The 2022 recruiting class for the Notre Dame football team should be a special one, and here, we hand out the superlatives.
With the 2022 recruiting class already getting their feet wet for this Notre Dame football team, we have to take a step back and look at the crew as a whole. This has the potential to be an excellent group of players in South Bend, one that could net the Irish a national title.
Let us take a look at the superlatives for what should be an exciting new class of Irish.
Notre Dame football: Top superlatives for 2022 recruiting class
Biggest Surprise: Aamil Wagner
The Notre Dame football program is known for producing high-level offensive linemen, with many going to the next level and putting together outstanding NFL careers. Currently, the Irish have two true sophomores starting at their offensive tackle spots and have more talent coming in via the 2022 recruiting class at the position group.
One of those prospects is Aamil Wagner, who is our biggest surprise recruit for the Irish in this cycle. Expected to head to Kentucky, Wagner instead signed on with then-head coach Brian Kelly, sticking around when the coaching change was made after Kelly’s departure as well.
Wagner was an early enrollee, and playing at this program, he is going to get the best chance in the country to be a starting tackle at the next level.
Notre Dame football: Top superlatives for 2022 recruiting class
Most Likely to win the Heisman: Steve Angeli
When it comes to the Heisman Trophy, it is an award that is mostly handed to a quarterback at the end of the season. Sure, there have been other position groups who have won the award, especially back in the day, but lately, the award seems to be given out to the best quarterback in the country.
In the 2022 recruiting class for this Notre Dame football team, Steve Angeli is the only quarterback the program brought in. An elite quarterback from Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey, Angeli was rated as a top-20 player at his position in the country and was a huge get for this coaching staff.
In 2022, Tyler Buchner is likely to be the team’s starting quarterback, but he will be pushed by both Angeli and junior Drew Pyne. Angeli may not win the starting job in 2022, but he is someone who could start a lot of games in South Bend, giving him the best chance in this class to win the Heisman.
Notre Dame football: Top superlatives for 2022 recruiting class
Most Likely to start right away (offense): Tobias Merriweather, WR
The Notre Dame football program was only able to get one wide receiver to commit in the 2022 cycle, and that was 6-foot-4 playmaker Tobias Merriweather. Luckily for Merriweather, he is entering the program at the right time, as there is not a ton of bodies at the wideout spot going into this season.
With Avery Davis and Braden Lenzy all having dealt with injury issues during their careers, there is a chance a starting job opens up during the season at wide receiver. If that happens, you can expect a big-time prospect like Merriweather to slide into the role.
Most Likely to start right away (defense): Tyson Ford, DL
The 2022 recruiting class for the Irish is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and Tyson Ford is one of the best prospects coming in. He is also the defensive player with the best chance to start right away for the Irish, as he is joining a defensive line that has some question marks after losing two key leaders from last season.
Ford is a big-bodied defensive lineman who can get after the quarterback, and stop the run, and getting him in the mix early is only going to help him develop into a possible All-American.
Notre Dame football: Top superlatives for 2022 recruiting class
Most Underrated (offense): Holden Staes, Tight End
The Irish have arguably the best tight end in the country coming back in 2022, as Michael Mayer will likely take home the John Mackey Award in his final season in South Bend. A likely first-round pick, Mayer has dominated the college football landscape the past two seasons and is almost ready to hand the torch over to a younger player.
In the 2022 class, Eli Raridon was the gold standard recruit at tight end, but fellow 2022 recruit, Holden Staes, is no slouch either. Staes enrolled early and was rated the No. 11 TE in the country per 247Sports.com, so expect him to make an impact when he gets his chance this season or next.
Most Underrated (defense): Jayden Bellamy, Cornerback
The cornerback position is one that I have real worries about going into next season, as Clarence Lewis took a bit of a step back last season. Sure, Cam Hart is a potential first-round pick, but we could see some of the true sophomores get their chance in 2022, especially if some of the vets struggle.
One true freshman that I could see rising up the depth chart is Jayden Bellamy, a tremendous cover corner from Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey. Bellamy’s father, Jay, played in the NFL for over a decade, so the bloodline is there for him to be an impact player in South Bend.
Notre Dame football: Top superlatives for 2022 recruiting class
Future first-round draft pick: Jaylen Sneed
When it comes to the Irish’s 2022 recruiting class, the big name that stands out is Jaylen Sneed, the only five-star recruit the program brought in. An incredible blend of size and speed from his linebacker spot, Sneed was an early enrollee for the Irish, and will get to learn behind some incredible veteran leaders at linebacker as a true freshman.
The truth is, Sneed may be too good a player to have sit and watch in Year 1, and by his third season with the Irish, he should definitely be getting some first-round buzz. Sure, it is very early to make statements like that, but Sneed is a special talent, and has a head coach in Marcus Freeman who is a linebacker guru.
Notre Dame football: Top returning players on offense in 2022
The Notre Dame football team is loaded on both sides of the ball heading into the 2022 season, and here are the top offensive players returning.
Overall, this is going to be a group of men who come in and help move the program in the right direction, possibly to a national title. They have talent on both sides of the ball that is going to make an impact this upcoming season, and it will be interesting to see which young players possibly push some veterans out of starting jobs.