Notre Dame OL commit Liam Eichenberg earns Rivals four-star ranking

Better late than never.

Rivals released its final top 250 rankings for the 2016 class on Tuesday, and offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg — a 6-foot-5, 284-pound Notre Dame commit — was one of the country's biggest beneficiaries. Eichenberg, who had previously been slotted as a three-star prospect on the site, finally earned a four-star rating and was listed as the country's No. 194 overall prospect.

Rivals was the last of the major recruiting websites to bestow a fourth star on the Cleveland prospect. Eichenberg is ranked as a four-star recruit and top-100 player by both 247Sports, Scout and ESPN.

According to Rivals Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt, Eichenberg's recent performance at the Under Armour All-America Game turned the tide.

“Eichenberg is a prospect we are certainly familiar with, having seen him live in games five times over the last three seasons," Helmholdt wrote. "His rating has been a source of controversy with Notre Dame fans, and this is the first time the Fighting Irish commit has been rated four-stars on Rivals.com. He earned that rating with his play at the Under Armour game, competing well with a strong group of defensive linemen and showing he has enough size, technique and footwork to handle top defensive ends.”

Notre Dame defensive end Khalid Kareem, an early enrollee for the Irish, was also listed as one of the top risers in Rivals' final rankings. He's listed as the No. 237 overall prospect in the 2016 class.

“The Semper Fi Bowl MVP has been a four-star prospect from the beginning, but this is his first appearance back in the 250 since last spring," Helmholdt wrote. "Kareem capitalized on a pair of fumbles in the Semper Fi game, returning one for a touchdown. The Notre Dame commit showed throughout the week of practices that he can get pressure on the quarterback, something his 30-plus sacks over the last two seasons also showed.”