Christmas Eve for the Irish: Recruiting

Christmas Eve is here and the holiday season is in full swing with just two weeks until the Fighting Irish will face off against the Crimson Tide. Many will be opening presents and spreading holiday cheer, here is a look at the early gifts Brian Kelly and the Irish have received.

Jaylon Smith 6'3" OLB Recruit

Starting on the defensive side of the ball Notre Dame will have some big shoes to fill next season. Most obvious comes at the Middle Linebacker position. Fifth year senior Manti Te'o will be leaving a big hole in the Irish defense, is there anyone who can fill it? A guy like Manti is irreplaceable. Bob Diaco will likely put in a player with experience and a nose for the football. An option would be for Prince Shembo to start at Inside Linebacker. Shembo, 6'2" Junior, started the 2012 season at Outside Linebacker. Shembo is an outstanding LB and plays very physical with a lot of athleticism. An option for replacing Prince's OLB position could be 5-star recruit Jaylon Smith.
Jaylon Smith, 6'3" from Fort Wayne, In, is the 9th ranked recruit in the nation. Smith will be a great addition to the Notre Dame defense. His height gives him great advantage in his pass defense. He has amazing speed in the outside run support making him a solid candidate in the Irish 4-4 defense.

Another OLB candidate comes from Wyomissing, Pa. Alex Anzalone another 6'3" recruit chose Notre Dame over championship opponent Alabama. Alex is a 4-star recruit that offers great run support. Anzalone plays very physical down hill.

Greg Bryant 5'11" RB Recruit

On the offensive side of the ball Notre Dame graduates a duo of Running Backs and an All-American Tight End. Replacing Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood will be a tough task but having Sophomore RB, George Attkinson makes for less recruiting stress. Help comes from Delray Beach, Fla. Greg Bryant 4-star RB signed with Irish on December 9th. Bryant plays a lot like Cierre Wood, he is very tough to tackle and can find any hole. Once Bryant finds a hole it's off to the races and good luck tackling him. Another top 50 recruit for the Irish is 4-star Wide Receiver Torii Hunter Jr. Torri, 6' from Prosper, Tx, has amazing speed and hands. He plays very quick and blows by defensive backs. Another target for Everett Golson will be Mike Heuerman a future Irish Tight End. From Naples, Fla, Heuerman 6'4" will be a big target with great hands and jumping ability. Eiffert was a player that caught a lot of jump balls and fade passes, Heuerman will be a very similar player and a great pick up for the Irish.

Brian Kelly and his coaching staff have managed to bump Notre Dame up to the 4th recruiting class in the Nation. High hopes there are for this recruiting class that is made up of star athletes and the nation's best performers.

Keep ND Nation Bookmarked this Bowl season, for BCS News and Updates. National Championship predictions and key performers to come.

Merry Christmas!