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SportingNews weighs in with this: http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=76436
Weis could have big recruiting victory in hand
March 27, 2006
The recruiting race for sensational QB Jimmy Clausen might have ended with a leisurely jog from one drill to another USC's practice last Tuesday.
When John David Booty suffered back spasms last week after a simple trot between drills in the Trojans' opening practice, Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis might have landed the most coveted quarterback prospect since Ron Powlus was penciled in for multiple Heisman trophies in 1993.
Clausen, expected to make his decision before the end of May, recently said Notre Dame and USC were his favorites in the recruiting battle, with South Carolina a Hail Mary away. So how does Booty's injury affect a QB completing his junior year of high school? Here's how the scenario will unfold, according to some insiders.
Clausen has been leaning heavily toward Notre Dame for a while, at least since a junior-day visit to South Bend in January. And why not? Weis is a miracle worker with quarterbacks, having turned Tom Brady into a three-time Super Bowl winner and making Brady Quinn a whole lot of future scratch once he finishes his career at Notre Dame.
But hold on, Pete Carroll might have a thing or two to say. After all, Carroll coached Carson Palmer into the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft, and Matt Leinart is certain to be a top-five pick this year. And don't forget Matt Cassell, who threw all of 33 passes while backing up Leinart in college and still was still drafted by the New England Patriots.
Sure, Carroll is a defensive-minded guy, and Norm Chow gets a lot of credit for Palmer and Leinart, but USC's offense didn't miss a beat last year after Chow left for the Tennessee Titans. USC threw for 319.8 yards per game last season, compared with 330.3 for Notre Dame, but averaged 12.4 more points per game, all while finding touches for Reggie Bush and LenDale White. Let's just say that playing quarterback for USC ain't too shabby, either.
But one USC player makes this recruiting race a tad slanted toward the Irish. His name is Mark Sanchez, and he was the nation's No. 1 quarterback in the 2005 recruiting class.
Sanchez redshirted last year, learning under Leinart, and was expected to compete with Booty this spring for USC's starting job. The job now seemingly belongs to Sanchez; with Booty rumored to be done for the spring, another three- or four-year starter could be in place for the Trojans.
Do I think Clausen is afraid of the competition at USC? Nope. But with Sanchez all but entrenched as the starter for this fall -- and the fact that Sanchez would be two years ahead of Clausen in knowing USC's offense -- let's just say Weis has to be even more confident than usual.
Would things be different had Booty stayed healthy? Maybe not, as Clausen has been a big fan of Weis' offense from the start, but this latest occurrence in LA might have erased any of Clausen's doubts.
Weis could have big recruiting victory in hand
March 27, 2006
The recruiting race for sensational QB Jimmy Clausen might have ended with a leisurely jog from one drill to another USC's practice last Tuesday.
When John David Booty suffered back spasms last week after a simple trot between drills in the Trojans' opening practice, Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis might have landed the most coveted quarterback prospect since Ron Powlus was penciled in for multiple Heisman trophies in 1993.
Clausen, expected to make his decision before the end of May, recently said Notre Dame and USC were his favorites in the recruiting battle, with South Carolina a Hail Mary away. So how does Booty's injury affect a QB completing his junior year of high school? Here's how the scenario will unfold, according to some insiders.
Clausen has been leaning heavily toward Notre Dame for a while, at least since a junior-day visit to South Bend in January. And why not? Weis is a miracle worker with quarterbacks, having turned Tom Brady into a three-time Super Bowl winner and making Brady Quinn a whole lot of future scratch once he finishes his career at Notre Dame.
But hold on, Pete Carroll might have a thing or two to say. After all, Carroll coached Carson Palmer into the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft, and Matt Leinart is certain to be a top-five pick this year. And don't forget Matt Cassell, who threw all of 33 passes while backing up Leinart in college and still was still drafted by the New England Patriots.
Sure, Carroll is a defensive-minded guy, and Norm Chow gets a lot of credit for Palmer and Leinart, but USC's offense didn't miss a beat last year after Chow left for the Tennessee Titans. USC threw for 319.8 yards per game last season, compared with 330.3 for Notre Dame, but averaged 12.4 more points per game, all while finding touches for Reggie Bush and LenDale White. Let's just say that playing quarterback for USC ain't too shabby, either.
But one USC player makes this recruiting race a tad slanted toward the Irish. His name is Mark Sanchez, and he was the nation's No. 1 quarterback in the 2005 recruiting class.
Sanchez redshirted last year, learning under Leinart, and was expected to compete with Booty this spring for USC's starting job. The job now seemingly belongs to Sanchez; with Booty rumored to be done for the spring, another three- or four-year starter could be in place for the Trojans.
Do I think Clausen is afraid of the competition at USC? Nope. But with Sanchez all but entrenched as the starter for this fall -- and the fact that Sanchez would be two years ahead of Clausen in knowing USC's offense -- let's just say Weis has to be even more confident than usual.
Would things be different had Booty stayed healthy? Maybe not, as Clausen has been a big fan of Weis' offense from the start, but this latest occurrence in LA might have erased any of Clausen's doubts.
