Irish Finalist for DL Chris Bonds

Notre Dame recruit Chris Bonds trimmed his list of schools to 3 this week and the Irish are among his finalists according to Gamecocks.com

From a list of more than 40 offers, Richland Northeast defense end Chris Bonds (6-4 283) has trimmed his list to three: Alabama, Notre Dame and Southern Cal.

Bonds has taken official visits to Notre Dame and Alabama and he said Wednesday afternoon he will take a visit to Southern Cal in December, if not sooner.

Bonds had to cut his season short after a “series of injuries” but is still a very promising recruit.  ESPN’s scouting report has this to say of Bonds’ skills.

He’s tough against the run. He’s quick off the ball and comes out of his stance low to get under defenders’ pads pretty consistently. He can shoot his hands and creates good power from his lower body. Can stand up a blocker and put him on his heels. He’s able to shed and get in on plays, but he sometimes lowers his shoulder, loses his hands and tries to smack blockers instead of quickly punching and shedding. Can dominate his man, but sometimes at the expense of getting to the ball. Shows good lateral movement and solid short-area change-of-direction skills. Displays solid speed for a player with his bulk.

ESPN had him in their top 150 before his injury and when he is healthy, he is among the most talented defensive linemen in the country.  Usually when it comes to recruiting injured players, we have the edge because it is a lot easier to sell the value of a Notre Dame degree to a kid who has experienced an injury.  Assuming he comes back fully healthy, Bonds would be an outstanding addition to this class as we can certainly use more talent and depth along the defensive line.