(This article was originally published in the 10/2/02
issue of Irish Today.)

Off the field issues this past spring took a toll on the secondary's depth with the dismissals of Dykes, Elam and Smith. Yet, the secondary has still been the strength of the defense. Corners Shane Walton and Vontez Duff are both legitimate All-American candidates. Safeties Glenn Earl and Gerome Sapp, while not as flashy as their cornerback counterparts, have been excellent all season. 

But depth in the secondary remains a big concern, which brings us to the recruiting effort of defensive backs. My best guess is that Willingham and company would like to pull a full set (at least four between corners and safeties) out of this year's class. Here's a look at Notre Dame's top D-Back prospects, those who have committed and those that are giving heavy consideration to the Irish.

FREDDIE PARRISH, LONG BEACH POLY (LONG BEACH, CA)

The 6-2 and 200 pound head-hunter was the first defensive back to join this recruiting class. He will play safety for Long Beach Polytechnic this upcoming season. Notre Dame, however, will use him as a cornerback. They want to take advantage of Freddie's combination of size and sub-4.5 speed. He's one of the highest-rated CB recruits for the Irish in many years.

ISAIAH GARDNER, SALEM HS (VIRGINIA BEACH, VA)

Recruited by most as a running back, Gardner committed to Notre Dame with an understanding between he and Coach Willingham that he would play cornerback initially. The 5-11, 190-pound burner could end up back on offense depending on how the recruiting shapes up at both running back and cornerback. Regardless, the Irish got a real playmaker in Gardner. He reminds me of Vontez Duff, who was also sought after initially as a running back. Paired with Parish, these two could eventually fill the big shoes of Walton and Duff.

TOM ZBIKOWSKI, BUFFALO GROVE HS (BUFFALO GROVE, IL)

Tommy is one of the most sought-after recruits in the country. Some schools, like Nebraska and Iowa, see him as a QB, but the Irish are recruiting him as a safety  - which shows how athletic Tommy is. At 6-0 and 190 pounds, he is still leaning towards Notre Dame right now, despite the recent espn.com diary controversy.  

DONTE WHITNER, GLENVILLE HS (CLEVELAND, OH)

Whitner is considered by many to be the top pure cornerback in the entire country. Standing 5-11 and weighing just 180 pounds, he is smaller than the other corners that the Irish are eyeing. However, what he lacks in size, he makes up for in speed, running a legit 4.3. The good news is that the Irish are still on his list. The bad news is that the list has about a dozen other schools as well. Don't expect much news soon from Donte.

AMBROSE WOODEN, GILMAN HS (BALTIMORE, MD)

Another blazer (4.3) and with more size than Whitner (6-1 and 185 pounds), Ambrose Wooden has an offer from the Irish. Again, one of the top few corners in the nation, Wooden is thought to be leaning towards the Irish at this point. The trio of Parrish, Gardner and Wooden would arguably give the Irish their best set of corners since the Todd Lyght/Pat Terrell days and that really says something.

THE NEXT GROUP:

The next group of potential DBs on the Irish wish list include big time safety Ryan Mundy from Pittsburgh, PA, Deante Battle from Fayetteville, GA and Tarell Brown from Mesquite, TX. All three players have the Irish very high on their lists. Also, Notre Dame has offered a scholarship to "athlete" Chase Anastacio (Fairfax, VA) and he would probably end up in the defensive backfield.

OVERVIEW:

The Irish have always had a difficult time getting in the door with blue-chip cornerbacks until this year.  All the players that have received offers from Coach Willingham are among the elite players at their positions. The Irish are already in excellent shape with Parrish and Gardner on board and are right at the top of the list with Wooden, Whitner and Zbikowski. 

While it is certainly too soon to tell, this could shape up as Notre Dame's best class of defensive backs in more than a decade and they each fit the mold of Notre Dame men. That speaks volumes about the job that Coach Willingham and his staff are doing.