Signed, Sealed and Delivered ND Commits – Wide Receiver

Notre Dame’s next great receiver may be on the roster but the next Michael Floyd or Golden Tate may take a bit longer.  Brian Kelly is building solid depth at the wide receiver position and like every other position area, we should expect to see players shuffled around and not being pigeon holed in one specific discipline of a traditional title.  Wide receivers, slot receivers, tight ends and backs catching passes out of the backfield all seem to get blurred and have the ability to be interchanged.  Even so, the Irish will want to develop a deep threat.  This year, Brian Kelly signed four talented players at the wide receiver position with big upsides, but there are some other “athletes” that may end up playing “receiver” during their tenure in South Bend.

Torii Hunter Jr. comes to South Bend with a professional athlete lineage, being son of Major League Baseball Outfield Tori Hunter.  At six feet tall, he has some good height to be a “wide” receiver but at just under 180 lbs., he will need to add some weight.  Hunter is also planning on playing baseball for the Irish.  Initially, I thought due in part to his overall athletic ability he may have an opportunity to see the field in some capacity earlier than later, but after a leg injury suffered during practice for the U.S. Army All American Game, he may be good to go by camp this summer but a redshirt may be in his future.

See for yourself.

William Fuller is another four-star recruit with decent height at 6’1” but like Hunter Jr. needs to put on some weight.  Coming in from a Catholic High School, Notre Dame should be an easy transition for this Pennsylvania stand out.   Fuller played in the Semper Fidelis All American Bowl after he caught 57 passes for 932 yards and eight touchdowns.  Fuller was also a distinguished defensive back in high school.

See for yourself.

James Onwualu was listed as an “Athlete” by many recruiting services, played primarily running back in high school (same as Michael Floyd) but is listed as a wide receiver for the Irish.  As an early enrollee Onwualu will have an opportunity this spring to show off his abilities and give the coaching staff an opportunity see where he will fit best. James Seems to fit with Notre Dame pretty well as an overall individual not just a football player.   He’s got good size and great athletic ability that the coaches are excited about.  I look for James to be on the field one way or another this fall and too work his way into the receiver mix soon as well.

See for yourself.

Corey Robinson could be the perfect diamond in the rough for Kelly’s Irish offense.  Being relatively new to basketball and already standing at 6’4,” this son of former NBA All Star David Robinson (who stands at 7’1”) has great potential.  Robinson was not as highly recruited as many of the other guys in his class, but he has developed into a legitimate Division 1 football target playing in the US Army All American Game.  Robinson will most likely redshirt to add some weight and continue to learn the game and as an early enrollee he’s getting a head start with both this spring.  Much like his father, he is class act and is an outstanding student.

See for yourself.

With Golson developing and Malik Zaire looking like the future heir apparent for Kelly’s offensive system, receivers of all shapes and sizes will continue to be a pivotal cog in the machine.  Those coming to South Bend will need to be flexible in where they can line up and take off from.  I like this class’s diversity of abilities and how their makeup could develop with Golson and Zaire.