NILE SYKES
Montini Catholic (Lombard, IL)
Measurables: 6-2, 220
Accolades: First-team All-State, Chicago Tribune. First-team All-Area Chicago Sun Times. Daily Herald All-Area team.
Impressive Offers: Illinois, Missouri, South Florida
Projected Position: Inside Linebacker
Quick Take: One of the later commitments to the Irish, Sykes was offered and evaluated on his senior film at Montini Catholic, where he transferred for his final season of high school football. Notre Dame believes they have an inside linebacker with exciting playmaking ability, an athletic guy who is only just learning the craft of his position.
Viewed as an underrated prospect by the staff, Sykes doesn’t necessarily have the star rating of other prospects, but he was incredibly productive after finding his home at linebacker.
What he means to Irish: A key piece of the reloading puzzle at linebacker, where the Irish need to replace Dan Fox and Carlo Calabrese, and still have to see how Jarrett Grace heals from a nasty injury. Teamed with Nyles Morgan, Notre Dame just locked down two linebackers from the Chicago Tribune’s All-State first team.
Obligatory YouTube highlight clip: Here’s Sykes’ UND.com recruiting video.