I
irish4life99
Guest
Hear say from students retruning say that our early enrollies our have their dorm room assignments and will be starting classes next week!
U
urbanurbanurban
Guest
Yeah I can confirm Stewart. Great to hear!
I
iloveirish_12
Guest
Are any of them rooming with each other?
U
urbanurbanurban
Guest
I believe I read Aldridge and Stewart are rooming together. 90 percent sure on that.
New day dawns as recruits enroll
Eric Hansen SBT 1/15/06
SOUTH BEND -- George West still plans to go to his high school prom. He still envisions himself throwing his graduation cap in the air in late spring. He still vows to keep all his buddies at Northeast Academy in Oklahoma City and his girlfriend of two years in the prime positions on his cell phone's speed dial.
Holding onto a little bit of his own past, though, won't keep the Notre Dame football recruit from stepping into history Tuesday.
That is the day West, running back James Aldridge and offensive lineman Chris Stewart begin classes at Notre Dame. They become the first three Irish freshman football players to enroll in January since the permanent return of two-platoon football and the modern rebirth of ND football under Ara Parseghian in the mid-1960s.
"It was a real tough decision for me to come early," said West, projected by some recruiting services as a safety but who fashions himself as a wide receiver prospect. "There was a part of me who wanted to go out and enjoy my senior year. But I understand this is an opportunity to go out and do something special. The pluses outweigh the minuses. I'm just not sure what it's going to look like."Neither in some respects, perhaps, does Notre Dame, which never had a written rule prohibiting spring-semester enrollments for freshman football players. The school simply discouraged that practice -- even by non-athletes.
The old company line was developed because of limited course selections and a scrambling of course sequencing, the bite of South Bend's brutal winters and social concerns that mid-year enrollees would have a tougher time making friends.
The line first began to blur when Merrillville, Ind., running back Aldridge expressed an interest in early enrollment in his first conversations with Irish head football coach Charlie Weis.
It was never a deal-breaker. In fact, Aldridge, one of seven top 100 prospects so far in ND's loaded recruiting class, committed last May not knowing if early enrollment was ever going to be a reality. But a January start date has been a part of his thinking since the eighth grade, when he first sat down with his middle school's counselors to try to design a plan to allow him to graduate early and have an attractive enough academic résumé to leave all doors open.
The trend of early enrollment began in college football roughly a decade ago and has been picking up momentum ever since. Still, it's not enough to constitute a full-blown movement. Usually only elite prospects -- mostly skill-position players who are angling for playing time as freshmen -- find an extra spring practice session is worth foregoing a final semester of high school.Former Notre Dame recruiting coordinator Greg Mattison, now an assistant coach at Florida, estimated the Irish recruiting pool would typically shrink by five prospects a year because of the school's stance on early enrollment. And they usually were A-list prospects like Florida quarterback Chris Leak, for example.
Myron Rolle, a blue-chip defensive back and an even better student from Princeton, N.J., eliminated the Irish last summer in part because he assumed the rule would never change. He chose Florida State instead.
Stewart, an offensive lineman from Klein, Texas, and especially Aldridge had doubts about ND ever changing its thinking.
"I guess that makes us pioneers in a way," Aldridge said. "But you know people have been doing this at other schools for 10 years now. I just think of it as I'm bringing something new to Notre Dame. Hopefully, George, Chris and I can be a successful story with early enrollment, and we can keep it going for others."
So why the shift? Why now?Dan Saracino, assistant provost and director of admissions, was open to the idea as long as these weren't football-only decisions. There had to be compelling academic reasons as well.
There were. West, for instance, was so advanced in his course work he had already accumulated some college credit in high school.
Weis, meanwhile, had shown in his first recruiting cycle that he wasn't going to be at odds with the admissions department. He embraced ND's high academic standards, was thrilled the roster was full of "smart guys" who could understand his complex NFL system. And that gave him credibility with the ND powers-that-be that maybe this change of heart would be something positive.
But Weis was up front about the football reasons, too. The move meant a wider recruiting net and, in this cycle, a chance to usurp the NCAA maximum of 25 recruits per class. Early enrollees can count against the previous year's class if the school so chooses. Weis' first class -- hastily concocted after the Tyrone Willingham firing -- comprised just 15 players.
So due to the early enrollments, Weis can take 28 players in this class, 25 of whom will sign national letters-of-intent on Feb. 1. The class currently stands at 26 players.The importance of this bigger, better recruiting effort won't show up so much in 2006 as it will in 2007. That's when Weis will go into the season without quarterback Brady Quinn, consensus All-America wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, most of his starting offensive line, wideout Rhema McKnight, defensive end Victor Abiamiri and safety Chinedum Ndukwe, among others.
It's also when he'll start to feel the effects of back-to-back classes without much star power. There were just three top 100 recruits combined among the current freshmen and sophomores, and the small sophomore class already has five defections.
"There may be more guys leaving from that sophomore class," recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. "And that was a horrible class to begin with. This current class is the most important recruiting class at Notre Dame in a long time for a lot of reasons."
Stewart is well aware of the fact that this group has a chance to finish No. 1 in the eyes of the people who quantify such things. But right now the Texan is more concerned with where he will be able to purchase earmuffs and a scarf. And whether his roommate, Aldridge, snores.
"I do know he sleeps a lot," Stewart offered.Unlike West, though, Stewart has no mixed emotions about the early jump into college. That was only underscored by his experience at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 7 in San Antonio.
During the days leading up to the elite high school all-star game, Stewart learned to pass block for the first time. He also learned how good his competition is going to be in college. So thoughts of filling ND's vacant starting right tackle spot in the fall are secondary.
"I don't look at it as that I'm competing for a job, though in reality that's kind of what I'm doing," he said. "But my mind-set is that I'm just going to do the best I can this spring and learn as much as I can about the position. I realized when I was at San Antonio there's a lot I don't know about being an offensive lineman at this level. So my main focus is to be a student of the game, and everything else will fall in line."
Aldridge noted that the learning for the football program begins the same day as the first day of class.
"I've heard a lot about the winter conditioning program, and I'm going in expecting the worst," he said. "I don't get the impression they're going to be babying us. And you know what? I don't want them to."
Eric Hansen SBT 1/15/06
SOUTH BEND -- George West still plans to go to his high school prom. He still envisions himself throwing his graduation cap in the air in late spring. He still vows to keep all his buddies at Northeast Academy in Oklahoma City and his girlfriend of two years in the prime positions on his cell phone's speed dial.
Holding onto a little bit of his own past, though, won't keep the Notre Dame football recruit from stepping into history Tuesday.
That is the day West, running back James Aldridge and offensive lineman Chris Stewart begin classes at Notre Dame. They become the first three Irish freshman football players to enroll in January since the permanent return of two-platoon football and the modern rebirth of ND football under Ara Parseghian in the mid-1960s.
"It was a real tough decision for me to come early," said West, projected by some recruiting services as a safety but who fashions himself as a wide receiver prospect. "There was a part of me who wanted to go out and enjoy my senior year. But I understand this is an opportunity to go out and do something special. The pluses outweigh the minuses. I'm just not sure what it's going to look like."Neither in some respects, perhaps, does Notre Dame, which never had a written rule prohibiting spring-semester enrollments for freshman football players. The school simply discouraged that practice -- even by non-athletes.
The old company line was developed because of limited course selections and a scrambling of course sequencing, the bite of South Bend's brutal winters and social concerns that mid-year enrollees would have a tougher time making friends.
The line first began to blur when Merrillville, Ind., running back Aldridge expressed an interest in early enrollment in his first conversations with Irish head football coach Charlie Weis.
It was never a deal-breaker. In fact, Aldridge, one of seven top 100 prospects so far in ND's loaded recruiting class, committed last May not knowing if early enrollment was ever going to be a reality. But a January start date has been a part of his thinking since the eighth grade, when he first sat down with his middle school's counselors to try to design a plan to allow him to graduate early and have an attractive enough academic résumé to leave all doors open.
The trend of early enrollment began in college football roughly a decade ago and has been picking up momentum ever since. Still, it's not enough to constitute a full-blown movement. Usually only elite prospects -- mostly skill-position players who are angling for playing time as freshmen -- find an extra spring practice session is worth foregoing a final semester of high school.Former Notre Dame recruiting coordinator Greg Mattison, now an assistant coach at Florida, estimated the Irish recruiting pool would typically shrink by five prospects a year because of the school's stance on early enrollment. And they usually were A-list prospects like Florida quarterback Chris Leak, for example.
Myron Rolle, a blue-chip defensive back and an even better student from Princeton, N.J., eliminated the Irish last summer in part because he assumed the rule would never change. He chose Florida State instead.
Stewart, an offensive lineman from Klein, Texas, and especially Aldridge had doubts about ND ever changing its thinking.
"I guess that makes us pioneers in a way," Aldridge said. "But you know people have been doing this at other schools for 10 years now. I just think of it as I'm bringing something new to Notre Dame. Hopefully, George, Chris and I can be a successful story with early enrollment, and we can keep it going for others."
So why the shift? Why now?Dan Saracino, assistant provost and director of admissions, was open to the idea as long as these weren't football-only decisions. There had to be compelling academic reasons as well.
There were. West, for instance, was so advanced in his course work he had already accumulated some college credit in high school.
Weis, meanwhile, had shown in his first recruiting cycle that he wasn't going to be at odds with the admissions department. He embraced ND's high academic standards, was thrilled the roster was full of "smart guys" who could understand his complex NFL system. And that gave him credibility with the ND powers-that-be that maybe this change of heart would be something positive.
But Weis was up front about the football reasons, too. The move meant a wider recruiting net and, in this cycle, a chance to usurp the NCAA maximum of 25 recruits per class. Early enrollees can count against the previous year's class if the school so chooses. Weis' first class -- hastily concocted after the Tyrone Willingham firing -- comprised just 15 players.
So due to the early enrollments, Weis can take 28 players in this class, 25 of whom will sign national letters-of-intent on Feb. 1. The class currently stands at 26 players.The importance of this bigger, better recruiting effort won't show up so much in 2006 as it will in 2007. That's when Weis will go into the season without quarterback Brady Quinn, consensus All-America wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, most of his starting offensive line, wideout Rhema McKnight, defensive end Victor Abiamiri and safety Chinedum Ndukwe, among others.
It's also when he'll start to feel the effects of back-to-back classes without much star power. There were just three top 100 recruits combined among the current freshmen and sophomores, and the small sophomore class already has five defections.
"There may be more guys leaving from that sophomore class," recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. "And that was a horrible class to begin with. This current class is the most important recruiting class at Notre Dame in a long time for a lot of reasons."
Stewart is well aware of the fact that this group has a chance to finish No. 1 in the eyes of the people who quantify such things. But right now the Texan is more concerned with where he will be able to purchase earmuffs and a scarf. And whether his roommate, Aldridge, snores.
"I do know he sleeps a lot," Stewart offered.Unlike West, though, Stewart has no mixed emotions about the early jump into college. That was only underscored by his experience at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 7 in San Antonio.
During the days leading up to the elite high school all-star game, Stewart learned to pass block for the first time. He also learned how good his competition is going to be in college. So thoughts of filling ND's vacant starting right tackle spot in the fall are secondary.
"I don't look at it as that I'm competing for a job, though in reality that's kind of what I'm doing," he said. "But my mind-set is that I'm just going to do the best I can this spring and learn as much as I can about the position. I realized when I was at San Antonio there's a lot I don't know about being an offensive lineman at this level. So my main focus is to be a student of the game, and everything else will fall in line."
Aldridge noted that the learning for the football program begins the same day as the first day of class.
"I've heard a lot about the winter conditioning program, and I'm going in expecting the worst," he said. "I don't get the impression they're going to be babying us. And you know what? I don't want them to."
jiggafini19
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If Bob Chimiel had EE while under Holtz when he was recruiting coordinator, there would have been another NC in South Bend since 1988.
This will only lead to bigger and better things under Weis. Now that these guys are there, it is a reality.
This will only lead to bigger and better things under Weis. Now that these guys are there, it is a reality.
cpprhead59
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anyone have word on who maybe leaving per the quote from Lemming?
i would think hoskins maybe one...any others?
i would think hoskins maybe one...any others?
cpprhead59
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i would think hoskins might be one to go b/c of lack of playing time as well as his stint in Charlie's doghouse.
i could see a few of the soph class leaving for sure.
i could see a few of the soph class leaving for sure.
cpprhead59
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i dont mean "for sure" literally at all. I just mean that a lot of these kids come in as "big fish" and then not playing can get to them.
hoskins was the gatorade player of the year in Mich, was recruited by Ty, started to play some during his freshman year and then poof....Ty is gone and he isnt playing much at all. I do believe his lack of playing time is due to a combo of being in the doghouse/injury.
Anthony Vernaglia (sp) - came in with a lot of hype and hasnt done anything and now we sign a bunch of Safties which was were he was projected to play and in garbage time did play.
that is what i mean by players I can see leaving. i do not know anything at all about them actually doing so.
just hypotheticals based on a comment by lemming in the sunday SBT about the sophomore class losing more players as 2 lineman have left this summer.
go irish.
hoskins was the gatorade player of the year in Mich, was recruited by Ty, started to play some during his freshman year and then poof....Ty is gone and he isnt playing much at all. I do believe his lack of playing time is due to a combo of being in the doghouse/injury.
Anthony Vernaglia (sp) - came in with a lot of hype and hasnt done anything and now we sign a bunch of Safties which was were he was projected to play and in garbage time did play.
that is what i mean by players I can see leaving. i do not know anything at all about them actually doing so.
just hypotheticals based on a comment by lemming in the sunday SBT about the sophomore class losing more players as 2 lineman have left this summer.
go irish.
3 recruits first to enroll early at Notre Dame
Staff and wire services
Three students who played high school football last fall started classes at Notre Dame on Tuesday, marking a change in the school’s longtime policy against mid-year admissions.
Running back James Aldridge of Merrillville High School, offensive lineman Chris Stewart of Klein High School in Texas, and George West, a defensive back and wide receiver from Northeast Academy in Oklahoma City, became the first recruits in years to enroll at Notre Dame for the spring semester.
Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said Notre Dame may have been the last school to make the change. He said the policy had hurt the Irish because some recruits had not considered Notre Dame because of its policy that prevented them from enrolling early and having a better job of competing for playing time.
“It’s something that had to be done in order to compete with other schools,” Lemming said. “For a number of top stars, they were out of the recruiting race until the beginning – I would say at least 10 percent of the top 100 players.”
The move also allows Notre Dame to recruit more high school football players. The early enrollees can be counted against either this year’s recruiting class or last year’s. John Heisler, senior associate athletic director, said the three would count against last year’s total, when the Irish signed 15 players.
Notre Dame already has verbal commitments from 23 other high school seniors.
Staff and wire services
Three students who played high school football last fall started classes at Notre Dame on Tuesday, marking a change in the school’s longtime policy against mid-year admissions.
Running back James Aldridge of Merrillville High School, offensive lineman Chris Stewart of Klein High School in Texas, and George West, a defensive back and wide receiver from Northeast Academy in Oklahoma City, became the first recruits in years to enroll at Notre Dame for the spring semester.
Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said Notre Dame may have been the last school to make the change. He said the policy had hurt the Irish because some recruits had not considered Notre Dame because of its policy that prevented them from enrolling early and having a better job of competing for playing time.
“It’s something that had to be done in order to compete with other schools,” Lemming said. “For a number of top stars, they were out of the recruiting race until the beginning – I would say at least 10 percent of the top 100 players.”
The move also allows Notre Dame to recruit more high school football players. The early enrollees can be counted against either this year’s recruiting class or last year’s. John Heisler, senior associate athletic director, said the three would count against last year’s total, when the Irish signed 15 players.
Notre Dame already has verbal commitments from 23 other high school seniors.