Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/638727
2016 RECRUITING ISSUE Bird to a 26‑2 record the last two sea‑ sons while playing quarterback and safety. Elliott is athletically gifted and versatile, but his greatest asset might be the fire with which he plays the game. Morgan has good size and range. He is not an explosive athlete, but he was a playmaker at one of the top programs in the country. Perry is a thumper that runs well for his size and could be a special teams standout early in his career. SPECIAL TEAMS SIGNED: John Shannon MEETING NEEDS: Notre Dame place‑ kicker Justin Yoon and punter Tyler Newsome have three years of eligibil‑ ity remaining, leaving long snapper as the class's only need. SUMMARY: Shannon quickly emerged as the top target to replace Scott Daly in 2017. He was Notre Dame's second commit in the class. ON PAPER GRADE: A Long snapping specialist Chris Ru‑ bio ranked Shannon as the top snap‑ per in the country. Daly will handle snapping duties in 2016, allowing Shannon to have a year to develop before taking over as the full‑time long and short snapper in 2017. OVERALL ANALYSIS Notre Dame's offensive haul is strong, with one of the top line and receiving corps in the country. There is impact talent at the skill positions and potential standouts up front. Adding depth to the quarterback and running back position with potential down‑ the‑road starters was crucial to the class earning a B+ grade. Not landing one more player up front and one more skill position dif‑ ference maker kept it from being an A grade. Defensively, the Irish hit all the key notes. There are potential impact play‑ ers up front, the top signee in the class is at linebacker and the secondary re‑ ceived a significant boost in quality and quantity. There are players with starting potential and impact talent on all three levels. This bumps the grade up to a B, with the lack of a tackle be‑ ing the one anchor on the grade. Overall, the class is a B+, a top‑10 group that could help Notre Dame compete for a national title if certain players maximize their potential. Should Notre Dame sign Savannah (Ga.) Christian five‑star athlete Deme‑ tris Robertson the grade would jump up to an A‑. ✦ U.S. Army All-American long snapper John Shannon will bolster the Irish special teams unit. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS