QB - Blake Hebert - Solid BI do not think Blake Hebert is going to be a Heisman candidate by any means, but I think his floor is high. While ND struck out on Duece (who has the signs of a bust), I think ND got what they needed, especially in a class right after CJ Carr and before Grubbs. I see Hebert as a very solid player and better than Angeli with a chance to be an Ian Book caliber player.RB - Nolan James Jr - Solid BI said in another thread, but he has the making of being the next Kyren Williams. The kid has put up AMAZING stats in a very competitive league at the high school level. I think some may look down on him because he isn’t a Love/Price type of back, but I think most would be happy with another Kyren Williams.WR - Elijah Burress, “Scrap” Richardson, & Jerome Bettis Jr - Solid CI do think Burress will be a quality WR, but I think at best, he is a #2 or #3 WR similar to a TJ Jones. Richardson is a project as he is mostly played QB in high school, but his athleticism is off the charts. Bettis is a player I believe the staff is banking on his genetics kicking in and blowing up. This is easily the most disappointing group of the class.TE - James Flanigan - Solid AThis kid has elite traits and is likely to continue to lineage of NFL quality TEs coming from Notre Dame. He has size, speed, hands, and the ability to block. I think he could see playing time as a freshman even in a loaded roomOL - Will Black, Owen Strebig, Cameron Herron, and Matty Augustine - Solid AIt’s hard to find any issues with this OL class. They got the 5* stud in Black, 2 solid large players who could play either tackle or guard in Strebig and Augustine, then the shorter tough type of guy (likely to be a center) in HerronDL - Christopher Burgess, Dominik Hulak, Davion Dixon, Gordy Sulfsted, & Joseph Reiff - B-This group is all about potential, especially on the interior. I believe this class is heavy on the interior of the defensive line. I do think Burgess is going to be a very solid player with NFL potential, he will be a great player on the outside. Hulak had a pretty good senior year, but he is a boom or bust type of player in my opinion. I have faith that ND will get at least one solid player out of the other three in the interior.LB - Anthony Sacca, Josiah Kia - B-I think both Sacca and Kia are solid players where the floors are nice, but neither are potential stars and they are one short in terms of numbers. Honestly, it seems like a few LB targets were potentially worried about competition from the amazing LB corps Notre Dame currently has in the ‘23 and ‘24 classes.CB - Dallas Golden, Mark Zachary, and Cree Thomas - Freaking A+While Ohio State may have the better class in the ranking system, I think ND has a championship caliber and can compete with anyone. I think Dallas Golden is the best prospect in the class and a true 5* player. Mark Zachary is comparable to Christian Gray and is a multi-year starter type of player. Cree Thomas had a pretty good year and he was already considered a sleeper type of prospect by manyS - Jadon Blair, Ethan Long, Brandon Logan - A-Blair is an absolute stud and is likely to compete for the starting job as a true freshman (he alone gives this position group a high grade). I think Ethan Long has the potential to be a multi-year starter after a year of development in a college weight room. I am not sure where Logan will fit in, but he is extremely versatile and a seems like a Gadget type player.Offensive Grade: Solid B (OL/TE are elite, QB/RB are solid pickups with high floors with potential to be even better, WR is lackluster that would need major development to occur)Defensive Grade: B+ (The DBs are elite, the DL is hoping to hit its potential, and the LBs are solid but small in number)Overall Grade: Solid BWhat are your grades?
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