2015 National Signing Day Thread 2/4/15

IrishLax

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Damn we add two top 250 players today and drop at least 2 spots in most rankings. Shut out of the top 10 hurts.

#7 on Scout, so not entirely shut out. #13 composite. Class lacks starpower.

It's important to note that of the 12 classes above us on 247 only 2 have less commits than us. In average rating, only Bama, USC, UCLA, and FSU have us beat on a per-recruit basis.

Class could've been better, but the only thing that really has me bugged is seeing UCLA jump 12 spots up the composite with their day. Mora infuriates me. So good at what he does.
 

aubeirish

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I dunno. I mean, Kiffin was really, really bad, and it was nice going 3-2 against USC under Kelly after nearly a decade of futility with Davies, Willingham, and Weis...but damn, Sark's game against us this year reminded me of the Carroll years. If we stay healthy next year I'm assuming we'll play better against them, but the scary thing is USC is only going to get better going forward now that sanctions are all over and they're going to building.

No doubt they will be a superb opponent. I think I just feel more confortable now that it seems that we will get a semblance of consistency at QB.
 

MartyIrish

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I think we're at 6 in avg. player rating which is a better measure, IMO. Takes quantity out of the equation.

While true...being able to bring in a big class is also impressive. Both are important.

You may bring in 5, 5 star players...but I'll take the class of 10 3 star guys.

They would likely be more hungry and I'm not sunk if I missed on 1 or 2 of them.
 

Luckylucci

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While true...being able to bring in a big class is also impressive. Both are important.

You may bring in 5, 5 star players...but I'll take the class of 10 3 star guys.

They would likely be more hungry and I'm not sunk if I missed on 1 or 2 of them.

Well first of all bringing in 29 players every year is not something ND will ever do. Secondly, its not like we brought in a small class. We brought in 24 players, it just so happens that a lot of schools sign more than the allotted 25 which gives the illusion of better success.
 
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ulukinatme

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Well first of all bringing in 29 players every year is not something ND will ever do. Secondly, its not like we brought in a small class. We brought in 24 players, it just so happens that a lot of schools sign more than the allotted 25 which gives the elusion of better success.

Elusion, huh? Did you do that on purpose? Cause SEC schools are certainly good at eluding 4 year scholarships and eluding commitments to players. :laugh:
 

Fbolt

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This class lacks star power on paper but it seems that a few can pop into star status in a few years. Boykin, ESB, Wimbush, Sanders, Jones, Tillery, Coney, Coleman, and Crawford all have that ability. One just never knows.

Solid class. Very pleased. To bad Kelly can't recruit.
 

yankeeND

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It may not seem that we got star power, but I'm telling ya, the staff hit a grand slam with this class! Thrilled with every kid we got, and grabbing two big-time gets on NSD always helps with the perception as well. Anxious to see what Kelly's possible additions will entail? Hoping a Safety and a DL to solidify the only position groups I am a little worried about.
 

Grahambo

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Key word: depth

They added a ton of QUALITY depth. They have star power already on the team but lacked quality depth due to various reasons and now they have that depth everywhere.

Especially after they add the 5th year transfer(s) and yes, even at safety where most of us agree that certain players would be much better making the switch.

Tillery to DT is a huge move and could turn out to be the difference maker. Hoge has 1st round potential.

Seriously, take a step back and look at this class, its a good one and will be an underrated one. Sure, there were some misses but overall, great additions.

Not to mention the reshuffling of the staff, exactly what I expected after the season.
 

IrishFaninTX

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I actually prefer having a collective group of stars as opposed to a few mega super stars. I think we have a lot of really great players that will be stars at their positions but won't overshadow the rest of the team. Alize Jones might be the one closest to mega star on the team but I really like Wimbush, Williams, St. Brown, Boykin, and Sanders on offense, too. The other players are not bad, either. And on D, Tillery and Crawford as well as all 3 linebackers are going to be studs. So we may not have a Byron Cowert or the #1 RB in the class but overall we have a group of very talented players who will help get ND in playoff contention in the coming years.
 

T Town Tommy

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Will be interesting to see how the 2016 recruiting trail shakes out with the higher academic requirements adopted by the NCAA back in 2012. Next year will be the first group of recruits that will fall under those requirements. About time academics were made more important.

Maybe this deserves it's own thread. If so, mods feel free to move it.

New eligibility standards start in 2016 | NCAA.com
 

Classic Irish

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They went 13 straight years without a 10 win season before Baghdad Pete took them to one. People forget how truly average they were the entire 80's and 90's.

This. And they had great recruiting classes back in the 80s and 90s, too. Carroll's success was a mirage, built on ignoring NCAA rules and looking the other way. This ultimately resulted in probation---something historically levied on southern cal whenever they've had a run of success. I have no doubt that they'll wind up in trouble at some point again.
 

IrishJayhawk

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We weren't much different at the end of this season. I want to say Whiskey or someone did a numbers crunch at the end of the season and we were below 60 healthy guys at one point I think, that's not much different. We were missing quite a few last year as well between injuries, transfers, and suspensions. Obviously the sanctions seriously impacted USC, but if you want to look at the impact Kiffin made you only have to look at the 2013 USC game and 2014. Even with Orgeron taking over, that was still Kiffin's team until a week or two before we faced them last year. We barely made it past them last season. This season they curb stomped us under Sark, and they did have a few more players to work with this year. When you look at some of the years we beat them, like 2010 and 2012, they weren't quite affected by the sanctions at those points. Those losses were certainly more a result of Kiffin's coaching.

But when you start under 50, you have no room for ANY injuries.
 

Brooklyn

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Really like how this class ended up. Minus the rangy safety (which we had in Prentice).

QB - Brandon Wimbush - Stud arm, size, mobility. Needs to work on touch more to be elite. But has all the tools and looks to be bright.

RB – Dexter Williams – Great speed and has nice moves. Reminds me of Lache Seastrunk in his running style. Definitely a homerun threat and will have a big role here if he has good vision. If not, he can still be a Lache type player and take it outside. He and CJ also really help on special teams.

RB - Josh Adams - Big back, long strides in space, looks like he is a tough runner to bring down and falls forward. Lacks elite speed, but has a little wiggle in him to go with the power. Can be a very good player, with a decent floor.

WR - Equanimeous St. Brown - Legit speed to go with the size and length. Droolworthy recruit. Little bit rounded in his cuts, but very fluid for his size. First round pick if he can clean up some things.

WR - Jaylen Guyton - Reminds me vaguely of Hakeem Nicks. Looks like he is gliding out there and plucks the ball out of the air.

WR - Miles Boykin - Still like him at TE. He'd be up there as a receiver with Aliz'e if he were a TE. As a WR, he looks very choppy in some of his routes and lacks separation. Still has great size and a red zone threat.

WR/Slot - C.J. Sanders - Looks like he is more than just speed and moves. He looks to run decent routes and has good hands. Will be a stud here.

TE – Aliz'e Jones – Very fluid, great hands, good routes. Looks better running routes than Boykin. Not sure if he can block, but can definitely be a Tyler Eifert type player. Stud.

OL - Trevor Ruhland - Love the aggressiveness. Looks to have good size and strength. Movement is just decent, but it'll do for a guard position. Should at minimum be a good depth player, who brings it his all in practice.

OL - Tristen Hoge – Really hard to see this kid failing for me. Has size, strength, frame, mobility, smarts and bloodlines. Looks like a hardworker and someone who can play right away physically. I think he will be a very good player here.

DL/OL - Jerry Tillery – Really liked him at LT. Saw him as a future first round there. Great feet, use of hands, frame and balance. Still not a bad player at DT. He still uses his hands very well there and has a powerful lower half. Looks like he can bend and hold up vs the run. Probably more of a nose though in a 4-3 or 3-4. Good 3 techniques don't get as much money as Lts.

DL - Micah Dew-Treadway – Good size, frame and use of hands. Very good get off the line and looks like he bends pretty well. Can be a very good and versatile player, who can lineup in a lot of different positions depending on the down.

DL - Brandon Tiassum – If I saw him before Treadway, I would've written what I wrote about Treadway here. Very similar players.

DL - Elijah Taylor – Looks like a very stout player. Doesn't get moved back and has good speed. At only 285 he actually has a ton of strength. Pushes olinemen back in one on one blocks and holds ground vs doubles. Very valuable player against the run.

LB/DE - Bo Wallace – LSU type end. Great speed/get off, lengthy and relentless in passrush. Much higher on him than his ranking. Will be a good passrusher and has frame to get much bigger and stout against the run.

LB - Te'Von Coney – Definitely a thumper type. Sheds blocks extremely well. Has size to add some more muscle and moves well enough to cover at MLB. Looks like he can be a very good downhill LB who can stop the run and rush the passer, but with enough skill to cover.

LB - Josh Barajas – Definite outside player. Big frame with already good weight. Looks like he is fluid in his movements. Doesn't shed extremely well, but beats blockers often. Also very athletic in coverage.

LB - Asmar Bilal – Like him more than Barajas. Same frame, but he is skinnier. Moves extremely well and gets pressure if you blitz him. Looks like a guy who can develop to be a very good all around player. Extreme athlete.

CB - Nick Coleman – Great hips and definitely has good enough size to play the position. Very good speed also. Really like him at CB and at nickel with his ability to flip his hips and to close.

CB - Shaun Crawford – Extremely good closing speed and change of direction. Loves to hit also. Screams elite nickel, but he is so much more. He can be an elite zone coverage, tampa two corner and even play man. Elite player.

CB/S - Ashton White – Good size and athlete at both CB and S. Like him a lot more at S and not just because of need. Looks like he is a much faster closing and running towards the ball, then backpeddling. Also a little stiff in the hips. At safety, he can hit and cover a lot of range. Think he can be a very good safety and decent corner.

S - Nicco Fretitto – Little missle. Like players like him. Limited physically, but maybe he can be an Ahmad Black -lite player. Can possibly play in blitz packages. Great in specials.

S - Mykelti Williams – Decent at everything or so it seems. Nothing really sticks out, but not much I can say is a weakness. Not a single deep safety type player, because he doesn't have that type of speed, but looks like he can be a decent player there.

K - Justin Yoon – Looks like he has it all as a kicker. Like also that he went to boarding school. Seems ready for college. Can be an elite player.
 

Brooklyn

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I actually prefer having a collective group of stars as opposed to a few mega super stars. I think we have a lot of really great players that will be stars at their positions but won't overshadow the rest of the team. Alize Jones might be the one closest to mega star on the team but I really like Wimbush, Williams, St. Brown, Boykin, and Sanders on offense, too. The other players are not bad, either. And on D, Tillery and Crawford as well as all 3 linebackers are going to be studs. So we may not have a Byron Cowert or the #1 RB in the class but overall we have a group of very talented players who will help get ND in playoff contention in the coming years.

I have 9 guys as potential studs from this class: Wimbush, St. Brown, Sanders, Jones, Hoge, Tillery, Coney, Crawford, Yoon.

6 as very good potential players: D. Williams, Adams, Guyton, Wallace, Bilal, Barajas.

And the last 7 as good depth/one day starter group: Boykin (at WR), Ruhland, Dew-Treadway, Tiassum, Taylor, Coleman, White, Fretitto, M. Williams,
 

Irishman77

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Here is my simple letter grade by positon:

Offense Overall A (killed it)
QB grade: A. We got a top 5 guy that is a dual threat and got a canon

RB grade: B+ got two and Williams could be great. Adams seems a developmental project

WR grade: A. Almost a A+ with the quantity of quality.

TE: A+ got the #1 guy

OL: B . not a huge need , but got 2 quality guys

Defense Overall Grade B+

DL grade: B+ lots of bodies and potential...Tillery could be a suprise..

LB grade: A 3 very good LB's

CB: B+ 3 inside guys that have a ton of potential

S grade: C+ hopefully the post NSD guys Kelly alluded to changes this dramatically

ST grade: A+ best kicker in the country and instant starter

Love this class and most concerned about coaches and transfers in the weeks to come. I feel there is a lot about to happen..
 

Irish YJ

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I have 9 guys as potential studs from this class: Wimbush, St. Brown, Sanders, Jones, Hoge, Tillery, Coney, Crawford, Yoon.

6 as very good potential players: D. Williams, Adams, Guyton, Wallace, Bilal, Barajas.

And the last 7 as good depth/one day starter group: Boykin (at WR), Ruhland, Dew-Treadway, Tiassum, Taylor, Coleman, White, Fretitto, M. Williams,

I'd break it down similar (limiting to

Potential elite / AA ceiling
Wimbush, Sanders, Jones, Hoge, Tillery Crawford, Yoon

Potential high/great, early contributor
ESB, Coney, Bilal, Barajas, D.Williams, Adams, Boykin,

Potential med/high, in the 2/3 deep after minimum 1 year in the system and conditioning.
Guyton, Coleman, M.Williams (thrust into action before he is ready), Wallace
 

Irish YJ

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I have 9 guys as potential studs from this class: Wimbush, St. Brown, Sanders, Jones, Hoge, Tillery, Coney, Crawford, Yoon.

6 as very good potential players: D. Williams, Adams, Guyton, Wallace, Bilal, Barajas.

And the last 7 as good depth/one day starter group: Boykin (at WR), Ruhland, Dew-Treadway, Tiassum, Taylor, Coleman, White, Fretitto, M. Williams,

I'd break it down similar (limiting to

Potential elite / AA ceiling
Wimbush, Sanders, Jones, Hoge, Tillery Crawford, Yoon

Potential high/great, early contributor
ESB, Coney, Bilal, Barajas, D.Williams, Adams, Boykin,

Potential med/high, in the 2/3 deep after minimum 1 year in the system and conditioning.
Guyton, Coleman, M.Williams (thrust into action before he is ready), Wallace
 

NDWorld247

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The beauty of the Shamrock Soldiers is, as of right now, we don't need any of them except Justin Yoon (our lowest ranked recruit on the 247 composite) to contribute in 2015. Injuries, transfers, etc could/probably will change things but our two-deep is impressive as it is with signees from '12, '13 and '14, as well as the 5Y players we'll add soon.

Besides Alize Jones, who most expect will see the field in 2015, who of the Shamrock Soldiers has the best chance to crack the two-deep before Texas in week 1?
 

IrishLax

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The beauty of the Shamrock Soldiers is, as of right now, we don't need any of them except Justin Yoon (our lowest ranked recruit on the 247 composite) to contribute in 2015. Injuries, transfers, etc could/probably will change things but our two-deep is impressive as it is with signees from '12, '13 and '14, as well as the 5Y players we'll add soon.

Besides Alize Jones, who most expect will see the field in 2015, who of the Shamrock Soldiers has the best chance to crack the two-deep before Texas in week 1?

Good question...

I imagine CJ Sanders might be able to step in immediately as a returner. Outside of special teams, where I bet Fertitta plays immediately, I could see Crawford playing early as a nickel corner. And I could see Coney maybe earning a 2-deep spot and same with Mykelti Williams depending on health of upperclassmen in front of them. And that's really it. For the most part, unless someone just absolutely wows at a skill position, all of these are going to have the opportunity to incubate and not get thrust immediately into action.
 

Fbolt

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We won't know what these recruits can do until camp. Even then, we won't know. Instead, we'll rely on cryptic messages from Kelly at the podium, Nolan's comment on what he can discern (and is allowed to say), what little the $ sites can determine from their limited behind the scenes look, and poster reports from campus and a few "I heard through Jones' uncle's 3rd cousin".

How come he's not playing..?

Let the speculation run rampant. The only day better than this is the first day of Spring ball.
 

GoldenDomer

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Josh is 6'2", 210 pounds and could easily be 220 come August. I don't think Flex is bigger than Josh

Flex looks more college ready. He may not weigh as much, but he has more bulk to him.

JoshAdams2.jpeg


os-dexter-williams-officially-transfers-to-west-orange-20140221
 

arrowryan

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Flex looks more college ready. He may not weigh as much, but he has more bulk to him.

JoshAdams2.jpeg


os-dexter-williams-officially-transfers-to-west-orange-20140221

I agree with you that Josh will probably be the one the red shirts, but I think its because Flex has more to offer right now. Give Josh and Flex a summer with Longo and they'll both fill out in no time
 

NDdomer2

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Who's more likey to RS, Flex of Adams?

Ideal world- Folston continues his development and is any every down, all game, stud. Bryant finally gets/earns it for a dangerous two punch.

Both get to redshirt.

But Adams more likely IMO.
 
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koonja

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I hope Dexter returns kicks or punts. I don't see him red shirting. a 3rd back is going to have to play and he seems pretty natural.
 

andre784

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Very happy with our NSD. We took really bad losses in the season and we still ended up with one of the best offensive recruiting classes in our school history. We did miss targets primarily on defense, but the good thing is they did so well on offensive recruiting that they can put 75 percent of the priority into the defensive depth for the 2016 class.
 
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