Notre Dame football: Which early signing day recruit will make the biggest impact?

Now that the 2024 Early National Signing Day has come and gone for the Notre Dame football team, it’s time to really take stock of the players that Marcus Freeman reeled in. When you really take a look at what Freeman accomplished, it’s quite impressive.

Freeman managed to put together what was the 8th best high school recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports. What’s more impressive than that is the fact that he didn’t lose a single commit.

Early Signing Day often has a number of impressive flips. One Power 5 team comes into the day thinking they’ve nabbed a high-value target, only to see him sign with someone else. But for Notre Dame football, all 23 high school commits turned into signees.

It’s hard not to be impressed with a class that ranks inside the Top 10. But while there’s quite a bit of talent there, some players are going to stand out more than others. That’s just the nature of recruiting, even for the Fighting Irish.

So just how will almost certainly shine more than others when they arrive in South Bend? Who has the best chance of contributing in their freshman season? We look at three players who will almost certainly make a major impact from the get-go.

With the departure of Audric Estime, there’s going to be a chance for someone like Kedren Young to step up. While it’s not a given that a true freshman will be able to lead the team in carries or yards, if there is such a man on the Notre Dame football team it will be young.

Hailing out of Lufkin, Texas, Young offers a nice combination of both speed and power. His last two seasons at Lufkin High were incredibly impressive. In 2022 he rushed for 1,751 rush yards, boasted 7.4 YPC, and scored 19 touchdowns. This past season, he ran for 1,366 yards and 15 TDs.

According to 247Sports, Young was the 3rd best running back in the entire class. That certainly sounds like someone who could shine for the Notre Dame football team and whoever the new offensive coordinator might end up being.

Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa looks like the kind of linebacker that can be a difference maker almost immediately. If there is a defender in Marcus Freeman’s 2024 class, it’s going to be the St. John Bosco product.

Viliamu-Asa was the 6th ranked linebacker in the entire class and the 5th ranked player out of the state of California, according to On3. Part of Viliamu-Asa’s attractiveness is that he will almost certainly be able to stay on the field for all three downs. He’s got a pass-rush ability that might get him slotted into Marist Liufau’s role.

While he will almost certainly get a shot to see the field a lot in 2024, he’ll also be able to lean on the return of Jack Kiser in order to find a spot that he’ll be most comfortable. The fact that he’s versatile will also allow for the 6-foot-3, 227 pound linebacker to move all over the field and play where the Notre Dame football team needs him.

It stands to reason that when his career in South Bend is over, he will almost certainly have played more than one position, but it’s likely that he’ll end up at middle linebacker by the time he’s ready to wrap up his college career.

Putting Cam Williams on this list is the biggest of no-brainers for Notre Dame football prospects. Williams, a 5-star prospect, is one of the highest-rated players the Fighting Irish have ever reeled in.

What makes Williams so dangerous is that he’s got blazing speed while also having soft hands. He’s someone who will almost certainly blow away opponents off the line but also be the guy that Notre Dame can look to when they need to convert a big third down.

Williams was the 11th-best receiver in the class, according to 247Sports, and the 49th-best player overall. He was also the 2nd ranked player in the entire state of Illinois. He’s also a man of his word. He was an early commit back in 2022 and stayed a commit all the way through signing day.

Williams was hampered a bit in his high school days with an offense that didn’t know exactly how to use him. But when he got the ball, he did plenty with it. This past season 37 catches for 909 yards (a stunning 24.6 YPC) and 13 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 30 times for 468 yards (15.6 yards per carry!) and another 6 TDs.

His new position coach Mike Brown, has to be licking his chops thinking about watching him play next year. Whoever the Notre Dame football team’s offensive coordinator is in 2024 is going to have quite the weapon at his disposal. And it’s not like the Irish are hurting for receivers after their transfer hauls.