The Notre Dame football team has a special group coming in via the 2022 recruiting class, and Sports Illustrated put four of them on their top-99 rankings.
Recently, Sports Illustrated released their list of the top-99 players of the 2022 recruiting class, and the Notre Dame football team was well-represented. Sure, they did not have double-digit players like Alabama or Clemson, but they had four, and what a special four these players are going to be.
Here are the four prospects that made the list.
Notre Dame football: 4 2022 commits named in SI’s top-99 Prospect Ranking
No. 47: Tobias Merriweather
Wide receiver is a position to keep an eye on this season, as the Irish have some veteran talent coming back like Braden Lenzy and Avery Davis, but also will rely on some younger players in a big way. Lorenzo Styles Jr. burst onto the scene as a true freshman last season, and in 2022, the next big star arrives in Tobias Merriweather.
The 6-foot-4, 185 pound Merriweather comes to the Irish from the State of Washington and is expected to play a big role right away. He has everything you look for in a true WR1, and in 2023, the combination of he and Styles may be the best 1-2 punch in the country.
Notre Dame football: 4 2022 commits named in SI’s top-99 Prospect Ranking
No. 51: Jaylen Sneed
Head coach Marcus Freeman is a linebacker guru, so for him to bring in a talent like Jaylen Sneed has to have fans of the Irish very excited. Sneed was one of the best defensive players in the country in this recruiting cycle and will get to learn behind some veterans in 2022 before taking over a starting role next season.
In Sneed, the Irish have a guy they can build their linebacker unit around, but he is not the only big-time linebacker coming in this season. This is a perfect situation for him to start his collegiate career, and while he may not start this season, I could see him having a big impact down the stretch.
No. 86: Josh Burnham, Linebacker
Joining Sneed in the top-99 ranking is fellow linebacker Josh Burnham, who, like Sneed, will be expected to lead this Notre Dame defense down the road. Burnham had offers from everyone, including Alabama, as he was considered one of the top-10 players at his position in the country per 247sports.com.
The tandem of Burnham and Sneed is going to be fun to watch over the next few seasons, especially with a mind like Freeman leading the way. The Notre Dame football has been elite on defense before, but these two could take things to a whole other level.
Notre Dame football: 4 2022 commits named in SI’s top-99 Prospect Ranking
No. 91: Tyson Ford
Another defensive prospect to get excited about is Tyson Ford, who has long been considered one of the key pieces of this 2022 recruiting class. An incredibly physically gifted player, Ford could have first-round potential down the line if he continues to grow and improve with the Irish.
Fellow edge rusher Aiden Gobaira just missed out on the cut, but the thought of these two dominating off the edge in the next few years is as exciting as it gets. Both players could end up being double-digit sack guys at the collegiate level.
3 Players Notre Dame football could still target in the Transfer Portal
Looking into three players currently in the transfer portal who Notre Dame football should make an attempt to bring in for the 2022 season.
Overall, there are a few more players who could have been ranked in this top-99, but to have four of the players on the list coming in says a lot about this recruiting class. Marcus Freeman and his staff are just getting started, but these four players are going to be cornerstone guys in South Bend for years to come.