'15 NV S Nicco Fertitta (Notre Dame Signed NLI)

[Cackalacky]

Seems to diagnose plays quickly and play downhill.

 

[Cackalacky]

TJ from II hinting that another commit may be close to popping.

Someone should do Jake a solid and give him a heads up.

 

[stlnd01]

I think it's pretty impressive that all of our commits are from either the south or west coast

Pshaw. Just means we'll lose them to decommit/transfer/academics/drug use by fall of their sophomore year.

 

[The Polish Irishman]

Welcome. Great to have him.

 

[andre784]

Looks like Kahlil Mckenzie is interested on playing on the same team is Nicco...Not that it means much but those connections in the west are much needed. On his first hours of being Irish, dude is already recruiting it up for us! My kind of recruit.

 

[irish o'phile]

So, let's say you commit to a school and your friend/teammate can get you legit free tickets to a UFC match, or a Spurs game, or an MLB game, or a Bon Jovi concert, or shirts or jerseys or something. If it's completely based on relationship and independent of school, is it a violation? If I played a sport and my friend/teammates dad owned or managed a burger king and he gave me a whopper because I was his son's friend, would it be a violation?

 

[Crazy Balki]

So, let's say you commit to a school and your friend/teammate can get you legit free tickets to a UFC match, or a Spurs game, or an MLB game, or a Bon Jovi concert, or shirts or jerseys or something. If it's completely based on relationship and independent of school, is it a violation? If I played a sport and my friend/teammates dad owned or managed a burger king and he gave me a whopper because I was his son's friend, would it be a violation?

No. In order for it to be a violation, it would have to be someone affiliated with the university. Same thing happened with Johnny Manziel. He was at NBA games, buying a bunch of expensive crap and everyone was up in arms. It's legal.

 

[Buster Bluth]

No. In order for it to be a violation, it would have to be someone affiliated with the university. Same thing happened with Johnny Manziel. He was at NBA games, buying a bunch of expensive crap and everyone was up in arms. It's legal.

Right, he wasn't given things. No?

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I am surprised with the reactions and all the comparisons, that no one here sees a parallel to Chris Badger. Other than Nicco being a bit smaller, and not LDS, I think the comparison is pretty good.

I remember when Chris garnered a lot of educated football criticism, and then the tape was made of Ronnie Lott's positive review of him. He was truly sorry at that time Badger didn't go to USC. Another something intangible about the way they play, kid.

Nicco, a chara,

Tabhair an casúr!

Beir bua agus beannacht,

Bogtrotter

 

[Junkhead]

I have confidence in the staff, and kid seems like a hard worker, but why not try for preferred walk-on. Dad can afford it, just sayin'.

 

[calvegas04]

I have confidence in the staff, and kid seems like a hard worker, but why not try for preferred walk-on. Dad can afford it, just sayin'.

Because he is better than a preferred walk on

 

[ryno 24]

I have confidence in the staff, and kid seems like a hard worker, but why not try for preferred walk-on. Dad can afford it, just sayin'.

this kid has a lot of legit offers, it would be a slap in the kids face to make him a preffered walk on. He is more talented than Jon Turner or many other players that we offered.

 

[Domina Nostra]

this kid has a lot of legit offers, it would be a slap in the kids face to make him a preffered walk on. He is more talented than Jon Turner or many other players that we offered.

The John Turner dumping looks like its coming to an end. Not everyone is a starter, and it looks like BVG agrees the kid has legit D1 talent.

 

[ryno 24]

I'm not dumping on him at all. I'm just dissapointed that every is frustrated with Fertita as he is worth the scholly

 

[texbender]

Optimistic about this pick up. Seems to have potential, and obvious he loves ND.

 

[Junkhead]

Because he is better than a preferred walk on

You are right. I just now watched his vids, and there is potential (sorry Koyack). He loves contact, I'm just concerned about his size I guess. There's time for that though.

 

[ResLife Hero]

So, let's say you commit to a school and your friend/teammate can get you legit free tickets to a UFC match, or a Spurs game, or an MLB game, or a Bon Jovi concert, or shirts or jerseys or something. If it's completely based on relationship and independent of school, is it a violation? If I played a sport and my friend/teammates dad owned or managed a burger king and he gave me a whopper because I was his son's friend, would it be a violation?

You have to be careful obviously, but these types of perks can be totally permissible. Manziel at half court for Heat games, Clausen hosting the WRs for summer workouts in CA his last year, etc. I'm sure if you went really over the top, you might get an NCAA investigation, but there's wiggle room to enjoy making friends.

 

[ResLife Hero]

The John Turner dumping looks like its coming to an end. Not everyone is a starter, and it looks like BVG agrees the kid has legit D1 talent.

Just to add to this, I'm not sure we know how BVG evaluates and projects players yet. I like Nicco's attitude, work ethic and film, but I also share some of the concerns voiced here about his size. Then again, Riggs and Alexander (prospect out of LA last cycle) are much shorter than DBs brought in during the rest of Kelly's reign so there's clearly a shift in player evaluation going on.

At the very least, I think Nicco will destroy some returners on special teams, and I think he'll see the field situationally as well.

 

[Ironman8]

I like this pickup. I think Nicco could be a very good nickel back in BVG's system - he is a very smart and technically sound defensive back that is always in the right position and hits like a truck. I also agree with many others that he could be a standout on special teams immediately as well.

I also love continuing the relationships at Bishop Gorman, getting hard working / leader types in the locker room, and it doesn't hurt knowing who his father is. I am on board with this commitment for a multitude of reasons.

Happy to have you on board Nicco!

 

[Luckylucci]

I like this pickup. I think Nicco could be a very good nickel back in BVG's system - he is a very smart and technically sound defensive back that is always in the right position and hits like a truck. I also agree with many others that he could be a standout on special teams immediately as well.

I also love continuing the relationships at Bishop Gorman, getting hard working / leader types in the locker room, and it doesn't hurt knowing who his father is. I am on board with this commitment for a multitude of reasons.

Happy to have you on board Nicco!

Good points, I love having hard working guys in that locker room. This may not be a popular opinion but win or lose rooting for the right guys is the reason I'm an ND fan.

 

[irishog77]

You have to be careful obviously, but these types of perks can be totally permissible. Manziel at half court for Heat games, Clausen hosting the WRs for summer workouts in CA his last year, etc. I'm sure if you went really over the top, you might get an NCAA investigation, but there's wiggle room to enjoy making friends.

And the ncaa can also suspend you for going out to dinner with a teammate's dad, like they did to a couple Arizona basketball players going out with Luke and Bill Walton one evening.

If there's anything we know about the ncaa, expect them to act in a completely inconsistent manner.

 

[Fbolt]

Congrats! I always welcome players the staff makes an offer to.

 

[Redbar]

I am surprised with the reactions and all the comparisons, that no one here sees a parallel to Chris Badger. Other than Nicco being a bit smaller, and not LDS, I think the comparison is pretty good.

I remember when Chris garnered a lot of educated football criticism, and then the tape was made of Ronnie Lott's positive review of him. He was truly sorry at that time Badger didn't go to USC. Another something intangible about the way they play, kid.

I agree. I get excited about all of our commits, we simply don't know how things will turn out, there will be sure fire can't miss guys that never to the corner on their "potential", and there will be head scratching offers (to some) that just ball hard and carve out a spot. I remember another "undersized" hammerhead safety that had a heck of a career in Chicago and for the Cornhuskers, a guy named Mike Brown. I think measurables take you so far in life and in football, there are a lot of qualities you can't measure and when the right people are placed in the right situations no one can say what someone's ceiling will be.

 

[rtrn2glory]

i would personally be more worried about this commitment if diaco was still our DC. he is not a deep half player at safety and not big enough to play corner against the elite size he'd see on the outside, but with his elite ability to set the edge and tackle, i can see us being very creative with his skill set and BVG's imagination in the blitz scheme allowing him to roll down into the holes in the curl flat area and helping tackle on the edge with the spread offenses we see nowadays.

the camp circuit will be very helpful to him becoming better at covering the pass, but his money is in the run game and playing the robber role in the pass game

 

[arrowryan]

i would personally be more worried about this commitment if diaco was still our DC. he is not a deep half player at safety and not big enough to play corner against the elite size he'd see on the outside, but with his elite ability to set the edge and tackle, i can see us being very creative with his skill set and BVG's imagination in the blitz scheme allowing him to roll down into the holes in the curl flat area and helping tackle on the edge with the spread offenses we see nowadays.

the camp circuit will be very helpful to him becoming better at covering the pass, but his money is in the run game and playing the robber role in the pass game

I don't think he would've been offered if Diaco was the DC

 

[Irish#1]

I don't think he would've been offered if Diaco was the DC

+1

 

[Irish#1]

Just to add to this, I'm not sure we know how BVG evaluates and projects players yet. I like Nicco's attitude, work ethic and film, but I also share some of the concerns voiced here about his size. Then again, Riggs and Alexander (prospect out of LA last cycle) are much shorter than DBs brought in during the rest of Kelly's reign so there's clearly a shift in player evaluation going on.

At the very least, I think Nicco will destroy some returners on special teams, and I think he'll see the field situationally as well.

You answered your own question. To me BVG covets attitude and work ethic before size (assuming someone isn't a munchkin).

 

[Luckylucci]

When asked why Nico was offered before or instead of guys like Crawford, Garrett Taylor, and Kareem Ali. Here was TJ's reply.

Okay on paper and in the recruiting vacuum. But here's a key point most are either forgetting or ignoring: how many, if any, of those big-star "stars" (assuming they are that) are willing -- much less able -- to play as a Sub-package specialist, such as Nickel or a "StarWLB" or Rover S spy versus a running QB? I'll answer: many actually can't and more than most just won't. Don't take my word or the staff's word for it -- ask guys like Belichick, Rex Ryan, Tomlin, Harbaugh and other great coaches what they think on this in today's football.

It's not just "plug and play" with big-star recruits at certain specialized positions these days, either in college or the pros. I wouldn't bet on the guys listed above being automatically able, much less willing, to play such roles (and STs ace) for four years possibly today in the environment of big-time football.

 

[goldandblue]

Is it crazy to think that part of ND's offers are a marketing campaign? Does the program become more attractable to recruits when David Robinson, Bon Jovi, Tori Hunter, Lorenzo Fertitta, possibly snoop dog are roaming the campus and at games etc?

 

[dublinirish]

Is it crazy to think that part of ND's offers are a marketing campaign? Does the program become more attractable to recruits when David Robinson, Bon Jovi, Tori Hunter, Lorenzo Fertitta, possibly snoop dog are roaming the campus and at games etc?

it started when Taylor Swift's brother was admitted.