Height - 6’5
Weight - 275
Position - Defensive Lineman
City - Mentor, OH
High School - Mentor High School
Class - 2023
Ranking (per 24/7 sports composite) -
State (overall) - 2
Nationally (position) - 8
Nationally (overall) - 74
Composite ⭐⭐⭐⭐ .9655
Stats Through 16 Varsity Games
39 solo tackles
25 assist tackles
64 total tackles
4 tackles for loss
3 sacks
28 QB hurries
1 forced fumble
Recruitment
Offers
Alabama, Cincinnati, Duke, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Brenan Vernon committed to Notre Dame on June 29, 2021
Film Analysis
Notre Dame continues their success along the defensive line with their commitment from Brenan Vernon. In watching his film, there are an abundance of takeaways that show he has the potential to be a stud for Marcus Freeman and the Irish.
The first thing that sticks out when watching his film is his size. At 6’5 and 275 pounds, he already has the type of frame and size to be a championship caliber player along the DLine. His length is one of his greatest assets, and he knows how to use it at an advanced level for his age. He has room to add weight and strength to his frame, which will be crucial to how quickly he gets on the field for the Irish.
One of my favorite things about Vernon is his explosiveness and his athleticism. Vernon shows elite ability in stopping the run, and more specifically the read option. He does a good job of squeezing his gap, breaking down his feet, and accelerating through the tackle. Vernon shows elite ability to stop the run and that will be a strength for Notre Dame. Additionally, Vernon plays with a phenomenal motor. This is the kind of football player who does not take plays off. His constant motor will earn him a lot of praise from the coaches at Notre Dame throughout his career.
Brenan is a prospect that has a high ceiling, but he still has some things to improve upon in his game. His initial first step needs to be quicker if he is going to play on the edge for the Irish, although I see him eventually playing 3-technique for most of his snaps. Vernon also tends to play with high pad level at times, which he won’t be able to get away with at the Power 5 level. Finally, Brenan shows great ability to stop the run, but he will need to grow his pass rush technique to fully reach his potential at the next level. These are all very common for a player coming out of high school, and they can all be fixed with coaching and reps.
The fact that Notre Dame was able to get Brenan Vernon over Ohio State is a huge recruiting win. Mentor High School is an elite football program in the state of Ohio and one that is known to be a pipeline to the Buckeyes. I predict that Vernon will make a significant impact by his sophomore year. Players like Vernon are what you need to compete for National Championships.
My overall grade for Brenan Vernon - 4.4 / 5
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