Who is Likely Next (2013)

btown35

New member
Messages
69
Reaction score
0
i know it is early but does anyone have a guess on how many spots we have open for the 2014 class? I was just curious
 

btown35

New member
Messages
69
Reaction score
0
I would have thought there would be more slots just because kelly's first class was't very highly rated making it less likely for 5th years
 

ThePiombino

The OG "TP"
Messages
16,476
Reaction score
6,245
I would have thought there would be more slots just because kelly's first class was't very highly rated making it less likely for 5th years

I think this would only be Kelly's 4th class, no Kelly 5th years til the '15 class.

EDIT: Don't forget, part of Kelly's 1st class was Weis' last. All schollie offers were honored by Kelly.
 

btown35

New member
Messages
69
Reaction score
0
I honestly can't see many of the names on the thread being invited back for a 5th year. Nix is a given but really who else? Collinsworth will be back because of his injury this year. i would let the rest go!
 

btown35

New member
Messages
69
Reaction score
0
I think this would only be Kelly's 4th class, no Kelly 5th years til the '15 class.

EDIT: Don't forget, part of Kelly's 1st class was Weis' last. All schollie offers were honored by Kelly.

Even more of a reason why i think most of them will not be invited back. very few were recruited by kelly! And if we have a big win next year you are talking about keeping a 5th year instead of 5 star recruits.
 

Emcee77

latress on the men-jay
Messages
7,295
Reaction score
555
Yeah, as I look at that list again the only guy I see for sure getting a 5th year is Lombard. He is a starter who can play both guard and tackle. No way we don't take him back. Nix obviously but I really think he will leave after 2013. He will have his degree ... why stay for the 5th year? There's always the chance that he could pull a Matt Leinart, but I don't know.

After those two it really depends on how they do next year though. So we could have as many as 21 spots (assuming Nix leaves and we take three more guys in the 2013 class). But I think other guys like Collinsworth and Moore will likely be offered 5th years, and still others like Welch and Nichols might emerge as contributors next year and get 5th years as well. Just too early to know.
 

BleedBlueGold

Well-known member
Messages
6,269
Reaction score
2,492
Yeah, as I look at that list again the only guy I see for sure getting a 5th year is Lombard. He is a starter who can play both guard and tackle. No way we don't take him back. Nix obviously but I really think he will leave after 2013. He will have his degree ... why stay for the 5th year? There's always the chance that he could pull a Matt Leinart, but I don't know.

After those two it really depends on how they do next year though. So we could have as many as 21 spots (assuming Nix leaves and we take three more guys in the 2013 class). But I think other guys like Collinsworth and Moore will likely be offered 5th years, and still others like Welch and Nichols might emerge as contributors next year and get 5th years as well. Just too early to know.

ND doesn't offer basket weaving and dance class...

I don't see Lou sticking around for a 5th year. This staff absolutely needs to start taking more bodies for the DL, no question. And not these project types who need time to grow. Not all programs have the luxury of waiting on guys to grow into roles. Sometimes you need the Tuitts and Days right out of the gate. I'm takling true DL. Not the guys who could play TE/OL/DL/CAT etc. Sometimes you just need a true stud DL. The staff can't shy away from those guys even for a year.
 

Whiskeyjack

Mittens Margaritas Ante Porcos
Staff member
Messages
20,894
Reaction score
8,126
The more I think about it the more I think that this is a great question. I know Kelly is a little worried about slot depth, as opposed to RB depth. Next year the only guys who he really likes at slot will be Neal and Hunter and neither has much experience. But it seems to me that other needs are more pressing, and we have guys that can fill in/emerge at slot, like Cam McDaniel.

Carlisle looked good catching the ball out of the backfield at USC, and Fuller fits the physical profile of a Z WR for us.

I'm still thinking about this. I counted 10 DL for next year (don't forget, Utupo is listed at DE this year) but still we seem light at that position group.

That's a good point, but it really doesn't improve our DL depth. Thus far, Utupo seems to be nothing more than an undersized pass rusher, and with the talent we've got coming in at OLB, the odds of him seeing meaningful reps in the future does not look good. As OMM pointed out, we're lacking NTs and big run-stuffing DEs.

I was, however, counting Utupo among our ILB depth. Removing him leaves us with only 6 for 2013-- Carlo, Fox, Moore, Grace, Deeb and Anzalone. I don't see how we can afford to let either Carlo or Fox go in this situation, especially with Anzalone waivering. Moving Rabasa back inside makes a lot of sense.

One other (perhaps fanciful) theory: the UND.com roster shows a 6-7, 325lb. walk on DL, Kevin Carr. Anyone know anything about him? Maybe the staff thinks of him as an insurance guy who can rotate in if we have injury problems. I doubt it, as I've heard nothing, but who knows.

If Carr emerges as a serviceable NT, I'll be doing cart-wheels.

None of those guys is a Lou Nix-type immovable force in the middle.

Proto-typical NTs like Lou are super rare. Even in the NFL, elite War Daddies are a prized commodity. The staff may have decided that they got lucky with Lou and probably won't be able to replace him.
 

Luckylucci

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
27,769
Reaction score
10,146
Proto-typical NTs like Lou are super rare. Even in the NFL, elite War Daddies are a prized commodity. The staff may have decided that they got lucky with Lou and probably won't be able to replace him.
^^^^
This is the best point that can be made in reality. Incredibly hard to find guys that can do it. Raji and Wilfork dont come around that often.
 

Luckylucci

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
27,769
Reaction score
10,146
However, I do think Smith has that short stout frame to add a lot of weight and give it one helluva go!
 

Emcee77

latress on the men-jay
Messages
7,295
Reaction score
555
Proto-typical NTs like Lou are super rare. Even in the NFL, elite War Daddies are a prized commodity. The staff may have decided that they got lucky with Lou and probably won't be able to replace him.

I don't disagree with this, but it still doesn't explain why we didn't try harder to get a DT in this class. Someone like Darius Latham, for example, or Donovan Munger. Nix is a rare talent, sure, but surely there were plenty of guys in the 2013 class who had solid DT potential.

It must be that the staff feels they already have such a guy on the roster or in the pipeline. No one thought Kona would grow into a nose guard, and now look at him. The staff must see a future nose guard in someone that we think of as a DE at best. Jones or Springmann, I guess. Maybe Hounshell.
 

Luckylucci

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
27,769
Reaction score
10,146
Its confusing and I definitely don't know what the staff is thinking but it might help a little to think of it like this 4-3 DT's are 3-4 DE's, 4-3 DE are 3-4 CAT OLB's, and a true NG is in a category all by himself. This is speaking in generalities.
 

Old Man Mike

Fast as Lightning!
Messages
8,974
Reaction score
6,463
I don't understand much about all of this, but I think I DO see that when Big Lou is in the game an amazingly high number of oppositional plays look like they are not doing what the OC planned them to. Make the tackle or not, crap happens to their plays frequently and the "flyers" [Manti, the two Dannys, Stephon, Zeke etc] clean it up.

On another note: there's a 2014 from Florida named Kairi something or other to whom we've offered [and every other power], who looks to me like an elite destructive DT candidate. No one mentions him. I must suppose that this is because everyone thinks we'd never get him to sign....
 

Sherm Sticky

The Prophet
Messages
19,321
Reaction score
1,638
Specifically...

There were at least 2 WRs we had great shots at that were rated significantly higher than 3 of the guys we currently have committed.

There are 2 RBs who are objectively much better overall prospects than the one we have committed.

We had a very legitimate (and/or slam dunk depending who you talk to) shot at Dorian Johnson but filled up on OLs early.

We've held off on recruiting many DL in this cycle to due to limited scholarship numbers and other pressing needs... a move that could come back to haunt us.

Neither of the two CBs we have recruited is remotely close to a sure thing or stud. And now we're left with crunch that is going to make us potentially pass on an elite DB or an elite player at another position (RB, WR, etc.) because of the crunch.

In a class of 21 kids, we only have about 1 super stud level recruit and 6 stud level recruits... 1-5 super sucky Auburn has 3 5:s: guys and a pretty comparable overall class.
I actually like our current RB a lot. Clement could have committed a long time ago, but he waited and James popped first.
 

STLDomer

Schmitty
Messages
9,426
Reaction score
549
I don't understand much about all of this, but I think I DO see that when Big Lou is in the game an amazingly high number of oppositional plays look like they are not doing what the OC planned them to. Make the tackle or not, crap happens to their plays frequently and the "flyers" [Manti, the two Dannys, Stephon, Zeke etc] clean it up.

On another note: there's a 2014 from Florida named Kairi something or other to whom we've offered [and every other power], who looks to me like an elite destructive DT candidate. No one mentions him. I must suppose that this is because everyone thinks we'd never get him to sign....

http://www.irishenvy.com/forums/2014-recruiting-profiles/69771-14-fl-dt-khairi-clark-offer.html said he would definitely check out ND. He is definitely NG, last year played at 311 lbs.

There is some interest, the Southern Florida 247 guy said we were in contact him a week or so ago. Miami leads

674328.jpg


I think Jay Hayes can play NG too
 
Last edited:

NDinFL

New member
Messages
2,946
Reaction score
278
A 300lb true NG, from Florida, that Miami leads with???

This sounds quite familiar
 

IrishLax

Something Witty
Staff member
Messages
37,545
Reaction score
28,995
Irish Sports Daily ‏@ISDUpdate

2013 WR prospect no longer on active recruiting board for #NotreDame. (Premium) Irish Sports Daily Forums

Add Jordan Cunningham to the list with Tyler Boyd, Devon Allen, and Juwaan Williams... all guys with heavy ND interest who have been told we're full but that we'll stay in touch in case someone drops out.
 
Top