'14 KY DT Matt Elam (Kentucky Verbal)

[NDdomer2]

"I love this town and this state."

 

[ShawneeIrish]

I don't really like hearing Saban being called king of the football world. I do like seeing Elam in the Irish gear.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

"I love this town and this state."

Zactly what state is that?

I don't really like hearing Saban being called king of the football world. I do like seeing Elam in the Irish gear.

Zactly.

 

[NDdomer2]

Zactly what state is that?

I believe he is talking about being from Kentucky.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I believe he is talking about being from Kentucky.

Oh, I thought you meant confusion, or incongruity . . .

 

[IrishLion]

Even if UK loses a few of the four-star guys they have committed, they should still hold together the core of the class and it would still be a pretty solid haul.

The question is if Stoops can develop the talent, or if he'll even be around long enough to do so.

I think UK will surprise some people this season. There is actually already a decent amount of talent in place, Joker was just awful in general. I think they will go as far as their QB goes (which seems obvious, but they always play solid D; they simply need someone to lead an offensive complement), and I still think Towles and Withlow can get it done. Barker may be recognized as the answer, but if either of the two above can get settled in and find success, it will be hard to take the job from them.

 

[Rocket 94]

If Stoops wins here he won't be at UK for long. He will be considered for any big jobs that open up and will take it. UK's success will never be long lasting.

 

[NDPhilly]

Damn I wanted Pat Towles so bad two years ago. I liked him even more than Gunner Kiel haha.

 

[IrishLion]

Damn I wanted Pat Towles so bad two years ago. I liked him even more than Gunner Kiel haha.

Haha I know his brother, if I would've been on IE two years ago I would've dropped some knowledge on that recruitment

 

[Irish Houstonian]

Damn I wanted Pat Towles so bad two years ago.

No homo.

 

[andre784]

haha yeah Elam wearing the Irish gear!

 

[ND NYC]

if i had to bet (based on that video piece on him) i think he stays "in state" for college. (EQ)

 

[Cpnd1]

@TomLoy247: Elizabethtown (Ky.) John Hardin five-star defensive tackle Matt Elam has #NotreDame in his top three. Elam Has Notre Dame In Top Three via @BGInews

Looks like this is the 5 star update

 

[Rack Em]

@TomLoy247: Elizabethtown (Ky.) John Hardin five-star defensive tackle Matt Elam has #NotreDame in his top three. Elam Has Notre Dame In Top Three via @BGInews

Looks like this is the 5 star update

This is good news. But I think everyone on the board will agree that we're running 3rd in this race.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

This is good news. But I think everyone on the board will agree that we're running 3rd in this race.

Dwen know Rack. How many races been there that one bumps off two to leave three cruise? Not sayin' I have the slightest idea I know what the fvck I am talking about, but haven't we won races from behind because we were the different one?

 

[NDinL.A.]

This is good news. But I think everyone on the board will agree that we're running 3rd in this race.

This guy has EV part 2 written all over him. Won't be popular, I know, but reading up on him, the parallels are there. Loves the recruiting game, and IMO he'll sign with the hot team just like EV. He won't try and avoid his LOI a la EV, but I think he'll end up signing with the hot program that he fits in best with. EV was a USC commit when they were hot, but as they faded so did his interest in them. Then it was all the hot programs on everyone's minds...ND, Bama, UCLA. He felt comfortable at ND and signed, but UCLA never stopped recruiting him and he ended up there.

Start throwing stones, but I truly believe it. If we have an incredible year and are on everyone's lips, we'll stand a chance. But an a bad year or just a pedestrian year or even a 'good' year like 10-2...I don't see it at all.

 

[ThePiombino]

This guy has EV part 2 written all over him. Won't be popular, I know, but reading up on him, the parallels are there. Loves the recruiting game, and IMO he'll sign with the hot team just like EV. He won't try and avoid his LOI a la EV, but I think he'll end up signing with the hot program that he fits in best with. EV was a USC commit when they were hot, but as they faded so did his interest in them. Then it was all the hot programs on everyone's minds...ND, Bama, UCLA. He felt comfortable at ND and signed, but UCLA never stopped recruiting him and he ended up there.

Start throwing stones, but I truly believe it. If we have an incredible year and are on everyone's lips, we'll stand a chance. But an a bad year or just a pedestrian year or even a 'good' year like 10-2...I don't see it at all.

10-2 gets us a BCS game, I think that would be enough to push this kid over the top for us...assuming that's what he's actually about.

 

[ShawneeIrish]

Well if that is what he is actually about and is looking for a "hot" team it just went from a three horse race to a two horse race.

 

[Rack Em]

This guy has EV part 2 written all over him. Won't be popular, I know, but reading up on him, the parallels are there. Loves the recruiting game, and IMO he'll sign with the hot team just like EV. He won't try and avoid his LOI a la EV, but I think he'll end up signing with the hot program that he fits in best with. EV was a USC commit when they were hot, but as they faded so did his interest in them. Then it was all the hot programs on everyone's minds...ND, Bama, UCLA. He felt comfortable at ND and signed, but UCLA never stopped recruiting him and he ended up there.

Start throwing stones, but I truly believe it. If we have an incredible year and are on everyone's lips, we'll stand a chance. But an a bad year or just a pedestrian year or even a 'good' year like 10-2...I don't see it at all.

That's a really good comparison. With Rees at the helm, I just don't see us being being a hot program come NSD. He's just not a super exciting QB/playmaker. Having a guy like that (cough...Golson...cough) fuels the media frenzy around "hot" teams. I also don't see anybody on defense being a big playmaker. Bobby Diaco's defensive scheme isn't set up that way.

10-2 gets us a BCS game, I think that would be enough to push this kid over the top for us...assuming that's what he's actually about.

Well if that is what he is actually about and is looking for a "hot" team it just went from a three horse race to a two horse race.

If UK comes out and has an 8-4 season or something like that, I think he'll end up there. They have TONS of recruiting momentum right now. If they can convince recruits that they're for real...look out.

Basically, see Vanderbilt right now.

 

[SouthernComfort]

UK will NEVER have a 8 win season. Are you kidding me? Just give them the four DII teams non conference and they still lose by two touchdowns to everyone but Tenn in the SEC.

UK football sucks. Always has. Always will.

 

[ShawneeIrish]

If UK comes out and has an 8-4 season or something like that, I think he'll end up there. They have TONS of recruiting momentum right now. If they can convince recruits that they're for real...look out.

Basically, see Vanderbilt right now.

UK will NEVER have a 8 win season. Are you kidding me? Just give them the four DII teams non conference and they still lose by two touchdowns to everyone but Tenn in the SEC.

UK football sucks. Always has. Always will.

Yeah, UK is definitely not going 8-4 this year.

Looking at their schedule there are five near certain losses to Louisville, Florida, @ South Carolina, Bama, and @ UGA.

Throw in games against WKU, Mississippi St., Mizzou, Vandy, and Tennessee that could go either way.

Then, you have Alabama St. as near certain win and Miami Ohio which I will not pretend to know anything about.

I think you are looking at at best 6-6. Much more likely 3-9 or 4-8. People are buying WAY too much into Stoops turning around a program that has not been good in decades and been awful for a few years.

 

[Rack Em]

UK will NEVER have a 8 win season. Are you kidding me? Just give them the four DII teams non conference and they still lose by two touchdowns to everyone but Tenn in the SEC.

UK football sucks. Always has. Always will.

Yeah, UK is definitely not going 8-4 this year.

Looking at their schedule there are five near certain losses to Louisville, Florida, @ South Carolina, Bama, and @ UGA.

Throw in games against WKU, Mississippi St., Mizzou, Vandy, and Tennessee that could go either way.

Then, you have Alabama St. as near certain win and Miami Ohio which I will not pretend to know anything about.

I think you are looking at at best 6-6. Much more likely 3-9 or 4-8. People are buying WAY too much into Stoops turning around a program that has not been good in decades and been awful for a few years.

Yes, I get it. That's why I said "if" instead of "when". I agree with what Hollywood said and was merely illustrating an example of UK being a "hot team".

Honestly, if UK (or Tennessee for that matter) goes to a bowl game, wins, gets a good 4 recruit or two in January that is enough for them to be a "hot" team IMO. When you've been so ****** for so long and expectations are so low it's easy to look good, relatively speaking.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Back to what you were saying Rack. I got a little bird in my ear right now telling me that Kelly & Martin are coming back from Foxboro with some O-strategy to take the pressure off TRees and let guys like ACarslile, DDaniels, CJProsise, GAIII, CMcDaniel, CRobinson co co ca choo, and others two numerous to mention, CBreezy, TNiklas, BKoyack, etc., shine. Can you not see a shiney offense with a vanilla QB?

And the little birdy says some time was spent on coming back with tendency breakers for Defense, too!

 

[NDWorld247]

This guy has EV part 2 written all over him. Won't be popular, I know, but reading up on him, the parallels are there. Loves the recruiting game, and IMO he'll sign with the hot team just like EV. He won't try and avoid his LOI a la EV, but I think he'll end up signing with the hot program that he fits in best with. EV was a USC commit when they were hot, but as they faded so did his interest in them. Then it was all the hot programs on everyone's minds...ND, Bama, UCLA. He felt comfortable at ND and signed, but UCLA never stopped recruiting him and he ended up there.

Start throwing stones, but I truly believe it. If we have an incredible year and are on everyone's lips, we'll stand a chance. But an a bad year or just a pedestrian year or even a 'good' year like 10-2...I don't see it at all.

I see where you're coming from with the comparison, but these two guys are really very different personality wise. Elam is much more humble and down to earth and I'd be surprised if he commits to more than one school during the process.

Re: him liking us because we're "hot" right now, that could be true. I think having a good season (i.e. BCS game) is important for a lot of recruits. Maybe the biggest thing we have going for us in Elam's recruitment is his coaches are diehard ND fans, so that should keep us in the conversation for a while. Either way, I've never really felt good about our chances with him, but the longer we're in the title conversation the better for a lot of recruits.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Regarding some comment that our defense won't be attractive because Diaco's system doesn't create "playmakers", that comment for me is unusually empty of content for a DLineman.

All year long this year, the people, who actually know football and comment, will be praising Nix and Tuitt as the dynamic destroyers from the Notre Dame line, and lauding their All-Americanicity and First-Round-icity.

If a DLineman is sitting around during the season absorbing "hot" commentary about other DLinemen, he'll be drenched in Notre Dame Mania.

 

[Irish#1]

I realize this was 8 years ago, but St. Francis (NAIA) went down to Lexington to scrimmage UK. USF played them pretty much even. They wer a missed field goal from tying them. No SEC school should ever have trouble in a scrimmage with an NAIA school.

 

[OCIrish]

I realize this was 8 years ago, but St. Francis (NAIA) went down to Lexington to scrimmage UK. USF played them pretty much even. They wer a missed field goal from tying them. No SEC school should ever have trouble in a scrimmage with an NAIA school.

Ok, but to be a little more fair, St. Francis usually has some D1 talent on their roster........not elite talent, but still D1 kids who transferred in.......

 

[Irish#1]

Ok, but to be a little more fair, St. Francis usually has some D1 talent on their roster........not elite talent, but still D1 kids who transferred in.......

My son played there for a year back to when I referenced. You're right, they have talent, but not enough to put 11 against SEC 11 and hold their own. It's more of an indictment on UK's unstoried football past.

 

[Irish Steeler]

I think UT is in good hands with Butch Jones. Think he'll return that program to where it should be.

100% agree, Butch Jones will have the Vols back to where they should be just like BK did at ND

 

[OCIrish]

My son played there for a year back to when I referenced. You're right, they have talent, but not enough to put 11 against SEC 11 and hold their own. It's more of an indictment on UK's unstoried football past.

Not disagreeing with you whatsoever, just pointing out that for a NAIA school, they have a damn good program, but you are correct about UK being horrendous......