Notre Dame’s rampant receiver recruiting worries of recent years may firmly belong in the rearview mirror. The Irish added a third four-star receiver with Friday’s commitment from consensus four-star Jaden Greathouse (Westlake High School; Austin, Texas).
The No. 9 receiver in the class and No. 69 prospect overall, per rivals.com, Greathouse chose Notre Dame over other finalists South Carolina, Oklahoma and his homestate flagship Texas.
At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, he has a strong center of gravity, allowing him both balance and explosiveness. Hence, a 2021 stat line of 66 catches for 1,274 yards and 20 touchdowns was hardly a surprise.
Greathouse catches more than his fair share of jump balls, with some credit for that tying to his time on the basketball court. For that matter, he does not have the height to further pursue basketball, but Greathouse’s broad shoulders evoke thoughts of a power forward more than they do of a receiver. In football terms, that becomes a difficult frame for a defender to come around to break up a pass.
#TABCShowcase2022 @ChapBasketball There’s just no stopping @jadengreat1 from getting to the rim pic.twitter.com/ZdUM4WFKJi
— GASO Clips (@GASOClips) June 25, 2022
Greathouse’s quick acceleration helps not only in getting downfield but also in getting out of breaks efficiently, complementing his sharp route-running. He may already be a more complete receiver than most such recruits, a backhanded compliment of sorts as it is a result of him not having simple height to rely on or raw sprinter’s speed.
Joining No. 17 receiver in the class Rico Flores (Folsom H.S.; Calif) and No. 31 Braylon James (Del Valle; Texas), Greathouse gives Notre Dame a pass-catching class better than any in recent decades.
Of course, those players have to stick with their pledges until December, a problem for the Irish last cycle, but having the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, to date, strengthens the counters to that worry.
In Braylon James, Jaden Greathouse and Rico Flores Jr., the Irish have three Top 200 overall prospects committed at wide out.
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) July 15, 2022
That is a first for Notre Dame in the Rivals/247 era, dating back to 2000.
The No. 20 commit in the class for Notre Dame, Greathouse should have a quick avenue to playing time, in part because only Tobias Merriweather joined the Irish receivers in the class of 2022. As fifth-years Braden Lenzy and Joe Wilkins and sixth-year Avery Davis matriculate from the program, Notre Dame will be down to only a trio of current sophomores and Merriweather. Based on simple math, two of these three commitments should be in the Irish two-deep as freshmen.