For the fourth time in the last five recruiting cycles, Notre Dame has signed four defensive line prospects. One of the two most important position groups in establishing a program’s floor, that kind of emphasis helps keep the Irish in the top-10 or -15 programs in the country.
BRYCE YOUNG
Charlotte Christian High School; N.C.
Measurements: 6-foot-5, 240 pounds.
Accolades: The consensus four-star and All-American is considered the No. 13 weakside defensive end in the class and No. 215 overall prospect, per rivals.com.
Other notable offers: Young should be applauded for committing so slowly to Notre Dame, not doing so until late this past April. The son of an Irish legend and NFL Hall of Famer very well could have jumped when he first received his Notre Dame offer, in June of 2022. It would not have surprised anyone, following in his father’s footsteps, Bryant a key piece of the Irish success in the early 1990s.
But instead, Young the younger seemed to genuinely consider his decision, heading to Duke less than a week after that initial Notre Dame offer, eventually receiving scholarship offers from USC, Penn State, Iowa and Michigan. Frankly, his offer list was probably diminished by those Notre Dame ties, plenty of schools assuming their landing Young was always unlikely.
Projected position: Young looks like a physical defensive end right now, someone along the lines of Khalid Kareem though also well ahead of Kareem’s development timeline. But if Young adds much more weight — anything north of 265 or 270, logically — he could move into a pass-rushing defensive tackle role.
Quick take: Young has all the tools, including genetics. Speed, size, even a few mature pass-rush moves. He may not be the highest-rated defensive recruit in this class, but Young may be the most likely to see genuine playing time in 2024.
Short-term roster outlook: At his size, Young should have a chance at “Big” end, letting current sophomores Junior Tuihalamaka and Joshua Burnham develop as Vyper ends. At “Big” end, Young could quickly become the backup or third-stringer to Duke graduate transfer RJ Oben.
Long-term depth chart impact: Current sophmores Aidan Gobaira and Tyson Ford will get the first chances after Oben, but Young may have a more mature sense of the game, already. Credit his father for that.
RELATED READING: Bryant Young’s son, four-star defensive end Bryce Young commits to Notre Dame
LOGHAN THOMAS
St. Edward High School; Lakewood, Ohio.
Measurements: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds.
Accolades: The consensus four-star recruit is the No. 7 weakside defensive end in the class and the No. 191 overall prospect, per rivals.com.
Other notable offers: Thomas considered Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Arizona to be his finalists, also holding offers from LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and USC. He committed to Notre Dame just a few days after a visit to South Bend in mid-May.
Projected position: A three-year high-school starter, Thomas played mostly from an upright position, all-but assuring his future will be as an end, his lighter frame arguing for Vyper duties.
Quick take: Thomas is at his best in space, not yet physically equipped to handle multiple blockers and not yet well-versed enough in pass rushing to work through a tackle with only his moves rather than relying on his momentum. But, none of that should be too unexpected from a high schooler.
Short-term roster outlook: At Vyper, Thomas will have time to learn a bit. With current senior Jordan Botelho expected to start on the edge again in 2024, Tuihalamaka and Burnham provide enough depth already.
Long-term depth chart impact: Defensive lines work best in waves, depth key to effectiveness. Thomas partnering with Tuihalamaka and/or Burnham, not to mention current freshman project Boubacar Traore, should give Notre Dame an edge at, well, the edge.
RELATED READING: One defensive lineman drops from Notre Dame’s class of 2024, consensus four-star end Loghan Thomas joins
COLE MULLINS
Mill Creek High School; Hoschton, Ga.
Measurements: 6-foot-4, 240 pounds.
Accolades: A consensus three-star, rivals.com considers Mullins the No. 46 outside linebacker in the class, though he projects at defensive end.
Other notable offers: At least one school from each of the Power Five conferences pursued Mullins, led by the ACC’s seven offers, Wake Forest and Duke giving the strongest chase. Kentucky, Stanford and USC all also offered Mullins a scholarship.
Projected position: This will depend largely on Mullins’s weight. Right now, his defining characteristic is his length, which set him apart from decently impressive high-school competition. He is physical enough to play at “Big” end, but at 240 pounds, work at Vyper would make more sense. If he adds much weight, then a move to “Big” end should follow in short order.
Quick take: Mullins has a knack for making plays in the backfield, a knack that should turn any early playing time into early impacts.
Short-term roster outlook: Mullins has time to develop, simply enough.
Long-term depth chart impact: Maybe Mullins is a shot in the dark at Vyper end, one afforded by the depth of this defensive line class, but it is more likely he helps create depth for Notre Dame down the line.
RELATED READING: Lengthy Georgia DE Cole Mullins’ commitment jumpstarts Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold day
SEAN SEVILLANO JR.
Clearwater Academy International; Fla.
Measurements: 6-foot-2, 300 pounds.
Accolades: A rivals.com four-star, Sevillano is the No. 22 defensive tackle in the class.
Other notable offers: Sevillano chose Notre Dame over finalists Ohio State, Auburn and Miami, also holding scholarship offers from Stanford, Wisconsin and Duke.
Projected position: At the risk of short-circuiting this quick writeup, pencil in Sevillano for every duty current fifth-year veteran Howard Cross has had in his last two seasons of starts.
Quick take: Comparing the massive Sevillano to the relatively undersized Cross (6-foot-⅞, 288 pounds) may seem shortsighted, but Cross’s greatest asset is his strong hands that knock offensive linemen off balance at the snap. Sevillano shows that same force.
Short-term roster outlook: Cross’s return for a sixth and final season in 2024 has Notre Dame in an enviable position along the interior of the defensive line, and he is supported by current junior Jason Onye. Along with current senior Rylie Mills’s return and his support from current junior Gabriel Rubio, the Irish should not need much from Sevillano next season.
Long-term depth chart impact: But both Cross and Mills will be out of eligibility after 2024, which very well could move Sevillano’s size into the two-deep as a sophomore.
RELATED READING: 300-pound defensive tackle Sean Sevillano joins Notre Dame class of 2024
