'15 IN ILB/OLB Asmar Bilal (Notre Dame Signed NLI)

[Ndaccountant]

Sampson or Bilal?

Sampson

 

[koonja]

Sampson

Who's Sampson?

 

[Rack Em]

Sampson

Doubtful.

 

[Domina Nostra]

Let me make it unanimous by saying......Billal

Barajas is so fast and a little leaner. I see him at WILL.

I think Hilliard looks like the best MLB of the three, but he also looks the best SAM and is most ready to play. So with Morgan in the middle, I think you play Hilliard at SAM and let Bilal develop in the middle.

 

[Ndaccountant]

Doubtful.

do not want

 

[Ironman8]

Hey Ironman. 2012 is two year ago...just saying

Ahh I have signatures off - is mine still my fantasy DOMINANCE? haha

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Who's Sampson?

Son of Manoah; long hair.

 

[irishog77]

So did Enoch Smith commit to ND?

 

[johnnycando]

Who's Sampson?

Strong guy.

Long hair.

Married some bitch.

 

[Ricochet]

On the off chance we end up Barajas, Billal, and Hilliard, who among them would play MLB?

I think any of them could thrive at any of the 3 LB position as they are all extremely versatile but I actually like Hillard as a MLB. The kid is a natural leader and the MLB is the QB for the defense and the kid can do it all anyways so I say put him in the middle a make everyone better.

Barajas as the WLB.

Bilal as the SLB.

Getting these 3 would be a hell of a coup but I wouldn't stop there as I would still go hard after Baker for sure because IMO the OLB position is looking thin because of the switch back to the 4-3. The 3-4 OLB's are either moving to DE or they don't fit the style of what BVG is doing in the 4-3.

Oh and if John Houston wants to come to ND you take him no matter who they've already got.

 

[EuropeanDomer]

Bilal can not play the strong side, he is not suited to play that role. He is not a player to take blocks for his teammates and do the dirty work ala James Harrison, who was a fullback for the other linebackers. Just let him run and make plays all over the field with his speed. Same for Barajas. I think Sykes could be a great SLB, he loves contact, can take blocks and just do the dirty work for people like Jaylon, Bilal or Barajas.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6Ctuup14_ms" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Did Delilah put in a CB for Balil?

 

[EddytoNow]

I'm all for getting Bilal, Hilliard, and Barajas, too, but when we start talking about a future linebacking trio let's not forget that Nyles Morgan still has all four years of eligibility left. He is likely to be a fixture at middle linebacker that any newly recruited linebackers will have to contend with for playing time in the foreseeable future.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

If we want a kid that can play in the middle, we need to get Coney. These other guys are OLB's that are big enough to play in the middle, but what a waste of talent!

Not that MLB is a waste of talent, but just they have the ability to do some special things outside, in the open field, or sideline to sideline, in my opinion.

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Some late night news and notes after my trip to see <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> LB target Asmar Bilal today ($): <a href="http://t.co/zaqzPDaxVl">http://t.co/zaqzPDaxVl</a></p>— Jake Brown (@Jake_Brown) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jake_Brown/statuses/482008435244818432">June 26, 2014</a></blockquote>
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dur dur dur

 

[Rack Em]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Some late night news and notes after my trip to see <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> LB target Asmar Bilal today ($): <a href="http://t.co/zaqzPDaxVl">http://t.co/zaqzPDaxVl</a></p>— Jake Brown (@Jake_Brown) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jake_Brown/statuses/482008435244818432">June 26, 2014</a></blockquote>
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dur dur dur

Michigan and ND are in the lead pack. Look for his recruitment to wrap up before the season. He doesn't have a relationship with any michigan players but knows a few ND players.

 

[stlnd01]

I'm all for getting Bilal, Hilliard, and Barajas, too, but when we start talking about a future linebacking trio let's not forget that Nyles Morgan still has all four years of eligibility left. He is likely to be a fixture at middle linebacker that any newly recruited linebackers will have to contend with for playing time in the foreseeable future.

Good. The more depth and competition the better. And there's enough reps at linebacker to keep all of them engaged. For that matter, I wouldn't sleep on Sykes or Kolin Hill either.

 

[Ricochet]

Bilal can not play the strong side, he is not suited to play that role. He is not a player to take blocks for his teammates and do the dirty work ala James Harrison, who was a fullback for the other linebackers. Just let him run and make plays all over the field with his speed. Same for Barajas. I think Sykes could be a great SLB, he loves contact, can take blocks and just do the dirty work for people like Jaylon, Bilal or Barajas.

First off Harrison is a 3-4 SAM whereas Bilal would be a 4-3 and that's huge difference is style and responsibilities.

Plus it all depends on the philosophy of the defense as well as some will just see the OLB's as LOLB and ROLB rather than WSLB and SSLB because regardless where the TE lines up they expect either one to be able to handle the job.

BVG wants to play fast, very fast attacking football and it's going to be about getting guys who have the speed to get after the QB's and RB's with the DE's as well as dropping into coverage to stop the WR's and TE's.

IMO what your saying the "SAM" responsibility is not at all what BVG's defense is about at all and in that position he's not going to be asked to do that anymore so than the other LB's on any given play.

 

[Ricochet]

I'm all for getting Bilal, Hilliard, and Barajas, too, but when we start talking about a future linebacking trio let's not forget that Nyles Morgan still has all four years of eligibility left. He is likely to be a fixture at middle linebacker that any newly recruited linebackers will have to contend with for playing time in the foreseeable future.

No one is forgetting Nyles Morgan and your absolutely correct. He's a stud no doubt about it but if ND can start getting equal or better talent at these positions where the coaching staff feels that there isn't a drop off in talent they can play less which in turn allows them to play better and longer in the long run.

Sometimes less is more and imagine the luxury that ND would have if they could replace Morgan with Hillard during the game keeping both players fresh by switching them in and out.

 

[Crazy Balki]

I'd say a tandem of Coney, Bilal and Barajas sounds good. We really need to land a MLB. Barajas might be able to play Mike, but he is definitely preferably a OLB. Same with Hilliard, though honestly he can play anywhere, but preferably OLB. Bilal is strictly an OLB. I really hope that Coney doesn't lose some interest if Hilliard chooses O$U.

 

[NDPhilly]

What's funny about Coney wanting Hilliard to go to ND with him is tht Coney plays the same position as him and would likely never start over him baring injury.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

What's funny about Coney wanting Hilliard to go to ND with him is tht Coney plays the same position as him and would likely never start over him baring injury.

You don't see Coney as a MLB and Hilliard as a outside linebacker?

 

[NDWorld247]

I'd say a tandem of Coney, Bilal and Barajas sounds good. We really need to land a MLB. Barajas might be able to play Mike, but he is definitely preferably a OLB. Same with Hilliard, though honestly he can play anywhere, but preferably OLB. Bilal is strictly an OLB. I really hope that Coney doesn't lose some interest if Hilliard chooses O$U.

I don't think MLB is a NEED in this class. If we were still running a 3-4, maybe, but as EddytoNow pointed out, Morgan will be a fixture in the middle for 4 years and, the man everyone seems to overlook, Greer Martini, is going to be a stud. Seriously, I don't think people realize how talented Martini is.

 

[Irish#1]

I say land them all and let the staff figure it out.

 

[NDPhilly]

You don't see Coney as a MLB and Hilliard as a outside linebacker?

I mean yeah Hilliard is athletic enough to play it, but I'd like to keep my 5 star MLB at MLB.

 

[ThePiombino]

Michigan and ND are in the lead pack. Look for his recruitment to wrap up before the season. He doesn't have a relationship with any michigan players but knows a few ND players.

Thanks for the recap, Jakey- back to rec basketball for you!!!

As for the bolded, that's BIG.

 

[Henges24]

I don't think MLB is a NEED in this class. If we were still running a 3-4, maybe, but as EddytoNow pointed out, Morgan will be a fixture in the middle for 4 years and, the man everyone seems to overlook, Greer Martini, is going to be a stud. Seriously, I don't think people realize how talented Martini is.

Dan Fox 2.0

 

[BeauBenken]

Dan Fox 2.0

Are you saying this because you think he is underappreciated or because you think they are similar skill wise?

 

[Henges24]

Are you saying this because you think he is underappreciated or because you think they are similar skill wise?

It's IMO how his career will go.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

I don't think MLB is a NEED in this class. If we were still running a 3-4, maybe, but as EddytoNow pointed out, Morgan will be a fixture in the middle for 4 years and, the man everyone seems to overlook, Greer Martini, is going to be a stud. Seriously, I don't think people realize how talented Martini is.

I'm guessing Martini is a special teams stalwart and that's it. His tape didn't impress me that much. To be careful, I'm rooting for all of our players, I hope nothing more than each player makes huge gains and is able to compete for the two deep but I don't know where Martini fits in this defense and I don't know if he fits anywhere better than the other 80+ on the roster.