Get to Know The Newest Notre Dame Football Commit: Howard Cross III

Notre Dame football has been cleaning up on the recruiting trail as of late.

Yesterday afternoon, Notre Dame football got its third commitment in the past three days from 2019 strongside defensive end Howard Cross III out of New Jersey. The Irish staff is starting to make New Jersey a true pipeline, with Cross being the fifth player joining the Irish from the state in the past two years. The staff offered Cross on April 3rd and was able to get him on campus this past weekend for the Spring game. Clearly that did enough for him to pull the trigger and officially commit to the Irish. With his commitment, Notre Dame now has three highly-touted lineman committed on the defensive side of the ball, as he joins Jacob Lacey and Hunter Spears.

Here is the announcement Cross posted to Twitter:

Cross holds 14 offers  including those from the likes of Alabama, Michigan and Tennessee. His name might also sound firmilar to a lot of football fans, with Cross being the son of former Alabama and New York Giants tight end, Howard Cross. He was in the NFL for 13 years, so his son knows what it takes to succeed on and off the field. Having that firsthand knowledge of the work ethic you need to have a successful career is only a bonus for Howard Cross III — and his career is just now getting started.

As for Cross on the football field, you won’t see many guys outwork him. Obvisously he has the bloodline, so he’s an athletic big man but also pretty compact. He’s 6’2 and about 250 pounds, so he’s not the tallest. I wouldn’t rule out one more growth spurt before heading into his senior season, as he does have room to grow into his frame.

Cross has outstanding technique and has good leverage with his hands. With that leverage, he’s able to easily get off blocks and get to the ball quickly. I’m not sure if Notre Dame strictly recruited him as a strongside defensive end, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was moved inside to the nose guard position down the road. He’s a great run stopper and he stays low to the ground, so he could be a force inside.

The Irish now have six commitments in the 2019 class — five on defense and one on offense. It looks like there could be more potential great news coming this week. Make sure to stay tuned…

Next: Notre Dame Spring Game Report Card

Cross’ Recruiting Service Rankings:*

• 247(composite)— 4 star (.9141), No.246 overall, No.19 SDE, No. 5 player in New Jersey

247Sports — 4 star (90 rating), No.315 overall, No.24 SDE, No. 5 player in New Jersey

• Rivals — 4 star (5.9 rating), No. 79 overall, No. 5 S, No. 3 player in Virginia

• ESPN — 4 star (81 rating), No. 211 overall, No. 14 S, No. 6 player in Virginia

*Rankings subject to change