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

[GoldenIsThyFame]

All the tweets Gorney has been sending out for Rivals don't mention ND. Anybody have access to the video interview?

 

[pumpdog20]

Was it Smith who was posing with Lee after the USC/Stanford game last night?

If he was at that game, I'm sure that was a great atmosphere.

 

[GBdomer]

Gorney despises ND. doesn't even mention them in the video. I wouldn't listen to him. He said Redfield was all Oregon last year too. JuJu will end up at USC. I just think everyone knows where his heart is.

 

[RuntheBall]

Gorney despises ND. doesn't even mention them in the video. I wouldn't listen to him. He said Redfield was all Oregon last year too. JuJu will end up at USC. I just think everyone knows where his heart is.

How many months ago did you know that?

But yeah I agree, if we are trying to convince fans we aren't a dumpster fire/ shouldn't fire our HC, how are we going to recruit kids [especially the ones from Cali with plenty of options!]? Not that it is impossible, but it definitely isn't easy. Its always hard to make the right choice, and now its even harder for the kids.

 

[stlnd01]

How many months ago did you know that?

But yeah I agree, if we are trying to convince fans we aren't a dumpster fire/ shouldn't fire our HC, how are we going to recruit kids [especially the ones from Cali with plenty of options!]? Not that it is impossible, but it definitely isn't easy. Its always hard to make the right choice, and now its even harder for the kids.

Why, because we lost a close game to Pittsburgh? Get a grip. If nothing else, if I'm a stud safety, I see playing time.

 

[Irish#1]

I still think we're in the mix.

 

[woolybug25]

I still think we're in the mix.

I don't. I think he is all USC.

 

[stlnd01]

I don't. I think he is all USC.

All signs point to USC leading, but most show us running not far behind. Until he knows who USC's coaching staff is going to be, we're still in the mix.

 

[woolybug25]

All signs point to USC leading, but most show us running not far behind. Until he knows who USC's coaching staff is going to be, we're still in the mix.

People were saying the same things with Agholor and their recruitments were remarkeably similar. Same thing with Amir Carlisle (although he ultimately ended up here, but picked USC). Until we start winning battles against USC for these types of kids, I will simply look at history and assume that they will have to prove history wrong.

I don't believe that we are a close second. I believe that we are a distant second or "backup plan".

 

[IrishLion]

Why, because we lost a close game to Pittsburgh? Get a grip. If nothing else, if I'm a stud safety, I see playing time.

Max Redfield disagrees with you.


(for the moment. Wouldn't be surprised if he starts against BYU, Tree and bowl opponent)

 

[stlnd01]

People were saying the same things with Agholor and their recruitments were remarkeably similar. Same thing with Amir Carlisle (although he ultimately ended up here, but picked USC). Until we start winning battles against USC for these types of kids, I will simply look at history and assume that they will have to prove history wrong.

I don't believe that we are a close second. I believe that we are a distant second or "backup plan".

Max Redfield? Eddie Vanderdoes? Tee Shepherd? (Yes I know about the last two, but both did pick ND over USC on Signing Day)
I'd agree we're probably a backup plan for this kid. All I'm saying is it'd be unlikely he commits before the USC coaching situation is settled. And if he doesn't like the way it's settled, we do appear to be a solid second choice. I'd rather be that than, say, Michigan where he canceled his visit.
And his preference for USC has nothing to do with some perception that our program is suddenly a "dumpster fire," and that we can't win California recruits. It was the inanity of that idea that got me into this thread in the first place.

 

[woolybug25]

Max Redfield? Eddie Vanderdoes? Tee Shepherd? (Yes I know about the last two, but both did pick ND over USC on Signing Day)
I'd agree we're probably a backup plan for this kid. All I'm saying is it'd be unlikely he commits before the USC coaching situation is settled. And if he doesn't like the way it's settled, we do appear to be a solid second choice. I'd rather be that than, say, Michigan where he canceled his visit.
And his preference for USC has nothing to do with some perception that our program is suddenly a "dumpster fire," and that we can't win California recruits. It was the inanity of that idea that got me into this thread in the first place.

I never said our program was a "dumpster fire" or even alluded to such a thing. So i'm not sure what you were trying to get at with that comment.

I wasn't talking about just getting CA recruits, we do that every year. You completely missed my point. I'm talking about getting the elite ATH kid who is football first (regardless of lip service). When we go after that kid against USC, 9 out of 10 times we lose (also, with Tee. He was ready to switch to USC. They chose to do what we should have).

JuJu's actions have shown me nothing that we are a serious contender here. Maybe if USC's season was falling apart. But that is not the case. They are hotter than a cat on a tin roof right now. As soon as the coaching situation is figured out there, I would bet my entire vbuck savings that he will commit to USC.

 

[stlnd01]

I never said our program was a "dumpster fire" or even alluded to such a thing. So i'm not sure what you were trying to get at with that comment.

It's not always about you, Wooly. This is the comment I was referring to...

But yeah I agree, if we are trying to convince fans we aren't a dumpster fire/ shouldn't fire our HC, how are we going to recruit kids [especially the ones from Cali with plenty of options!]? Not that it is impossible, but it definitely isn't easy. Its always hard to make the right choice, and now its even harder for the kids.

As for the elite, football-first, Athlete types, I'm not sure how you distinguish between those who "pay lip service" to academics and those who are serious about it, unless the distinguishing characteristic is signing with Notre Dame. Redfield's a pretty good athlete. So's George Atkinson. Carlisle could have gone to Stanford and got into ND as a transfer, both of which would suggest he's got a brain (if only he had better hands...), yet he initially chose USC. By all accounts Agholor is an intelligent, stand-up young man who, IIRC, handled his recruitment with class. We were in the mix, but were always looking up at Florida and USC, both of which are good schools with a lot to offer (and frankly I'd rather see them as our competition for a recruit that Clemson/Auburn/Ole Miss)

Of course it's going to be hard to pull elite athletes who grew up as USC fans out of Southern California, and I wouldn't bet or predict that JuJu winds up Irish. But it's not totally out of the question. That's all.

 

[woolybug25]

It's not always about you, Wooly.

That's like... well... your opinion, man.



As for JuJu... there is less than say... 10% chance he lands here. Would you agree with that?

 

[stlnd01]

That's like... well... your opinion, man.



As for JuJu... there is less than say... 10% chance he lands here. Would you agree with that?

I might put at less than 20, because optimism's better for the soul. But, sure.
Though I think if he for some reason doesn't wind up at USC we're in pretty good position. Stranger things have happened.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

That's like... well... your opinion, man.



As for JuJu... there is less than say... 10% chance he lands here. Would you agree with that?

I wouldn't, and neither does Wiltfong and others...

John Smith's Crystal Ball Predictions

 

[woolybug25]

I wouldn't, and neither does Wiltfong and others...

John Smith's Crystal Ball Predictions

Willing to bet all of your vbucks against all of mine?

I'll give you the field vs USC.

 

[stlnd01]

I wouldn't, and neither does Wiltfong and others...

John Smith's Crystal Ball Predictions

To be fair, most of those ND picks were made around Kiffin's firing and his visit. Four of the last six have been USC.

 

[Irish#1]

I put us at about 37.5%.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

To be fair, most of those ND picks were made around Kiffin's firing and his visit. Four of the last six have been USC.

That's fair, I just feel that as long at Steve makes that pick, I've got a fair degree of confidence in JS landing in South Bend. If JuJu were a member here, I'd label him Ca2SouthBend.

 

[STLDomer]

To be fair, most of those ND picks were made around Kiffin's firing and his visit. Four of the last six have been USC.

Wiltfong is literally the only guy I pay attention to. Everyone else I could care less

 

[NDinL.A.]

When a kid talks to another team's reporter, and mentions 4 schools but doesn't mention your school, then 99 times out of 100 he ain't coming to your school. Juju spoke to a report and gushed about Bama, Oregon, and when pressed had OSU third. Add the aforementioned front runner, USC, and you can see where this is heading.

Juju is saying the right things about ND to ND reporters, and there is a person or people close to him that are very intrigued by ND, but in the end, not only do I not see him coming, I don't even see us coming in 2nd. And I've felt this for a long time.

And Wooly, we've beaten USC for some really good athletes, guys that believed they could get a good education at USC. Guys like Redfield, Troy Niklas, Tee (you're wrong about him,he flirted with USC big time at the end and almost committed, and they wanted him and would have accepted his commitment), EV, Shaq Evans, and even going back to Clausen and Crist. With a good coach they'll win most of the battles for CA kids, but we'll get our fair share too.

 

[woolybug25]

When a kid talks to another team's reporter, and mentions 4 schools but doesn't mention your school, then 99 times out of 100 he ain't coming to your school. Juju spoke to a report and gushed about Bama, Oregon, and when pressed had OSU third. Add the aforementioned front runner, USC, and you can see where this is heading.

Juju is saying the right things about ND to ND reporters, and there is a person or people close to him that are very intrigued by ND, but in the end, not only do I not see him coming, I don't even see us coming in 2nd. And I've felt this for a long time.

And Wooly, we've beaten USC for some really good athletes, guys that believed they could get a good education at USC. Guys like Redfield, Troy Niklas, Tee (you're wrong about him,he flirted with USC big time at the end and almost committed, and they wanted him and would have accepted his commitment), EV, Shaq Evans, and even going back to Clausen and Crist. With a good coach they'll win most of the battles for CA kids, but we'll get our fair share too.

I'm not wrong about Tee. Believe what you want to though.

 

[NDinL.A.]

I'm not wrong about Tee. Believe what you want to though.

I have it from two different people...one of them probably the top USC recruiting mod of all the USC sites, who of course favors USC but said they (USC) were trying hard to flip Tee and even at one point thought they had him, only to see him turn around and stay with ND in the end.And we all know that recruitniks' spurces are the coaches themselves.

But hey, believe what you want.

 

[KyfightingIrish36]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>2014 CA S Juju Smith talks <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NotreDame&src=hash">#NotreDame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23USC&src=hash">#USC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Alabama&src=hash">#Alabama</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Oregon&src=hash">#Oregon</a> after visit from <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Irish&src=hash">#Irish</a> asst Mike Denbrock (Premium) <a href="http://t.co/imGex5PwFc">http://t.co/imGex5PwFc</a></p>— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISDUpdate/statuses/402435460892340224">November 18, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[BeauBenken]

I will. I didn't ask where you got your opinion from either.

Sassy.

 

[GreenSox04]

soooo anyone got that read on ISD...

 

[NDinL.A.]

soooo anyone got that read on ISD...

Basically the same as I wrote earlier, except Denbrock visited him and he had nice things to say about ND as well as Bama, Oregon and SC. Had lots of nice things to say about Bama and OU.

 

[BeauBenken]

Enough. Chill.

 

[Irish#1]

Basically the same as I wrote earlier, except Denbrock visited him and he had nice things to say about ND as well as Bama, Oregon and SC. Had lots of nice things to say about Bama and OU.

Do we really expect him to say something mean about a school? lol