'13 FL RB Tarean Folston (Notre Dame Signed LOI)

[IrishLax]

Armando Allen?

Armando Allen was fast (I think?) before injuries started catching up with him... I know he had two in HS the latter of which I heard really hurt his top end speed and he was never the same. But I could be miss-remembering that.

 

[Emcee77]

Armando Allen?

Man, if he is as good as Armando Allen I'll be pretty excited. Allen was one tough runner for a guy that size. He consistently ran through tackles and got yards after contact despite being, what, 205, at most? Not a big guy but after his sophomore year he was awfully tough.

 

[Ironman8]

Whenever I watch his film I think "if only he was bigger or faster".... he plays like a #1 RB if he had homerun speed OR if he was big and physical enough to break first contact. His vision, patience, agility, etc. are all superb.

More than anything... he reminds me of a slightly shorter KeiVarae Russel. Neither of them have elite top end speed but they had everything else on film.

I really like this comparison. I'm very glad it is looking more and more likely we hold on to Folston.

 

[yankeeND]

Speed is something you can't teach but line play is something that can counter that. Good thing we have a great OL haul coming in!

 

[Ndaccountant]

Man, if he is as good as Armando Allen I'll be pretty excited. Allen was one tough runner for a guy that size. He consistently ran through tackles and got yards after contact despite being, what, 205, at most? Not a big guy but after his sophomore year he was awfully tough.

That was AA senior year. AA before that was a guy that would always seem to be tripped up by an arm tackle for a 5 yard gain when it should have been a 20 yard gain.

 

[Domina Nostra]

That was AA senior year. AA before that was a guy that would always seem to be tripped up by an arm tackle for a 5 yard gain when it should have been a 20 yard gain.

His senior year AA finished runs with a chip on his shoulder. I remember that distinctly.

Somebody once commented that Hughes spent a lot of his career trying to run like a small back, while AA ran as if he weighed 230. If the two had switched personalities, they could have been quite a duo.

 

[phgreek]

Man, if he is as good as Armando Allen I'll be pretty excited. Allen was one tough runner for a guy that size. He consistently ran through tackles and got yards after contact despite being, what, 205, at most? Not a big guy but after his sophomore year he was awfully tough.

...He was certainly very physical his last year...but I recall him lacking power early on,and getting arm tackled too often. Big jump his junior year, and then lots of physicality in his last year before he got hurt again.

 

[PANDFAN]

His senior year AA finished runs with a chip on his shoulder. I remember that distinctly.

Somebody once commented that Hughes spent a lot of his career trying to run like a small back, while AA ran as if he weighed 230. If the two had switched personalities, they could have been quite a duo.

AA and Theo were very similar...both seemed to always go down by a finger and senior years ran w/ authority

 

[Emcee77]

That was AA senior year. AA before that was a guy that would always seem to be tripped up by an arm tackle for a 5 yard gain when it should have been a 20 yard gain.

I remember it being junior year that he really stepped up his game (no pun intended ... I remember he said that running stairs in the offseason is what gave him the lower body strength to take his game to another level). But yeah, whenever it was, he went from a Cierre Wood-like running back, a fairly elusive guy who went down kind of easy once he was caught, to a great straight-ahead runner who ALWAYS got yards after contact. That latter-day Armando Allen is the best running back I remember playing for ND (but my memory only goes back to about 2000). Folston growing into that guy is a really exciting thought.

 

[Kak7304]

I remember it being junior year that he really stepped up his game (no pun intended ... I remember he said that running stairs in the offseason is what gave him the lower body strength to take his game to another level). But yeah, whenever it was, he went from a Cierre Wood-like running back, a fairly elusive guy who went down kind of easy once he was caught, to a great straight-ahead runner who ALWAYS got yards after contact. That latter-day Armando Allen is the best running back I remember playing for ND (but my memory only goes back to about 2000). Folston growing into that guy is a really exciting thought.

Julius Jones in the early 2000's was far superior to AA.

 

[Cackalacky]

I liked Darius Walker alot. In the end I was hoping for more but I still liked him.
James Aldridge was another that just never panned out.

 

[Ndaccountant]

Julius Jones in the early 2000's was far superior to AA.

Yep, and it IMO it is not close. I would even go so far as saying that D Walker was better than AA.

 

[irishog77]

I'll be honest-- I hope Folston is a lot better than either Walker or Allen.

 

[Meacon Irish]

Darius Walker is still my most "WTF You sooooooooo should have stayed another year" Irish Player of the Century. He only showed flashes of what he was capable of and left. Had he stayed and played another year, I think the NFL would have been more patient with him.

But this is about Folston. I haven't seen enough of him to compare him with anyone. So instead of saying he'll be the next Armando or Julius, I'll just say I hope he surpasses them both, becoming the first Tarean.

 

[Emcee77]

Julius Jones in the early 2000's was far superior to AA.

Yep, and it IMO it is not close. I would even go so far as saying that D Walker was better than AA.

It's off-topic so I won't pursue this but I want to go on record once as saying that Julius Jones was arguably better than AA, but not "far superior." He's the only one in the last 12 years or so that I could see an argument for over AA. He was definitely faster than AA, and maybe equally shifty, but not as tough.

I strongly disagree that D. Walker at his best was better than AA at his best. Walker was a crafty runner with good vision and patience but slower and not as tough as AA.

 

[Booslum31]

I'll be honest-- I hope Folston is a lot better than either Walker or Allen.

It seemed to me that Walker had trouble elluding the first tackler and went down a bit too easily. I was stoked when we got him but I'm more excited about Folston for sure.

 

[Irish#1]

It seemed to me that Walker had trouble elluding the first tackler and went down a bit too easily. I was stoked when we got him but I'm more excited about Folston for sure.

I agree. I always thought Walker left a lot to be desired. When he declared I knew his NFL career would be brief. Injuries kept Aldridge from reaching his potential. Folston looks to have the skill set to be successful. Like 99% of the freshmen, he needs time to develop his strength.

 

[Kak7304]

Darius Walker is still my most "WTF You sooooooooo should have stayed another year" Irish Player of the Century. He only showed flashes of what he was capable of and left. Had he stayed and played another year, I think the NFL would have been more patient with him.

But this is about Folston. I haven't seen enough of him to compare him with anyone. So instead of saying he'll be the next Armando or Julius, I'll just say I hope he surpasses them both, becoming the first Tarean.

No, I think he knew what the 2007 team was going to be like. New OL, new QB, new WR.

 

[PANDFAN]

i know he says he is all irish but this can't hurt

Auburn announces Rich Bisaccia has left, TE coach Tim Horton moves to RBs,

 

[Irish#1]

Read a couple of articles today. I don't think we have to worry about this young man.

 

[bkess8]

I hope not, signing day can't come soon enough!

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Gotta love recruiting!

Auburn 247 site is reporting this morning that Folston is still in close talks with the Auburn staff and they feel like they can flip him. As Sapp pointed out, ND feels he has reaffirmed and is solid. Auburn wants two more RBs in this class.

Just one more week.

 

[Ironman8]

Gotta love recruiting!

Auburn 247 site is reporting this morning that Folston is still in close talks with the Auburn staff and they feel like they can flip him. As Sapp pointed out, ND feels he has reaffirmed and is solid. Auburn wants two more RBs in this class.

Just one more week.

Doesn't Auburn think they will grab the RB Ford that recently decommitted from Vandy?

 

[PANDFAN]

Doesn't Auburn think they will grab the RB Ford that recently decommitted from Vandy?

yes.....he visited au and then decommitted from vandy plus there had been some chatter prior to his visit

 

[jerboski]

Doesn't Auburn think they will grab the RB Ford that recently decommitted from Vandy?

They want both of them

 

[Grahambo]

Gotta love recruiting!

Auburn 247 site is reporting this morning that Folston is still in close talks with the Auburn staff and they feel like they can flip him. As Sapp pointed out, ND feels he has reaffirmed and is solid. Auburn wants two more RBs in this class.

Just one more week.

Can we say desperate for subscriptions and clicks?

 

[Irishnuke]

Can we say desperate for subscriptions and clicks?

Hopefully that's the case. Nothing surprises me though.

 

[IrishLax]

Seems like an inverted Brian Poole situation. I doubt he ends up at Auburn unless they roll up with a truck full of cash. Apparently they already offered Ty Isaac a car during his recruiting....

 

[IrishLax]

Extremely troubling update on 247. Folston almost reopened process last night but long conversation with Alford held that off. Father apparently in ND's corner but he is definitely listening to Auburn who continues to put on the full court press.

At this point, I'm skeptical that he sticks.

 

[jimmymac]

Ruh roh