Where Notre Dame signees land in final 2023 On3 rankings update

Death, taxes and rankings changes that will surely spark passion among Notre Dame fans; these are the certainties in life. On3’s final rankings update for the 2023 class that released on Tuesday, Jan. 17 likely fits the bill.

Half of Notre Dame’s 24 signees in the cycle rank inside the final On300, including one five-star prospect in Rock Island (Ill.) Alleman’s Charles Jagusah. He did slip from the No. 1 to No. 4 offensive tackle nationally but is the nation’s No. 25 overall player.

Notre Dame signed three top-100 prospects. Jagusah is one and the other two hail from St. Louis. Christian Brothers’ Jeremiyah Love received a nice bump from the nation’s No. 107 to No. 79 prospect. He’s the No. 4 running back in America. De Smet’s Christian Gray checks in as the No. 89 overall prospect and No. 11 cornerback nationally.

The biggest riser among the Notre Dame signees is Portsmouth (Va.) Churchland’s Brandyn Hillman, who went from the No. 291 to No. 137 overall prospect. He’s the No. 5 “athlete” prospect in On3’s final rankings.

“There’s a lot to like about what Hillman brings to the table as an overall prospect,” On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power said. “You see his playmaking ability at quarterback as a passer and rusher, and what really excites us is his upside as a defensive player. What makes him unique among multi-positional athletes who may project on defense is his physicality. I love the way he plays; he’s a striker.

“This isn’t a quarterback trying to play safety; he’s natural at that position. He comes downhill with a vengeance. When you combine that with his athletic ability and size, I think he can be a difference maker for Notre Dame.

“When we were able to compare all of these prospects after the season was over, he kept sticking out as a standout in that athlete group and a standout in Notre Dame’s class. Hillman is a steal for Notre Dame. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s a star for the Irish.”

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Austin (Texas) Westlake’s Jaden Greathouse finishes the cycle as the No. 163 overall player and No. 24 wide receiver nationally. The four-star talent will look to make a year one impact at Notre Dame.

Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul II’s Kenny Minchey saw a nice move up in the rankings, going from No. 204 to No. 183 in the national rankings. In a loaded quarterback group, Minchey finished as the No. 17 passer in the land.

While it’s not as big of a bump that Notre Dame fans would’ve liked to see, Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean’s Drayk Bowen moved from the No. 220 to No. 211 prospect in America. He’s the No. 20 linebacker nationally.

One spot below Bowen in the linebacker rankings is Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab’s Jaiden Ausberry, who checks in at No. 21 at the position. Ausberry’s final national ranking is No. 219.

The most notable faller among the Notre Dame signees was Belmont (N.C.) South Point’s Sullivan Absher, who now ranks as the No. 265 overall prospect after being a top-100 player previously. Absher is the No. 20 offensive tackle in America.

On3 saw him at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and All-American Bowl this winter.

“It was a little bit of a struggle for him,” Power said. “He’s coming from a flexbone offense and primarily has worked as a drive blocker. The things we like about him are still there; he has good size and is an athletic mover. But he’s not as long as we initially thought.

“He may project inside long term. He has a way to go as a pass blocker. We still like what he brings to the table, but he’s more of a developmental prospect.”

Irvington (N.J.) High’s Adon Shuler is a positive mover in the On3 rankings, going from outside the top-300 national rankings to No. 266 in America. He’s now the No. 25 safety in the country.

“I thought he showed out well at the All-American Bowl and during his senior season, which was a considerable improvement to me from his junior year,” Power noted. “I love his instincts, toughness and how hard he plays. The effort in pursuit is impressive. He’s a guy who always seems to be in the right spot. He’s a heady, smart player.

“It’s a loaded safety group. For him to move up in that group is more notable than it might appear because there’s so many prospects who have a strong case to be an On300 safety.”

Two of Notre Dame’s defensive line commits finish just inside the On300. West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial’s Boubacar Traore took a tumble down to No. 289 nationally, while Mentor (Ohio) High’s Brenan Vernon fell nearly 40 spots to No. 296.

Traore and Vernon ranks as the nation’s No. 34 and No. 35 defensive linemen, respectively.