Kurt Hinish touts brother as the better prospect as Notre Dame adds Donovan to 2022 class
Eric Hansen
The news of three-star defensive tackle Donovan Hinish’s addition Friday to the 2022 Notre Dame football recruiting class coaxed comparisons to his older brother, Kurt.
“They look almost the same,” CBS recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said of future and current Irish D-linemen. “They’re built about the same. Good powerhouse guys. Good feet, Solid defensive tackles types. Blue-collar guys.”
The recruiting buzz around 6-foot-2, 275-pound Donovan was similar to Kurt’s coming out of Pittsburgh Central Catholic High in 2017, though Kurt’s offer list was a little longer and more decorated.
He’s been overachieving ever since.
► Related:Inside Notre Dame football's evolved recruiting philosophy and a pivotal June
► More:Raising Cain: Notre Dame lands Marshall All-America offensive guard Madden via transfer
“All the (Irish) coaches are always joking around that he’s better than I am,” said Kurt, who cashed in the NCAA’s COVID exemption to return for a fifth playing season, without a redshirt year, in the fall.
And Kurt agrees with the coaches.
“One thing my younger brother does a lot better than I do is just naturally he’s a lot more athletic than I am, laterally,” Kurt said in late April. “And he’s a better all-around athlete than me.
“I kind of got the (short) end of the stick. So it is what it is. The youngest gets it all. He’s going to be a great player in the future.”
Donovan Hinish becomes the 14th commitment in the 2022 class, with his announcement coming hours after Marshall All-America offensive guard Cain Madden tweeted that he’ll be joining the Irish for the 2021 season as a grad transfer.
The younger Hinish, though, won’t get a chance to play with Madden or Kurt at ND, with their eligibility running out after the 2021 season.
Kurt figures to be a third-year starter in the fall at a position group with great depth and the preference to flex it. He amassed 19 tackles, including 7.5 for loss with two sacks, for the Irish in 2020. He also recovered a fumble.
Among the schools pursuing Donovan were Pitt, Virginia Tech and UCF. Rivals ranks him as the nation’s No. 33 defensive tackle, while 247Sports has him at No. 70.
He’s the fourth defensive lineman to commit in the 2022 cycle, joining defensive ends Tyson Ford of St. Louis, Aiden Gobaira of Chantilly, Va., and Darren Agu — an Ireland native and resident of Great Britain who is playing his high school football in Rabun Gap, Ga.
► More:Off to a good start: Notre Dame powers past Central Michigan in NCAA regional opener
The Irish would still like to add two top-of-the board priorities to the position group — both of whom have scheduled official visits this month. Defensive tackle Anthony Lucas is scheduled to take an official visit to ND next weekend, while defensive end Cyrus Moss of Las Vegas will take his official visit June 18-20.
ND CLASS OF 2022 FOOTBALL VERBAL COMMITMENTS
Pos. Player Ht. Wt. High School
DT Donovan Hinish 6-2 275 Pittsburgh Central Catholic
TE Holden Staes 6-4 230 Atlanta Westminster School
TE Eli Raridon 6-6 230 West Des Moines (Iowa) Valley
DE Darren Agu 6-6 235 Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee
LB Joshua Burnham 6-4 215 Traverse City (Mich.) Central
CB Jaden Mickey 6-0 175 Corona (Calif.) Centennial
WR Amorion Walker 6-3 181 Ponchatoula (La.) High
QB Steve Angeli 6-3 215 Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic
RB Jadarian Price 5-11 180 Denison (Texas) High
DE Aiden Gobaira 6-6 235 Chantilly (Va.) High
DE Tyson Ford 6-5 245 St. Louis John Burroughs School
OT Ty Chan 6-6 275 Groton (Mass.) Lawrence Academy
LB Nolan Ziegler 6-4 205 Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central
OL Joey Tanona 6-5 280 Zionsville (Ind.) High
Follow ND Insider Eric Hansen on Twitter: @ehansenNDI