Notre Dame added a critical piece to the 2019 class today when punter Jay Bramblett committed to the Irish. Rigneys, rejoice! I know, nobody (besides the Rigneys) cares about specialists, but hear me out on this one… With punting stalwart Tyler Newsome in his final year of eligibility, it was absolutely critical that Notre Dame secure a quality punter in this class. Kicking guru Chris Sailer ranks Bramblett as the #1 punter in the country this year; he looks to have everything he needs to step right into Newsome’s shoes in 2019. It’s also worth noting that Bramblett hails from Tuscaloosa; Alabama picked up a commitment from Sailer’s #3 punter and #1 placekicker, Will Reichard, a week ago, but even so, pretty cool to grab a kid from the home of the Crimson Tide.

Recruiting Service Rankings

Sailer — 5 star (5.0 rating), #1 P

247 Sports — 3 star (80 rating), #1679 overall, #2 P, #66 in AL

Rivals, ESPN — Not evaluated

Cohort

In addition to Notre Dame, Jay Bramblett holds an offer from Missouri and was being recruited by Alabama, Arizona, LSU, Mississippi State, and Penn State.

Highlights

Four minutes of Jay Bramblett booting the ever loving hell out of the ball. Gotta love it. The first punt on here goes 46 yards and is pinned perfectly against the sideline for no return. The next one goes 45 yards and out of bounds for no return. The next one goes 55 yards and stops on a dime at the 10. You get the idea.

I have no idea how to evaluate punting technique, but I know this kid kicks it high and far with excellent placement. That sounds pretty good.

Impact

Bramblett will start immediately, filling in for Newsome and allowing Jon Doerer to focus just on placekicking. There’s no reason to think he wouldn’t be a four-year starter and a field position weapon throughout.

Welcome to the Irish family, Jay!