Notre Dame’s 2020 recruiting class started with a resounding bang when elite signal caller Drew Pyne pledged to the Irish today. Many probably missed this at the time, but Drew’s tweet when Notre Dame offered last June left little doubt:

Yes, that’s Mini Drew, in his Adidas Brady Quinn jersey. And now I feel really old… The 6’1″, 172-pound Connecticut product is fresh off a visit to campus with his cousin Kevin, a potential five-star 2020 OT. It was Drew’s third visit since last June; he attended Irish Invasion and was also on hand for the Georgia Level 5 Gut Punch thriller.

Recruiting Service Rankings

247 Sports — 4 star (90 rating), #220 overall, #7 PRO, #3 in CT

Rivals — 4 star (6.0 rating)

Rivals has evaluated but not ranked 2020 kids and ESPN has done neither, which is why you see no Rivals rankings or ESPN data here. In turn, the 2020 247 Composite rankings don’t exist yet. That 6.0 Rivals rating translates to somewhere inside the top 30-50, though, and his offer list speaks for itself. I’d expect his 247 rank to rise as the cycle wears on.

Cohort

In addition to Notre Dame, Pyne holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, among others. AS A SOPHOMORE.

Highlights

I’ve seen some comparisons to Everett Golson as a passer, and I can get on board with that. Pyne has an effortless throwing motion and a quick release that enable him to throw darts at any distance, and arm strength to spare. Fantastic anticipation, occasionally throwing to a spot where the receiver would be open before the guy even had his head around. He shows excellent and consistent footwork, maintaining a solid base as the pocket moves around him. And when things break down, he does maintains his mechanics on the move really well. He’s also good enough as a runner to keep you honest – I don’t think anyone’s going to confuse with him Michael Vick anytime soon, but if you give him an opening he can hurt you.

Impact

Tough to project out for a sophomore, but man, it certainly looks like Drew Pyne has all the tools to be a successful starting quarterback at Notre Dame. When his times comes will depend on Phil Jurkovec’s development and who the Irish eventually land in the 2019 class, but if he maximizes his tools, he has star potential. This kid is the real deal.

Welcome to the Irish family, Drew!