'16 FL WR Kevin Stepherson (Notre Dame Early Enrollee)

[irishfan]

If we recruited every position like we recruit WR, OL, and QB we'd be stupid good every single year.

Those are the 3 positions where I don't even have to fakescoutwatch the film to see if the recruit will be a contributor. We pretty much never whiff there.

 

[Irish2155]

If we recruited every position like we recruit WR, OL, and QB we'd be stupid good every single year.

Pre-Malik Zaire wasn't too impressive. Since then however has been pretty damn good, although not sure yet on Book but we shall see...

 

[RDU Irish]

Nice spring game for this guy. Love the extra gear, great hands and just pure smooth work he put in. Seemed to get as much separation as anyone else out there.

 

[IrishLax]

Pre-Malik Zaire wasn't too impressive. Since then however has been pretty damn good, although not sure yet on Book but we shall see...

Well let's be fair...

Kelly's first class he was locked in on Bubba Starling, who would've been a star at QB, but went the baseball route and never played a minute of anything collegiate. He originally had a lot of reason to believe that he'd play football and sign with ND. He settled for Golson, who was very competent.

Golson was so competent that #1 QB and 2012 signee Gunner Kiel transferred immediately after seeing Golson take ND to a national championship game. Kiel has certainly not sucked at Cinci, but has had some problems.

Then it goes Zaire, Kizer, Wimbush. All three seem like great signees.

If every other position featured 3 out of 5 players being varying levels of elite, 1 player being very competent but with some limitations and off-the-field issues, and 1 player being good but transferring for PT.... well, let's just say we wouldn't have problems at safety LOL

 

[Rhode Irish]

Fun fact: Bubba Starling is at AA Northwest Arkansas (Royals system) with an OPS of .866 through 8 games. He did get 7.5M to sign in 2011 as the 5th pick in the MLB draft. Hard to argue with 7.5M, but I still think you can always play baseball later if you play football in college, moonlight as a baseball player and get a degree in 3 years. IDK, it's his life.

 

[IrishLion]

The Bubba Starling saga is when I started to follow recruiting, and really started paying attention to ND blogs/message boards.

I was so heartbroken when he chose the Nebraska/baseball route. I was so sure that he would pick ND that I even created him as a recruit in NCAA '12, signed him, and won a couple Heismans.

 

[BobbyMac]

Fun fact: Bubba Starling is at AA Northwest Arkansas (Royals system) with an OPS of .866 through 8 games. He did get 7.5M to sign in 2011 as the 5th pick in the MLB draft. Hard to argue with 7.5M, but I still think you can always play baseball later if you play football in college, moonlight as a baseball player and get a degree in 3 years. IDK, it's his life.

It's not hard, it's impossible. As a financial decision, you always pick baseball.

In Bubba's case, he had $7.5M reasons to pick baseball. Get hurt moonlighting in football and it could be all gone.

Perfect example of why you pick baseball, Samardzija has already made more money than anyone in the 2007 NFL draft and that includes 5+ future HOF'ers.

 

[greyhammer90]

It's not hard, it's impossible. As a financial decision, you always pick baseball.

In Bubba's case, he had $7.5M reasons to pick baseball. Get hurt moonlighting in football and it could be all gone.

Perfect example of why you pick baseball, Samardzija has already made more money than anyone in the 2007 NFL draft and that includes 5+ future HOF'ers.

Add to that the fact that he's probably going to be able to remember stuff when he gets to age 50. It's a no-brainer. (<-- har har)

 

[Luckylucci]

Crazy to think that 247 had Stepherson as the 128th ranked WR and the 844th best player in the country. Now I realize he hasn't produced on Satrudays, when it matters, yet but that looks like its going to be pretty laughable in the not so distant future.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Crazy to think that 247 had Stepherson as the 128th ranked WR and the 844th best player in the country. Now I realize he hasn't produced on Satrudays, when it matters, yet but that looks like its going to be pretty laughable in the not so distant future.

This will be the new "Will Fuller ESPN ranking".

 

[#1rish]

Funny/cool shot of him at the BG game.

Another angle:

 

[Rhode Irish]

It's not hard, it's impossible. As a financial decision, you always pick baseball.

In Bubba's case, he had $7.5M reasons to pick baseball. Get hurt moonlighting in football and it could be all gone.

Perfect example of why you pick baseball, Samardzija has already made more money than anyone in the 2007 NFL draft and that includes 5+ future HOF'ers.

It's not one or the other. You won't get 7.5 as a re-entry draftee after your junior year, but you will still get paid and will probably be in a better position to succeed in baseball and in life. Plus you have a degree and spent the last three years playing meaningful games with guys that will be your friends for life rather than trekking across the worst parts of the country by bus with a bunch of guys that will work at car washes for the rest of their lives. I don't know that I would even turn down the 7.5M but it isn't quite as obvious as you make it sound.

 

[Luckylucci]

Here is some BK quotes on Stepherson.

“I don't know that we have a player on our team in KJ Stepherson that can catch the ball at full speed as he cuts across the field,” Kelly said, “a very unique trait of his. He still has to work on catching the ball vertically down the field. But he catches the ball out of his break at full speed, and it is a unique trait that he has that I have not seen since I've been here at Notre Dame, and we'll continue to work with him.”

Also, said that they are going to have to find a way to get him involved come the season. They want him on the outside so they might end up having to move Torii Hunter Jr. around in order to achieve that.

 

[greyhammer90]

Here is some BK quotes on Stepherson.

“I don't know that we have a player on our team in KJ Stepherson that can catch the ball at full speed as he cuts across the field,” Kelly said, “a very unique trait of his. He still has to work on catching the ball vertically down the field. But he catches the ball out of his break at full speed, and it is a unique trait that he has that I have not seen since I've been here at Notre Dame, and we'll continue to work with him.”

Also, said that they are going to have to find a way to get him involved come the season. They want him on the outside so they might end up having to move Torii Hunter Jr. around in order to achieve that.

If he has any dreams of the league, it sounds like it was a great $$$ investment for him to EE. He's on the fast track to get on the field now, whereas he may have been getting no reps if he came in with Claypool et al. We all know how much BK loves experience, so its likely that once he's on the field he'll stay so long as he's doing his job.

Take note future three-stars with big dreams.

 

[irishfan]

So, is this kid going to start? If they do move Hunter in the slot, it seems like the coaches would be thinking ESB/Stepherson on the outside. Robinson is likely retiring. I was thinking it was going to be Hunter/ESB on the outside and Sanders in the slot heading into the Spring....Boykin and Holmes seem to be in that second tier as of now, and I doubt there will be enough time for someone like McKinley to make a push for a starting spot...

 

[koonja]

Corey Holmes didn't do anything to impress me in the slot. But then again we've never seen now-injured Sanders do anything there, either.

 

[Luckylucci]

So, is this kid going to start? If they do move Hunter in the slot, it seems like the coaches would be thinking ESB/Stepherson on the outside. Robinson is likely retiring. I was thinking it was going to be Hunter/ESB on the outside and Sanders in the slot heading into the Spring....Boykin and Holmes seem to be in that second tier as of now, and I doubt there will be enough time for someone like McKinley to make a push for a starting spot...

JMO but I highly doubt he's starting come Texas. He'll play but I'd bet he plays similar snaps to what Fuller did as a Freshman. I think what Kelly was mainly speaking to was, that instead of trying to move Stepherson around, they want him to learn just one position. In order to do so, they'll have to move someone around to get him on the field and Torii Hunter was the candidate that they'll do so with. As he understand sall the positions and is too valuable to not come off.

 

[IrishLion]

instead of trying to move Stepherson around, they want him to learn just one position. In order to do so, they'll have to move someone around to get him on the field and Torii Hunter was the candidate that they'll do so with.

Not to mention, Torii was already gonna be moving around anyway. He has to if you want to get reps for either/or Robinson and Boykin while keeping the talent on the field maximized.

 

[ND NYC]

just watched his tape on HUDL.

kid looks like the real deal to me, think he will absolutely thrive in our type of offense.

how is this kid only a 3* ??
that's just plain criminal...watch the tape gurantee you will be more than impressed.

my 3* sleeper for this class for sure!

BUMP

 

[BobbyMac]

BUMP

Well done.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

JMO but I highly doubt he's starting come Texas. He'll play but I'd bet he plays similar snaps to what Fuller did as a Freshman. I think what Kelly was mainly speaking to was, that instead of trying to move Stepherson around, they want him to learn just one position. In order to do so, they'll have to move someone around to get him on the field and Torii Hunter was the candidate that they'll do so with. As he understand sall the positions and is too valuable to not come off.

Agree with this 100%.

Also agree with what Kelly said. If you watched the spring game Stepherson was deadly on slants and post routes. But he dropped one over the shoulder catch and miss judged another deep ball over his head.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Have to give rivals credit. They had Fuller ranked low at first, but once he went on the rivals circuit put him in the top 100

But did they say that he is a #1 WR?

 

[Crazy Balki]

Funny/cool shot of him at the BG game.

Another angle:

Them "ungrabbable" jerseys really live up to their name don't they...

 

[Luckylucci]

Them "ungrabbable" jerseys really live up to their name don't they...

To be fair, I don't believe it was his jersey. It was hanging well below his pads and even down his backside. In fact, after that play Kelly pulled him aside and I'm pretty sure was having someone with the staff instruct him on what to do.

 

[BobbyMac]

Them "ungrabbable" jerseys really live up to their name don't they...

It's actually the long sleeve compression shirt under the jersey.

I say call Champion and have them supply UA with some old fashioned 70's tear aways. That was fun.

 

[GBdomer]

Corey Holmes didn't do anything to impress me in the slot. But then again we've never seen now-injured Sanders do anything there, either.

Dude it was a practice. He has had a good but inconsistent spring. I don't know how you can take anything from the game.

 

[gkIrish]

Dude it was a practice. He has had a good but inconsistent spring. I don't know how you can take anything from the game.

I feel like every year you and I have to remind people how this game is essentially meaningless.

 

[greyhammer90]

I feel like every year you and I have to remind people how this game is essentially meaningless.

Idk what you're talking about, Greg Bryant looked explosive out there. Will be tough to keep him off the field.

 

[NDRock]

I feel like every year you and I have to remind people how this game is essentially meaningless.

I just repeat the name Junior Jabbie and it puts things into perspective.

 

[NDVirginia19]

Who's Junior Jabbie?