Notre Dame landed a consensus four-star QB, a heralded receiver, a pair of running backs and a top-flight offensive tackle on last month’s National Signing Day.
Notre Dame senior safety Xavier Watts announced he will return for one more year with the Irish rather than turn his All-American season into an NFL draft selection.
First-time starting quarterback Steve Angeli played well, but the star of the Sun Bowl was Notre Dame’s defense, keeping Oregon State from ever even threatening to score before it was far too late.
Even though Notre Dame has lost eight offensive starters to the transfer portal or NFL preparations, the Irish roster is in better shape than Oregon State’s is heading into the Sun Bowl on Friday.
No single recruit, not even QB CJ Carr or five-star LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, will help Notre Dame moving forward as much as the group of receivers it signed on Wednesday.
A star Indiana prospect, the son of an NFL Hall of Famer and an intriguing but undeveloped prospect out of Ohio should give Notre Dame future options along its defensive back line.
Aneyas Williams and Kedren Young may need to wait a year before they have significant roles, simply because Notre Dame already has multiple lead-back candidates.
