Notre Dame landed a commitment from Georgia wide receiver Jerome Bettis Jr. That means the younger Bettis will be following in his father's footsteps to play for the Fighting Irish.
Let's take a look at Bettis.
JEROME BETTIS JR. PROFILE
Hometown/High School: Atlanta, Ga./Woodward Academy
Height/Weight: 6-3, 185
IB Grade: 3.0 (Top 400 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.0
Player Comp: Daniel Smith, Notre Dame
2023 Stats: 30 catches, 369 yards, 12.3 YPC, 4 TD / 34 tackles, 2 INT, 2 T FL
Recruited By: Chansi Stuckey, Mike Brown, Chad Bowden
Offers: Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Missouri, NC State, Arkansas, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Duke, UCF, Boston College, California, Purdue
RECRUITING RANKINGS
247Sports: 3-star - No. 83 wide receiver
Rivals: 3-star - No. 99 wide receiver
On3: 3-star - No. 126 wide receiver
247Sports Composite: 3-star - No. 671 overall - No. 113 wide receiver
On3 Consensus: 3-star - No. 702 overall - No. 113 wide receiver
NOTRE DAME FIT
Bettis could play a couple of spots in the Notre Dame offense. His size (6-3, 185) and length make him an ideal outside receiver from body type standpoint. While he lacks top speed and overall athleticism, his long arms, balls skills and strength make him a good fit for the boundary position. If he can add more speed to his game he'll have a chance to be a volume pass catcher for the boundary. Bettis also has the ability to get open against zone, the size and the toughness to play in the slot in certain situations. This is especially true in the run game, on third down and in the red zone. Bettis was impressive on defense as a junior, and I could see a scenario where he could help the Irish on defense if the need arose.
FILM ANALYSIS
Bettis has impressive size at 6-3 with long arms. The catch radius that comes with his size is arguably his best trait at this point in his career. Bettis has impressive playing strength, which is his second best attribute. Bettis shows off his strength in multiple areas. He's a quality blocker and his ability to be physical as a tackler on defense were both on display as a junior. His tackling technique needs work, but Bettis looked confident playing defense and he showed very good pop. Bettis also shows good play strength as a receiver, which allows him to win a lot of contested balls, both in high school and on the 7-on-7 circuit. That combination of length and ball skills is likely a big reason why so many schools like Bettis.
As a junior, Bettis showed a much-improved technical game. His route running improved, both from a release standpoint and with his top ends. He was sharper getting out of cuts and he did a better job using his hands at the line and to work free down the field. Bettis showed a good feel for working open against zone coverages as well, showing a feel for when to accelerate through a zone, and when to throttle in a zone. Bettis has strong hands, and when you combine that with his length and strength, you can see Bettis being effective working the middle of the field.
What keeps Bettis from being a more highly ranked player, and a more highly regarded player is that his athleticism isn't as good as his size and technical skill. Although he showed a bit more burst as a junior, Bettis still lacks the initial speed and vertical gear you want in an outside boundary receiver. He can work open on short to intermediate routes, and he can get open over the middle, but right now Bettis doesn't show a lot of vertical speed, and his struggles to get ideal separation. He has solid agility, which helps him as a route runner, but Bettis isn't an overly explosive athlete. Interestingly, the most impressive snaps he had from an initial burst and acceleration standpoint came while he was playing on defense.
Bettis does a lot of dirty work for Woodward, and talking to sources he has a great work ethic and his team first attitude is impressive. He has size, he has a good frame, he's a quality athlete, he has strong hands and he shows a good feel for the game. If he can discover another gear from a speed standpoint his grade and ranking could take a jump, and his production would also improve.
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