Notre Dame football: Looking to land elite defensive line unit

Though the unit has produced talented players such as Isaiah Foskey, Justin Ademilola, Jayson Ademilola, and others, they have had few blue-chippers. With Owen Wafle and Justin Scott looking to join the fold and Elijah Rushing in play for Notre Dame football, are they trending toward an elite unit?

What has long been considered a relatively weak point for the Irish, will the defensive line unit become a strength? Given the elite strength and conditioning led by Coach Matt Balis, anyone can become an elite athlete for Notre Dame football. Having the intangibles of elite size and speed certainly helps a kid’s goal of becoming a future NFL draft pick.

Justin Scott and Elijah Rushing are getting all the attention lately on social media and various recruiting boards, and rightfully so. Still, there are some highly talented players that the Notre Dame football coaches are pushing hard to land. Notably Bryce Young, Jerod Smith, and Jacob Smith, among others. Bryce Young is the son of former Notre Dame football standout Bryant Young and could follow in his father’s footsteps.

Legacy Notre Dame football target Bryce Young is a bit underrated right now by 247Sports, but according to the composite, he’s a top 200 player in the nation

Following a similar path, Jerod Smith and Jacob Smith could be the next Ademilola twins at Notre Dame. According to 247Sports, Jacob is a top 100 player, and Jerod is a top 150 player in the nation at edge and interior line, respectively. Both have the chops to become forces at the next level, just as the Ademilola brothers quickly found success.

Adarius Hayes, a top 75 player according to 247Sports and one of the nation’s best edge defenders, has his eyes on the Irish. While nothing is set in stone, Hayes visited South Bend a couple of weeks ago, and the staff felt fantastic about the result. TJ Lindsey, who seems a bit underrated, is a whopping 6’6″ and 260-pound explosive defensive end. He also thinks highly of Notre Dame.

Whatever Al Washington is doing this time around, keep doing it. It seems coach Marcus Freeman is also making himself available to top recruiting targets. Whatever they’re doing, they are building something special. Let’s hope it comes to fruition on the class of 2024’s national signing day.