Feb. 05--SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Much like sophomore Jaylon Smith from Fort Wayne, Ind., and freshman Nyles Morgan from Crete-Monee, Notre Dame didn't have to go far to find its next big talent at linebacker.
Josh Barajas of Valparaiso, Ind., a four-star linebacker according to 247Sports.com's composite rankings, was one of four Indiana natives who signed with Notre Dame on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Barajas has similar traits to Smith and Morgan and could develop into a special player for the Irish, coach Brian Kelly said.
"He possesses a lot of the same physical traits: speed, the ability to arrive with a violent collision. He's just a physical player," Kelly said. "That size and power is a unique trait. It's very similar to Nyles and Jaylon. And he's just 90 minutes away."
Kelly said Barajas won't have any pressure to contribute right away, and the coaching staff will bring him along and see how much he can handle in his first season. Smith was an immediate contributor for the Irish in 2013, while Morgan was thrust into a starting role -- perhaps too soon -- after middle linebacker Joe Schmidt went out with a fractured and dislocated ankle in the second half of the season.
"We'll see how much he can handle, and how much he can handle is how much we'll give him," Kelly said of Barajas. "We were looking for a guy that could potentially play on the outside, run, give us length and size, and Josh can certainly do that for us."
