'10 NC DE Prince Shembo (In hot water)

[GoldenToTheGrave]

Athletically, I agree. His numbers at the combine were better than Michael Sam's. But I'm not sure his football IQ was up to being a 3-4 ILB in Diaco's scheme. Lots of moving parts that he wasn't accustomed to. And he wasn't a great run stuffer or great in coverage, a hallmark of an above average ILB. Then again, maybe he would have adapted to that if he had enough time?

4-3 MLB? I think he could do okay depending on the scheme. Again, with enough time he could be a good one.

Unfortunately he didn't have the time at ND to devote to the ILB position. Classic case of having to go to class.

He was very good at setting the edge though. I think that was his biggest asset at OLB, just over his pass rushing ability.

 

[dublinirish]

I dont think Shembo is an NFL level pass rusher. He got swallowed up by the bigger, longer tackles in college

 

[irishog77]

In an attacking, 4-3 defense, I think Shembo could be really good on the inside. I think in a multi, 3-4 defense, he could be good at several positions.

It will probably come down to coaching/scheme for him.

 

[KPENN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Nolan called Shembo a "pleasant surprise"</p>— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) <a href="https://twitter.com/vxmcclure23/statuses/495591745414266880">August 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Nolan said Prince Shembo has the best physical stature of anybody on the roster to play the inside linebacker position.</p>— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) <a href="https://twitter.com/vxmcclure23/statuses/495612503817457666">August 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Old Man Mike]

There has never been any doubt about Prince's "physical stature" on any grounds --- Kelly said that despite Prince's good nature and ferocious team loyalty, he thought that a lot of the players were afraid of him. One effing stud......

 

[Bogtrotter07]

There has never been any doubt about Prince's "physical stature" on any grounds --- Kelly said that despite Prince's good nature and ferocious team loyalty, he thought that a lot of the players were afraid of him. One effing stud......

This post makes me want to laugh . . .

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gX3wGWHRlXQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[PLACforever]

Shembo is playing like someone stole his bike seat.

 

[Bluto]

Shembo at inside linebacker and Ishaq at dog or cat or whatever would have been a winning combo the more I think about it. Oh well.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Shembo at inside linebacker and Ishaq at dog or cat or whatever would have been a winning combo the more I think about it. Oh well.

The logic and point of this post is flawless! I think there have been a few development issues on defense at ND, even more than Ishaq not at defensive end.

Manti got up to nearly 270 his junior year, a year in which he had lingering injuries and was less effective than his sophomore and senior seasons.

The whole defensive line class of '11.

Louis Nix, now that the money is on the line, he will probably be great; but how long did it take him to develop?

Entire defensive backfield. Don't look now but we have had a lot of talent drafted out of our defensive backfield, with fairly mixed results at ND. Even though Harrison Smith was squandered by Weis, that same kind of thing has continued a bit to present. Maybe it was just the scheme . . .

If Sheldon Day is off the hook this year, I will know that there is something to this.

Romeo Okwara. If he makes a good SDE this year we know he was wasted.

Kona Schwenke. Hope he makes it big at KC. Because his career was wasted at ND. No kid had a bigger heart or worked harder and was squandered more due to circumstances or coaching.

What took Jarron Jones so long?

Talent in general that never produced, Justin Utupo, Anthony Rasaba, etc.

Other than Mathias Farley, most of the "developed" players were moved to or on the offensive side of the ball; Troy Niklas, CJ Prosise, etc.

What if John Turner turns out to be a stud?

What if any of the DT's, Riggs, Crawford, or linebackers under 6'4" like Nyles Morgan, etc., turn out to be great?

There are actually more. Maybe I am too picky. But when you look at this dissipated potential energy, don't you have to ask yourself what could have been? With this just rechanneled, do you move your team to the championship level?

Truth be told, there was a ton more of the same under the previous three coaching staffs.

I am hoping with LaFleur, Hiestand, Elston and BVG it further diminishes.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

The logic and point of this post is flawless! I think there have been a few development issues on defense at ND, even more than Ishaq not at defensive end.



Manti got up to nearly 270 his junior year, a year in which he had lingering injuries and was less effective than his sophomore and senior seasons.



The whole defensive line class of '11.



Louis Nix, now that the money is on the line, he will probably be great; but how long did it take him to develop?



Entire defensive backfield. Don't look now but we have had a lot of talent drafted out of our defensive backfield, with fairly mixed results at ND. Even though Harrison Smith was squandered by Weis, that same kind of thing has continued a bit to present. Maybe it was just the scheme . . .



If Sheldon Day is off the hook this year, I will know that there is something to this.



Romeo Okwara. If he makes a good SDE this year we know he was wasted.



Kona Schwenke. Hope he makes it big at KC. Because his career was wasted at ND. No kid had a bigger heart or worked harder and was squandered more due to circumstances or coaching.



What took Jarron Jones so long?



Talent in general that never produced, Justin Utupo, Anthony Rasaba, etc.



Other than Mathias Farley, most of the "developed" players were moved to or on the offensive side of the ball; Troy Niklas, CJ Prosise, etc.



What if John Turner turns out to be a stud?



What if any of the DT's, Riggs, Crawford, or linebackers under 6'4" like Nyles Morgan, etc., turn out to be great?



There are actually more. Maybe I am too picky. But when you look at this dissipated potential energy, don't you have to ask yourself what could have been? With this just rechanneled, do you move your team to the championship level?



Truth be told, there was a ton more of the same under the previous three coaching staffs.



I am hoping with LaFleur, Hiestand, Elston and BVG it further diminishes.

I love you bogs, but you are crazy.

Remember Springman, Bjax and Collinsworth were all also moved from offense to defense.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I love you bogs, but you are crazy.

Remember Springman, Bjax and Collinsworth were all also moved from offense to defense.

What does that have to do with anything I was talking about? Who on defense exceeded all expectations? Harrison Smith doesn't count. Neither does Manti. Nor does Springman because his career ended early. Who? Not Nix. Not Tuitt. Not Lynch. So on and so forth. The guys that exceeded expectations were moved off of defense. BJax, Tuitt, Nix, etc., didn't have the best last season at ND. Their careers were not progressive.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

'10 NC DE Prince Shembo (Notre Dame Signee)

'10 NC DE Prince Shembo (Notre Dame Signee)

What does that have to do with anything I was talking about? Who on defense exceeded all expectations? Harrison Smith doesn't count. Neither does Manti. Nor does Springman because his career ended early. Who? Not Nix. Not Tuitt. Not Lynch. So on and so forth. The guys that exceeded expectations were moved off of defense. BJax, Tuitt, Nix, etc., didn't have the best last season at ND. Their careers were not progressive.

Bjax got drafted, I think he exceeded expectations. How about K Russel he was moved from offense to defense. I think he has exceeded expectations.

What about KLM he progresses during his 3 years under the staff.

Also why doesn't Harrison Smith count? In two years with this staff he went from zero to hero

 

[STLDomer]

The shots at Diaco here have become overboard IMO. This isn't the best example but it's everywhere and just felt it needed to be said.

 

[BeauBenken]

What took Jarron Jones so long? lol This will be his third year here. And he is eligible to play 3 more (including this year).

 

[Sherm Sticky]

What took Jarron Jones so long? lol This will be his third year here. And he is eligible to play 3 more (including this year).

Beau not sure if this is a joke or not.

 

[BeauBenken]

Beau not sure if this is a joke or not.

Sorry. Been drinking. Am I off a year?

Redshirted first year and played last year (his second year), no?

Meaning he has only burned 1 year of his eligibility.

Am I seriously that much more lit than I thought? Then again, it's likely that I'm just that bad with math/years.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Sorry. Been drinking. Am I off a year?

Redshirted first year and played last year, no?

Bama math Beau... Bama math.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

'10 NC DE Prince Shembo (Notre Dame Signee)

'10 NC DE Prince Shembo (Notre Dame Signee)

Sorry. Been drinking. Am I off a year?

Redshirted first year and played last year, no?

No I meant you said what took JONES So long. Wasn't sure if you were joking or not.

But, to answer the question anyway it's a simple answer. He is from upstate New York. So his high school competition was the worst of any player on the team. Thus it took him a year and a half to get up to speed.

Not to mention in high school he was not a full time dlinemen, he split time between oline and dline.

 

[BeauBenken]

No I meant you said what took JONES So long. Wasn't sure if you were joking or not.

But, to answer the question anyway it's a simple answer. He is from upstate New York. So his high school competition was the worst of any player on the team. Thus it took him a year and a half to get up to speed.

Not to mention in high school he was not a full time dlinemen, he split time between oline and dline.

No. lol I was mocking Bogs post. He said, "What took Jarron Jones so long?" I'm just saying it really didn't take him that long considering he can play two more years after this one.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

No. lol I was mocking Bogs post. He said, "What took Jarron Jones so long?" I'm just saying it really didn't take him that long considering he can play two more years after this one.

Lol that's what I thought. Lol

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Bjax got drafted, I think he exceeded expectations. How about K Russel he was moved from offense to defense. I think he has exceeded expectations.

What about KLM he progresses during his 3 years under the staff.

Also why doesn't Harrison Smith count? In two years with this staff he went from zero to hero

BJax was a rising star who played better with an injured shoulder junior year than senior year. Pardon me, but I got so tired of people (some ardent Diaco supporters) who dogged BJax all season long last year. You know what I am talking about. AND, pre-season the consensus was that he would do much higher than he did.

KR was moved to defense in spite of the DC from everything I have heard. Bob Diaco was a Jalen Brown guy, which fits, because JB is so long. If you remember, Cam got moved to corner out of desperation, because ND couldn't find any 6'2" corners that wanted to play for the Irish. Then Brown started moving up the charts as Lo Wood got injured (too small for the position.)

KLM is great. Compared to what his expectations were when he signed at 220, he far outstripped all predictions. One.

Harrison Smith came in at 6'2", over two hundred pounds, showing a 4.37 forty, (which was not accurate). He had people saying that he came in with NFL tools. Smart people saw what he could be then. He was one of the fastest guys on the team. Tenuta played him at linebacker when he didn't have that position in him, and also put much slower guys behind him. Kelly came in saying he was a safety, and that is all that he would play. So Kelly made the move from day one, and the move just unfucked the abortion that Weis' defense was.

We can go back and forth about this. Diaco was a good enough coordinator to win the Broyles award. That is saying something. I would put him up there with Mattison, just behind Alverez on the list at ND. On the other hand BVG has already won the Broyles award twice. And BD sure had the horses that year. ('12 makes all the stats over the four years sure look better.) Compare BD's run at ND to BVG's at Georgia.

But that isn't the point. I believe BD to be enough of an elitist and a snob that he rubs me the wrong way. I just don't think that those are characteristics that need to be amplified at ND with the contempt, haters already feel. And I think the evaluation instincts and the blue-collar everyman feel of BVG has already paid dividends on the recruiting trail.

Finally, Manti doesn't count because he was a top 5 recruit, and he had a depressed junior year, where more that idle rumors put his weight in the 265 to 270 range. He was stronger but less mobile. And unless he turned that around, he wouldn't have had the senior year he did.

Springman didn't finish his career, but he was a solid contributor when not injured. But not the kind of success I was talking about.

I think Collinsworth was moved out of necessity. What did we have, like one healthy safety back then, so I cannot attribute his move to genius vision or player development, and I don't thing he has shown the kind of ceiling that would equate to Troy Niklas being drafted in the second round after one arguably average season. That was genius.

We should wait till after the season. If IWilliams has the year with Romeo. If Sheldon Day dominates in his three technique, and if Jarron Jones masters the middle, this season we can have a conversation. If tons of freshman contribute and don't make tons of freshmen mistakes we can continue the conversation. We will see.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

BJax was a rising star who played better with an injured shoulder junior year than senior year. Pardon me, but I got so tired of people (some ardent Diaco supporters) who dogged BJax all season long last year. You know what I am talking about. AND, pre-season the consensus was that he would do much higher than he did.



KR was moved to defense in spite of the DC from everything I have heard. Bob Diaco was a Jalen Brown guy, which fits, because JB is so long. If you remember, Cam got moved to corner out of desperation, because ND couldn't find any 6'2" corners that wanted to play for the Irish. Then Brown started moving up the charts as Lo Wood got injured (too small for the position.)



KLM is great. Compared to what his expectations were when he signed at 220, he far outstripped all predictions. One.



Harrison Smith came in at 6'2", over two hundred pounds, showing a 4.37 forty, (which was not accurate). He had people saying that he came in with NFL tools. Smart people saw what he could be then. He was one of the fastest guys on the team. Tenuta played him at linebacker when he didn't have that position in him, and also put much slower guys behind him. Kelly came in saying he was a safety, and that is all that he would play. So Kelly made the move from day one, and the move just unfucked the abortion that Weis' defense was.



We can go back and forth about this. Diaco was a good enough coordinator to win the Broyles award. That is saying something. I would put him up there with Mattison, just behind Alverez on the list at ND. On the other hand BVG has already won the Broyles award twice. And BD sure had the horses that year. ('12 makes all the stats over the four years sure look better.) Compare BD's run at ND to BVG's at Georgia.



But that isn't the point. I believe BD to be enough of an elitist and a snob that he rubs me the wrong way. I just don't think that those are characteristics that need to be amplified at ND with the contempt, haters already feel. And I think the evaluation instincts and the blue-collar everyman feel of BVG has already paid dividends on the recruiting trail.



Finally, Manti doesn't count because he was a top 5 recruit, and he had a depressed junior year, where more that idle rumors put his weight in the 265 to 270 range. He was stronger but less mobile. And unless he turned that around, he wouldn't have had the senior year he did.



Springman didn't finish his career, but he was a solid contributor when not injured. But not the kind of success I was talking about.



I think Collinsworth was moved out of necessity. What did we have, like one healthy safety back then, so I cannot attribute his move to genius vision or player development, and I don't thing he has shown the kind of ceiling that would equate to Troy Niklas being drafted in the second round after one arguably average season. That was genius.



We should wait till after the season. If IWilliams has the year with Romeo. If Sheldon Day dominates in his three technique, and if Jarron Jones masters the middle, this season we can have a conversation. If tons of freshman contribute and don't make tons of freshmen mistakes we can continue the conversation. We will see.

I don't want to argue this anymore. But I will point out that Bjax was a consensus 3 star WR. He ended up being a 6th round corner after 3 years at the position. Apperantly there was some development there.

You act as if Harrison Smith was a 5 star recruit. When in reality he was a low 4 star.

 

[kmoose]

Finally, Manti doesn't count because he was a top 5 recruit, and he had a depressed junior year, where more that idle rumors put his weight in the 265 to 270 range. He was stronger but less mobile. And unless he turned that around, he wouldn't have had the senior year he did.

Manti had the senior year he had because the Defensive Line play finally prohibited teams from releasing a lineman to block him. Once he was free to roam the field, like middle linebackers are supposed to be, he played lights out.

 

[Ironman8]

Zeke Motta was drafted, and Dan Fox has a great chance to make the Giants.

I think both of those guys were way better under Diaco than I expected them to be at their respective positions. I always thought Motta would be a good OLB and that Fox wasn't anything special. Both played very well for the Irish late in their career IMO.

The talent and fits are only improving on D as well. I honestly like Schmidt at MIKE in BVG's scheme over a Fox or Carlo, and Morgan could be great there. Hope to see something out of Deeb and Randolph - time will tell.

Redfield and Luke look like young studs in the secondary, and Collinsworth looks a lot better this summer now that he is fully recovered.

Let's hope Ishaq and Owkara / Trumbetti can get after the passer from the edge consistently. If we can do that and be pretty good against the run, I think our D can be better than last year honestly.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Zeke Motta was drafted, and Dan Fox has a great chance to make the Giants.

I think both of those guys were way better under Diaco than I expected them to be at their respective positions. I always thought Motta would be a good OLB and that Fox wasn't anything special. Both played very well for the Irish late in their career IMO.

The talent and fits are only improving on D as well. I honestly like Schmidt at MIKE in BVG's scheme over a Fox or Carlo, and Morgan could be great there. Hope to see something out of Deeb and Randolph - time will tell.

Redfield and Luke look like young studs in the secondary, and Collinsworth looks a lot better this summer now that he is fully recovered.

Let's hope Ishaq and Owkara / Trumbetti can get after the passer from the edge consistently. If we can do that and be pretty good against the run, I think our D can be better than last year honestly.

Agreed about Fox, and his showing at the Giants but that was a two edged sword of a conversation. Turned it could be starting LB in the NFL, but not a clear starter in college?

Redfield is another puzzlement to me. I have heard a few players that have expressed such feelings of inadequacy as Redfield did this week about his freshman year. And I have heard others ponder why exceptional freshmen cannot just plug in here (in the recent past) at ND.


And the "fits" may be a big part of it. Who determines the fits? If it is all just shaping the talent into a 3-4, then that is one thing. But I remember hearing everyone (almost) saying the big advantage of the 3-4 is that it was friendlier if you didn't have the d-line talent. Maybe that was just naiveté; or maybe that was not realizing that we were going to 2 gap 60% of the time.

How is Kappy doing this year?

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Manti had the senior year he had because the Defensive Line play finally prohibited teams from releasing a lineman to block him. Once he was free to roam the field, like middle linebackers are supposed to be, he played lights out.

Partly to mostly. But he did play faster when he dropped the 15 lbs. He did drop the fifteen pounds, and he also became the best anticipatory player I have ever seen. He credits BD for some of that, but Manti did the work. We all have seen Manti's times weren't what we thought they would be, can you imagine what they really were his Junior year?

 

[BobbyMac]

Louis Nix, now that the money is on the line, he will probably be great; but how long did it take him to develop?

.

He has the easiest job in the NFL since The Fridge. Playing between Watt and Clowney? Sign me up.

.

 

[dublinirish]

You guys see episode 2 of Hard Knocks? Prince is looking like a baller out there. Great to see him flourishing, makes me mad we put up with watching Fox and Calabrese all those years when Prince could have been there running sideline to sideline

 

[Riddickulous]

Racked up 14 total tackles today for the Falcons.

I had no idea he was seeing so much PT.

 

[Henges24]

I always liked Prince at ND. Thought he under achieved though. I always thought he would make a good NFL linebacker someday. He has the athleticism and size.