Although the Irish didn’t finish inside the Top 10 in the 2020 recruiting rankings, there was still many bright spots for the class. Yesterday, Chris Hummer of 247Sports predicted which freshman will be impacting their teams immediately and a few Notre Dame recruits were mentioned.
Hummer first mentions RB Chris Tyree as a player to watch getting some early playing time. With graduating senior RB Tony Jones Jr., there is no player on the roster who rushed for more than 200 yards last year. There will be plenty of opportunities for the five-foot-ten and 180-pound back to get on the field. Tyree didn’t have the best senior campaign, which led to a fall in the recruiting rankings, but the talent is there, as he boasts a 4.38 forty time. Expect to see Tyree’s name called early in the season to see if he is ready for the big stage.
To no one’s surprise 5-Star TE Michael Mayer made Hummer’s list as well. In a similar depth chart situation as Tyree, with Cole Kmet leaving early to the NFL, Mayer doesn’t have much depth in front of him to challenge for playing time. Mayer uses his six-foot-five 234-pound frame to his advantage in the passing game, with a possibility of splitting out wide on occasion as well. The Tight End group returns a total of 20 catches from last year, and if Mayer lives up to his high ranking, he also could see the field early and often for Brian Kelly and the Irish.
Even if they didn’t make Hummer’s list, I believe that WR’s Jordan Johnson and Xavier Watts have chances to see the field when the season opens. The Irish have lost WR’s Chase Claypool and Chris Finke but bring in Northwestern Graduate-Transfer Ben Skowronek. The depth isn’t deep at the position and there will be opportunities for the freshman wide outs to see the field early.