Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2016 RECRUITING ISSUE ON PAPER GRADE: C Book does not possess the top‑end talent of his future teammates, but he has the intangibles the Irish coaching staff desires. He is a quality runner with above‑average arm strength and playmaking ability. He has a repu‑ tation as a strong leader, and as a senior his production took a major leap forward. He finished his senior campaign with 3,049 yards passing and 779 rushing, and accounted for 42 total touchdowns. He does not have the ability to put a team on his shoulders, but Book has winning qualities. RUNNING BACK SIGNED: Tony Jones Jr. and Deon Mc‑ Intosh MEETING NEEDS: Freshman running back Josh Adams set a Notre Dame freshman record with 835 yards (7.1 average) and classmate Dexter Wil‑ liams shows promise, but failing to sign a running back in 2014, the trans‑ fer of Greg Bryant and the fact Tarean Folston is entering his final season made landing two backs in this class a priority. SUMMARY: Notre Dame identified a small group of running backs it wanted early in the process. Two of the top backs on the board were Elijah Holyfield (Georgia) and Jones. Af‑ ter Jones committed and Notre Dame missed out on Holyfield, the empha‑ sis quickly shifted to finding a ver‑ satile back that could carry the ball and be productive in the pass game. McIntosh fit that bill and joined the class in November. ON PAPER GRADE: B‑ Landing Jones so early was a coup for the Irish. His powerful running style provides the offense with a di‑ mension it currently lacks. Jones is a strong between‑the‑tackles rusher that can run through defenders thanks to a thick build and a strong lower body. He has a slashing run‑ ning style that complements the cur‑ rent backs on the roster. McIntosh is a versatile player that impressed with his open‑field speed and pass catching ability, but he will need time to develop. WIDE RECEIVER SIGNED: Chase Claypool, Javon McKinley and Kevin Stepherson MEETING NEEDS: Notre Dame lost all three of its 2015 starters to graduation or the NFL, freshman Jalen Guyton to suspension and sophomore Justin Brent to running back. Despite the re‑ turn of three talented rising sopho‑ mores —Equanimeous St. Brown, CJ Sanders and Miles Boykin — at least three receivers were needed. Landing players that could push for early play‑ ing time was also a priority. SUMMARY: From the moment Notre Dame shifted its attention to the 2016 class, McKinley was made a priority at the position. His recruitment dragged out over a year, but in the end Notre Dame prevailed, earning a commit‑ ment from the California standout in January. During the summer, Claypool and Stepherson made a strong impression