AP release on ND recruits
AP-NY-02-07-01
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - The 19 high school football players that signed with Notre Dame on Wednesday might not mean as much as the two who didn't. Shaun Cody, a highly sought after defensive lineman from Hacienda Heights, Calif., signed with Southern Cal; and Lydell Ross, a tailback from Tampa, Fla., went with Ohio State after verbally committing to the Irish last month. ``Sometimes in recruiting you end up kind of like in the football season, you always think about the game you lost; sometimes the conversation always goes toward the one you didn't get,'' coach Bob Davie said. ``But I'm excited about the 19 we signed. Obviously we didn't sign everyone we would have liked to have signed. I don't think there's anyone on the country that signed every player they would have hoped.'' The strength of the recruiting class lies in the linebackers: Corey Mays (6-foot-1, 234 pounds) of Chicago's Morgan Park High School, Zachary Giles (6-4, 285) of Marshfield, Mass., Brandon Hoyte (6-0, 219) of Parlin, N.J., and Justin Tuck (6-5, 215) of Kellyton, Ala. ``I doubt we've had a better group of linebackers than the four we committed in this class,'' Davie said. Mays is the biggest name in the group, rated among the top 100 high school players by several recruiting analysts. ``I think he can be a star. He's got great explosiveness, great quickness,'' Davie said. The Irish recruit with the most accolades, though, is Mark LeVoir, a tight end from Eden Park, Minn., who may move to tackle with the Irish. LeVoir was a first team prep All-America selection by USA Today. ``He is a giant,'' Davie said. ``He is 310 pounds, 6-foot-7 but really light on his feet. He has some unique skills.'' The Irish also signed three defensive backs: safety Quentin Burrell and cornerbacks Dwight Ellick and Lionel Bolen. Cornerback was a problem at times last season and Brock Williams, who could have come back for a senior season, decided to make himself eligible for the NFL draft. Davie said its unlikely any of the three will have an immediate impact. The biggest disappointment was at defensive line, but Davie said big defensive linemen who are ``difference makers'' always are hard to find. The Irish did sign two defensive lineman Brian Beidatsch (6-4, 265) from Milwaukee and Jeff Thompson (6-5, 265) from nearby Penn High. The other signees were wide receivers Carlos Campbell and Matt Shelton, running backs Ryan Grant, Corey Jones and Marcus Wilson, offensive linemen Zachary Giles, Darin Mitchell and Dan Stevenson, tight end Matt Root and Rashon Power-Neal, who played running back, wide receiver, linebacker and safety in high school. Most recruiting services had the Irish ranked somewhere between ninth and No. 16, although Davie said he doesn't think its possible to rank such things. ``None of us know for sure exactly what we have, if we're honest,'' he said. ``I always refer to is as having that Christmas present. You have that thing wrapped and you think it's pretty good. But we won't know until August, and it will probably be a long time after that until we know for sure.''
