'13 PA ATH Alex Anzalone (Florida Early Enrollee)

[palinurus]

I just flipped through Anzalone's tweets. Either, he's the most sincere-sounding 18 year old phony in the country, or he is a severely conflicted, confused kid.

He's got tweets from Monday, pregame, about getting chills and being excited, and then more recently about getting ready to go to EE at ND, and tweets to his recruiting class, etc. It doesn't sound like a phony to me.

No, to me, he is just a confused kid, who, I think, took the Kelly news re interviewing as an excuse to flip. I think he wanted ND, but he wanted Fla. more -- kind of how some teenagers can't figure out what girl they like more -- and the interview stories provided a conflicted kid the impetus to do so. A lot of kids are just indecisive.

 

[IrishGlory]

I just looked at Rivals.com and they have him as a Florida Verbal as of July 8, 2012. That sounds about right, lol.

Yahoo Sports: Rivals.com 2013 Florida Commitments

 

[irishfanjho15]

Bull **** if you say leaving isnt an option. Then thats what it should mean. Trust is going to be an issue from here on out.

Well I'm glad you're not on the team, the staff, or signing the checks.

Trust is winning 20 of the last 24. You can talk about trusting someone you don't know all you want. I'll trust the numbers.

As far as I'm concerned the only trust I need in a football coach at ND is that he can win. Kelly has/is/and will continue to win.

 

[Pachuco]

Sorry but I disagree. This is about integrity. He sat in people's homes when he was recruiting kids and gained the trust of their parents. He has an incoming class that I'm sure he gave the impression he would be here to wlecome them. To handle this in the manner he did sucks and I have lost all respect for him. Not because he is interviewing with the Eagles but because of everything surrounding this, i.e. the timing of interviewing then not being available for the recruits to reach out to him since he can't reach out to them, the comments about wanting to work with 18-22 year old men, etc. There used to be a time when someone's word meant something. Our recruits have been showing more integrity than BK. As far as I am concerned, he could win five NCs and would still never be in the same class as Ara or Lou.

ALL respect? I mean, I understand the frustration, even the disappointment, but this is kind of dramatic. I would say if we had the full picture of what is going on (which we don't), then the big stones could be hurled. But hey, you're definitely not alone in feeling the way that you do. The meltdown is everywhere. I personally think it's rash.

 

[Emcee77]

Speculation of a new recruit committing from CA

Christian - are you hearing anything?

There are rumblings on twitter...

Edited with actual tweets:

Kyle O'Connor ‏@oconnorkyle

Nothing solid at this point but the void left by Anzalone could be filled in a big way.
Expand
14m Les Lukach Les Lukach ‏@LesLukach

.@oconnorkyle You may be hearing the same thing I'm hearing out here in Cali.

Holy hell ... If it's Hutchings I won't think twice about Anzalone or our ILB situation. More likely Vanderdoes though ... which is even more AWESOME.

 

[AdmiralBackhand]

Tough week, fellas. Chins up.

 

[ThePiombino]

not trying to do anything. But I think about everybody and their brother on this site knows Mattingly was a OLB. but if we move Randolph inside then we are short an OLB. Obviously we have a few waiting in the wings but some of those could potentially move to DE so we would still be short.

Mattingly's upside in our class was his flexibility position wise and providing depth.

If we land Prevot, and Vanderdoes then Mattingly who, but if we don't I wish we had him.

I'd rather take a shot at Prevot or Hollins personally. Mattingly's sole advantage over those two was his versatility being able to play TE. At this point we need pure LBs, so that is why I don't miss him. We will fill the spot with someone better than Mattingly. If not this year, next year.

 

[jerboski]

Good riddance, the Irishmob and Notre Dame nation has done nothing but embrace Alex through all of his BS! Great timing Coach Kelly, just thought I would throw that in too

 

[Kak7304]

I'm never trusting a recruit who picks us over Florida. This seems to be a yearly occurrence.

 

[scUM Hater]

What happens when will muschamp gets NFL interviews?

 

[NDPhilly]

Hutchings was a starter on the west team with Jaylon

 

[ThePiombino]

Hutchings was a starter on the west team with Jaylon

That would make this SO worth it.

 

[Emcee77]

I'd rather take a shot at Prevot or Hollins personally. Mattingly's sole advantage over those two was his versatility being able to play TE. At this point we need pure LBs, so that is why I don't miss him. We will fill the spot with someone better than Mattingly. If not this year, next year.

Agreed. I wonder if they only thing this will change re 2013 recruiting is that now we might be able to take both Hollins AND Prevot.

 

[johnnykillz]

I'm afraid the longer this lasts, the more that will follow...

Here's to hoping I'm wrong.

I really wish he'd vanquish the fears; that, or sh!t on us the truth. How long could this play out?

 

[ThePiombino]

Agreed. I wonder if they only thing this will change re 2013 recruiting is that now we might be able to take both Hollins AND Prevot.

I like where your head is at

 

[irishff1014]

Hutchings was a starter on the west team with Jaylon

Didn't they say at one point that he might come on a visit with EV?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Holy hell ... If it's Hutchings I won't think twice about Anzalone or our ILB situation. More likely Vanderdoes though ... which is even more AWESOME.

Hutchings was a starter on the west team with Jaylon

If that "void left by Anzalone" language is taken literally, Hutchings is one of the few who could do it.

 

[Nothingman]

No worries. We already have an Italian LB on the roster and he has a beard. Mr. Rabasa, your time is now.

 

[AllGoldEverything]

Best of luck to him. We will be fine. Next man in LEHHGOOOO

 

[ThePiombino]

If that "void left by Anzalone" language is taken literally, Hutchings is one of the few who could do it.

Yup! Here's to hoping!

 

[palinurus]

Sometimes I wonder if the qualities that make a coach a good recruiter are the qualities that make them untrustworthy as people. College football coaches are not generally the gold standard of selflessness.

 

[Grahambo]

The coaches are already on it.

John Montelus ‏@big_john_74
Just had a talk with coach Heistand #GoIrish

 

[NDdomer2]

I'd rather take a shot at Prevot or Hollins personally. Mattingly's sole advantage over those two was his versatility being able to play TE. At this point we need pure LBs, so that is why I don't miss him. We will fill the spot with someone better than Mattingly. If not this year, next year.

Seems like we are saying the same thing. I would much rather have Prevot, Hollins, or Hutchings and I most certainly hope we do fill the spot with someone better.

I am talking more in the hypothetical situation that we don't.

 

[johnnykillz]

The legion of Michigan and USC fans, etc reading this as a guest is profound.

Lol.

Guys, you have your own problems. At least we have a good coach: he might be leaving but it's more than you could say.

 

[Rocky2820]

This just sucks, fellas. I don't like any of it - not Alex's flip flopping all over the place or the fact that the BK/Eagles situation is front page news and is now lingering. I really, really liked what I saw from Alex on the field last weekend. Felt really good about him. This just sucks all the way around.

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

I asked TP about Anzalone and he said he decomitted earlier and had nothing with Kelly. Quit bashing Kelly.

Decommitted and spent the week with the other ND guys at the under armour game and told them all he was headed to ND?

 

[ThePiombino]

Seems like we are saying the same thing. I would much rather have Prevot, Hollins, or Hutchings and I most certainly hope we do fill the spot with someone better.

I am talking more in the hypothetical situation that we don't.

I hear ya. I would still prefer wait til 2014 to fill the spot. IMO Mattingly is not Niklas type talent with regards to his versatility. I think we can and will do better. Buy I was never really high on him.

EDIT: Meant Niklas, stupid phone auto-correct

 

[micks60]

Decommitted and spent the week with the other ND guys at the under armour game and told them all he was headed to ND?

Yep.

 

[jerboski]

And he tweeted about how this is never going to happen to them when we lost in the champs game and then he pulls this, what a joke

 

[IrishLax]

All I can add is this...

THIS IS WHY YOU OVERRECRUIT LIKE ALABAMA

Basically the same situation as last year with our CBs. We are now incredibly thing at ILB. Why? Because we didn't sign Joe Bolden last year because we were "filling up" and didn't sign any other ILBs in this class because Anzalone got upset at us even recruiting Isaac Sav.

Now over the last two classes we just have one 3 ILB.... that's completely unacceptable. And it's going to probably come back to haunt us in the long run. SMH.

Also, it should be noted that Anzalone stated emphatically weeks ago that coaching changes would have no effect on him. In fact when asked he said "excuse me, but, HELL no." Some teams get it, we don't yet, and I wonder when we will learn. We put way too much trust in a kid sticking to his "word."