Notre Dame recruiting: 4-Star RB Tarean Folston makes verbal commitment

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program received a verbal commitment for the 2013 class from 5'9, 192-pound running back and four-star recruit Tarean Folston on Wednesday. Folston, a top-10 running back according to ESPN and 247Sports, announced his commitment at the the Under Armour All-American game workouts, and he chose Notre Dame over Oregon, Florida State, Stanford and Miami.

At Notre Dame blog One Foot Down, they believe Folston is perfectly suited to help the Irish offense as a running back and even as a slot receiver in Brian Kelly's scheme:

Folston is a pretty unique running back prospect. Due to his size, he probably hasn't received as much attention as other RB prospects from Florida this year. Don't let the height fool you-he isn't afraid of contact and his highlights show he is a difficult guy to tackle. Most of the tape shows a slashing type runner who makes the cut and gets up-field quickly, but there are also a few plays where he cuts back across the entire field-a habit several players develop before college and one that he will have to unlearn quickly.

Overall, he is an excellent fit for Brian Kelly's offensive system both as a true RB and also in the slot.

For a look at some of Folston's highlights from high school, check out this video and get a look at his 4.40 speed and shiftiness in the open field.

Notre Dame has collected the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation so far for 2013 according to Rivals. The class includes two five-star commits, 14 four-star commits and six three-star commits.