DE/DT Recruiting??

[jonesman]

Guys,
I think Kelly and crew are doing a superb job in recruiting, but I do have some concerns around our DE/DT recruiting. I see that currently we have one pur DE, Isaac Roshell. We have another kid we are going to try to make DE in Matuska. However, we lose KLM after 2012. We lose both Scwenke and Tuitt after next season. Likely Nix will jump to the NFL after next season also. That leaves some HUGE holes to fill.

It is rare to find a Tuitt or Nix who will be able to dominate as underclassmen. So, we should be after replacements in the current recruiting class. For those of you telling me that Tuitt is only going to be a junior next season, I know!! BUT, the kid is likely to be a Top 10 NFL pick after next season if his play continues to grow. Mel Kiper is already drooling over the kid. His teammates call him the FREAK because of his size and athletism.

I know the class is getting full, but I would be going over the limit if I were Kelly. This is for several reasons. First, we are likely to lose some kid late who decides the offer at some SEC school or a USC is too good to pass. Second, we are likely to have another transfer or player just leave. Look at this year, Prestwood, Lynch and Sheppard. Third, a medical is always going to happen to someone. This year, we had two. If I am correct, we are now down to 75-76 scholarship players with all the defections and losses.

 

[Irish Houstonian]

We definitely need a big Irish Chocolate space-eating DT for sure. Other than a growing Day I don't think we have any backup plans for a two-gapper. DE's are a little easier to come by, demographically, but I'm with you on needing a DT. They also need a lot of breathers so you can't just have one.

 

[nsideirish]

Jarron Jones, Sheldon Day, Hounshell, Springmann, Ishaq playing some DE. Rochell is a stud. We'll be fine. But Hooper would be a nice addition and a few big names next year.

 

[Junkhead]

It's no given that Tuitt and Nix will leave early. Just sayin'.

 

[pwt3]

It's one thing to assume a fifth year kid who's a prospect might go, but the burden of proof is much higher when you're talking about someone leaving as a true junior.

Also, Jarron Jones and Sheldon Day, both stud recruits, were just brought in. Not sure what you would have the coaches do here that they're not doing already. Rochell and Matuska are committed for this year. Ideally next year they land a good NT, but the numbers seem ok and the talent seems OK. Tuitt is special and irreplaceable, but Day and Jones are probably about as good as Lou if not better.


edited to add
Also while it's fine to look ahead some, think about it - these guys have combined to play in like 20 games. They're got one full season each. They basically just got here. Can we not worry about guys being gone who just started playing? Can there be at least a year or two where we just enjoy their play?

 

[Emcee77]

Yep, I've always said a true DT is an overlooked need in this class. The only potential DL that we are in on, that I can think of, are Austin Hooper and Alquaddin Muhammad, and both are just as likely to play OLB. Of course there's Jarron Jones in the '12 class, but I think we need to add another 300 pounder in this class. I can't think of anyone like that that we look likely to land.

 

[PraetorianND]

It's no given that Tuitt and Nix will leave early. Just sayin'.

Great point. Seems to be the trend around ND to stay.

 

[nd1989]

Can never have enough D lineman.

 

[Emcee77]

Even if Tuitt stays, we don't want to have to rely too heavily on him as a nose. That's fine in pass rush situations, but we still need the space-eaters for rushing downs and goal line situations. I would feel better if we had another DL in this class who looked like he could play at 300 or so, like Jones and Day. Rochell may get there, of course.

 

[IrishLax]

Not really a focus of this class, and we do have Rochell and will absolutely add another DEish guy of some sort before the class is done. ND seems very content with the DTs currently on the roster and does not seem to be recruiting one in this class.

 

[Irishman77]

I seriously doubt anyone leaves early. The plan is a four year plan. Some could but I really doubt it. Dt will be a focus next year and if we get Muhammad we will be unbelievably okay.

 

[jason_h537]

ND is lacking a true DT behind NIX and have not been able to address this. Yes Springmann and Kona can play, also Jarron Jones could possibly move over but ND needs a true DT in the middle.

 

[arrowryan]

Guys,
I think Kelly and crew are doing a superb job in recruiting, but I do have some concerns around our DE/DT recruiting. I see that currently we have one pur DE, Isaac Roshell. We have another kid we are going to try to make DE in Matuska. However, we lose KLM after 2012. We lose both Scwenke and Tuitt after next season. Likely Nix will jump to the NFL after next season also. That leaves some HUGE holes to fill.

It is rare to find a Tuitt or Nix who will be able to dominate as underclassmen. So, we should be after replacements in the current recruiting class. For those of you telling me that Tuitt is only going to be a junior next season, I know!! BUT, the kid is likely to be a Top 10 NFL pick after next season if his play continues to grow. Mel Kiper is already drooling over the kid. His teammates call him the FREAK because of his size and athletism.

I know the class is getting full, but I would be going over the limit if I were Kelly. This is for several reasons. First, we are likely to lose some kid late who decides the offer at some SEC school or a USC is too good to pass. Second, we are likely to have another transfer or player just leave. Look at this year, Prestwood, Lynch and Sheppard. Third, a medical is always going to happen to someone. This year, we had two. If I am correct, we are now down to 75-76 scholarship players with all the defections and losses.

Stephon Tuitt will not leave early. He will be the leader of the defense after Teo is gone. The defensive line might be better next year than it is this year. We are returning a lot of starters in the front 7 for next year

 

[RyCo1983]

If the coaching staff isn't worried about the position, neither am I.

 

[arrowryan]

They offered Enoch Smith Jr., he is a defensive tackle according to scout. If I remember right, the staff is high on this kid

 

[NYMIKE6]

Whats the word on Donovan Munger thought we had interest in him as a DT?

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Whats the word on Donovan Munger thought we had interest in him as a DT?

Yes, I think we still have a shot with him and Josh Augusta. I'd be happy with either one of them.

 

[NYMIKE6]

Yes, I think we still have a shot with him and Josh Augusta. I'd be happy with either one of them.

Thanks Sherm

 

[OCIrish]

I'm really kinda surprised this is even a topic at this point in the recruiting cycle.....if the coaches aren't worried, neither am I.

 

[RyCo1983]

I'm really kinda surprised this is even a topic at this point in the recruiting cycle.....if the coaches aren't worried, neither am I.

I said something similar. haha

 

[irishfanjho15]

Yes, I think we still have a shot with him and Josh Augusta. I'd be happy with either one of them.

I was under the impression that Augusta had some work to do in the classroom in order for ND to be a legitimate possibilty. If I'm wrong please let me know would love to be in this instance.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Nobody expected Schwenke and Springmann to become DTs, but that's what they are now. Prototypical 3-4 NTs like Nix are super rare, and we're lucky to have even one of the roster. The staff seems to have no problem beefing up a DE and teaching him to two-gap, so I've quit worrying about our DT depth.

 

[elboricua]

I'm really kinda surprised this is even a topic at this point in the recruiting cycle.....if the coaches aren't worried, neither am I.

This coaching staff has done a great job but it has and I think continues to make some mistakes just like any other coaching staff would. That happens. I think maybe they think they are unlikely to get another Nix-type player. Tuitt is a maybe once in a generation talent so they can't count on that happening again any time soon. But I think they think it's enough to get Rochell-types and then decent tough guy types like Matuska who could turn out to be excellent 2-gappers.

We will see. I think life after Nix might be unpleasant but the linebackers might be so much better as a whole than we've seen that we might not notice. I mean if you start a grown-up Okwara/Councell/Jaylon Smith and you have an Ishaq/Muhammad/Shembo rotation and you can get a lot of those types of guys and can keep rotating them in and can generate a pass rush, they might still be badass and keep improving.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Stephon Tuitt will not leave early. He will be the leader of the defense after Teo is gone.

Sorry bro, but you don't know that. He could leave, he could stay, but nobody knows, so to say it as if it is fact as more than a tad premature. We heard the same things on this site from people talking about Golden Tate, Jimmy Clausen and Kyle Rudolph, and before I read this site, people would say the same things other places about guys like Darius Walker and Justin Tuck. Fans were completely confident that those players would stay, and they all left.

And then you have some guys like Floyd and Te'o and Eifert. So many people said they were gone for sure, and of course, they all stayed.

Bottom line...you don't know if Tuitt will stay for sure and neither do I or anybody else not in his family know for sure. He could stay, but at the same time, those millions that'll be waiting for him could prove to be too much of an allure. It happens all the time...

 

[stlnd01]

Man. Tuitt and Nix each have two years of eligibility left after this one, which has barely started. Yeah they might leave after next year. But they also may well not. How many guys have left early in the Kelly years? Kyle Rudolph is the only one who jumps to mind.
Plus we've got Jones, Day, Rochelle, etc coming up behind them. Plus there's always the possibility of another guy like Schwenke, who started as an outside linebacker and grew into a nose tackle.
Sure, it'd be nice to have another high-motor beast like Nix in the pipeline. But they're rare. And things like lockdown corners, big outside WRs and a stud DE seem like bigger priorities right now.

 

[MrIrishCanadian1]

I have an awesome solution! Why don't we just stop recruiting d-line studs? If we just get mediocre players, there's a better chance they'll stay for their senior year!

 

[NDhoosier]

ND is lacking a true DT behind NIX and have not been able to address this. Yes Springmann and Kona can play, also Jarron Jones could possibly move over but ND needs a true DT in the middle.

I agree with this...

I think ND is fine at the DE position and should be able to continue recruiting the DE position, but we are definitely short on DT after Nix in my opinion. I really wanted a DT in the 2013 class, but Augusta seems to be the only chance we have left. However, 2014 has Enoch Smith who seems to be high on the Irish, could be young at the DT position in a year or two, but I am not worried about the DE position.

 

[BeauBenken]

Guys, I have an idea. It seems to me like we just started this season with this incredibly daunting schedule and tons of unproven positions on this team, but we aren't worrying enough...let's talk about depth 3 years from now.

 

[IrishLax]

ND is lacking a true DT behind NIX and have not been able to address this. Yes Springmann and Kona can play, also Jarron Jones could possibly move over but ND needs a true DT in the middle.

I've got to nit pick this, sorry. ND has many guys capable of playing DT. Louis Nix is the only true NG... and even that's debatable when you consider Springmann is 300+ lbs.

I've read in a lot of places that ND coaches don't really see the need for a true 3-4 NG. As such, Kona, Jones, Tuitt, etc. are all more than capable of playing the "DT" position.

No matter what way you slice it, ND is simply not recruiting a NG or DT as a priority in this class. So if you trust the coaches... which I'm not saying you necessarily need to do... but assuming you do there's not really a reason to worry over the recruiting of that position. ND is absolutely targeting another DEish kind of guy and we'll get at least one more before all is said and done.

 

[Grimm]

Sure, it'd be nice to have another high-motor beast like Nix in the pipeline. But they're rare. And things like lockdown corners, big outside WRs and a stud DE seem like bigger priorities right now.

Hope we keep two more spots for DL and two spots for CB ... and only grab a WR if a supreme talent. In general, I hope we hold out for a couple more months to grab only top, top players rather than taking good players that become available. So hope we don't take some of the guys mentioned on this thread yet.

For DL, would love to see A. Muhammad and then try to pick off an already committed guy like Sickels or Taco (even if Taco is a project).

Wonder who in class might also end up on DL. Maybe McGlinchey, Mattingly or Randolph as candidates.