Tjena, grabben! Jordan Genmark Heath became the 16th commitment in Notre Dame’s 2017 recruiting class when he announced for the Irish today. The 6-2, 205 lb athlete had been committed to Cal since early October, but opened things up when Sonny Dykes was fired and the future in Berkeley was uncertain. Notre Dame made a big move for this high-academic prospect when they offered barely two weeks ago, securing an official visit last weekend and making a big impression when he was on campus.

Genmark Heath has a very interesting background. He was born and raised in Sweden, where he became the starting quarterback for the national under-19 team at the ripe old age of 15. He has limited time playing competitive US high school football, and his technique shows it, but he’s already built like a truck (for a defensive back) and showcases loads of athleticism. He’s a great candidate for the rover and strong safety positions in Mike Elko’s defense.

Recruiting Service Rankings

247 – 4 star (91 rating), #230 overall, #22 ATH, #26 in CA

Rivals – 3 star (5.6 rating), NR overall, #67 ATH, #73 in CA

Scout – 3 star, NR overall, #41 ATH, #66 in CA

ESPN – 3 star (76 rating), NR, #73 ATH, #79 in CA

247 Composite – 3 star (.8649 rating), #543 overall, #38 S, #55 in CA

Cohort

In addition to Notre Dame and Cal, he holds offers from Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, Northwestern, Vanderbilt (yeah, he’s smart), Boston College, Oregon State, Utah, and Washington State. He drew some interest, but not an offer, from Stanford as well.

Highlights

One thing to keep in mind is that Jordan is about a year older than most of his classmates, due to time lost while his family was travelling. Even considering that, though, he’s extremely impressive physically and you see that translate to the field over and over in this senior year highlight reel. While he definitely doesn’t have elite top end speed, I was very impressed with his acceleration and with how easily he got in and out of cuts as a ball carrier. He might not be a burner, but I do think he can be explosive athletically at the next level. He plays a nice centerfield and displays good field vision and patience when he has the ball in his hands. He also shows the power of a linebacker when he hits, whether he’s tackling or running; I really loved how even when he was on offense he wanted to deliver the hit. This kid loves contact. Also, and perhaps most impressively for a guy who has played as little football stateside as he has, I was surprised by how good his play recognition is.

His technique, particularly when tackling, needs a lot of work, which is hardly surprising. He gets to the right spot at the right time and he definitely delivers a blow when he gets there, but he needs to work on getting low and wrapping up. Other than when he’s covering the deep middle, there’s not really any film of him in coverage in there, so it’s hard to know how effective he is in that aspect. I would expect that he would need some time to hone that technique and to adjust to the college game, though.

Impact

I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if Genmark Heath redshirts in 2017, but I wouldn’t be all that surprised to see him out there on special teams coverage either. If he adjusts to the next level and takes to coaching, he has all the tools to make a meaningful defensive contribution no later than 2018. I could see him working into the rotation in 2018 and potentially starting at rover or even growing into a Will linebacker in a couple of years. All in all, the Irish are getting an uber-athletic guy with versatility who needs polish, but will be a monster if everything works out.

Välkommen til familjen irländska, Jordan!