Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
There’s a lot of names on this list
The summer camp circuit is pretty much over and it has given plenty of new eyes on players. Recently, ESPN has updated their recruiting rankings for the top-300 players in the country. Find out below where the 2022 Notre Dame commits landed in their newest rankings update.
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Move over @nittanylionswire, there’s a new Linebacker U.
How long until the football program already known as “O-Line U” and “Tight End U” starts going by “Linebacker U”.
I’d say that with apologies to our friends at Nittany Lions Wire but my mother told me long ago that apologies are supposed to be sincere and mine certainly wouldn’t be.
In all seriousness though, few have even been in the conversation for linebacker production with Notre Dame the last decade, who is the only program to turn out three Butkus Award winners in that time.
The Irish also just welcomed 2021 High School Butkus Award winner Prince Kollie in their latest recruiting class while the 2022 class is absolutely loaded at the position.
Four-star linebackers Niuafe (Junior) Tuihalamaka, Joshua Burnham, and Nolan Ziegler had each already committed before the highest rated of them all (according to 247Sports), Jaylen Sneed, announced his decision to attend Notre Dame on Monday.
The Fighting Irish class is currently ranked behind only Ohio State according to 247Sports with linebackers obviously being its strength and a place they’d appear done recruiting for the class.
Here is a little on each of the four-headed monster Notre Dame is set to bring in with the 2022 class:
Related:
Will Irish eyes be smiling when a key Notre Dame target announces his college decision on St. Patrick’s Day?
If your birthday is on St. Patrick’s Day and you set that day your junior year of high school to make a college commitment, Notre Dame has to feel pretty good about their chances, right?
That’s at least what Brian Kelly, Marcus Freeman, and the rest of the Notre Dame coaching staff are thinking as key Michigan target and four-star linebacker Josh Burnham has set his commitment date for his 17th birthday next week.
I will be announcing my commitment on my birthday on March 17th!!
— Josh Burnham (@JoshuaBurnham20) March 9, 2021
Burnham certainly has the build of something special as he’s listed as a 6-4, 215 pound outside linebacker from Central High School in Traverse City, Michigan.
Burnham, the 85th ranked player nationally on 247Sports, is believed to be choosing between Notre Dame, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
For what it’s worth, the experts on 247Sports give Notre Dame the slight edge over Michigan in the “crystal ball” category.
Stay tuned on St. Patrick’s Day to see if Irish eyes are indeed smiling that afternoon.
Related:
Notre Dame’s best football recruit from each state since 2000
The Wisconsin football program received some good recruiting news yesterday when 2022 four-star OLB Josh Burnham included them in the list
The Wisconsin football program received some good recruiting news yesterday when 2022 four-star OLB Josh Burnham included them in the list of his top 3 schools.
Top 3…@zaccarsten pic.twitter.com/y83kXb9IFD
— Josh Burnham (@JoshuaBurnham20) February 12, 2021
As seen above, the other programs included are Notre Dame and Big Ten rival Michigan.
Burnham is the No. 83 player in the class of 2022, the No. 6 outside linebacker and the No. 2 player from the state of Michigan.
The Traverse City, Michigan native currently has six crystal ball projections all to in-state Michigan, including from Wisconsin recruiting insider Evan Flood.
Wisconsin is on a class of 2022 recruiting binge at the moment, sending out offers in the last few days to four-star DT Anthony Lucas, four-star WR Dane Key, four-star CB Jaeden Gould, ATH Rodney Hill, CB Avyonne Jones, three-star CB Myles Pollard and three-star TE Jeremiah Franklin. Though they aren’t seen as the favorites for Burnham, a top 3 is good news for the Badgers’ chances of landing him.
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