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Notre Dame Football: Grading the Class of 2022 after NSD

By Daniel Morrison

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish prepares for the Play Station Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma State University Cowboys at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish prepares for the Play Station Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma State University Cowboys at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – SEPTEMBER 13: General view of a Notre Dame Fighting Irish helmet on the field during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 13, 2014, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame Football: Grading the Class of 2022 after NSD

Defensive Recruits

The defensive unit coming in with the Class of 2022 is a good one. In total, the Irish are bringing in ten players on this side of the ball too. Seven of those players are going to be on the front seven, with the other three playing defensive back. It’s always good to have a lot of players and depth on the front seven.

That’s because the modern game sees a lot of players rotate on the front seven defensively to combat fast-paced offenses.

The secondary is a major need for Notre Dame football. With Kyle Hamilton moving on, the Irish lost their safety valve. The cornerback spot was already the weak point. Now, Freeman and his staff have brought in three cornerbacks. Between Benjamin Morrison, Jayden Bellamy, and Jaden Mickey one of them should be able to see the field in 2022, at least.

Also, make sure to keep an eye on linebacker Jaylen Sneed. Sneed is a five-star recruit and Notre Dame’s top player from this class, according to 247 Sports. Expect him to play on the edge as an outside linebacker or standing pass rusher. Sneed held 36 total offers and is already drawing second-round draft predictions.

At the end of the day, it was always going to be easier to keep defensive recruits than offensive ones. After all, the defensive coordinator was the one promoted to head coach. So, it makes sense that those recruits would be more likely to stay.

Grade= A-

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