'20 MA WR Jay Brunelle (Notre Dame Signee)

[Irish#1]

For all of you who are always pining for the freshmen WR's to see the field. Your wish is granted.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

I read that there are 9 WRs on the roster. 5 are seniors.

 

[IrishLion]

I read that there are 9 WRs on the roster. 5 are seniors.

2022 WR depth with zero proven bodies:

 

[pumpdog20]

Count me in on getting some of the young cats developed. I actually had high hopes for Brunelle, sounds like injuries held him back.

With last year not counting (at least in some sports I know to be the case) do some of the WRs actually have another year to come back if they want?

 

[Trait Expectations]

I read that there are 9 WRs on the roster. 5 are seniors.

Excellent: Lo Styles should get some serious burn. Watts should get some time on the field. Colzie may prove capable of help. I'm going to look at the bright side and say we have a lot of athletic young options to compliment our older established cohort.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

I wonder if they were going to try and move him to defense.

 

[Luckylucci]

What a bizarre situation. Stupid time to transfer, IMO. Seemed like a kid that committed to ND and not a depth chart. His value was in his long term consistency to the depth chart, not his immediate impact. What a head scratcher.

And now Del has lost the 5 star and depth player from the same class. Dude.

Good news, I’m extremely high on Styles and Colzie. I’m also convinced this WR Class is going to be good.

 

[Luckylucci]

I read that there are 9 WRs on the roster. 5 are seniors.

Who of that group are 5th year options? I don’t feel good about many of them. If Keys gets his spot this year, I think he’d be a guy that would a 5th year option. Austin gone. Wilkins and Lenzy? Don’t feel good about either of those.

 

[irishandy]

How much of an impact was Brunelle going to make? If not much, he probably made the right decision.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Honestly believe BK needs to move on from Alexander...Not sure what we've seen out of the position group the past few years to justify him sticking around.

I continue to be baffled by the people who blame Del for this. What? Is he supposed to keep players from getting hurt?

He's supposed to make players fit into the program and culture? He's supposed to make players do the work off the field to stay eligible.

A lot of what's happened at receiver can't be controlled by better coaching. Personal accountability plays a hand and injuries are just bad luck.

 

[BeauBenken]

For all of you who are always pining for the freshmen WR's to see the field. Your wish is granted.

Monkey's paw curls.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Who of that group are 5th year options? I don’t feel good about many of them. If Keys gets his spot this year, I think he’d be a guy that would a 5th year option. Austin gone. Wilkins and Lenzy? Don’t feel good about either of those.

I mean, at this point you'd ask them all back for 22, or all but perhaps one. If they're not declaring for the NFL by that point, they should jump on the free grad degree. And at the very least that'll give additional bodies at a position that would desperately need it.

The 5 are who again? Austin, Keys, Lenzy, Wilkins, and is it Avery for a 6th year?

 

[PANDFAN]

I continue to be baffled by the people who blame Del for this. What? Is he supposed to keep players from getting hurt?

He's supposed to make players fit into the program and culture? He's supposed to make players do the work off the field to stay eligible.

A lot of what's happened at receiver can't be controlled by better coaching. Personal accountability plays a hand and injuries are just bad luck.

agree 100% on this; HOWEVER he needs to be more of a presence in the recruiting game

 

[Dale]

agree 100% on this; HOWEVER he needs to be more of a presence in the recruiting game

Depends what the bar you’re setting is and when your criticizing Del. If the bar is 5 star OSU/Bama WRs yes he falls below that. If you’re criticizing what the hell happened 2-3 years ago yes he fell below that bar too. But if the bar is multiple Top 150 type WRs in 2021 and 2022, he likely clears that and actually improves YoY if Williams and Merriweather are in the class

 

[Riddickulous]

I continue to be baffled by the people who blame Del for this. What? Is he supposed to keep players from getting hurt?

He's supposed to make players fit into the program and culture? He's supposed to make players do the work off the field to stay eligible.

A lot of what's happened at receiver can't be controlled by better coaching. Personal accountability plays a hand and injuries are just bad luck.

I go back and forth on him. He's had some real successes with guys like Boykin, Claypool, etc. And you gotta wonder how we'd feel if the alleged star talent of his position group was ever healthy and/or eligible to play.

I will say that 2019 haul at WR was inexcusable IMO for a program that wants to be a title contender. Two 3* prospects during a playoff run is a joke.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

Who of that group are 5th year options? I don’t feel good about many of them. If Keys gets his spot this year, I think he’d be a guy that would a 5th year option. Austin gone. Wilkins and Lenzy? Don’t feel good about either of those.

Kind of where Im at. Not sure any of the 5 stay. What is our WR corp gonna look like next year.... Good lord.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/PeteSampson_/status/1402667280127774724[/TWEET]

 

[Luckylucci]

Kind of where Im at. Not sure any of the 5 stay. What is our WR corp gonna look like next year.... Good lord.

I'll be pretty surprised if we didn't get back any of the 5th years. Especially, Keys. As long as he's an integral part of the offense this year. I think there is a good chance he plays well enough to deserve the PT but not enough to make the league. Then he's "the guy" in '22. That'd be a huge selling point to any of those deserving 5th year guys that want to come back. How do you turn down being the man in an ND offense? Then it will be up to some very talented Sophomores and Freshman to make plays.

Edit: It also seems very likely that they target a GT for '22.

 

[Irish#1]

What a bizarre situation. Stupid time to transfer, IMO. Seemed like a kid that committed to ND and not a depth chart. His value was in his long term consistency to the depth chart, not his immediate impact. What a head scratcher.

And now Del has lost the 5 star and depth player from the same class. Dude.

Good news, I’m extremely high on Styles and Colzie. I’m also convinced this WR Class is going to be good.

Unless you're a walk on, I seriously doubt he or most players join the team just to add depth. I would however like to know his reasoning. You need to be healthy to have a shot at competing and he hasn't been.

 

[Luckylucci]

Unless you're a walk on, I seriously doubt he or most players join the team just to add depth. I would however like to know his reasoning. You need to be healthy to have a shot at competing and he hasn't been.

Well, I didn't say he was just a depth guy forever. He added value by being part of the depth chart long term. There is a difference between a guy who expects to play as a Freshman/Sophomore and a guy that continues to develop so that when he's a Junior/Senior and a whole in the depth chart opens up, he grabs it. Usually guys as underrecruited as Brunelle get that. Especially ones that have been injured. Which makes this even more bizarre to me.

The whole point of him coming to II and working out, was to earn an offer. Even being worked as ST's by Polian was just that. Hey, listen, you got some really nice skills but it may take some time. What else can you do? Great, looks good. Here's the scholarship. It's not like Brunelle was swimming in top 25 college football offers. Usually those guys realize their place as Freshman and Sophomores. Clearly Brunelle did at one point but not anymore.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Well, I didn't say he was just a depth guy forever. He added value by being part of the depth chart long term. There is a difference between a guy who expects to play as a Freshman/Sophomore and a guy that continues to develop so that when he's a Junior/Senior and a whole in the depth chart opens up, he grabs it. Usually guys as underrecruited as Brunelle get that. Especially ones that have been injured. Which makes this even more bizarre to me.

The whole point of him coming to II and working out, was to earn an offer. Even being worked as ST's by Polian was just that. Hey, listen, you got some really nice skills but it may take some time. What else can you do? Great, looks good. Here's the scholarship. It's not like Brunelle was swimming in top 25 college football offers. Usually those guys realize their place as Freshman and Sophomores. Clearly Brunelle did at one point but not anymore.

I bet he did know he'd be behind upperclassmen.
I bet he did not expect to be chronically injured and have Frosh passing him.

The calculus changed for him.

 

[arrowryan]

I continue to be baffled by the people who blame Del for this. What? Is he supposed to keep players from getting hurt?

He's supposed to make players fit into the program and culture? He's supposed to make players do the work off the field to stay eligible.

A lot of what's happened at receiver can't be controlled by better coaching. Personal accountability plays a hand and injuries are just bad luck.

I mostly agree, but maybe Del needs to look at what kind of player/person he's recruiting? This has now become a trend and at some point you need to think about shopping down a different isle.

 

[BobbyMac]

Del's responsible for the totality of the WR room. There's plenty of ammo for both sides of the debate.

On paper, he's recruited well in '20-'21 when applying the Rivals/247 methodology but he has yet to get starter production out of a single WR he's brought in since he got here in 2017.

He's also lost some of the most talented WR's to transfer (regardless of the reason). Stepherson & JJ + in 6 months we might be saying the same about Michael Young.

On the other hand, the guys who've been his starters in his 4 years in South Bend have been at or near the top in blocking. There were games in 2019 where Claypool and McKinley (along with Tremble) were must see tv as they DESTROYED DB's in the run game.

Oddly, this class could easily be his best with 2 Top 100's possible and others who are solid 4* producers with matching offer lists.

The WR room has something to prove this year.

 

[Dale]

I mostly agree, but maybe Del needs to look at what kind of player/person he's recruiting? This has now become a trend and at some point you need to think about shopping down a different isle.

You’re saying transferring is reflection of Brunelle, JJ etc as a person?

 

[arrowryan]

You’re saying transferring is reflection of Brunelle, JJ etc as a person?

I was told JJ didn't even go to class, so yes.

 

[Dale]

I was told JJ didn't even go to class, so yes.

So things like that and the undetermined flaw your implying exists in Jay Brunelle make them the wrong aisle of people? Weird stance to jump that far.

 

[irishff1014]

I mean, at this point you'd ask them all back for 22, or all but perhaps one. If they're not declaring for the NFL by that point, they should jump on the free grad degree. And at the very least that'll give additional bodies at a position that would desperately need it.

The 5 are who again? Austin, Keys, Lenzy, Wilkins, and is it Avery for a 6th year?

That’s a below average group. Some just don’t pan out, some can’t stay healthy and some probably don’t leave it all on the field. Just because you were a star in high school means nothing at this level if you don’t continue to do the work.

 

[ThePiombino]

On the other hand, the guys who've been his starters in his 4 years in South Bend have been at or near the top in blocking. There were games in 2019 where Claypool and McKinley (along with Tremble) were must see tv as they DESTROYED DB's in the run game.

Cool. Maybe he'd be better suited as a TE coach then. We need more than that from the WR position. And it shouldn't take 4 years to get guys like Boykin and Claypool to become dominant.

 

[irishff1014]

I go back and forth on him. He's had some real successes with guys like Boykin, Claypool, etc. And you gotta wonder how we'd feel if the alleged star talent of his position group was ever healthy and/or eligible to play.

I will say that 2019 haul at WR was inexcusable IMO for a program that wants to be a title contender. Two 3* prospects during a playoff run is a joke.

I am not saying that he didn’t help them but those were guys that busted their asses off to be better.

 

[IrishLion]

He's also lost some of the most talented WR's to transfer (regardless of the reason). Stepherson & JJ + in 6 months we might be saying the same about Michael Young.

I'm already saying that.

Go Bearcats.