
Still plenty of potential
The Notre Dame football roster is full of great players — known and unknown. No matter the place on the depth chart or the recruiting ranking a player had attached to him before his arrival at Notre Dame — there are probably some things I really like about him. So over the course of the next few months, let’s take a positive approach to running down the roster.
Almost daily (just being honest) I’ll list three things I like about a single player on the roster, and as an additional bonus, I’ll post some extra pics over on the OFD Instagram account (be sure to follow RIGHT HERE).
Next up…
#17 Brenan Vernon — Defensive Lineman
Vernon was one of the best recruits from the state of Ohio in the 2023 recruiting class. He turned down offers from the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, Alabama Crimson Tide, Penn State Nittany Lions, and many more. The 6’6” 293 pound junior was everything top programs were looking for.
Here are three things I like about Brenan Vernon:
1. He’s from Ohio.
Surprise, surprise… I love that Vernon is from Ohio. While he was generally ranked somewhere between #4 and #10 overall in the state while a recruit, every major newspaper had Vernon #2 behind safety Malik Hartford. Anyways… you know the love I have for my home state ballers. He was an absolute menace.
On a single series, four tackles over five consecutive snaps for #NotreDame 2023 commit Brenan Vernon.
Proving to be a solid run-stopping defensive lineman. @brenanvernon pic.twitter.com/NsWmQA0Eit
— Kevin Sinclair (@KevinSinclair_) September 17, 2021
2. There’s more to Vernon than football.
I realize this isn’t a big favorite for most fans, but I do really like it when Notre Dame has players that have more going for them than just football. By many accounts, Vernon’s interests are vast — especially with music and playing the guitar. Maybe there’s no better way to describe Vernon than that he’s “eclectic.”
— Brenan Vernon (@brenanvernon) August 1, 2022
3. There’s still plenty of time.
Vernon hasn’t got off to the best start at Notre Dame. He appeared in only two games in both the 2023 and 2024 season, and has yet to push for depth chart for a spot. Brendan also got injured this spring and had surgery for a torn MCL. And yet… depending upon his recovery from the MCL, he has 3-4 years left of eligibility with his 6’6” 300 pound frame. Every offseason we like to list players that could have that next big senior or 5th year year — and he could be it when the time comes.
Notre Dame DE Nana Osafo-Mensah on freshmen Brenan Vernon and Boubacar Traore:
“Brenan Vernon is one of the most violent freshmen I’ve ever seen come through here…like of all time.” pic.twitter.com/VA1xoNSOf9
— Matt Freeman (@mattfreeman05_) August 1, 2023