'14 IL LB Nile Sykes (Indiana Transfer)

[Luckylucci]

2013 Football Deadlift Leaders - YouTube

I think he is the second kid lifting. This was 10 months ago, so I’m assuming he has gotten a lot stronger. Montini Football has an outstanding strength and conditioning program, and have sent a few kids to big time colleges in recent years.

He also has this crazy video on youtube of him sprinting what it says is 22 mph on a treadmill.

Nile Sykes running 22 MPH on the treadmill - YouTube

 

[PANDFAN]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/169H2IJhauQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Irish#1]

Liked that tape. He's not the scariest athlete we've ever recruited, but I like his instincts for getting through traffic and getting to the ballcarrier early. A lot of people on this board have been saying that we need to recruit more ILBs who have relevant experience rather than just fit the athletic profile ... well, this guy has shown he can do a lot of things you want your ILB to do.

That's the biggest key for an ILB. Manti had a knack for it. Fox and Cal seem to struggle with that although Cal has shown glimpses lately. His tape looks good. nothing to jump through the roof about, but he could be a very solid contributor.

 

[rtrn2glory]

dude does look nasty with his hand down.

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Set for an Illinois playoff doubleheader tomorrow: <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NotreDame&src=hash">#NotreDame</a> LB offer <a href="https://twitter.com/Ninth__Cloud">@Ninth__Cloud</a> in the afternoon and TE commit <a href="https://twitter.com/NicWeishar89">@NicWeishar89</a> at night.</p>— Jake Brown (@Jake_Brown) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jake_Brown/statuses/401411319791747072">November 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
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[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NotreDame&src=hash">#NotreDame</a> LB target Nile Sykes. RT <a href="https://twitter.com/Ninth__Cloud">@Ninth__Cloud</a>: I'll be announcing my Top 5 schools Next Week</p>— Jake Brown (@Jake_Brown) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jake_Brown/statuses/402880334879936512">November 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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[ab2cmiller]

Excerpt from SB Trib article about recruiting contains the following quote from Tom Lemming.
Notre Dame football recruiting: Irish looking at more options - Football - South Bend Tribune

“He's the same size and has the same production of Nyles Morgan and Clifton Garrett — two bigger names out of the area,” Lemming said. “When you watch all three of them play, they're all about equal in talent.”

Article also said that this is the first year that he's played linebacker. He played Defensive End previously.

 

[woolybug25]

Excerpt from SB Trib article about recruiting contains the following quote from Tom Lemming.
Notre Dame football recruiting: Irish looking at more options - Football - South Bend Tribune

That's bold. You know Lemming poured over his tape though.

 

[Emcee77]

Excerpt from SB Trib article about recruiting contains the following quote from Tom Lemming.
Notre Dame football recruiting: Irish looking at more options - Football - South Bend Tribune



Article also said that this is the first year that he's played linebacker. He played Defensive End previously.

Wow that is really impressive to me. I thought his instincts for the position were the best part of his tape. To learn that he just started playing that position ... pretty impressive.

 

[aubeirish]

I have no idea in the matter, but it's not impossible that the guy had just as good of a season than the other 2 guys. He might also be most improved. Stars do blind us sometimes. Only time will tell.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

I don't know how it wasn't posted yesterday, but Wiltfong said he almost committed on the spot last week when offered. Offers from MSU and or PSU could make it more interesting, but Steve definitely thinks he ends up here as of now. Also said something similar to Lemming

Sykes works out at Core 6 Athletes, where has more than held his own working out alongside Nyles Morgan and five-star Clifton Garrett.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Excerpt from a Northwestern article that clarifies his position history a little more. Evidently played outside linebacker his freshman year, then two seasons at DE and now back to outside linebacker.
2014 LB Nile Sykes hearing from Northwestern again | Inside Northwestern

After playing outside linebacker his freshman year at Oak Park and River Forest, Sykes – who stands 6’2’’, 230-pounds and said he ran a 4.66 40-yd dash – switched to defensive end the next two seasons. He transferred to Montini Catholic for his senior season, where he has been lining up at outside linebacker, the position colleges are recruiting him at

 

[Bluto]

2014 LB Nile Sykes hearing from Northwestern again | Inside Northwestern

"While worried recruitniks who have been following the names of Notre Dame’s elite targets for months may look at new offers as desperate moves..."

This line in that article made me laugh.

 

[IrishLax]

Sykes + Tranquill + Martini would be a darn solid haul. Got a speed guy to play on passing downs or against spread teams (or all downs if he really develops), plus two legitimately solid ILB prospects.

Throw in Morgan and it's an amazing haul... the kind of which you reallllllly wish we'd been able to spread out among the last 3 classes.

Hill, IMO, is much more of a SAM in a 4-3 or CAT in our 3-4 kind of prospect... don't really see him as an ILB, because there is nothing on film to show coverage/pursuit from a LB position. But maybe he can do it.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Interview in January and info from the Hudl website indicates an interest in Business and Sports Medicine as possible majors.

Also here is the excerpt from an ISD freebie about Nile's recruitment and the pickup in interest lately.
Recruiting Week in Review

Nile Sykes, LB, 6-2, 220, Montini Catholic High School, Lombard IL has recently witnessed his recruiting take off. Sykes (pictured) attributes the recent increase in interest to his move to linebacker this season after playing defensive end the previous two. Now that college coaches have had the opportunity to see his senior tape at linebacker, schools that had previously shown relatively little interest in him have suddenly been in contact. One of those schools is Notre Dame.

“Since I’m not your typical size for defensive end, I wasn’t getting as many looks from the bigger colleges,” he explained. “The upper colleges, per se, were saying ‘When you get that linebacker film, we’ll talk to you.’ But everybody wanted to see that linebacker film before they recruited me further. The schools that offered me before the film offered me on my athletic ability.”

Sykes currently holds offers from schools like Missouri, Purdue, Cincinnati, Purdue, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, South Florida and Syracuse, among others. Notre Dame has also offered Sykes and offensive coordinator Chuck Martin, who is recruiting him, recently got back in touch with the four-star prospect.

“He was telling me that they’re straightforward with their recruits and they’d let them know exactly where they see them playing,” said Sykes. “He said they see me at that middle backer position that Manti Te’o played. He was just explaining to me what that consisted of. He just wanted to come see me for himself. He said the head coach likes the staff to get out and actually see the players.”

Sikes was undeniably excited about the possibility of replacing an Irish great like Te’o.

“Obviously, everybody knows what kind of impact Manti Te’o had on that defense,” Sykes stated. “To know they see me playing that position is huge.”

Sykes is still waiting to see just how hard Notre Dame actually pursues him. If they do decide to come after him hard, he would definitely want to take a visit to South Bend.

“I would want to get down there and visit for sure,” he shared. “They used to send me mail all of the time and then they stopped recruiting me. I guess since I put out my film at linebacker, they kind of picked up the interest again.”

Sykes has yet to take any official visits and hasn’t named any favorites, let alone leaders at this point.

“There are some I have in mind for taking officials to, but I haven’t put that out yet,” he said.

When he does take his visits he knows what he’ll be looking for.

“Somewhere I feel comfortable,” he said of his priorities. “I have to be comfortable with the coaching staff knowing that that’s where I’m going to be spending the next four to five years of my life.”

 

[Irish#1]

Excerpt from a Northwestern article that clarifies his position history a little more. Evidently played outside linebacker his freshman year, then two seasons at DE and now back to outside linebacker.
2014 LB Nile Sykes hearing from Northwestern again | Inside Northwestern

And obviously the reason he appeared to pick up the position quickly and was under the radar compared to the other two.

 

[EuropeanDomer]

One of the most impressive of the new targets, according to Lemming, is Sykes. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound prospect has excelled as a linebacker for Montini Catholic in Oak Park, Ill. Sykes transferred from Oak Park and River Forest High School, where he played defensive end last season. While linebackers Nyles Morgan and Clifton Garrett ended their seasons earlier with playoff losses, Sykes and Montini Catholic are still playing.

“He's the same size and has the same production of Nyles Morgan and Clifton Garrett — two bigger names out of the area,” Lemming said. “When you watch all three of them play, they're all about equal in talent.”

Notre Dame football recruiting: Irish looking at more options - South Bend Tribune: Football

Would you prefer, him or Hill? Is his offer committable?

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Notre Dame football recruiting: Irish looking at more options - South Bend Tribune: Football

Would you prefer, him or Hill? Is his offer committable?

Both and Morgan

 

[Irish Man3]

Bonner, Blankenship, Hayes, Trumbetti, Dickerson, Yeargin, Martini, Tranquill, Sykes or Hill.....

Maybe Morgan, Holley, Elam.....?

Yes please.

 

[Rack Em]

Does Hill project as an ILB? If not, it might be more apropos to ask "Hill or J. Williams?"

I honestly could see him bulking up to DE and being a freaking wrecking ball, staying at CAT and destroying QBs, or (if he's good enough in coverage) being a great blitzing threat from the ILB position.

Of Sykes, Williams, and Hill I would take Hill everyday and twice on Sundays.

 

[dwshade]

Bonner, Blankenship, Hayes, Trumbetti, Dickerson, Yeargin, Martini, Tranquill, Sykes or Hill.....

Maybe Morgan, Holley, Elam.....?

Yes please.

You forgot Williams whom the staff really wants.

 

[Irish Man3]

You forgot Williams whom the staff really wants.

Good call. I really like Williams as well.

Staff has really attacked this front seven. No Jaylon Smith in this class but a lot of really good football players.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Of Sykes, Williams, and Hill I would take Hill everyday and twice on Sundays.

Yeah he reminds me of a more vicious Shembo.

 

[Irish#1]

Yeah he reminds me of a more vicious Shembo.

We need kids like this. Someone who looks to make a statement with his play every opportunity he gets.

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

Yeah he reminds me of a more vicious Shembo.

Even if there were someone more vicious than Shembo I might want him institutionalized. And I certainly wouldn't steal his bike seat

 

[Domina Nostra]

Even there were someone more vicious than Shembo I might want him institutionalized. And I certainly wouldn't steal his bike seat

That's what I was thinking. Shembo lays it on the line.

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

If anyone is looking for something to watch before the noon games, Montini is in the 5A state championship on CSN at 11 ET

 

[Chi_IRISH]

At the game now. He has fantastic closing speed, and is a monster! Team is losing, but he is a stud! My team plays next , wish us luck!!!

 

[Irish Insanity]

At the game now. He has fantastic closing speed, and is a monster! Team is losing, but he is a stud! My team plays next , wish us luck!!!

Good luck. Kick some ass.

 

[NDPhilly]

Tom Lemming:

* Linebacker Nile Sykes of Montini is having a better senior year than more celebrated linebackers Clifton Garrett of Plainfield South and Nyles Morgan of Crete-Monee.

Lemming escapes disaster, looks ahead - Locker Room Prep Talk