That’s not to say we couldn’t land him.

This one will be a classic case of getting him on campus and also assessing how high academics are on his priority list.

The Irish have two of the best defensive backs committed to their class of ’18 in superior man-coverage specialist Kalon Gervin and all around stud Derrik Allen. Another top of the board addition would be incredible.

Lytton is a perfect example of the type of player who would put the Irish defensive back class in the discussion of best in the country and one of the best ever for Notre Dame.

Bringing in defensive backs who can play in year 1 is a focal point in this recruiting cycle due to not landing any cornerbacks in ’17.