Since Charlie Weis has taken control of Notre Dame the Irish have been known for their offensive fire power but have sorely lacked a tough and talented defense. The first two years of Charlie ball at Notre Dame has shown that despite all the offensive weapons and points the team could put on the scoreboard there was no way they could compete for a National Title without a solid defense.

Out goes defensive coordinator Rick Minter and in comes recruiting dynamo Corwin Brown. Brown has already made serious strides in the recruiting world with his energetic style and his new 3-4 scheme he uses to sell recruits. This year alone he has brought in studs on the defensive line(Sean Cwynar, Darius Fleming, Omar Hunter, Brandon Newman, Hafis Williams), a position that has been notoriously tough for the Irish to recruit. If you talk to the defensive recruits they will tell you that Brown(Michigan alum) sold them on Notre Dame because of his ability to relate to them and show them where they would fit once they reached campus.

With 15 commitments the Irish only have 7-8 spots left for scholarships. Surprisingly the Irish are lacking wide receivers and will certainly make it an area of concern and concentration heading into summer practice. The main focus will be on securing commitments from guys like Michael Floyd and Brice Butler, both top 10 recruits nationally at the receiver position. Floyd seems to be a sure bet because he is from a high school in Minnesota which breeds Notre Dame football players. Butler on the other hand will be tough to pull from FSU or USC. His dad played football for FSU and he was blown away by his visit to USC. 

With that being said the most important commitment the Irish have received in the past year has been Brown. His enthusiasm and love for the game and kids has helped Notre Dame bring in elite guys on the defensive side which have been lacking for years. If Brown can manage to land some other defensive studs like LB Steven Filer or DE Ethan Johnson then the Irish will arguably have the best defensive class in their storied history.

You can email me your thoughts on the upcoming football season. matt@sportscrack.com