'14 CA ATH John (Juju) Smith (USC Signee)

[Irishnuke]

Classic instance of "can't beat them, join them."

Poly did win that game though.

 

[Booslum31]

Visit still set for SC game with his parents who are die hard SC fans
ND sees him as a Safety playing next to Max Redfield, who he happens to have a little beef with because Max went to Viejo and Juju plays for Long Beach and Max and Juju had a collision that resulted in a fractured ankle for Juju.

Parents die-hard SC fans...this could be a problem. But if they indeed show up for the USC game in South Bend it's our best chance to impress. I'm intrigued about this guy possibly playing WR though side by side with Redfield would be AWESOME!

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Parents die-hard SC fans...this could be a problem. But if they indeed show up for the USC game in South Bend it's our best chance to impress. I'm intrigued about this guy possibly playing WR though side by side with Redfield would be AWESOME!

Unless he pulls an Elmer. Ya know, take an OV to UM and feel bad that ND lost the game... Would hate to hear that he would be sad when USC loses the game.

 

[Luckylucci]

Its his mothers Bday the saturday that he'll be taking his official to ND.

 

[IrishLax]

Don't want to be a sour puss, but things seem to be really trending along the lines of the USC game from two years ago. Lots of big visitors... but most of them favoring other places. We'll see what happens.

 

[condoms SUCk]

Its his mothers Bday the saturday that he'll be taking his official to ND.

Well, I can't think of a better birthday gift to give a Mom than to tell her you're to attend ND....can you?

 

[STLDomer]

Don't want to be a sour puss, but things seem to be really trending along the lines of the USC game from two years ago. Lots of big visitors... but most of them favoring other places. We'll see what happens.

I don't see how it can be trending anywhere yet. Juju Smith and Tyler Luatua are the only ones with vists locked in and Adoree Jackson and Damien Mama are the only others talking about it.

 

[Luckylucci]

I know a lot of people of here don't believe that winning means much when it comes to recruiting but this is a kid who specifically told II, “I won’t commit during the season because I want to see how each team reacts to their bowl game, the games they have ahead of them and how they do. I’ll just go from there.”

 

[IrishLax]

I don't see how it can be trending anywhere yet. Juju Smith and Tyler Luatua are the only ones with vists locked in and Adoree Jackson and Damien Mama are the only others talking about it.

So four top 25ish players... 3 of which definitely favoring places not named Notre Dame... what part of that doesn't mesh with what I said....? That is, in fact, exactly what I'm getting at... bringing a couple guys leaning USC to visit along with Luatua is very akin to Theus visiting with Marshall. Parallels are obvious.

 

[STLDomer]

We are very much in it with Juju and since offered Mama has said he will give ND as shot and since offered Adoree has planned on visiting. In my book that's 4 legit visits and at the least 3 if u don't count Adoree's visit as legit.

 

[NDWorld247]

FWIW, Smith will also visit Michigan for the ND game on Sept 6. That's two opportunities to get an up-close look at ND.

 

[STLDomer]

Also were talking about 3 guys Irish Illustated just put in their 2014 Mock Class

 

[IrishLax]

We are very much in it with Juju and since offered Mama has said he will give ND as shot though and since offered Adoree has planned on visiting and he isn't leaning towards USC. In my book that's 4 legit visits and at the least 3 if u don't count Adoree's visit as legit.

This is all semantics. Are you saying Mama isn't a USC lean? He's definitely a USC lean. It's not even really debatable. Maybe Bama as dark horse. Jackson has cursory interest at best in ND and if you had to pick a school for him it is USC or maybe Florida as the early favorite. Juju has parents that are big USC fans... but seems the most wide open of the three so there really isn't much concern there of him being "closed minded"... but you can't say that about 50% of the group.

You get these kids to visit open minded and you've got a great shot of making a big impression. But if even one is locked in/rooting for USC it has a BIG effect. With Marshall people said Theus was almost there to be a wet blanket. With Hawkins + Redfield last year, the fact that Hawkins was at least open minded allowed us to make a good impression on both. What if Hawkins was playing the Theus role? What if Mama plays wet blanket this year?

Sorry, but Luatua visiting as part of that group is far from a good idea.

 

[STLDomer]

I don't see Mama as a "wet blanket". IIRC Mama initiated contact with Denbrock before ND had any interest. He also planned on visiting ND before USC even offered.

Adoree probably won't even make the trip, more likely he visits is as part of a Midwest tour this summer and then never again.

 

[aubeirish]

Better get them on campus and have a possible change of heart than not. It's like the at a bar. You don't talk to the pretty girl, you will never have a shot.

 

[NDWorld247]

Interesting that all four of those guys (Smith, Luatua, Mama and Jackson) play on the same 7v7 team, Team AIGA (Samoan for 'family').

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0HMOlALIONA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[NDinL.A.]

Parents die-hard SC fans...this could be a problem. But if they indeed show up for the USC game in South Bend it's our best chance to impress. I'm intrigued about this guy possibly playing WR though side by side with Redfield would be AWESOME!

Agreed, parents being hardcore USC fans is a big deal. I recently spoke (online of course) with Chris Hawkins' dad, and the one thing keeping Chris from ND was that they come from a die-hard USC family (the dad's ring tone is the USC fight song lol), and no school could overcome that, even though they truly did love their ND experience.

Matter of fact, if ND had offered Chris' brother, they both would have went to ND, according to his pops. But the brother didn't play his jr year and that really hurt his recruitment. But ND did evaluate him, and decided to pass. So Chris stayed a Trojan.

This is all semantics. Are you saying Mama isn't a USC lean? He's definitely a USC lean. It's not even really debatable. Maybe Bama as dark horse. Jackson has cursory interest at best in ND and if you had to pick a school for him it is USC or maybe Florida as the early favorite. Juju has parents that are big USC fans... but seems the most wide open of the three so there really isn't much concern there of him being "closed minded"... but you can't say that about 50% of the group.

You get these kids to visit open minded and you've got a great shot of making a big impression. But if even one is locked in/rooting for USC it has a BIG effect. With Marshall people said Theus was almost there to be a wet blanket. With Hawkins + Redfield last year, the fact that Hawkins was at least open minded allowed us to make a good impression on both. What if Hawkins was playing the Theus role? What if Mama plays wet blanket this year?

Sorry, but Luatua visiting as part of that group is far from a good idea.

Agree with a lot of this. Mama is most definitely a USC lean. The only thing holding him back is that now he has become a national recruit, and he wants to give schools a look. But he is another kid that comes from a large family of USC fans, and they want to see him stay local, so USC is the obvious favorite. The fact that he visited USC numerous times to see them practice this spring says a lot to me.

HOWEVER, by all accts Mama is a really good kid. My former student (who HATED his teammate Nico Falah said that mama has remained humble throughout and is a well-liked by everyone. So I think he'd be open-minded in his visit next year.

Also, Adoree Jackson has some MAJOR issues with USC right now. Chris Hawkins' dad is his 7 on 7 coach, and he says that USC isn't even in his top 5 right now, because of their coaches and the lack of communication, especially with the new DC, who has reached out to him exactly one time. Things obviously change, but there are other schools far out ahead of USC right now with Adoree.

So 2 of those guys are USC leans, one is trending away from USC (but not towards ND), and the other has ND right up there. It's a big risk, no doubt. If we win, it can become a recruiting bananza. If we lose, it could be a disaster. Better win.

NDWorld247 - Interesting that all four of those guys (Smith, Luatua, Mama and Jackson) play on the same 7v7 team, Team AIGA (Samoan for 'family').

And all 4 are coached by Hawkins' dad. And luckily for us, he still has a strong affinity for ND. So while I can see him wanting them to go to USC, he most definitely won't push them away from ND. Far from it. He just talked to Coach Elliot the other day and LOVES the guy.

 

[dwshade]

This is all semantics. Are you saying Mama isn't a USC lean? He's definitely a USC lean. It's not even really debatable. Maybe Bama as dark horse. Jackson has cursory interest at best in ND and if you had to pick a school for him it is USC or maybe Florida as the early favorite. Juju has parents that are big USC fans... but seems the most wide open of the three so there really isn't much concern there of him being "closed minded"... but you can't say that about 50% of the group.

You get these kids to visit open minded and you've got a great shot of making a big impression. But if even one is locked in/rooting for USC it has a BIG effect. With Marshall people said Theus was almost there to be a wet blanket. With Hawkins + Redfield last year, the fact that Hawkins was at least open minded allowed us to make a good impression on both. What if Hawkins was playing the Theus role? What if Mama plays wet blanket this year?

Sorry, but Luatua visiting as part of that group is far from a good idea.

For clarification purposes Theus was a legit visit. Mark Richt was on the hot seat at the time and had he been fired Theus would have been Irish. He wasn't going to UGA if Richt wasn't there.

 

[ThePiombino]

For clarification purposes Theus was a legit visit. Mark Richt was on the hot seat at the time and had he been fired Theus would have been Irish. He wasn't going to UGA if Richt wasn't there.

While possibly true, all indications were that Theus was recruiting the hell outta Marshall for UG while at this game.

 

[dwshade]

While possibly true, all indications were that Theus was recruiting the hell outta Marshall for UG while at this game.

Don't believe everything you read or hear. Truth is we were never close to getting Marshall. He was always going to end up at UGA with Todd Gurley. He grew up a Georgia fan and Gurley is his best bud. Even if Richt had been fired both would have ended up at Georgia. Not so with Theus.

 

[ThePiombino]

Don't believe everything you read or hear. Truth is we were never close to getting Marshall. He was always going to end up at UGA with Todd Gurley. He grew up a Georgia fan and Gurley is his best bud. Even if Richt had been fired both would have ended up at Georgia. Not so with Theus.

True

 

[NDdomer2]

FWIW, Smith will also visit Michigan for the ND game on Sept 6. That's two opportunities to get an up-close look at ND.

similar to Cole Luke. win both games and maybe we can get the same result.

 

[IrishLax]

Don't believe everything you read or hear. Truth is we were never close to getting Marshall. He was always going to end up at UGA with Todd Gurley. He grew up a Georgia fan and Gurley is his best bud. Even if Richt had been fired both would have ended up at Georgia. Not so with Theus.

The idea that Theus was legitimately interested in ND flies in the face of everything I heard first hand from people who interacted with him on his visit, "insiders", and every staff person on a premium site I talked to. He was on that visit in a "big brother" role looking over Marshall and being a wet blanket. Are you honestly saying that isn't true?

I agree Marshall was almost surely never headed there... but this crock about Theus having us as a close #2 or being open minded on a "legitimate visit" does not compute with dozens of other accounts of his visit. So I'd be very interested to know where you got that from and why you believe that to be the case.

 

[dwshade]

The idea that Theus was legitimately interested in ND flies in the face of everything I heard first hand from people who interacted with him on his visit, "insiders", and every staff person on a premium site I talked to. He was on that visit in a "big brother" role looking over Marshall and being a wet blanket. Are you honestly saying that isn't true?

I agree Marshall was almost surely never headed there... but this crock about Theus having us as a close #2 or being open minded on a "legitimate visit" does not compute with dozens of other accounts of his visit. So I'd be very interested to know where you got that from and why you believe that to be the case.

Someone close to Theus family.

 

[ThePiombino]

Someone close to Theus family.

You imagine a scenario where someone close to the family might want to save face and make him seem like a mole?

 

[dwshade]

You imagine a scenario where someone close to the family might want to save face and make him seem like a mole?

I think you're taking this recruiting stuff waaaaay too seriously. It's not a John Grisham novel.

 

[ThePiombino]

I think you're taking this recruiting stuff waaaaay too seriously. It's not a John Grisham novel.

lol at this guy...

 

[dwshade]

Why not. I do all the time.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Told Wiltfong he will likely end up at ND, OSU, Michigan or Ole Miss

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Told Wiltfong he will likely end up at ND, OSU, Michigan or Ole Miss

One of these things is not like the others~

"I really like tradition and snow, but bags of cash are pretty tempting too."