On Saturday evening, 5-star linebacker Jaylon Smith from Fort Wayne, IN, committed to Notre Dame and joined the self-dubbed group “IrishMob13” . What is “IrishMob13”? It is the title that Notre Dame’s class of 2013 football commitments decided to give themselves as they begin to bond and develop chemistry with each other — 8 months before signing day. To have a class that is already trying extensively to establish friendships and familiarity is a very positive sign.
On his own, Jaylon Smith is a tremendous get for the Irish. He is an athletic freak, ranked as the #4 overall player in the country according to Rivals.com. He is no doubt the heir apparent to Manti T’eo, the current Irish middle linebacker (his clear position in college, even though he has played everything from defensive line to corner in high school). But Smith is much more than just a 6-foot-3, 218 lb super-athlete. He understands the school side of Notre Dame.
“It all boils down to finding the place you feel comfortable at,” Smith told IrishSportsDaily.com. “The thing that’s always stood out about Notre Dame is the people and the standard of excellence. I think it’s a school that is hard to match with everything it offers.” Like many recruits before him, Smith knew Notre Dame was the place for him right away, but had to take a few other visits to reassure himself. Sometimes you have to see the shortcomings at other places to fully appreciate what Notre Dame offers. And one of the things that has been cited over and over again is the TRUE family atmosphere on campus (which I can definitely verify. We all love each other).
Jaylon also told ESPN, “Every (Notre Dame) coach has the same stand character wise,” Smith said. “Other coaches tell you what you want to hear, and I saw that with my brother” (his brother, Rod Smith, played running back for the Buckeyes). Notre Dame tells it how it is. You will have to work your butt off in the classroom, you won’t be surrounded by beaches and strip clubs and insanely hot women (sad but true), and the campus is definitely not your traditional state school when it comes to partying. But the value of a Notre Dame degree is second to none, and for more mature, focused athletes it is undoubtedly the place to be.
Bottom line – Jaylon Smith is an excellent fit for Notre Dame as a player, as a student, and as a person.
Recruiting as a whole — What does this mean?
First off, it is great that Jaylon is from Fort Wayne. It is no secret that Indiana isn’t exactly one of the traditional hotbeds of college football recruiting, but this now marks two seasons in a row that Notre Dame has absolutely put their stamp on the territory. Last year it was 5-star quarterback Gunner Kiel, and this year it is Smith, but the indication is clear: when elite prospects show up in the area, Notre Dame will always be the team to beat.
Ironically, Jaylon is the 13th commitment for the class of 2013, and now is the clear centerpiece, meaning that he takes on the role of a giant magnet, meant to attract other ultra-talented players to South Bend. These days, communication is rampant among recruits through social media, and seeing a player of his caliber commit to Notre Dame does not go unnoticed. Talent wants to play with talent, and Smith now serves as a ringing Irish endorsement. He has already started working on convincing top players like CB Vernon Hargreaves III, LB Alex Anzalone, and LB Michael Hutchings to join him on the Irish defense down the road, demonstrating his willingness to take charge and lead. Smith getting the attention of other players could pay huge dividends in a few months.
Additionally, Jaylon’s commitment could inspire some other guys to pull the trigger soon, most notably Georgia defensive end Isaac Rochell. Rochell is an elite pass rusher, who many (including myself) already consider an Irish lock. He has shown extreme interest in Notre Dame and raved about it in interviews, and is even on campus as we speak (June 4th). But while before he may have wanted to draw out his recruitment a little longer, the hunch here is that he also could end up committing to the Irish in the next few days to join “IrishMob13”.
All in all, this was a fantastic pick up for Notre Dame in a class that is already shaping up to be an excellent one. It also gives the Irish a centerpiece and some serious recruiting momentum as we head toward the fall. While obviously players can de-commit at any time, Smith seems to very much care about his word and integrity, so don’t expect any waffling on his part, especially because proximity to home was a big factor for him (his mom can now come watch all of his games). Fans should be grinning ear to ear at this point.
Love it/Hate it? Let me know in the comments below.
For EVEN MORE GrantlandX, you can find my past writings here.
- The Shirt 2016: A ND Student’s Perspective - April 21, 2016
- Thank you, DJ - April 4, 2016
- The Stages of Watching a Notre Dame Basketball Game - March 25, 2016
Brad
I cannot be more excited about this kid. People say it a lot, but it is very rare to find a player who can literally play anywhere on the field. This kid could wind up at any of the four linebacker spots, and could probably play the 3rd safety role as well (the role Slaughter played last year, walked up close to the line).
Ideally, Smith could take over at Dog linebacker and immediately make this defense incredibly more versatile. We haven’t seen much production from the Dog spot over the last two years, because the position is so demanding. You have to be big and physical enough to play on the edge of the line of scrimmage, and also be athletic enough to cover a receiver in the flat if need be. More often than not, it has been easier in passing situations to take the Dog out, and put a fifth DB on the field, often a 3rd safety, to play the Dog role.
Smith possesses that rare combination of skills which would allow him to set the edge in the run game, blitz and get after the passer, or line up 1-on-1 with a receiver in the flat. That kind of athleticism would mean we could keep our base defense on the field more, thus keeping more size and physicality on the field, which naturally will make the run D even better.
Bob Diaco must feel like someone just gave him the keys to a new Porsche. A talent like this could really take our defense to the next level.
Trey
Will remain to be seen if he REMAINS committed. I dont trust verbals a single bit anymore after what happened with Greenberry.
NDtex
I’m definitely excited about this commit and I usually don’t get too worked up over anything before signing day.
The main reason is that it really seems this group is already team-building at such an earlier point that I can remember any other class in recent memory. Having this on the heels of this offseason’s disaster is just what the doctor ordered.
Really hope everything falls into place as planned this time around so we can write off the recruiting disaster of 2012 as just a strange outlier.
Bill Meehan
I remember the class of 2008 having a remarkable level of resiliency as well.
HerringBoneSports
I relate this get to Gunner Kiel in regards that I hope it encourages other elite prospects to follow suit. Gunner may have been the final factor for Davonte Neal (who knows), but with Smith on early and so pro-ND it can’t hurt.
Days like Saturday make fans wish there was an early signing period in September. It still would seem that over the long haul ND wins more than they lose in January/February decommiting in spite of Greenberry. (Counter with Lynch, Tuitt, Niklas, Kiel. etc.)
fossilman
This is huge for the program. If you are a non believer in Jaylon Smith please listen to him speak. He is obviously a bright intelligent young man. Making this enormous decision this early also tells me he knows what he wants. He also takes the pressure off his up coming senior year. He can relax and perform to his abilities and not worry about the outside pressures of being an elite football recruit. I don’t normally get involved in to much of the recruiting especially over a year and a half out but this one is special. Just another example of the tireless work of the ND coaching staff lead by BK. Give him time and the results will follow. Go Irish!!!
Brian
I’ve learned not to get too excited about recruits until NSD. ….and even then, kids will be kids. There’s no telling who will change their mind, get homesick, or assault an overzealous police officer.
One thing I am excited about is the cohesion among the 2013 class. I wonder if this is organic or something the coaches encouraged in order to avoid some of the issues they faced this last recruiting cycle. Either way, it’s good to see.
irishize
Jaylon will help make up for Errin’ Lynch.
PAK
Where do you get the idea that he will be slotted as a MLB? Nothing I’ve read at any of the other sites indicates that he’s a better fit there. Most are saying he will likely come in as a Dog in Diaco’s defense.
IMO it would be a mistake to keep his speed and athleticism bottled up at MLB. At the latest 7-on-7 camps, after the LB drills were over, he did some CB drills, and was outperforming many of the CB recruits. Seems silly to use a talent like that on the inside where he won’t get to use his cover skills at all.
Brad
PAK,
While I think he will wind up on the outside because of his athleticism, he could definitely be placed at Will or Mike in this defense. It never hurts to put your most athletic and violent player in the middle of the field, where he can run sideline-to-sideline to make plays. Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher are two great examples of guys who were projected as safety/outside linebackers going into the NFL who were plugged into the middle in systems that kept offensive linemen away from them and let them get after the ball. Smith could definitely be that guy.
With that said, Diaco seems to prefer Will and Mike linebackers who are ‘slobber-knockers,’ and his system often demands that they take on 300 lbs. o-lineman directly. I would expect in the future to see Diaco work at getting guys like Jarrett Grace and Kendall Moore at the Will and Mike spots, and utilize Smith at Dog/Cat.
But, like I said, its never a bad idea to put a fast, athletic, violent kid at the center of your defense to allow him to roam and make plays. Smith can play anywhere.