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I was at the beach with the family last weekend so I didn't get this up. So, maybe I'll add some from the previous week as well.
New Offers
'22 OH OT Ryan Baer
'22 FL WR CJ Smith
'23 PA ATH Rodney Gallagher
'23 NV WR Zachariah Branch
'23 MO OL Cayden Green
'23 NC WR Christian Hamilton
'23 VA DE Mathias Barnwell
Free Articles
Top 2023 LB Drayk Bowen Excited to See Alabama & Notre Dame | Irish Sports Daily
2023 S Daemon Fagan Has Good Connection With Notre Dame, Hopes To Visit | Irish Sports Daily
Friday Notre Dame Recruiting Notebook | Irish Sports Daily
ISD's Full Lid For Wednesday | Irish Sports Daily
Visits, camps, workouts: What you need to know on eve of June 1 (247sports.com)
- Visit season primer from 247. No names or recruiting info but specifics on visit dates and structure.
Top Performers: Sky's the Limit/Flight Skillz Pre College Camp Showcase (247sports.com)
- A Nicholas Anderson mention along with some other ND targets.
Rivals Analyst Breaks Down Key Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Targets
- Singer brings in Rivals West Coast analyst, Adam Gorney, to talk Junior, CJ, and Cyrus.
PODCAST: Mike Goolsby Breaks Down Recent Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Commitments (rivals.com)
- Goolsby is back and breaks down Staes, Raridon, Agu, Angeli, and Burnham
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football In Early On 2023 Top-10 Recruit (rivals.com)
- Singer has had multiple mentions lately of ND being a dark horse in this recruitment and based on his comments, it's easy to see why. Most had Vernon as a heavy OSU lean and Loy still does but seems like at least a punchers chance to pull off the upset.
Premium Articles
Friday Gold Rush | Irish Sports Daily
2022 Notre Dame CB Target Benjamin Morrison Mature Enough To Look Long-Term | Irish Sports Daily
- Morrison gives great interviews. Truly seems like a perfect fit for ND. He received a FC to Washington from Lars Hanson at Rivals on 5/23. However, Singer followed that up with an ND FC on 5/28. I'll go with Singer on this one.
2023 RB Justice Haynes Previews June Tour, Notre Dame Visit | Irish Sports Daily
- Probably the top RB target on the board. Here's his June visit list.
Elite 2023 TE Walker Lyons Set To See Notre Dame | Irish Sports Daily
- 2023 TE Walker Lyons will camp at ND for II. Close family friends with Ian Book. Definitely an interesting connection.
Top schools and upcoming visits for four-star 2022 WR Antonio Williams (247sports.com)
- Notre Dame still getting a mention with Williams but no visit set. Not sure there is anything to this but maybe something to keep an eye on.
Jersey corner Bellamy talks recruiting, Penn State (247sports.com)
- So this is interesting. Bellamy talking with 247 PSU writer Sean Fitz. Likely to only take 3 OV's to OSU, PSU, and ND. Oklahoma might happen but no mention of Clemson. Could unofficial to Rutgers. Also of note, ND and Rutgers are the only places he's seen so far. So, ND is the only program he's guaranteed to see twice prior to a decision, at least as of now.
Top247 safety Sherrod Covil locks in Miami and Maryland visits, moves UVA trip (247sports.com)
- Covil is visiting Miami June 1. UVA on June 3 and Maryland on June 4. Penn State on June 5, Ohio State on June 7, Clemson June 11, North Carolina on June 15 and the Notre Dame OV on June 21.
(4) Recruiting - Lucky Charms: Notre Dame Football Recruiting Nuggets | BlueandGold.com (rivals.com)
- Josiah Trotter will be on campus June 4th. I already updated the visitor list but this is a big time visit that hasn't gotten much attention. Freeman getting to work on his next batch of LB's. Trotter is a top 100 LB at Rivals.
Florida Cornerback Devin Moore Goes In-Depth On Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Recruitment, Other Contenders (rivals.com)
- Some interesting nuggets on Devin Moore. As of now, he's planning a to take some Fall OV's (Bama, Stanford, and UF) and make a decision after that. However, we know that the ND staff wants to try and get him committed this summer. This will be interesting to follow. He's arguably the top CB on the board. And that's the other interesting part, they are talking to him about Field CB. Not Boundary which I think most assumed because of his size/length.
Let's Discuss
I've been pretty vocal about the Donovan Hinish recruitment in that I don't really understand why taking him is so important or even necessary. Especially, relative to who else we could land in that spot. Dominique Orange, Kaleb Artis, and Ernest Cooper on the DL, maybe a 5th LB like Cheeks or Jackson, or an extra DB like Covil or Martinez. In a world where I only evaluate the talent, I'd take all those guys plus some others over Donovan. And in some cases, it's not even close. However, I started to think about it a little differently after the Spring Game or really the conclusion of Spring Practice.
After the Spring I became even more impressed with the depth and eligibility at DT/NT. With the eligibility piece being so important for this discussion. I could see a lot of those guys exhausting their eligibility and the staff wanting them to do so. Elston is very big on development and here we have a loaded depth chart of guys that seem like they'll be comfortable being patient with snaps and so Elston will be patient with them. I'm actually really fond of this move as I love a veteran presence in the trenches and I like the guys on the depth chart. I also like the idea of rewarding them with PT for being patient. So, let's start by taking a look at the depth chart for '22. Now if my numbers are off let me know but since everyone got a RS year last year, I think it would like this, right?
Jacob Lacey (2 years)
Howard Cross (2 years)
Rylie Mills (3 years)
AK (3 years)
Gabriel Rubio (4 years)
At this point, I don't see Cross or Lacey leaving early if they are part of the active 2 deep. On the other hand, I'd be surprised if Rubio or Mills exhaust that eligibility but I don't think it's by more than 1 year. So, we'll have Mills for 2 and Rubio for 3. But, that's JMO. If any of that changes it could really impact this decision. If Lacey can't stay healthy or we have a transfer then this feels a little different but I'm not sure I see that from this group. That's 5 good players for 2 spots with some position flexibility amongst them. Kelly said early on that Lacey was supposed to be a 3T. I think Cross can play both as well. We know AK is a NT and Mills a 3T but Rubio can probably play both.
So, how does this relate to Hinish's recruitment. I look at that depth chart and feel really comfortable with the talent plus development and think if we throw an Orange/Artis/Cooper at it, it probably either ends in a transfer of a current player or of the player we recruit in this class after a year or two. I think that's going to be an entrenched/established unit for at least a couple of years. But, I do think it needs another body in the event of injuries so getting another DT only prospect is probably necessary versus it going to another position group. So, what is the best move for the program? I think the answer is bring in a guy like Hinish that will, more than likely, be very comfortable also waiting his turn as he develops. He's a known quantity from a personality, fit, and effort perspective. And that starts to outweigh the potential talent gap of the other prospects. Just the right type of guy at the right time for this depth chart. He shouldn't be needed but will be here if he is. Then we can get back to our regularly scheduled DT/NT recruiting next cycle.
Lastly, the above also doesn't include the potential for Ford or Lucas (should we land him) to move inside. Or, the possibility that we use less DT's in Freeman's scheme or the type of DT may change. In either of those situations I'm much more fond of this move now. In the end this is just one man's opinion and an opinion that doesn't matter, lol. But, I thought I'd share since I'd previously been so vocal about my discontent with the move. With that said, I'll make sure to remind everyone when Dominique Orange is destroying guys at OSU, NW, or Texas. He's going to be a good one.
New Offers
'22 OH OT Ryan Baer
'22 FL WR CJ Smith
'23 PA ATH Rodney Gallagher
'23 NV WR Zachariah Branch
'23 MO OL Cayden Green
'23 NC WR Christian Hamilton
'23 VA DE Mathias Barnwell
Free Articles
Top 2023 LB Drayk Bowen Excited to See Alabama & Notre Dame | Irish Sports Daily
2023 S Daemon Fagan Has Good Connection With Notre Dame, Hopes To Visit | Irish Sports Daily
Friday Notre Dame Recruiting Notebook | Irish Sports Daily
ISD's Full Lid For Wednesday | Irish Sports Daily
Visits, camps, workouts: What you need to know on eve of June 1 (247sports.com)
- Visit season primer from 247. No names or recruiting info but specifics on visit dates and structure.
Top Performers: Sky's the Limit/Flight Skillz Pre College Camp Showcase (247sports.com)
- A Nicholas Anderson mention along with some other ND targets.
Rivals Analyst Breaks Down Key Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Targets
- Singer brings in Rivals West Coast analyst, Adam Gorney, to talk Junior, CJ, and Cyrus.
PODCAST: Mike Goolsby Breaks Down Recent Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Commitments (rivals.com)
- Goolsby is back and breaks down Staes, Raridon, Agu, Angeli, and Burnham
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football In Early On 2023 Top-10 Recruit (rivals.com)
- Singer has had multiple mentions lately of ND being a dark horse in this recruitment and based on his comments, it's easy to see why. Most had Vernon as a heavy OSU lean and Loy still does but seems like at least a punchers chance to pull off the upset.
This hits pretty hard, IMO.
Premium Articles
Friday Gold Rush | Irish Sports Daily
2022 Notre Dame CB Target Benjamin Morrison Mature Enough To Look Long-Term | Irish Sports Daily
- Morrison gives great interviews. Truly seems like a perfect fit for ND. He received a FC to Washington from Lars Hanson at Rivals on 5/23. However, Singer followed that up with an ND FC on 5/28. I'll go with Singer on this one.
2023 RB Justice Haynes Previews June Tour, Notre Dame Visit | Irish Sports Daily
- Probably the top RB target on the board. Here's his June visit list.
Elite 2023 TE Walker Lyons Set To See Notre Dame | Irish Sports Daily
- 2023 TE Walker Lyons will camp at ND for II. Close family friends with Ian Book. Definitely an interesting connection.
Top schools and upcoming visits for four-star 2022 WR Antonio Williams (247sports.com)
- Notre Dame still getting a mention with Williams but no visit set. Not sure there is anything to this but maybe something to keep an eye on.
Jersey corner Bellamy talks recruiting, Penn State (247sports.com)
- So this is interesting. Bellamy talking with 247 PSU writer Sean Fitz. Likely to only take 3 OV's to OSU, PSU, and ND. Oklahoma might happen but no mention of Clemson. Could unofficial to Rutgers. Also of note, ND and Rutgers are the only places he's seen so far. So, ND is the only program he's guaranteed to see twice prior to a decision, at least as of now.
Top247 safety Sherrod Covil locks in Miami and Maryland visits, moves UVA trip (247sports.com)
- Covil is visiting Miami June 1. UVA on June 3 and Maryland on June 4. Penn State on June 5, Ohio State on June 7, Clemson June 11, North Carolina on June 15 and the Notre Dame OV on June 21.
(4) Recruiting - Lucky Charms: Notre Dame Football Recruiting Nuggets | BlueandGold.com (rivals.com)
- Josiah Trotter will be on campus June 4th. I already updated the visitor list but this is a big time visit that hasn't gotten much attention. Freeman getting to work on his next batch of LB's. Trotter is a top 100 LB at Rivals.
Florida Cornerback Devin Moore Goes In-Depth On Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Recruitment, Other Contenders (rivals.com)
- Some interesting nuggets on Devin Moore. As of now, he's planning a to take some Fall OV's (Bama, Stanford, and UF) and make a decision after that. However, we know that the ND staff wants to try and get him committed this summer. This will be interesting to follow. He's arguably the top CB on the board. And that's the other interesting part, they are talking to him about Field CB. Not Boundary which I think most assumed because of his size/length.
Let's Discuss
I've been pretty vocal about the Donovan Hinish recruitment in that I don't really understand why taking him is so important or even necessary. Especially, relative to who else we could land in that spot. Dominique Orange, Kaleb Artis, and Ernest Cooper on the DL, maybe a 5th LB like Cheeks or Jackson, or an extra DB like Covil or Martinez. In a world where I only evaluate the talent, I'd take all those guys plus some others over Donovan. And in some cases, it's not even close. However, I started to think about it a little differently after the Spring Game or really the conclusion of Spring Practice.
After the Spring I became even more impressed with the depth and eligibility at DT/NT. With the eligibility piece being so important for this discussion. I could see a lot of those guys exhausting their eligibility and the staff wanting them to do so. Elston is very big on development and here we have a loaded depth chart of guys that seem like they'll be comfortable being patient with snaps and so Elston will be patient with them. I'm actually really fond of this move as I love a veteran presence in the trenches and I like the guys on the depth chart. I also like the idea of rewarding them with PT for being patient. So, let's start by taking a look at the depth chart for '22. Now if my numbers are off let me know but since everyone got a RS year last year, I think it would like this, right?
Jacob Lacey (2 years)
Howard Cross (2 years)
Rylie Mills (3 years)
AK (3 years)
Gabriel Rubio (4 years)
At this point, I don't see Cross or Lacey leaving early if they are part of the active 2 deep. On the other hand, I'd be surprised if Rubio or Mills exhaust that eligibility but I don't think it's by more than 1 year. So, we'll have Mills for 2 and Rubio for 3. But, that's JMO. If any of that changes it could really impact this decision. If Lacey can't stay healthy or we have a transfer then this feels a little different but I'm not sure I see that from this group. That's 5 good players for 2 spots with some position flexibility amongst them. Kelly said early on that Lacey was supposed to be a 3T. I think Cross can play both as well. We know AK is a NT and Mills a 3T but Rubio can probably play both.
So, how does this relate to Hinish's recruitment. I look at that depth chart and feel really comfortable with the talent plus development and think if we throw an Orange/Artis/Cooper at it, it probably either ends in a transfer of a current player or of the player we recruit in this class after a year or two. I think that's going to be an entrenched/established unit for at least a couple of years. But, I do think it needs another body in the event of injuries so getting another DT only prospect is probably necessary versus it going to another position group. So, what is the best move for the program? I think the answer is bring in a guy like Hinish that will, more than likely, be very comfortable also waiting his turn as he develops. He's a known quantity from a personality, fit, and effort perspective. And that starts to outweigh the potential talent gap of the other prospects. Just the right type of guy at the right time for this depth chart. He shouldn't be needed but will be here if he is. Then we can get back to our regularly scheduled DT/NT recruiting next cycle.
Lastly, the above also doesn't include the potential for Ford or Lucas (should we land him) to move inside. Or, the possibility that we use less DT's in Freeman's scheme or the type of DT may change. In either of those situations I'm much more fond of this move now. In the end this is just one man's opinion and an opinion that doesn't matter, lol. But, I thought I'd share since I'd previously been so vocal about my discontent with the move. With that said, I'll make sure to remind everyone when Dominique Orange is destroying guys at OSU, NW, or Texas. He's going to be a good one.
