'08 NJ DT Hafis Williams (Signed LOI to ND)

[johnnd05]

Awesome! Welcome to the family, Hafis!

 

[Irishknight1023]

Weis told a recruit that he's planning on taking 5 D-lineman. D-lineman are what they are and the more Newman sees commits the more confertable he will feel with many other D-lineman coming here. Also adding that another lineman commits makes him feel like he should move along and bow down to the greatness of Notre Dame. Im just rambling though for I have no idea what Newman is thinking, but try and pretend to, to convince myself he will commit soon....it's sad really.

 

[DaLastFarleyite]

Some of you are concerned that there may be better prospects out there. Given our lack of success in attracting natural D-linemen, I'll take each and every commitment. We need bodies. Also, CW and CB are offering people that they believe will get the job done. I'm not going to question their judgment.

 

[Irishknight1023]

Has anybody seen film on this guy...Rivals has nothing....and Scout barley lists a profile for him. Him being from Elizabeth is good, great team and rough area and he wants to do something big in his life and this is definently it.

 

[IrishCalves]

Couple summary comments, about the Newman angle:

If Weis is able to meet his target # of DL at 5 - which, at this pace, looks like a very real possibility - then we're probably talking about 3 DE and 2 NT.

With Hafis being recruited at DE, this commit (paired with Cwynar) puts the pressure on guys like Kapron Lewis-Moore, Ethan Johnson, and Garret Goebel, more than Newman.

Now, Hafis seems like a guy that could fit at NT, but I only think they bring him in at NT if they brick on guys like Forston and Hunter, and some of the other NT types aren't to be found.

 

[leprechaun4life]

That's great news, unexpected (for me), but great news.

 

[leppycole]

Welcome to the Irish Hafis!!!!!!!!

 

[Axl Rose]

Has anybody seen film on this guy...Rivals has nothing....and Scout barley lists a profile for him. Him being from Eliabeth is good, great team and rough area and he wants to do something big in his life and this is definently it.

Seeing as he had 106 tackles as a DT, I think hes pretty good.

 

[BLUETHUNDER]

This is huge. Like many of you already said I like Hafis a ton more at DE then NT. You would think that a NT would be like 330 not 270 like Hafis who is a good size for a 3-4 DE. Keep the pace Charlie and CB.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Nice! Hafis is one of the recruits I was really hoping for. I can't wait to see our Defense start producing like the Offense. Hafis will be a key part of that. Keep 'em coming Charlie! Go Irish!

 

[rockne19]

newman,goebel,fortson,johnson,etc. come on down!

 

[GoshenGipper]

Profile updated

 

[littlerick77]

Beautiful!! I was totally not expecting this since it's been pretty quiet on the recruiting trail lately but this is awesome news!!!!

Welcome aboard Hafis..........

 

[IrishCalves]

Getting a 2nd end allows us to be a little more patient with other DE's, like Kapron Lewis-Moore, and Ethan Johnson.

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

Hafis al Tikrit? Call Homeland Security!!

 

[goirish#1]

This guy is a beast and looks like a good player.

 

[scooper]

This is huge. Like many of you already said I like Hafis a ton more at DE then NT. You would think that a NT would be like 330 not 270 like Hafis who is a good size for a 3-4 DE. Keep the pace Charlie and CB.

Keep in mind, these are guys going into their senior year of HS. I'm quite alright if they are not 330 pounds.

 

[johnnd05]

From the SBTrib (link):

Defensive standout commits to ND

BOB WIENEKE
Tribune Staff Writer

Elizabeth (N.J.) High School football coach Chet Parlavecchio could have talked about the number of scholarship offers defensive lineman Hafis Williams has received. He could have boasted about how Williams plays both offensive and defensive line. Or he could have played up the impact Williams has had on the program.

Parlavecchio mentioned all those things, but there was one other trait that really jumped out.

"His strength is his engine," Parlavecchio said. "He's got a great engine."

And it sounds like Notre Dame just got a great player. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound defensive lineman verbally committed to the Irish on Wednesday.

Williams is the 11th player to commit to Notre Dame's recruiting class of 2008. He also is the fifth defensive player, joining end Sean Cwynar, and linebackers Anthony McDonald, David Posluszny and Darius Fleming.

NCAA recruiting rules prohibit Irish coach Charlie Weis from publicly commenting on a recruit until the player has signed a national letter-of-intent. Signing day is Feb. 6.

Williams, who visited unofficially for the April 21 Blue-Gold Game, registered 106 tackles and six sacks as a junior, according to recruiting Web site Rivals.com. Williams is ranked as one of the top 100 players nationally by CSTV recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, and Lemming ranks him as a five-star recruit, his highest ranking.

"He's got a motor that's always going," said Lemming, who ranks Williams as the best defensive lineman in New Jersey. "I like him because Notre Dame is desperate for defensive line-types."

Parlavecchio believes that Williams could beef up to 300 pounds and that he'll play inside in ND's revamped 3-4 defense. Lemming also believes that Williams will end up inside, although he can't rule out defensive end.

"You can't pigeon-hole him into one spot," Lemming said.

The Irish also are involved with three other Garden State standouts -- offensive lineman Art Forst of Manasquan, wide receiver/safety Will Hill of Jersey City and linebacker Brandon Beal of Succasunna, according to Lemming.

Weis, a New Jersey native, enjoyed recruiting success in his home state last year. He signed receiver Duval Kamara and tight end Mike Ragone, two of the state's top players. Another Jersey player, defensive end Justin Trattou, committed to ND early in the process before switching to Florida.

Parlavecchio has known Weis for years through a mutual friend.

"Charlie is a New Jersey guy and we go way back, before he became what he became," Parlavecchio said. "I know he'll take care of (Hafis)."

Lemming said Williams also had been involved with Rutgers, Florida, Penn State and Michigan.

"He's raised the bar at our school," Parlavecchio said. "I think his best days are still ahead."
​

Interesting that both Lemming and his coach think he's going to play inside; what's the source for everyone around here saying he's going to be a DE?

 

[irishunclebill]

First of all, this is great news. This kid has shown more love for ND than just about any recruit this year, so besides being a very talented addition to the defense, he will also be a very enthusiastic supporter of ND and Notre Dame football, which will only help the recruiting process even more this year. Also, for anybody who missed his Power Hour interview with Mike Frank, you should go back and listen to it, I'll try to find the link again. Hafis is a real character who will add much to the ND locker room.

Now to add to the confusion of his position, Hafis is quoted as saying he will work at DT or NG at ND, which as we all know in the 3-4 is the same position, but he also said that he would primarily be at DT. Confused?, me too. The new ND defense will most likely be a hybrid 3-4 which will align differently according to formations and game situations, but it appears that no matter what the formation, at least initially, they are looking at Hafis as an interior guy, not an end. In reality, it is probably way too early to peg him anyway, because he physically seems to be capable of playing any position on the DL, and CW and CB have to be thrilled, as we all are, to grab another great kid from Jersey with great defensive talent.

 

[irishunclebill]

Great line from Hafis about what CW told him at the B&G game.

Let's get this train moving, Jersey guys stick with Jersey guys.

Art & Brendan, hope you are listening.

 

[irishunclebill]

For anyone who is interested in hearing Hafis talk to Mike Frank, here again is the direct link to the free Power Hour blog page. Click on the 4/3 Power Hour hyperlink to hear that Power Hour. The Hafis Williams interview starts at the 2:40 point, and ends at 17:15.

http://irisheyespowerhour.blogspot.com/

 

[johnnd05]

Now to add to the confusion of his position, Hafis is quoted as saying he will work at DT or NG at ND, which as we all know in the 3-4 is the same position, but he also said that he would primarily be at DT. Confused?, me too. The new ND defense will most likely be a hybrid 3-4 which will align differently according to formations and game situations, but it appears that no matter what the formation, at least initially, they are looking at Hafis as an interior guy, not an end. In reality, it is probably way too early to peg him anyway, because he physically seems to be capable of playing any position on the DL, and CW and CB have to be thrilled, as we all are, to grab another great kid from Jersey with great defensive talent.

Great post, IUB - thanks for the insight. I take it you mean 'DE' above (see the highlighted text)?

 

[irishunclebill]

No, he actually said DT, that is why it's so confusing, but he could have easily been misquoted or was just responding quickly without thinking of the tag. The gist of what he had to say though was he felt he was going to be an interior lineman. Also, I've seen his weight ponied about quite a bit. Rivals profile lists him as 285, but in an article, they mention him as being 265. Scout only shows him as 260, so that's a pretty big range. It's hard to tell from pictures and clips, but I don't see him as a problem getting to 300 or 310, but he is also kind of tall to be playing NG anyway. Scout has him as 6'4". In any case, wherever he plays, I think he is going to be a good one for ND.

 

[irishunclebill]

BTW, IMO his commit to me does not neccessarily mean there is more pressure on Newman to commit, no matter where they have Hafis slotted. I think in the bigger picture, his commit along with potentially a few more this month puts more pressure on all ND offers who are seriously considering the Irish. 11 verbal commits out of as few as possibly 19 in early May does not leave a whole lot of wiggle room for later in the recruiting season.

 

[johnnd05]

No, he actually said DT, that is why it's so confusing, but he could have easily been misquoted or was just responding quickly without thinking of the tag. The gist of what he had to say though was he felt he was going to be an interior lineman.

Got it. Pretty confusing. Definitely looks like he'll be on the inside, though.

 

[Irishknight1023]

This is confusing but i'll relay what i've heard. Weis has our defensive line setup as a DE NT and DT....With Cwynar being the DE....Newman(hopefully) being NT....and Hafis being the DT. The NT lines up over center obviously, and the DT( which is a DE in the 3-4, but Weis calls it a DT because the lineup on the strong side or something and more on the inside of the line so it would be like a DT run stuffer kind of how Hafis Williams is. As we all know Cwynar is a pass rushing end already in HS so he would be on the Weak Side DE to rush with more freedom. If you are confused i am sorry because thats the best i can describe it without confusing myself. It's just Charlie and his wierd terminology again i guess.

 

[seniorle]

Welcome Hafis and I love how the Defensive recruiting is shaping up! I hope we get a couple of more Jersey guys as well

 

[cuss444]

With only 20 about scholarships possible this year and already 11 are gone, this is going to force some recruits to pull the trigger earlier then they expected. "Just cause you've got a ticket, doesn't mean you can get on the "Chuck Wagon" train...First come first served". I only see CW holding onto 1 scholarship until signing day, and that is only IF Will Hill is available.

 

[GoshenGipper]

and that is only IF Will Hill is available

I'd rather have Arthur Brown.

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

I'd rather have Jessica Beal