'14 FL WR Isaiah McKenzie ( Georgia ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

[Ironman8]

Wow, so he could publicly be lying about some of this stuff?

A poster said he heard we were out after BK pushed for a commitment and IM didn't like it, and Christian responded with a 'not true'.

Could just be that the part that wasn't true was that we were out, not the entirety of the situation.

 

[Pachuco]

It's healthy to remember that a kid might actually read these boards and allow it to influence his decision.

I'm going to hold back on saying anything negative, however strange this recruitment has turned out to be.

I hope he makes the best decision for himself, and that it includes ND.

If not, best of luck.

Dropping the mic on this thread.

 

[Luckylucci]

Gotcha, well Loy has went silent after posting Bartow's article to the BGI board.

 

[CanadalovesND]

Situation has too much info being passed with not a lot of clarification.

Like Pachuco, it's probably best to let the dust settle and re-approach this later.

 

[Emcee77]

(Coach Kelly) came down and he explained if I don’t make a decision that night I wouldn’t have a scholarship. If (Charles) Nelson and Michiah Quick, if they are getting the same talk then I don’t want (Notre Dame). I know its a business decision and the coach is trying to keep his job as well, but I wanted to take my visits and weigh my options. I guess he didn’t want me with my options.

This strengthens my suspicion that McKenzie had a chip on his shoulder about being underrated prior to the UA game and he's taking it out on us a little bit. He wanted to take visits and enjoy the limelight that shines on a national recruit, and when Kelly pressured him to commit (or said something that IM interpreted as pressure) he considered that a lack of respect and a lack of appreciation for his ability.

I still think we have as good a shot at him as anyone, maybe better than most.

 

[stlnd01]

I wrote this last night, then deleted because I didn't want to seem overly negative. But Signing Day's just going to be the start with this guy.

Not that he'd pull a Vanderdoes, but he could be on transfer watch for two years before you feel comfortable he's going to stick at Notre Dame. The academic adjustment, the cultural adjustment, the distance from home and (apparently) girlfriend, the weather, all of it makes you feel like he's going to really have to want to be at Notre Dame more than he wants to be somewhere else that might be easier/closer to home. Enough to put up with all that extra stuff that comes with "shopping down a different aisle." Especially when something goes awry and he gets beat on the depth chart or something. This just doesn't feel that way right now.
I hope for the best. I'd love to see him become another Louis Nix. But even if he does sign with us, this is not off to an auspicious start.

 

[stlnd01]

Also: Sorry, but the story of Kelly trying to force him to commit doesn't pass the smell test. We were never getting Nelson. Quick's an NSD decision. We've got plenty of room. And there's no record of Kelly ever doing that ever. So why start in this highly-delicate situation with a kid who, frankly, is a luxury? Something must've got lost in translation there.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Gotta run, but there's more than meets the eye here. I'll post more about his recruitment later today when I get done playing Dad/Hubby.

Bartow wrote article, same guy who has been all over the map on his "scoop"... some of it accurate, others just wayyyyy off.

Says Ole Miss is his leader. Like I've been saying, he's not really a Notre Dame type of kid. He's just not. Like, really on any level. I do really hope he signs here because his talent can be special, and it's possible that the staff is able to pull this off, but it's less likely than him heading elsewhere.

Also notes Muschamp coming by for an in-home... but had previously been reported that Muschamp has already made an in-home?

Here is the stangest quote, because to my knowledge I've never seen Kelly do this with anyone:

And then hes says he talked to Alford and Alford said:

And then he talks about Virginia Tech... who just came by today and looked at his film for what it seems is the first time... that he likes them for apparently no reason besides that he watched Michael Vick? And he's never even been to Tech for a visit? And that Tech is his "dream school" and that if they offered he could/would commit.

He's an absolute headcase.

Really glad you said this. After my constant Debbie Downer act in the Juju thread (and subsequent backlash from a couple members not appreciating a negative view on anything ND), I decided not to post anything else negative, even though I was going to post more on Mac once I got a minute.

But you are spot on IMHO. Based on everything I've heard and read, he's just not a good fit for ND. Davonte Neal is who he reminds me of. Davonte was a mess during his recruitment, and people who followed his recruitment warned of his character and that of his dad. The signing day BS, when he made his former elementary school wait (and wait and wait and wait) for him while his dad claimed they got into an accident was pure BS and just the tip of the iceberg with him. But he was such a stud BK took a chance on him, knowing that he wasn't a good fit. A year later and a whole lotta brazen pot-smoking later (and an insane story only to be repeated at a tailgate), he is gone, predictably so (in hindsight of course).

As I've said, IM not only had a hard time getting a qualifying score on the ACT, he also screwed up big-time at school. How are you going to succeed at ND when not only do you struggle from a pure knowledge/test-taking standpoint, you also are either so lazy or struggle so much that you can't even pass HIGH SCHOOL??? And what people don't know, from a reporter who is tuned in to this, is that he needs to get a B average just to qualify for ANY school. Reminds me a bit of David Terrell, who committed to ND and then effed up so poorly his senior year (just straight stopped trying) that admissions didn't let him in, so he 'decommitted' (LOL) and went to Michigan. Last I heard Terrell was facing drug and battery charges after he was arrested in Chicago in August.

Anyway, still wouldn't surprise me if IM committed to ND, and then had some dynamic plays as a true freshman. But even IF he were to commit, I'd bet any amount of vbucks that he wouldn't last 3 years at ND. Furgeson, Lynch, Neal, Prestwood, Greenberry, Tee, etc...these types of kids have a bad history lately of not doing well at ND (if they get here at all). Even kids like Daniels and Golson have been kicked out for a semester. Some pan out, but lots don't.

Hopefully he has a come-to-Jesus moment and finds the perfect school for him and flourishes there, especially academically. Hopefully that's ND. But honestly, it doesn't sound like that would be ND, at least not right now. Maybe this weekend changes everything for him...

 

[Cpnd1]

Really glad you said this. After my constant Debbie Downer act in the Juju thread (and subsequent backlash from a couple members not appreciating a negative view on anything ND), I decided not to post anything else negative, even though I was going to post more on Mac once I got a minute.

But you are spot on IMHO. Based on everything I've heard and read, he's just not a good fit for ND. Davonte Neal is who he reminds me of. Davonte was a mess during his recruitment, and people who followed his recruitment warned of his character and that of his dad. The signing day BS, when he made his former elementary school wait (and wait and wait and wait) for him while his dad claimed they got into an accident was pure BS and just the tip of the iceberg with him. But he was such a stud BK took a chance on him, knowing that he wasn't a good fit. A year later and a whole lotta brazen pot-smoking later (and an insane story only to be repeated at a tailgate), he is gone, predictably so (in hindsight of course).

As I've said, IM not only had a hard time getting a qualifying score on the ACT, he also screwed up big-time at school. How are you going to succeed at ND when not only do you struggle from a pure knowledge/test-taking standpoint, you also are either so lazy or struggle so much that you can't even pass HIGH SCHOOL??? And what people don't know, from a reporter who is tuned in to this, is that he needs to get a B average just to qualify for ANY school. Reminds me a bit of David Terrell, who committed to ND and then effed up so poorly his senior year (just straight stopped trying) that admissions didn't let him in, so he 'decommitted' (LOL) and went to Michigan. Last I heard Terrell was facing drug and battery charges after he was arrested in Chicago in August.

Anyway, still wouldn't surprise me if IM committed to ND, and then had some dynamic plays as a true freshman. But even IF he were to commit, I'd bet any amount of vbucks that he wouldn't last 3 years at ND. Furgeson, Lynch, Neal, Prestwood, Greenberry, Tee, etc...these types of kids have a bad history lately of not doing well at ND (if they get here at all). Even kids like Daniels and Golson have been kicked out for a semester. Some pan out, but lots don't.

Hopefully he has a come-to-Jesus moment and finds the perfect school for him and flourishes there, especially academically. Hopefully that's ND. But honestly, it doesn't sound like that would be ND, at least not right now. Maybe this weekend changes everything for him...

Great post, one thing that I think could change Mckenzie's personality a little bit is Deeb, who seems like a great guy and someone who knows what ND is about. If McKenzie sees Deeb thriving, maybe he will try to follow in Deeb's footsteps.

 

[md_bennett]

Here is my take on the BK comments and maybe what got misunderstood: He probably told him (honestly unlike many would do) that we are also recruiting a few other guys. If one of them wants on board then the scholarship numbers are tight and he may not have a spot waiting for him as we would be full. That may sound like pressure to somebody who hasn't heard from a bunch of schools, but that is just the honest situation he finds himself in and the coaches try to shoot straight with them so that they can grasp the bigger picture of recruiting.

I don't think I've ever once heard of BK or anybody on the staff pressuring for an on the spot commitment if the kid isn't ready to make it. Definitely think something has been lost in translation.

 

[ulukinatme]

. A year later and a whole lotta brazen pot-smoking later (and an insane story only to be repeated at a tailgate), he is gone, predictably so (in hindsight of course).

Man, did you tell me that story at the tailgate? I don't remember hearing it...and the bad part is I was sober.

 

[Calabrese's People]

My feelings about this recruitment, summarized.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Here is my take on the BK comments and maybe what got misunderstood: He probably told him (honestly unlike many would do) that we are also recruiting a few other guys. If one of them wants on board then the scholarship numbers are tight and he may not have a spot waiting for him as we would be full. That may sound like pressure to somebody who hasn't heard from a bunch of schools, but that is just the honest situation he finds himself in and the coaches try to shoot straight with them so that they can grasp the bigger picture of recruiting.

I don't think I've ever once heard of BK or anybody on the staff pressuring for an on the spot commitment if the kid isn't ready to make it. Definitely think something has been lost in translation.

That is always what happens. Have four people in a row, and I guarantee the communication won't be the same between the first and the last! It is human nature. My question is how clear of communication has been established.

Of all the cases recently brought up, I believe there have been massive communication misunderstanding.

Maybe nothing more than "Do not smoke pot" means "do not get caught smoking pot." But at least that.

 

[Emcee77]

Here is my take on the BK comments and maybe what got misunderstood: He probably told him (honestly unlike many would do) that we are also recruiting a few other guys. If one of them wants on board then the scholarship numbers are tight and he may not have a spot waiting for him as we would be full. That may sound like pressure to somebody who hasn't heard from a bunch of schools, but that is just the honest situation he finds himself in and the coaches try to shoot straight with them so that they can grasp the bigger picture of recruiting.

I don't think I've ever once heard of BK or anybody on the staff pressuring for an on the spot commitment if the kid isn't ready to make it. Definitely think something has been lost in translation.

Yeah, this really rings true to me. BK probably thought of what he was telling IM as purely informational, and IM interpreted it as pressure.

 

[Emcee77]

Did IM have an in home tonight ? He just posted on twitter "people that feed you b.s. Will hurt you in a second". ???????

I forgot that he tweeted this the night of his in-home with BK. Maybe it was about BK ...

 

[PANDFAN]

this was a troll job..but still fact about that grad rate

this was a troll job..but still fact about that grad rate

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/JoyStick_izzy">@JoyStick_izzy</a> ey bruh shame u won't be headen to ND but good luck at ole miss! study up and dont miss ya degree! 47% aint in your favor</p>— Rannolph Yaboi (@RannolphY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RannolphY/statuses/428314474022322177">January 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Irishman77]

#i doubt it stamp

Thank goodness we can but this oneti bed! This is great news folks!

Would have returned punts only IMHO . I will take a 220 lb JO in the slot over this guy. One less transfer we have to be concerned about down the road.

Cage
Alexander
Quick
JuJu

 

[GreenSox04]

@JoyStick_izzy: I'm taking my official to ND this weekend. Choice:undecided


Wake this thread up on NSD..

 

[Luckylucci]

Loy just posted that he isn't changing his CB and he is still hearing, even as soon as 5 min. ago, that ND is the team to beat. Either McKenzie is just having fun with the media or whoever Loy has as a source is fucking crazy.

 

[stlnd01]

Loy just posted that he isn't changing his CB and he is still hearing, even as soon as 5 min. ago, that ND is the team to beat. Either McKenzie is just having fun with the media or whoever Loy has as a source is fucking crazy.

Is it possible McKenzie's the one who's fucking crazy?
Hopefully he comes, loves it, realizes what he can get out of going to Notre Dame, buys in and goes on to great things on and off the field. But forgive me if I'm not super thrilled about this one at the moment. So much drama.

 

[Emcee77]

I'm feeling increasingly certain that he picks ND. He likes drama, but he loves ND, and that will win out.

As some people on the BGI board have pointed out, Bartow has been wrong about McKenzie before. Didn't he call WVU the leader for McKenzie at one point last fall?

 

[AvesEvo]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/JoyStick_izzy">@JoyStick_izzy</a> ey bruh shame u won't be headen to ND but good luck at ole miss! study up and dont miss ya degree! 47% aint in your favor</p>— Rannolph Yaboi (@RannolphY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RannolphY/statuses/428314474022322177">January 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Who is that guy?

 

[gkIrish]

I'll just say it...

I'm not sure I want this kid anymore. He seems to love attention and dislike authority. My first clue was when he complained about not starting at the all-star game. The last couple of weeks haven't really changed that perception. This, on top of his academic questions worry me a lot.

I hope I'm completely wrong and that he turns out to be a great student/leader on our team. But I just don't see it.


EDIT: I completed skipped over a couple posts with essentially identical viewpoints. So this post is kind of pointless.

 

[IrishLax]

I'm feeling increasingly certain that he picks ND. He likes drama, but he loves ND, and that will win out.

He does not "love" ND. I can say that as a fact. This is not a Steve Elmer or a Tristen Hoge or one of the myriad of other recruits that gets ND and considers it special. Not even close.

 

[Emcee77]

He does not "love" ND. I can say that as a fact. This is not a Steve Elmer or a Tristen Hoge or one of the myriad of other recruits that gets ND and considers it special. Not even close.

Ha, well I can't speak to the depth of his appreciation for the essence of ND -- ND is different things to different people anyway -- but I will bet $10M vbucks that he picks ND. I am just getting the feeling.

 

[dwshade]

I'll refrain from commenting on the kid. Obviously never met him or talked to him and I certainly don't trust media reports that may be slanted in some way. If coaching staff wants him and he wants to be here I'll gladly take him.

 

[Luckylucci]

Is it possible McKenzie's the one who's fucking crazy?
Hopefully he comes, loves it, realizes what he can get out of going to Notre Dame, buys in and goes on to great things on and off the field. But forgive me if I'm not super thrilled about this one at the moment. So much drama.

To address the first question. Yes it is a possibility that comes to mind.

 

[Goldedommer44]

If I had bucks to bet I would bet all of them that he comes to ND

 

[SoJerseyIrish]

Is this not the craziest recruiting story of 2014?? I am glad its over next week.....

 

[Irish YJ]

Is this not the craziest recruiting story of 2014?? I am glad its over next week.....

Is this your first year of recruiting ?