2017 Recruiting: Offensive Skill Position Grades

On National Signing Day, we posted an overview of the 2017 Notre Dame recruiting class with recruit grades and some thoughts on the class. This is the first post of a four-part series that will dive into a little more detail on the class, giving each of Eric, Jaden, Tyler’s, and my grades and comments for each recruit. Today’s post looks at the offensive skill position players (plus the kicker, because, well, we have to put him somewhere). Enjoy!

The transcript of Brian Kelly’s signing day press conference can be found here.

Offensive Skill Position Signees

QB Avery Davis

18S Average: 84.3

Brendan: 85

I like Davis a lot, but after the Under Armour practices it’s pretty clear that he’s very raw as a passer and probably a couple of years away from a meaningful contribution. He’s extremely athletic and has a cannon for an arm, though, so there’s no question the physical tools are there. He’s going to need lots of work on his mechanics, particularly to develop consistency, before he’ll really be ready to shoulder the load of running a college offense. We’ll see if Tommy Rees can earn his money. I gave Davis a little bit of a boost here based on potential – if it all comes together he could be something special on the field.

Eric: 87

The Golson comparisons are easy. I like Davis’ short and quick throwing motion. He appears to put plenty of spin on the ball so arm strength shouldn’t be an issue. Accuracy seems pretty good and he looks very comfortable in a spread offense. Lack of size is an issue and he was hurt in high school, too. He has great feet, though. Unlike Golson, who wasted a lot of energy darting around inside and outside of the pocket, Davis has a much more direct style of running and throwing on the run.

Jaden: 81

Davis is a guy that gets a lot of comparisions to Everett Golson. However, Davis is even a little smaller than Golson was and probably isn’t as polished of a passer coming out of high school. With that being said, Davis is a terrific athlete. He is advanced running the zone-read, and does have good arm strength. It would’ve really been nice if Mike Sanford was around for a year or two to help develop Davis, but hopefull the likes of Tommy Rees and Brian Kelly can get the job done. With some improved footwork and ball mechanics, Davis has the potential to make a lot of Irish fans giddy.

Tyler: 84

I think Avery’s performance at the Under Armour game made it clear he won’t be QB2 just yet this fall. He still has a lot of work to do as a passer. He’s still an electric athlete, though, and he’s sooo good at running the zone read. It’s going to be really tough for him to see the field anytime soon, but I could see him starting and playing very well in a few years.

RB CJ Holmes

18S Average: 89.3

Brendan: 90

A dynamic playmaker who could see time in the backfield, any of the receiver spots, or the return game as a freshman. He was the most dominant performer regardless of position at Irish Invasion last year; the Irish coaches think they got a CJ Prosise clone, and they might be on to something. Holmes gets an extra bump for acting as arguably the most outspoken leader in the 2017 class – he has that “it” factor. Wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him as a captain later in his career.

Eric: 88

Really nice athlete with longer legs and a stout upper body. Reminds me a little bit of Cierre Wood in high school with quick hips and change of direction on the perimeter. Holmes does a nice job angling himself away from tacklers without expending a lot of energy in wasted motion. I like his first step and quickness through the hole. His speed looks pretty solid. My biggest concern is a lack of juking ability and running in tighter quarters when he can’t get to the second level–again something that hurt Wood a little bit in college. Overall, a really nice piece to add for the offense and someone who should become a starter down the road.

Jaden: 89

CJ Holmes will come to Notre Dame and hopefully remind Irish fans of a CJ from 2015. Holmes is a decisive runner who is really efficient at getting downhill. He catches the ball really well and will be a consistent option in the passing game, too. As an early enrollee, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him become one of our better special teams players this season.

Tyler: 90

CJ is a jack-of-all-trades type who is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands. He’s a perfect fit for the Notre Dame offense as a running back, though. He shined at the Irish Invasion, distancing himself as the clear choice for best running back in attendance. I could easily imagine him getting into the rotation by his second year on campus. He might even have a shot to see the field this year if he impresses enough in spring camp.

WR Jafar Armstrong

18S Average: 86.8

Brendan: 88

Speed, speed, speed. Over his high school career Armstrong averaged 21.8 yards per catch, and in the 2016 track season he earned state titles in the 100, 200, and 4×100. You can see that breakaway speed here – even when a defender has an angle, if Armstrong gets a little bit of daylight he’s gone. He doesn’t strike me as the shiftiest guy, but he does look like a guy who can turn one mistake into six points. He’s pretty physical as well, as he does a good job of fighting for contested balls and breaking tackles. I think he could be a featured deep threat down the line, and perhaps contribute early on return teams.

Eric: 86

Armstrong’s body-type reminds me of a shorter Michael Floyd. He’s not full of bulging muscles but he’s thick and powerful. With that deceiving size he’s a great prospect to develop along with his elite or near-elite speed. However, he doesn’t strike me as a very polished receiver. I’m curious to see if route-running is an issue early in his career. There’s also a lack of agility that may decrease his ability to really open up his speed in college or offer some diversity in the slot. Still, he should be a strong deep threat and possibly a special teams return man early in his career before pushing for a starting position on offense.

Jaden: 86

Really great pickup at the end of the cycle after missing some guys and with the decommitment of Pouncey. I think this is an upgrade from Pouncey. The exciting part is the blend of speed and strength. Armstrong is a well put-together kid already who has track speed. There isn’t a whole lot of variation in his film when it comes to route running, so that will be something to monitor. I kind of expect Armstrong to play next year and be an impact on special teams. His physicality while playing the ball in the air paired with his speed make him a huge pickup for the Irish.

Tyler: 87

The Irish definitely went physical at receiver this cycle. Armstrong is already well-built and has the physical stature to play at an elite level. Track speed doesn’t hurt, either. Not as polished as he will need to be to see the field at receiver this year, though. As Eric mentioned, route-running could be a concern early on as it doesn’t look like he ran a wide variety of routes in high school. He has good hands though, and a willingness to outwork defenders for the ball. Could see him being a very good player in a couple years.

WR Michael Young

18S Average: 86.3

Brendan: 85

Young doesn’t have blazing speed (4.67 40), but he’s sneaky fast thanks to excellent burst from a standstill and out of his cuts (39″ vertical and 4.01 shuttle time). He needs some polish as a route runner, but I can definitely see him making meaningful contributions out of the slot once that’s taken care of. He’s also exceptionally physical for a kid his size – his senior highlight reel includes a half dozen pancake blocks. Brian Kelly has always loved receivers who block, so that should help Young get to the field sooner.

Eric: 87

Young could really flourish in the slot and he also doesn’t look too small to never play on the outside if needed. His abilities as a willing blocker will certainly help in that regard. He’s quick, although not super explosive, out of his breaks and moves well changing direction. His comfort making strong cuts and keeping speed should allow him to see the field early in his career.

Jaden: 87

Jailbreak screens, please. The best word to describe Michael Young is shifty, and he would be my first round draft pick in a flag football game. Young isn’t rated extremely high by the services, mostly because of his smaller stature and lack of straight-line speed. I think he will absolutely have a large role, though, in his time at Notre Dame. He is one of those guys that needs a few touches every game.

Tyler: 86

Young may not have blazing speed, but he has some qualities that you really like to see in a skill position player — particularly elusiveness and physicality. The kid’s film is full of two things: opponents getting juked out of their pads and pancakes. Young just has a tendency to make people miss and he loves physically dominating defensive backs.

TE Brock Wright

18S Average: 95.3

Brendan: 95

Can’t wait to see this kid get on the field. I can see him developing into Anthony Fasano 2.0; he’s got soft hands and can move after the catch, and he’s also a punishing blocker. You see the “hybrid” tag thrown around a lot with tight ends, but with Wright, it’s legitimate. He’s just as comfortable flattening a guy as he is running down the seam – and just as happy to do either. Also, and perhaps most importantly, he has Prime Time’s endorsement as a future NFL player.

Eric: 95

An all around great high school player. Tenacious and willing blocker. He’ll have a great center of gravity to block in college although it’ll be interesting to see how physical he can be at 6-4. Wright’s a good athlete with deceptive speed in the open field. Defenders often take poor angles misjudging his speed–a great thing for a tight end to deal with. Nice agility, as well. Doesn’t just run in a straight line and 95get tackled easily. He can change directions well and fight for extra yards with power and athleticism.

Jaden: 95

Wright is everything you want in a tight end. He has an incredible build and has plus ability as both an in-line blocker and a receiving end. Although Smythe and Jones both return, Wright should be able to get his feet wet this year. He’s just very deveopled for his age. As a blocker, he shows great leg drive. As a receiver, he displays good speed for a TE and soft hands. Finally, you’ve got to love how Wright handles himself. He’s a mature, humble kid who never for a second wavered in his committment to Notre Dame.

Tyler: 96

I’ve been saying for months that I think Brock is the best tight end in the class of 2017. His week of practice before and his play during the Under Armour All American game only solidified that belief. Thanks his his early enrollee status, physical readiness, and ability as both a blocker and receiver, I think he gets brought up to speed enough to see the field at tight end this year.

TE Cole Kmet

18S Average: 92.3

Brendan: 92

Kmet is more in the Tyler Eifert mold – a big athletic receiver who can serve as a credible blocker if needed. He really opened some eyes at the Army game, where he was a matchup nightmare for linebackers and safeties all week and made some big moves up the services’ rankings as a result. He’s the perfect blend of too big for a defensive back to cover and too fast for a linebacker to cover. While Wright is the better all-around prospect, there’s no question Kmet is the better receiver prospect. Both are Rivals 100 prospects. Pretty enviable position for the Irish to be in.

Eric: 91

You have to love Kmet’s length and ability to high-point the football. Seems like this has been missing at Notre Dame since Niklas left and now Kmet brings back that type of height. Even better, he’s really developed well physically late in his high school career. At his height I’m not sure he’s going to have the type of speed to be an All-American but he could be a step or two below that like the type of players Stanford has churned out in recent years.

Jaden: 93

Kmet is another tight end that should leave a huge mark on Notre Dame in the coming years. He has great length and room to grow. We talk about how physically developed Brock Wright is already, but Kmet reportedly weighs an impressive 255 lbs right now. Not too shabby. The potential is through the roof for this kid and he can be a nightmare matchup on the outside. He displays really good ball skills and looks comfortable split out wide. On many plays he high points well, but other times he let’s the ball get a little deep. It works at the high school level, but in college he will have to consistently go out and pluck the ball. Again, just a consistency thing. Blocking wise, Kmet can do a better job of staying on and sustaining blocks all the way through. Kmet could very easily end up having a better career than Wright. They’re both just crazy talented.

Tyler: 93

Who else really misses having Tyler Eifert on the field? Well, don’t worry. The Irish basically just landed his clone right here. Cole should prove to be an enormous mismatch in the passing game — one that I fully expect Notre Dame to utilize (and I would be extremely disappointed if they didn’t).

K Jonathan Doerer

18S Average: 88.8

Brendan: 86

Doerer flipped from Maryland to Notre Dame off a stealth official visit on the last weekend of the 2017 cycle. His commitment caught many Irish fans by surprise, but it began to make more sense as word got out that Justin Yoon might not be ready for the fall after offseason knee surgery. Don’t make the mistake of thinking Doerer is a band-aid solution, though – kicking guru Chris Sailer ranked him as the #3 kicker in this cycle, and notes he could well have the strongest leg in the country. Even if Yoon is healthy enough to start the season, expect to see Doerer as the kickoff specialist to ease some of the burden on Yoon. He could potentially punt if needed too.

Eric: 90

I’ll stick to my tradition of writing few words about the specialists. I think this kid’s ceiling is really high with his height, frame, and power at a young age.

Jaden: 89

His leg is strong. Really strong. He made a 47 yard field goal in the film, and has great distance on his kickoffs. His chance for early playing time will obviously be dependent on the health of Justin Yoon. Notre Dame is surely better off with a healthy Yoon, but this pickup should provide some comfort for both Brian Kelly and fans.

Tyler: 88

I have no idea how to evaluate kickers, but some of the most well-respected special teams evaluators in the country think he’s one of the best kickers in this class. That’s good enough for me.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]