Notre Dame’s top 25 defensive recruits since 2000

Which of these players were you most excited for when they committed to Notre Dame?

Notre Dame football recently received a verbal commitment from one of their biggest defensive recruits in modern history as five-star defensive end Brenan Vernon gave the Irish the nod over his home-state Ohio State Buckeyes.

Where does Vernon rank compared to some of Notre Dame’s biggest defensive recruits in recent memory?

Which of those players lived up to the hype and which ones didn’t quite pan out?

Here are the top-25 defensive Notre Dame recruits since 2000, according to 247Sports: