NYLES MORGAN
Crete Monee (Crete, IL)
Measurables: 6-2, 223
Accolades: US Army All-American, first-team linebacker USA Today All-American, first-team All-State Chicago Tribune, All-State Illinois Football Coaching Association.
Impressive Offers: Alabama, Michigan, Miami, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, UCLA, USC
Projected Position: Inside Linebacker
Quick Take: There might not be a more important defensive recruit for the Irish, with Morgan the complete package, and a readymade prospect at a position of need. There’s no question that Morgan has the talent to step into the starting lineup at inside linebacker, but the Irish will need to have patience, after all it took a while for even Manti Te’o to figure out what he was doing.
The Irish coaching staff deserves all the credit in the world for not taking no for an answer for Morgan, and the Irish overcame a lot of obstacles to close the deal.
What he means to Irish: It’s not hyperbole to call Morgan the most important recruit in the class, just because of the hole at inside linebacker. Counting on a true freshman to step in and play big minutes isn’t always ideal, but as we saw last year with Jaylon Smith, it’s still possible.
That’s not to say that Morgan is the type of athlete that Smith is, but he’s an elite recruit with athleticism and instincts to play inside linebacker.
Obligatory YouTube highlight clip: Here’s Morgan’s UND.com Signing Day video: