Wow. Thanks for coming to Notre Dame, Mike Elko. After a huge pickup at cornerback in the morning from 4-star Kalon Gervin, the new Irish D Coordinator gained a commitment Monday night from safety Derrik Allen, a Georgia native with offers to every powerhouse in the nation.

Allen and his family have strong ties to Elko from his time at Wake Forest. Allen reportedly liked Elko’s scheme, and his addition to the ND coaching staff is a huge reason that he is now on board. At 6’1 205 lbs, Allen will step onto campus as a big, college-ready player. His talent, especially in the defensive backfield, is not something that comes around to South Bend every year.

Recruiting Service Rankings

247 Composite: 4-star (.9697), #52 overall, #5 S, #8 in GA

247Sports: 4-star, 93 ranking, #93 overall, #8 S, #11 in GA

Scout: 4-star, #129 overall, #11 S, #1 S in GA

Rivals: 4-star, #36 overall, #3 S, #4 in GA

ESPN: 4-star, 84 ranking, #48 overall, #5 S, #8 in GA

Allen’s commitment vaults Notre Dame up to the #2 ranked class in the nation, trailing only Penn State. He becomes the second highest ranked player in Notre Dame’s class, behind Phil Jurkovec.

Cohort

This list is long.

Allen chose Notre Dame over offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Auburn, Florida State, Florida, Duke, LSU, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, South Carolina, Wake Forest, and others.

Highlights

Allen plays offense, defense, and returns kicks in high school. He’s big, he’s fast, and he’s extremely instinctual. In his junior film, he plays a ton of cornerback. This was his first position in high school, and he is natural running out wide with receivers. Especially for his size, he shows loose hips and quick feet, which help him jump routes and get to the ball quickly. Allen drives through tackles with full momentum and is in control while doing so.

Notre Dame is getting a player with great versatility. Allen will play safety for the Irish, but he has the athleticism and size to move around and be an asset in both run support and in the passing game.

Impact

Derrik Allen will come in and play for the Irish right away. He’s too good of a player to not have on the field. He could easily make an impact on special teams as a freshman, and it would be no surprise to see him play important minutes as a safety.

Again, this is a giant win for Notre Dame recruiting. To pull a kid with every desired offer from an Atlanta suburb is a big deal. Coming off a 4-8 season, you could not dream up a better start to this 2018 class. From offense to defense, this is the most well-rounded staff that BK has put together recruiting-wise so far in his time at Notre Dame. It is paying off.

Welcome to the Irish family, Mr. Allen!