Notre Dame has offered a good amount of defensive ends in the 2021 recruiting class but David Abiara of Texas remains the only commit at the position so far. However, the Fighting Irish got good news over the weekend as they made the cut to eight for a four-star end from North Carolina.
Zaire Patterson, a four-star senior-to-be from Winston-Salem Prep in North Carolina announced his final eight teams over the weekend and Notre Dame is one of the eight.
— Zaire Patterson (@zay_gotnext) April 18, 2020
Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Notre Dame and South Carolina were the eight to make the cut.
The 6-6, 215 pound defensive end is regarded as a four-star recruit by 247Sports and was originally offered a scholarship by Notre Dame in January, just days before Alabama, Louisville and Texas A&M followed suit.
A lot to consume in those schools but what sticks out to me is that yet again, North Carolina is in on a top-recruit. The Tar Heels already have 14 commitments in the 2021 class and rank behind only Ohio State nationally for the class. I made fun of the Mack Brown hiring initially but there is no doubt he’s raising the amount of football talent in Chapel Hill.
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Patterson recorded nine sacks, 27 tackles for loss and 109 tackles overall last season while forcing nine fumbles as well. Patterson would be a welcome addition to a Notre Dame program who has done a strong job turning out talent on the defensive line of late.