Latest news with #MikeMickens
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Notre Dame coach Mike Mickens is coming in for high praise
The Fighting Irish secondary is in good hands Mike Mickens is earning high praise for his recruiting skills. The Notre Dame defensive backs coach is also getting praise for his coaching skills. Combine the secondary's play in 2024 and the Fighting Irish recruiting haul from this offseason, it's clear to see why. Mickens is seen as being responsible for bringing DB recruits Joey O'Brien, Khary Adams, Ayden Pouncey, Chaston Smith and Nick Reddish. We all know how dominant the 2024 secondary was, even after Benjamin Morrison got hurt. What Xavier Watts, Leonard Moore and Christian Gray did en route to the national title game was a sight to behold. Mickens will be a coach to watch in 2025. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Tim on X: @tehealey
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Notre Dame Lands Elite Cornerback Khary Adams: Breaking It Down
Notre Dame Lands Elite Cornerback Khary Adams: Breaking It Down originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On Friday, Notre Dame landed a pair of talented defensive backs and the first to commit was Towson (Md.) Loyola Blakefield cornerback Khary Adams. It was a massive recruiting win for Notre Dame as the Irish staff looks to once again land one of the nation's best secondary classes. Advertisement Right after Adams committed the Irish Breakdown team broke down what it means. Here's the entire video of the Adams breakdown segment. Here is a rundown of the Adams commitment video: *** To kick the show off the IB team discusses how important this commitment is for Notre Dame. That is followed by a dive into the back story of how this commitment came to be. Notre Dame worked on landing Adams for over a year, and secondary coach Mike Mickens did a great job of establishing a great relationship with Adams. After his April visit to Notre Dame the Irish made up a lot of ground, and they were in a great spot going into the official visit period. It was the final visit, however, that helped Notre Dame seal the deal. Advertisement *** Next up in the show is the Class Impact, where the IB team breaks down how this commitment impacts the Notre Dame 2026 recruiting class and the Irish secondary. Notre Dame was looking for impact over numbers in the 2026 cornerback class, and Adams certainly gives them that kind of talent. *** After the Class Impact the team dives into the film room to break down what makes Adams such an impactful football player. Like many of Mickens' top defensive backs in recent seasons, Adams is an impact player on both sides of the ball. *** The final portion of the show looks at what's next for Notre Dame when it comes to secondary recruiting. Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge Advertisement Irish Breakdown Content 2025 Scholarship Chart 2025 Football Schedule Notre Dame 2026 Commits Notre Dame 2026 Scholarship Offers 2025 Commit Rankings - Offense 2025 Commit Rankings - Defense 2024 Recruiting Class 2023 Recruiting Class 2022 Recruiting Class ——————— Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more. BECOME A MEMBER Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time! Join the Irish Breakdown community! Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178 Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Notre Dame Commit Profile: Cornerback Khary Adams
Notre Dame Commit Profile: Cornerback Khary Adams originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Notre Dame picked up a huge commitment when big time cornerback Khary Adams pledged to the Fighting Irish. It was a big recruiting win for Notre Dame, who is building yet another elite secondary class. Let's take a look at the recruiting profile for Adams. KHARY ADAMS PROFILE Hometown/High School: Towson, Md./Loyola Blakefield Advertisement Height/Weight: 6-2, 180 IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect) Upside Grade: 5.0 (Top 35 caliber prospect) Player Comp: Cam Hart, Notre Dame Recruited By: Mike Mickens Offers: Notre Dame, Clemson, LSU, Oregon, Florida State, Michigan, Penn State, USC, Tennessee, Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma, Auburn, South Carolina, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, West Virginia, NC State, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Virginia, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Indiana, Minnesota, Arizona, Maryland, Rutgers RECRUITING RANKINGS On3: 4-star - No. 30 overall - No. 3 corner 247Sports: 4-star - No. 36 overall - No. 3 corner ESPN: 4-star - No. 68 overall - No. 9 corner Rivals: 4-star - No. 246 overall - No. 19 corner On3 Consensus: 4-star - No. 67 overall - No. 8 corner 247Sports Composite: 4-star - No. 75 overall - No. 9 corner NOTRE DAME FIT There are several attributes that Mike Mickens has consistently looked for at the cornerback position, and Adams grades out well in each of those areas. His combination of length, speed and football IQ all grade out well. He has all the tools you want in a high-level pure cover player. Mickens also likes two-way players and Adams is also an impact high school wide receiver. Adams has the range, cover instincts and tackling potential to thrive as a field cornerback. He also has the length, speed and instincts to grow into a dominant boundary cornerback. That positional flexibility is a big reason why Adams fits so well into the Notre Dame defense. FILM ANALYSIS The length that Mickens has added to the secondary in recent recruiting cycles has been incredibly impressive, and that continues with the pickup of Adams. At 6-2 he certainly has excellent height, but Adams also has the arm length to match. That makes him an incredibly difficult player to throw the ball over or around. Adams is on the lean side right now and he's listed at 180 pounds, but he has a solid frame that reminds me a lot of former Notre Dame cornerback Cam Hart, who was 6-3 and skinny in high school but grew into a 205-pound player for the Irish. I could see Adams eventually getting to the 200-pound mark as well. Advertisement Adams is an excellent all-around athlete that has all the physical traits you want in a cornerback. He has top notch foot quickness and agility, which allows him to change direction with ease and impressive quickness. He can plant and drive on the football as well as any cornerback in the class. Adams has loose hips and transitions with ease as well, showing the kind of open-and-run skills you need to play man coverage. Adams also has elite speed, both from an initial quickness standpoint and second gear. When he commits to going full speed he gets to his top gear in a hurry, and his long speed is tremendous. He covers a ton of ground and he's able to overcome mistakes much easier than most cornerbacks because of his combination of elite length and speed. With Notre Dame potentially looking to play more zone coverage, Adams also needs to be able to handle that part of the game as well. One could argue that his unique skillset projects just as well to being a zone defender. His length and speed allows him to cover a ton of ground in off zone coverages (Cover 3, Cover 4), and his ability to redirect and close so well should allow him to be incredibly difficult to throw at in those zone looks. His length and foot quickness also gives him traits to be a difficult player to throw over in the tighter zone looks like Cover 2. That all-around ability is why his upside is so high. Adams will need a lot of technical at the next level, which is why picking Notre Dame is such a good move for him. That's where Mickens thrives, and Adams will benefit greatly from that tutelage. Adams gets by on elite talent right now, but he's a two-way player for his high school, which makes it harder for him to master the technique at one spot. That's not a knock on his prep coaching, as the coaches should absolutely use him both ways. It just means he'll have more to learn once he focuses on one position. He'll also need to learn to better use his length to his advantage when playing press and re-routing receivers. Adams is a willing tackler but he's more of a form tackler than a thumper like Hart or Moore. He'll need to not only fill out but also improve his upper body strength. His play strength is one of the areas where he grades out the lowest. That will come in time as he gets into the college weight program and continues to physically mature. The fact he's not afraid to stick his nose into traffic is important, because once the strength comes his impact in the run game will be much improved. Advertisement Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge Irish Breakdown Content 2025 Scholarship Chart 2025 Football Schedule Notre Dame 2026 Commits Notre Dame 2026 Scholarship Offers 2025 Commit Rankings - Offense 2025 Commit Rankings - Defense 2024 Recruiting Class 2023 Recruiting Class 2022 Recruiting Class ——————— Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more. BECOME A MEMBER Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time! Join the Irish Breakdown community! Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178 Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rivals250 2026 CB Khary Adams commits to Notre Dame
Notre Dame earned a big victory on the recruiting trail, landing a verbal commitment from class of 2026 four-star cornerback Khary Adams on Friday. Adams, who currently attends Loyola Blakefield High School in Towson, Maryland, is a member of the Rivals250, checking in at No. 246 nationally. He also ranks as the No. 5 prospect in the state of Maryland and the No. 19 cornerback in the 2026 cycle. Advertisement He is coming off of his official visit to South Bend during the weekend of June 13 through June 15 and the Fighting Irish did enough to convince Adams to join Notre Dame. Penn State was previously considered the front-runner for Adams, following his official visit to Happy Valley from May 16 through May 18, but ultimately Notre Dame checked off all the boxes for what Adams was looking for in a program. "Scheme, the environment and the plan they have for me," Adams previously told Rivals when asked what is important to him in his recruitment. "And also NIL (is a factor)." He will play his college football under head coach Marcus Freeman, defensive coordinator Chris Ash, defensive backs coach/defensive pass game coordinator Mike Mickens and the rest of the Notre Dame staff. Adams also took recent official visits to Oregon, South Carolina, Michigan and Maryland as well. Advertisement In addition to the schools mentioned above, Adams received scholarship offers from Arizona, Auburn, Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, LSU, Maryland, Miami (FL.), Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, USC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin and others. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Adams is a play-making defensive back with great speed thanks to his track and field background. He is strong in pass coverage in both man-to-man and zone concepts and possesses impressive ball skills. Adams also plays wide receiver for the Dons and is electric with the ball in his hands. As a junior in 2024, Adams earned first-team MIAA "A" All-Conference honors as a defensive back. He recorded 39 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions, 12 pass break-ups and two fumble recoveries. Offensively, Adams amassed 31 receptions for 703 yards (22.7 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns. With Adams' commitment, Notre Dame's 2026 class now includes 18 total pledges. The Fighting Irish currently rank fifth in the national recruiting team rankings. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH PENN STATE FANS AT
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Notre Dame Secondary Ranked One Of The Nation's Best By Lindy's Sports
Notre Dame Secondary Ranked One Of The Nation's Best By Lindy's Sports originally appeared on Athlon Sports. For the third season in a row, Notre Dame's defensive backfield is being recognized as one of the best in the country, which isn't something all programs can say after losing players like Xavier Watts and Benjamin Morrison. Thankfully, the recruiting efforts of defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, head coach Marcus Freeman and the remainder of the defensive staff and have proven to overcome losses year over year. Advertisement Heading into 2025, there are three players that will carry the workload of the Fighting Irish secondary. Safety Adon Shuler, cornerback Christian Gray and cornerback Leonard Moore are all returning starters from last season and are looking to build off of the success they had in 2024. Shuler reeked the benefits of starting alongside Watts for an entire 16 game season, where he learned valuable experience on and off the field. He also had the production to boot. Shuler logged 768 snaps, 59 tackles, five passes defended, one forced fumble and three interceptions including a pick six against Georgia Tech. Shuler is poised to explode in his redshirt sophomore season. Gray had a phenomenal start to his 2024 campaign, and some believed him to be playing at a higher level than Morrison during the first quarter of the season. He was ruled out of the Louisville game with a hand injury but started the remaining games last season. Gray tallied 796 snaps, 35 tackles, nine passes defended and three interceptions including a 98 yard pick six against USC which sealed Notre Dame's bid to host a playoff game. He will have to become a more consistent player in 2025, but his highlight reel plays are amongst the best in the country. Moore stepped into the starting lineup for the first time against Louisville in place of Gray. He then took over as the full time starter when Morrison was ruled out for the season with a hip injury after the Stanford game. Moore took advantage of his opportunity and had an electric true freshman season. Advertisement He finished the season with 48 tackles, 11 passes defended, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and allowed an opponent completion percentage of 46.4 when targeted, the lowest on the team. Moore's performance in 2024 earned him a spot on the FWAA Freshman All-American Team. He was also named the FWAA Defensive Freshman of the Year. The rising sophomore has been deemed the No. 1 returning cornerback in the country by the majority of major outlets including Lindy's Sports, PFF, ESPN and others. Rounding out this secondary is Alabama nickel corner transfer DeVonta Smith, who hasn't allowed a receiving touchdown in his career, and a slue of safeties who are all high ceiling caliber players. A 6-4 junior Luke Talich, a 6-2 sophomore Tae Johnson, a 6-5 true freshman JaDon Blair and a 6-1 Virginia Tech transfer Jalen Stroman will battle it out in fall camp to solidify what the safety rotation will be come August 31 and beyond. Mickens has a spoil of riches in the defensive backfield, and it's no wonder Lindy's Sports ranked them as one of the best units in the country. Based on their experience, production, depth, size, length and speed, I believe this group has the intangibles to be ranked as the No. 1 unit in the country. Regardless, this is a lethal group of guys who will make it difficult on any opposing passing offense. The secondary will enter Notre Dame's season as the strength of the defense. Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge Advertisement Irish Breakdown Content 2025 Depth Chart 2025 Football Schedule Notre Dame 2026 Scholarship Offers 2025 Commit Rankings - Offense 2025 Commit Rankings - Defense 2024 Recruiting Class 2023 Recruiting Class 2022 Recruiting Class ——————— Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more. BECOME A MEMBER Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time! Join the Irish Breakdown community! Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes Follow me on Twitter: @TTrow5 Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
