Notre Dame adds NFL pedigree to 2024 class with Kennedy Urlacher, Bryce Young

Finding high school recruits with some sort of college football pedigree isn’t all that uncommon. Even finding ones who have a father that had a cup of coffee in the NFL is not a rarity these days — bloodlines often run deep. But it isn’t every day that you find two sons of NFL Hall of Famers in the same recruiting class spread across the entire country. Notre Dame, after a pair of recent commitments, has two just in its own 2024 football class.

Last week, the Irish landed Charlotte (N.C.) Christian four-star EDGE Bryce Young, and a few days later added a commitment from Chandler (Ariz.) three-star safety Kennedy Urlacher.

Young is the son of four-time Pro Bowler and 2019 Canton inductee Bryant Young, while Urlacher — as you might’ve guessed — is the son of Chicago Bears legend and 2018 inductee Brian Urlacher.

NFL pedigree is a consideration in evaluating talent

Those names, and especially Young’s as a former Notre Dame star, will get fans excited. But NFL pedigree and family genetics can often be a mixed bag in projecting how successful the younger generation in a family will be at the college level.

“Athletic pedigree and genetics do matter when projecting football prospects long-term,” said On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power, who has been evaluating prospects for more than a decade in the recruiting industry. “It would never be a primary factor in our evaluations. But it’s definitely something we consider as potentially valuable context when you’re looking at a young prospect.”

The level of success a college player, let alone a rapidly changing high school recruit, ultimately has depends on a wealth of factors. Development, playing time available, and physical maturation are just a few. But name alone means little.

“I’ve seen plenty of former NFL player whose sons are marginal prospects at best. And then some whose sons are even better prospects than their fathers,” Power said. “It’s a spectrum and a wide range, and it can help inform the evaluation. But it really depends on a case-to-case basis because there are so many other variables. It certainly doesn’t hurt if you’re just evaluating the player and not using family background to overrate the player. But it’s something that if you parse it the right way can be helpful.”

Notre Dame has a recent history of successful father-son duos

The sons of former NFL stars have made their way onto the scene in a big way in recent years. Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was one of the nation’s elite defensive backs in 2022 before getting drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the NFL Draft last week. Marvin Harrison Jr. emerged as one of college football’s elite wide receivers at Ohio State last year and is talked about as a top-five pick in next year’s draft.

But Notre Dame has had its fair share of pedigree-rich prospects coming through the program to have major success. Rising junior offensive lineman Joe Alt, ranked as the No. 139 overall prospect in the 2021 class by On3, has exploded onto the scene in his first two years in South Bend. And draft analysts consider him a borderline lock for the first round of the NFL Draft next year.

His father, John Alt, starred at Iowa and was a first-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1984. The elder Alt played 13 seasons for the Chiefs and was a 10-year starter at left tackle. He was a two-time Pro Bowler.

How Young and Urlacher project to the next level

They’re hoping for more of the same with Urlacher and Young, who On3 ranks as one of the top 25 EDGE rushers in the country in the 2024 class.

“In just looking at the physical upside, the genes, athleticism and what he’s shown in the track setting, he’s an intriguing prospect,” Power told BlueandGold.com after Young committed. “He’s a guy who will look a lot different after a couple years in the Notre Dame strength program. He is scratching the surface of how good he can be. And we’ll be watching him as a senior to track that progression as a player and physically. He’s a great fit for Notre Dame given the family history and the type of player he is.”

Urlacher, while he doesn’t have the accolades or top-notch rankings, brings a toughness and willingness to hit that reminds anyone who watches him of his father.

“I would not rule out the possibility of him growing into a linebacker — or at the minimum, being a box-hybrid safety,” Power said. “He’s very strong on contact and is a sound tackler. He’s filled out over the course of his high school career. On film, Urlacher is not afraid of contact.”