Tag: lorenzo styles

Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

And that’s all she wrote.

Notre Dame had a nice run of 26 consecutive home wins, but all good things must come to an end. It happened Saturday with a 24-13 loss to Cincinnati, and the Irish’s College Football Playoff hopes likely died along with the aforementioned streak. Meanwhile, the Bearcats’ playoff hopes remain alive, and they have their revenge against Brian Kelly and Marcus Freeman.

The Bearcats (4-0) looked to be in business early in the fourth quarter when Desmond Ridder completed a 44-yard pass to Alec Pierce to get to the 25-yard line of the Irish (4-1). They barely got into the red zone, prompting a call to Cole Smith to attempt a 37-yard field goal. Smith missed his second field goal of the half, and the score remained 17-7.

Drew Pyne came on to lead a drive that included completions of 14 yards to Lorenzo Styles and 20 yards to Michael Mayer. It culminated in a 32-yard touchdown pass to Braden Lenzy, putting the Irish within an extra point of a three-point deficit. Instead, Jonathan Doerer picked a bad time to miss his first extra-point kick since Oct. 2018, meaning the Irish would need another touchdown without giving one up to take the lead.

The Bearcats’ offense went right back to work. Jerome Ford ran for 16 yards on one play, and Leonard Taylor had a 36-yard reception on the other. After another Ford run that went for 11 yards, Ridder took the ball himself to earn a 6-yard touchdown run. Notre Dame Stadium was silent once again except for the large contingent of Bearcats fans in attendance.

Pyne did his best to manufacture a response with time running out, getting the offense to the Bearcats’ 41. That’s where Jabari Taylor and Malik Vann sacked Pyne on second down, and the Irish’s last flickering hopes went out with the back-to-back incomplete passes that followed. Let the party begin in Ohio for the Bearcats’ biggest win ever.

Notre Dame makes final cut for five-star Styles

How massive would it be for Notre Dame to land this recruit?

Sonny Styles is among the biggest recruits in the 2023 class as the safety comes with a five-star grade from both 247Sports and Rivals.  Now Styles is down to his final five potential schools and the good news for Notre Dame fans is that the Irish made the cut.

Styles checks in at 6-4, 215 pounds and is a top-10 overall player by the 247Sports Composite rankings.  Wherever he ends up he’ll likely be the top player in that team’s respective class.

Joining Notre Dame in the final five that Styles announced to 247Sports are Ohio State, Florida, Ole Miss, and Clemson.

Of Notre Dame, Styles told 247Sports:

“Notre Dame itself is an amazing place alone, then having the opportunity to do great things with my brother at the next level, only Notre Dame can offer that.” – Sonny Styles

If you’re thinking the name sounds familiar it’s because Styles is the brother of Notre Dame freshman wide receiver Lorenzo Styles.  If Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are able to land his commitment it’d be the second time in just months they accomplished something in the state of Ohio that hadn’t previously been done in years.

Related:

Notre Dame’s entire 2022 recruiting class

ESPN FPI projects all eight remaining Notre Dame games

Notre Dame releases depth chart for test with No. 8 Cincinnati

Notre Dame running back returns to lineup for Cincinnati showdown

5 things Luke Fickell said ahead of Notre Dame-Cincinnati

Notre Dame-Cincinnati: Running back statistical comps

Rain on the way for Notre Dame-Cincinnati?

Kirk Herbstreit ranks college football’s top-six teams

 

Notre Dame Football: Meet the 2021 Recruiting Commitments

Find out more about Notre Dame’s stars of tomorrow right here in the 2021 recruiting class commitments!

Notre Dame had big dreams of their 2021 recruiting class and despite not hitting a home run on their most desired playmaker and one of the nation’s top receivers dropping his commitment, the Fighting Irish still stand in pretty good shape.

The Irish have 20 commitments in the 2021 class and are ranked 11th nationally according to 247Sports. Although it’s not what Brian Kelly had in mind when he stated his goal was to land a class in the top five, it’s one with a bunch of high-side potential players who offer a lot of versatility where they can line up.

Here are the commitments in Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class. Be sure to check back often and see who has been added or removed themselves from the list.

Notre Dame Football: Irish land commit from two-sport star

Notre Dame received great news on Friday as four-star high school senior Jayden Thomas announced his commitment to the University. Thomas joins a Notre Dame class that is fighting to be among the top ten in the nation in 2021 and a class of …

Notre Dame received great news on Friday as four-star high school senior Jayden Thomas announced his commitment to the University.

Thomas joins a Notre Dame class that is fighting to be among the top ten in the nation in 2021 and a class of receivers that is shaping up to be very special as Thomas joins Deion Colzie and Lorenzo Styles, Jr. as four-star commitments are the wide receiver position.

Thomas is listed at 6-1, 205 pounds and attends Pace Academy in Atlanta. He’s the second four-star receiver to commit to Notre Dame in a week as Deion Colzie of Athens re-committed to the Irish just days ago.

The commitment brings Notre Dame’s total to 19 in the 2021 class as it nears completion.

Thomas is also a fantastic baseball player and will join the likes of Torii Hunter, Jr., Cole Kmet, Jeff Samardzija, Golden Tate and several others who have played both football and baseball at Notre Dame.

Could another Styles be headed to Notre Dame?

The Fighting Irish coaching staff are trying to have Sonny Styles, young brother to commit Lorenzo, join him in South Bend.

The Fighting Irish already have secured a commitment from one Pickerington Central star in Lorenzo Styles Jr. and there is plenty to be excited about his pledge. There could be another Styles on the way to South Bend as Lorenzo’s younger brother, Sonny was offered by Brian Kelly and his staff on the first of the month.

After watching Lorenzo’s highlights from their season opening win, I thought they could be making a move on the younger Styles soon. That’s exactly what happened as Sonny put on a show during a nationally televised game.

The Irish joined instate powerhouse Ohio State in offering the star sophomore, and once again more flip ideas went into many peoples minds. The Buckeyes have done well keeping the best talent in state, but the Irish are one of the very few schools that can pull elite talent out of Ohio. Recently, Notre Dame has pulled offensive lineman Zeke Correll, Tommy Kraemer and Liam Eichenberg away from their home state to play for the Blue and Gold.

Rivals once again revisited Lorenzo’s potential for a flip and both of their recruiting experts Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney don’t believe the Buckeyes will be able to. They actually see Michigan as Notre Dame’s biggest threat to flip Styles Jr., but I just don’t see that happening.

Back to Sonny, who seems to be on the verge of blowing up nationally, already with two Midwestern power programs after his pledge. Having a family member as a teammate is always something players will consider and when Lorenzo ultimately signs with the Irish, a build in recruiting advantage will be made.

The recruitment of Sonny is just beginning, but already having a relationship with the Styles family, father Lorenzo played for the Buckeyes, is an advantage that Kelly must take. Lorenzo Jr. is already asking Irish Nation to show his younger brother some love. The Irish coaching staff has already done that and hopefully they will once again be reunited on the field wearing the same colors.

Ohio State offers son of former Buckeye linebacker Lorenzo Styles

Ohio State reportedly offered a scholarship to former Buckeye linebacker Lorenzo Style’s son, Sonny.

If you flipped the television on today and didn’t know ahead of time, you may have been a little surprised to see Pickerington Central and Pickerington North doing battle in Ohio high school football.

And while we may have missed out on being able to watch OSU commit Jack Sawyer on the North side because of his decision to sit out his senior year to enroll in Ohio State early, we did get to see the son of former Ohio State linebacker Lorenzo Styles have himself a game.

At 6-foot, 4-inches, and 205-pounds, Sonny Styles out of Pickerington Central blocked a punt and returned it for six and also had an interception in his team’s 35-9 win over Pickerington North. He stood out as a field roaming safety on national television.

Shortly thereafter, Styles announced on Twitter that he had received an offer from Ohio State.

It’s too early to get a gauge on where Styles is ranked because he’s in the 2021 recruiting cycle, but right now his only other offer on the table is from Indiana.

There’s a long way to go with this one, but being just a stone’s throw from the campus of Ohio State, all while having some Buckeye blood in his lineage should bode well for the Buckeyes’ chances down the road.

 

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Notre Dame Football: WR commit Styles to play on ESPN2 Sunday

Lorenzo Styles, Jr. is one of Notre Dame’s biggest commits in the 2021 recruiting class. Watch him play Sunday on ESPN2. Details here.

Lorenzo Styles, Jr. of Pickerington, Ohio is a four-star wide receiver in Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class.

Styles committed to Notre Dame last October during the USC weekend and remains one of the biggest recruits in the now 18 person class for the Fighting Irish.

Styles and his Pickerington Central team will be on ESPN 2 on Sunday as they take on Pickerington North at 12 p.m. ET.

You won’t see Styles only playing offense however as he also stars on Central’s defense both as a safety and as a corner.

The 247Sports Composite Rankings list Styles as the 20th best receiver in the nation in 2021’s class and put him as the fifth best player in Ohio as well.

Related – Notre Dame Football: Meet the 2021 Recruiting Commitments

2021 Recruiting: Nation’s Top Wide Receiver Makes College Choice

Mario Williams, Jr. is regarded as the best prospect in Florida in 2021 and the nation’s best wide receiver. What school did he commit to?

Mario Williams, Jr., ESPN’s top rated receiver in the 2021 recruiting class and their 16th ranked player overall has made his college decision and will be headed to help one of the nation’s great annual offenses.

The 5-10 Williams announced Friday that he’ll play his college football at Oklahoma, the school he chose over Georgia, Florida, LSU and Alabama.  The top-ranked 2021 prospect from Florida may only be 5-10 and 165 pounds but is expected to fit perfectly in Oklahoma’s wide open, pass happy offense.

Williams joins Cody Jackson, a four-star receiver and ESPN’s 121st ranked prospect in the 2021 recruiting class.  The Sooners now have five commitments ranked in the ESPN300.

Currently Notre Dame stands with a class regarded by most as a top ten group in all of college football.  They have just one wide receiver commitment however, Lorenzo Styles, Jr. who is ranked as the 243rd overall player by ESPN.

College Football Recruiting: Five Takeaways From ESPN 300

Notre Dame landed six players on the updated ESPN 300 list for 2021. What schools are impressing and who is disappointing in ’21 recruiting?

ESPN released their “ESPN 300”, their ranking of the 300 best prospects nationally in the 2021 college football recruiting class.  Here’s what we’ll do:

Here we’ll give you where the six Notre Dame commitments that checked in rank and then we’ll share a handful of observations about national recruiting beyond that.

Deal?

Cool.

Where Notre Dame players ranked:

QB Tyler Buchner – 39
TE Cane Berrong – 51
OT Blake Fisher – 103
DT Gabriel Rubio – 163
WR Lorenzo Styles, Jr. – 243
DE David Abiara – 280

Safety Justin Walters and offensive guard Pat Coogan, both of Illinois didn’t make the ESPN 300 but are also commitments to Notre Dame’s 2021 class.

Next:  Oh my, Ohio State…

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Notre Dame Football: 2021 Commitment List

Bookmark this page as we’ll keep it updated and linked to everything on all of Notre Dame’s 2021 football commitments!

Notre Dame sits in a bit of an interesting spot in terms of recruiting with Brian Kelly having already been on the record about wanting to take a step in the caliber of talent the Fighting Irish bring in annually.  Kelly and his staff would probably be best described as having done a good but not great job in terms of recruiting in his decade at Notre Dame.

In Kelly’s now 11 classes he’s signed to Notre Dame, only once has a class finished in the top five of recruiting rankings (per 247Sports), that being the 2013 class that featured five-star talents Jaylon Smith and Max Redfield.  Other than that only three of the ten remaining class finished in the top ten, those coming in 2011 (ninth), 2017 (10th) and 2018 (10th).  The last two seasons have seen Notre Dame rank 16th (2019) and 17th (2020) by 247’s rankings.

So where does Notre Dame currently sit in terms of their commitments?  We’ll keep a running list for you to be able to easily use in the future.  As of posting, 247Sports ranks Notre Dame the 10th best class in 2021.  Obviously that can change relatively quickly with just one commitment or de-commitment from the class.

Here is who has committed to Notre Dame for the class of 2021 with a link to every post we’ve done that’s mentioned them in some capacity.  Bookmark it, refer back to it, do whatever it is you do because we’ll keep it updated until the class of 2021 becomes official months from now.

2021 Notre Dame Commitments:

It’s far from a complete class but clearly a lot of work remains over the next seven months or so.  Right now all eyes are on Will Shipley as Notre Dame, Clemson and perhaps North Carolina remain the front runners to land the star all-purpose back.