Over the last couple of seasons, defensive backs coach Mike Mickens has strung together some impressive recruiting classes. In the last couple of seasons, Mickens has brought in Christian Gray, Adon Shuler, Tae Johnson, Leonard Moore, Mark Zackery, JaDon Blair, Dallas Golden and several others. The list could go on and on. Yesterday was National Signing Day, and to the surprise of nobody who has followed Notre Dame's defensive back recruiting over the last couple of seasons, Mickens and the Fighting Irish defense brought in another impressive group of guys.
"Size man," General Manager Mike Martin said when asked about what this defensive backs class brings to the table. "We've continued to add size at the defensive back position. We talked about Joey O'Brien who is long, rangy and has a unique ability to get his hands on the ball and take the ball away. Ayden Pouncy, another big defensive back, is super talented. He can play multiple roles. He can be a corner, he can be a safety, be a punt returner and he's even played receiver. I also think Chaz Smith is a longer corner with press-man ability and man-coverage ability."
"I think he's unique and offers us more size and ability to matchup well," Martin continued. "These receivers are growing in size and you have to be able to matched them physically. I think we're able to do that. Nick Reddish is another one; he may not have the size but he plays twice as big as he is. He's a physical, violent player on the football field and fits this place. All of those guys, I love the fact that they bring size and I think they're all impact players that have an innate ability to effect the game. That's what excites me about the defensive back class."
Head coach Marcus Freeman shared the same sentiment when looking at this impressive defensive backs class. Freeman has built a strong identity as a defensive program, not surprising seeing that he was the school's defensive coordinator in 2021. A staple of that defense is the quality of their defensive backs, and this 2026 class fits the mold perfectly.
"I think each one is different," Freeman explained. "When you're recruiting Khary [Adams], you show him the development Coach Mickens has done with corners like the Leonard Moore's and the Sauce Gardener's and the Benjamin Morrison's. I think Khary sees himself as that caliber of a player. Then you think about the Joey O'Brien and you sell the Xavier Watt's with the Kyle Hamilton's, right? His body size and athleticism remind us a lot of Kyle Hamilton. That doesn't mean they're going to commit because of that comparison, but I think them seeing a visual of what their college career can be like, the development, it speaks volumes to them. I'll tell you what, Aiden Pouncey, man, he is playing as well as any of the defensive backs."
"As you watch what he does his senior year on film and what he's doing— as a punt returner, as a corner, as a safety and on offense—man, he's playing as well as anybody in that defensive back signees class." Freeman continued. "Then Chaston Smith, I think he was the first one. He was the first one to commit as a corner, and he's playing really well. Nick Reddish to me is a little bit of a Swiss Army knife. They have them playing sometimes as a cornerback, safety, blitzing and playing in coverage. He has a lot of skill sets, and we'll figure out what's best for him. But it's a strong class. It's a strong defensive backs class, and we're going to need it."
Mickens, Freeman and now Martin have brought in an impressive group of guys over the last several seasons. We talk a lot about the importance of stacking classes and I'd argue the defensive back room in South Bend is setting the standard for what that looks like. Over the next couple of seasons, it's not beyond the realm of possibility to add Notre Dame's name to the short list of teams that are considered to be 'DB-U'.
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