Who is Likely Next (2013)

[Grahambo]

I suppose I should save my whining until after NSD to see if we really don't get anybody else but damn am I upset.

 

[DillonHall]

I suppose I should save my whining until after NSD to see if we really don't get anybody else but damn am I upset.

Cheer up, we still have a great class! It's deep, fills needs, and is very talented.

 

[woolybug25]

I suppose I should save my whining until after NSD to see if we really don't get anybody else but damn am I upset.

We will still probably have a top 5 class and were one of only a few that had a chance at the number one class this close to signing day. Kelly has pulled a great class every year. I like to think that we should celebrate the recruits we landed, not the ones that got away.

[/glass overflowing]

 

[Grahambo]

Cheer up, we still have a great class! It's deep, fills needs, and is very talented.

Yeah. Not upset at the class per se. Upset at the missed opportunities.

 

[vuirish]

unless kiffin totally craps the bed in some way, shape, or form in these next few days, pretty much

If there is anyone up to the task, it's Lane.

 

[LoveThee]

God, great year in recruiting.

IMO, it could have been even better, agree with the points Lax has made and what Grahambo pointed out. Dorian Johnson is a 5 star lineman and we are not very deep there. I believe he could even play DL, right? I would love to have him in this class. It would be nice to fill out the full 85, and if we take that commitment its not as big of a blow that we whiffed on Hollins/Prevot. I think the staff has to look more to add great talent when it is ready to commit instead of playing according to the numbers at the time because as the saying goes, **** happens.

Feel like we didn't cash in AS much as we possibly could have from the great season. Regardless, a great class. Hats off to the staff and hope they can keep up the good work.

 

[pkt77242]

I'm sick of adding walk ons or special teams players. We have to keep those scholarships for the rest of their time at ND.

I'm not saying we should greyshirt, oversign or cut players. But dang... If we can't get a quality player to fill a scholly, then I don't think we should give those to anyone that isn't a senior or 5th year senior. We are already fighting an uphill battle with the SEC because of oversigning, lets quit making their job easier by voluntarily giving our valuable scholarship space to guys that wont contribute to the team. If they are only filling a hole for a year, fine. If we have to commit multiple years to a subpar player, then give that to a senior instead and try to fill it with a blue chip in the next class.

We cant have it both ways. If we don't cut players, then we can just give scholarships to players that aren't going to contribute.

I would normally agree with this but next year we are really short on ST players. Only one kicker or punter will be on scholarship next year (Brindza). Now I am not saying that we should take just any kicker or punter but if we could grab a top 5 player at either kicker or punter I would be all for it. What if Brindza gets injured next year? WTF do we do then? Just saying.

 

[yankeeND]

I suppose I should save my whining until after NSD to see if we really don't get anybody else but damn am I upset.

It's al good bro, everybody on here wants the big time kids. With the season we just had, you should feel that way. It's a strike while the iron is hot kind of deal. If we add a couple, that's awesome but if we don't, that's fine. We got a top 5 overall player in the nation in Smith, a big time safety in Max, and a big-time running back in Bryant! Then everyone else just oozes Koyack!

 

[Grahambo]

We will still probably have a top 5 class and were one of only a few that had a chance at the number one class this close to signing day. Kelly has pulled a great class every year. I like to think that we should celebrate the recruits we landed, not the ones that got away.

[/glass overflowing]

 

[IrishHokie22]

I'll be happy if we just keep this class as is (no more decommitments or commitments). I'll be content if the class holds with just the exception of Folston. I'll be ecstatic if we land Vanderdoes (with or without Folston, no disrespect to him). I'd really like to see Notre Dame get up to 85 scholarship players in the near future. Hopefully that can happen after next year's class.

Things may look a little bleak in terms of adding anyone else to this class, but you never know what could happen from now until Signing Day. We may be on the positive end of a surprise NSD decision for a change. That would be nice.

 

[phork]

Anyone know why we weren't after Derrick Green? I just find it odd that a 5* running back who chose Michigan wouldn't be on our radar, and the same for Michigan in regards to Bryant. According to Rivals, Bryant did not have a UM offer.

 

[BGIF]

Im not here to complain but didn't Kelly request the academic standards to be what it was when Lou Holtz was there?

A. When did Kelly make such a request?

B. What were those "academic standards" you believe were in place?


I wrote recruiting articles 18 years ago. ND required 16 core courses then as they do now.

In Holtz's first year ND admitted three Prop 48's, two played football, one played basketball. ND has not admitted a Prop 48 caliber recruit since as the ND Administrations found that situation incompatible with the university's mission.

BTW, Holtz never had the benefit of Early Entrance Freshman which Kelly does and Weis had.

Keep in mind ND athletes have to compete in the classroom with a student body that averages a 1350 SAT score and finished in the Top 5% of their HS graduating class. Despite that academic challenge ND athletes graduate in 4 years at a rate consistently among the leaders, if not the leader, in the nation.

 

[Emcee77]

Very happy with this class even if we don't get anybody else. My only (slight) concern is depth in the front 7. I wonder if we will try to get back in the race for somebody late.

Last year we were light on corners after Darby decommitted, and Denbrock made a last-minute push for Marcus Rios -- would have got him to visit, too, except that UCLA offered his twin sister a cross country scholarship, as I recall.

I wonder if we will do something similar this year. Maybe try to get back involved with Austin Hooper or Victor Egu, guys we kept on the back burner for a while during the fall and then faded away from. I loved Hooper's toughness -- he's a poor man's Fitts or Matuska -- and I like Egu's versatility as a guy who can play either OLB or ILB. Not predicting anything but I'd be psyched to hear that Denbrock was going to make a late run at either guy.

 

[IrishLax]

Anyone know why we weren't after Derrick Green? I just find it odd that a 5* running back who chose Michigan wouldn't be on our radar, and the same for Michigan in regards to Bryant. According to Rivals, Bryant did not have a UM offer.

Probably the same reason Ohio State flat out told him "no" but recruited other RBs. People have different tastes. I think Green is an awesome prospect but I guess the staff had their reasons... or maybe he just had no interest early in the process.

Kids from southern Virginia tend to always list Michigan as an early favorite for some reason. Not usually ND though.

 

[Emcee77]

Probably the same reason Ohio State flat out told him "no" but recruited other RBs. People have different tastes. I think Green is an awesome prospect but I guess the staff had their reasons... or maybe he just had no interest early in the process.

Kids from southern Virginia tend to always list Michigan as an early favorite for some reason. Not usually ND though.

I was thinking the same thing. Derrick Green goes to the same high school David Terrell went to.

EDIT: scratch that, he does not, had two schools mixed up because they both start with H. Still, I agree that Michigan does have major cachet in Richmond. No idea why.

 

[NDPhilly]

Maybe Green wasn't versatile enough. When you look at Bryant he fits exactly what we want to do with his running and pass catching ability. Green is a power RB and only that. Fits what Michigan wants to do with their "man ball" (rolls eyes)

 

[IrishLax]

I was thinking the same thing. Derrick Green goes to the same high school David Terrell went to.

EDIT: scratch that, he does not, had two schools mixed up because they both start with H. Still, I agree that Michigan does have major cachet in Richmond. No idea why.

As well as Woodbridge and the VB area. I've got no clue why because they don't do well in the Carolinas or really Florida or Georgia either. But Virginia... and MD/DC too a little bit... they tend to make a lot of early top 5s.

 

[IrishLax]

Maybe Green wasn't versatile enough. When you look at Bryant he fits exactly what we want to do with his running and pass catching ability. Green is a power RB and only that. Fits what Michigan wants to do with their "man ball" (rolls eyes)

This is exactly why Urban didn't want him.

 

[DCIrish]

This is a good class, but they still didn't fill their needs at positions like DL and LB. As it stands right now they will have signed only 4 DL and 5 LB's in the last two classes. That is not good enough and creates depth issues in the future.

 

[pkt77242]

This is a good class, but they still didn't fill their needs at positions like DL and LB. As it stands right now they will have signed only 4 DL and 5 LB's in the last two classes. That is not good enough and creates depth issues in the future.

We are really deep at OLB, and yes ILB is a little short handed but we have some OLBs that can move inside. You are a debby downer of epic proportions. Next class we probably need 3-4 LBs but that isn't a huge issue. Our DL is actually looking pretty good depth wise. The only real question is NG and we have seen that the staff thinks of NG differently than we do. Relax.

 

[DillonHall]

It wouldn't be terrible to save some scholarships for the 2014 class. I think we'll see the benefits of the 12-0 season in next year's recruiting class.

 

[DCIrish]

We are really deep at OLB, and yes ILB is a little short handed but we have some OLBs that can move inside. You are a debby downer of epic proportions. Next class we probably need 3-4 LBs but that isn't a huge issue. Our DL is actually looking pretty good depth wise. The only real question is NG and we have seen that the staff thinks of NG differently than we do. Relax.

Not being a debbie downer about anything just being a realist. When you miss certain positions it might not hurt you right away, but it could 2 or 3 years down the line. Needed to finish than what they are doing coming off an 12-1 season.

 

[stlnd01]

When lamenting missed opportunities, let's not forget the Alquadin Muhammed situation.
Here was an elite DE/OLB who was widely regarded as a "silent" commit and presumably had a slot in our class. Then whatever happened happened and he went to Miami and only then did we start in late on the likes of Fitts and Prevot, presumably - at least in part - because we had another slot at their position.
In other words, there is a downside to taking the commitments of kids - officially or not - before their academic situations are fully baked. Same could be said for Jamel James.

 

[NDhoosier]

It wouldn't be terrible to save some scholarships for the 2014 class. I think we'll see the benefits of the 12-0 season in next year's recruiting class.

The difference is that there may not be as many 5th years for 2014 as there will be (projected) for 2013. There are 4 players in 2013 that are worth asking back, but 5th years for 2014 include:

Hendrix - no
Massa - no
Welch -maybe, especially since we got 2 TEs in this class and will be going after at least one TE in the 2014 class
Heggie - no
Lombard - yes
Nix - yes, but he will likely go to the NFL since he will have his degree, just like Eifert, no one is expecting him back for his 5th year.
Moore - maybe, depending on depth at ILB
Utupo - no
Wood - maybe, depending on a lot of things, personally, I say no
Collinsworth - maybe, but there is a lot of talent at the safety position as well.

So Lombard is about the only one that is likely to get asked back and has a good chance of not going to the NFL.

 

[stlnd01]

The difference is that there may not be as many 5th years for 2014 as there will be (projected) for 2013. There are 4 players in 2013 that are worth asking back, but 5th years for 2014 include:

Hendrix - no
Massa - no
Welch -maybe, especially since we got 2 TEs in this class and will be going after at least one TE in the 2014 class
Heggie - no
Lombard - yes
Nix - yes, but he will likely go to the NFL since he will have his degree, just like Eifert, no one is expecting him back for his 5th year.
Moore - maybe, depending on depth at ILB
Utupo - no
Wood - maybe, depending on a lot of things, personally, I say no
Collinsworth - maybe, but there is a lot of talent at the safety position as well.

So Lombard is about the only one that is likely to get asked back and has a good chance of not going to the NFL.

A good analysis. Lombard would be the only slam dunk, plus Nix if he wants to. But worth noting that, under Kelly, this program has leaned towards keeping players longer, rather than losing/letting them go. That includes offering 5th years to guys who might not seem like elite contributors, a la McCarthy and Goodman and, it appears, Calabrese. So far this approach has generally paid off.

 

[Booslum31]

A good analysis. Lombard would be the only slam dunk, plus Nix if he wants to. But worth noting that, under Kelly, this program has leaned towards keeping players longer, rather than losing/letting them go. That includes offering 5th years to guys who might not seem like elite contributors, a la McCarthy and Goodman and, it appears, Calabrese. So far this approach has generally paid off.

I get what you are saying but I only see Lombard getting the 5th out of this group and Wood as a long long shot.

 

[pkt77242]

A good analysis. Lombard would be the only slam dunk, plus Nix if he wants to. But worth noting that, under Kelly, this program has leaned towards keeping players longer, rather than losing/letting them go. That includes offering 5th years to guys who might not seem like elite contributors, a la McCarthy and Goodman and, it appears, Calabrese. So far this approach has generally paid off.

I disagree. We only kept Mccarthy and Goodman because we lost out on some recruits at the very end last year (though I am glad that Goodman came back). They were not planned to come back recruits but why the Hell not after we lost DGB and Darby last year.

 

[condoms SUCk]

A good analysis. Lombard would be the only slam dunk, plus Nix if he wants to. But worth noting that, under Kelly, this program has leaned towards keeping players longer, rather than losing/letting them go. That includes offering 5th years to guys who might not seem like elite contributors, a la McCarthy and Goodman and, it appears, Calabrese. So far this approach has generally paid off.

Good point about keeping some of the 5th yr non-elite contributors.
My opinion it's to keep stability at those positions and to help expedite the learning curve for the young guys. Having 5th yr guys are kinda like having a coach that can help w/ questions then the coaches are not/ can't be around and keep guys focused on the process.

 

[ResLife Hero]

Do we have any visitors left this weekend after Prevot dropped out?

 

[Emcee77]

Do we have any visitors left this weekend after Prevot dropped out?

No.