Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Breaking Down Cane Berrong
By Andrew Hall
Tight End recruit Cane Berrong joined the Notre Dame football recruiting class last summer, becoming the fourth pledge in the 2021 group.
Writer’s note: Over the next few weeks, I will review the 2021 Notre Dame football recruiting class and all of its commitments – giving a detailed breakdown of each Irish pledge.
The Hartwell, Georgia product received 30 offers from some of the nation’s elite college football programs including Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. Berrong chose to join Notre Dame’s storied history of elite Tight Ends.
Recruiting Rankings
According to the 247Sports Composite, Berrong ranks as 196th recruit and 6th Tight End in the nation. ESPN rates Berrong highest – 51st overall. Both, 247Sports and Rivals do not rank him nationally. Since his initial ranking of 59th in the 247Sports Composite, Berrong has fallen sharply, sliding to 195th in the list. This a reflection of his fall in the 247Sports and Rivals recruiting rankings.
Although Berrong fell greatly, his grade remained the same. This means other recruits received high grades forcing him down the list of 2021 prospects.
Film Review
Berrong ran a 4.53 laser timed 40-yard dash at the Under Armour All-America camp in 2019. His speed, route running and catching ability jump out in his highlight film. Berrong looks super natural in the pass game. The same cannot be said for his run blocking. His inline blocking is a work in progress. Berrong performs better as a blocker when he is used in more of an H-back role.
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Historical Context
Under Brian Kelly, almost all of the Tight End recruits find success in South Bend. It appears to be not a question of if but how much. For example, Ben Koyack, the highest rated Tight End under Kelly, found moderate success at Notre Dame which allowed him to be drafted into the NFL. However, he failed to live up to the hype of being a top 50 player.
Bottom Line
If Berrong is evaluated as a prototypical Tight End, he lacks in some categories. However, at the college level, he will be an effective player as an H-Back type of Tight End and then more inline. Current Notre Dame Tight End Tommy Tremble is a great comparison. Berrong possess high end speed for the position. He will need to improve his strength and add solid weight but his future looks bright in South Bend.