'25 IL LB Dominik Hulak (Notre Dame Signee)

[ndfanatic78]

Couple mediocre recruiting with poor in game coaching...I think the sun is setting on the MF era.

The sun has set on ND competing for national championships.

 

[CanadalovesND]

If this doesn't affect other DE prospects I'm good with it. I want Shanklin and Burgess in this class to go along with an interior guy. Where I have reserve is...is ND going to really bring in 5+ DEs? You already have May, Reiff, and Hulak now. Unless Hulak or May can be a LB and Reiff grows into a DT is there room for 5 DEs in a class? Now if we just "oversign" and let the cream rise to the top while processing guys out...it makes sense but I already know most of ND fan base will lose their minds if processing starts happening even though it improves the roster/ recruiting class.

May is viewed by the recruiting analysts (Singer and Roberts) as a Big End long term. He’s still on the skinny side for being 230.

 

[Katzenboyer]

The Kurt Hinish who is an NFL player for the Texans? I would take a whole recruiting class of people that can make an NFL roster

My point was moreso that Hinish was a three-star recruit with an unsexy offer list who committed early and turned out to be a very, very good player for the Irish.

Edit: Not saying that every three-star with a subpar offer list is going to have the same impact Hinish did. But these guys have a place in the ND program, and we are not in the position of simply saying "only four and five star recruits should be given spots in these classes." That's all.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

The sun has set on ND competing for national championships.

I never could have fathomed that a verbal commitment would trigger a post like this.

 

[ndfanatic78]

I never could have fathomed that a verbal commitment would trigger a post like this.

It had nothing to do with the verbal commit. I was just responding to a post.

 

[Lberry]

I'm generally a fan of taking early commits from players good enough to actually take away a spot.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

It had nothing to do with the verbal commit. I was just responding to a post.

Right.

The program that received a verbal commitment today has seen the sun set on competing for National Championships.

 

[CanadalovesND]

Right.

The program that received a verbal commitment today has seen the sun set on competing for National Championships.

Same would be if the #1 National recruit committed to ND?

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Same would be if the #1 National recruit committed to ND?

Hell if I know.

Listen, I really don't understand WTF is going on here. They got a verbal from a junior linebacker giving them 8 in the class and ranking them third overall in the 2025 class on Rivals but somehow the Marcus Freeman Era is swirling down the bowl.

It's got a "glass half up my ass" kind of vibe to it, but what do I know? I had a fairly indifferent reaction to the news. I don't understand the doom and gloom is all. Hulak might not even be old enough to obtain a valid Illinois driver's license but he had a committable offer and he's taking it.

Al Golden spent some time in the NFL and could be going back soon for all we know. He had to have had a hand in evaluating Hulak. I don't understand the grim take on it.

 

[ndfanatic78]

Hell if I know.

Listen, I really don't understand WTF is going on here. They got a verbal from a junior linebacker giving them 8 in the class and ranking them third overall in the 2025 class on Rivals but somehow the Marcus Freeman Era is swirling down the bowl.

It's got a "glass half up my ass" kind of vibe to it, but what do I know? I had a fairly indifferent reaction to the news. I don't understand the doom and gloom is all. Hulak might not even be old enough to obtain a valid Illinois driver's license but he had a committable offer and he's taking it.

Al Golden spent some time in the NFL and could be going back soon for all we know. He had to have had a hand in evaluating Hulak. I don't understand the grim take on it.

I never said the sun was setting on the Marcus Freeman era. I said ND has given up on legitamtely playing for national championships. Freeman could be a good ND coach. He could be better than Kelly I don’t know but ND the school has not put a competitive product on the field in 30 years and I don’t see anything changing that. Maybe you do and that’s great for you. Nothing has changed since halfway through Lou’s career that tells me this institution is serious about getting back to the pinacle of college football. They have gotten curb stopped in any real game of any significance since that mark, not even competitive in any way. When ND was good they led in inovation. in the past 30 years they have always been playing catch up never once inovationg. Everyone always claims tradition well tradition doesn’t win shit. You want to know what brought that tradition of winning ND had, it was inovation of the game and letting go of past traditions. I will always support the university because it does a great job educating youth, but its commitment to fielding National championship football teams is gone.

 

[Irishdrunk]

You would think w a former NFL LB w Freeman as HC, We would be landing Top 50 not Top 500 LB recruits.

 

[PutuporShutup]

You would think w a former NFL LB w Freeman as HC, We would be landing Top 50 not Top 500 LB recruits.

this no clue why two years in a row majority of lb commits are projects

 

[luckofirish8]

this no clue why two years in a row majority of lb commits are projects

Jaylon Sneed was a 5-star and ND might not have a bigger project at LB than him still...even two years after the fact.

 

[CanadalovesND]

this no clue why two years in a row majority of lb commits are projects

Who are the projects from the ‘23 & ‘24 classes?

Id argue that only Rezac, Kahoun and Zinter were the projects.

Bowen, Ausberry & KVA were all pretty polished coming out of HS. Ausberry only had a weight issue.

 

[irishff1014]

There's nothing wrong with adding guys like Kurt Hinish to each class, so long as they don't form the centerpiece. I don't think that's what will happen, and I'm fine taking a kid like this to shore up the position while continuing to chase after the big fish.

I think we are saying pretty much the same thing.

 

[PutuporShutup]

Who are the projects from the ‘23 & ‘24 classes?

Id argue that only Rezac, Kahoun and Zinter were the projects.

Bowen, Ausberry & KVA were all pretty polished coming out of HS. Ausberry only had a weight issue.

Meant 24 and 25…. Kva only lb expected to have a chance to play first 2 years

 

[PutuporShutup]

Jaylon Sneed was a 5-star and ND might not have a bigger project at LB than him still...even two years after the fact.

Yeah… huge potential project, why he was ranked so high

The other projects may end up being better, but don’t have the upside or sneed or sneed can figure it out

 

[FDNYIrish1]

Been on the sideline a few days so just catching up. Are there really guys shitting on a high school junior for committing to play football at the University of Notre Dame? Yep, wrap it up. Notre Dame isn’t serious about football anymore because they’ve taken some 3 stars who they project to be good players in the future. Fucking clown show in here lately and it’s the same handful of people responsible.

 

[ColinKSU]

Bring him into the program, get him on S&C for 2-3 years, and hope he has projection. I'm fine with this take.

As long as the class isn't full of these types of guys, we'll be fine.

I don’t know if he’s a mistake or not, but the transfer portal can clear the board easier than before with bad takes than in previous years.

 

[CanadalovesND]

Meant 24 and 25…. Kva only lb expected to have a chance to play first 2 years

Okay.

They are still taking 2-3LBs in this class. Too early to say “why so many projects” when we don’t even know who they are yet

 

[indianamouse]

Who are the projects from the ‘23 & ‘24 classes?

Id argue that only Rezac, Kahoun and Zinter were the projects.

Bowen, Ausberry & KVA were all pretty polished coming out of HS. Ausberry only had a weight issue.

I don't know how much of a project he really is. Dude is killing it this year. Yes it's bad competition, still impressive.

 

[CanadalovesND]

I don't know how much of a project he really is. Dude is killing it this year. Yes it's bad competition, still impressive.

Likely because he’s only played linebacker for about 15 games.

His stats are impressive. I’m just waiting on the film.

 

[calvegas04]

Shopping down different aisles

 

[PutuporShutup]

Okay.

They are still taking 2-3LBs in this class. Too early to say “why so many projects” when we don’t even know who they are yet

My understanding is where aren’t favored for the top of our list lbs but yea time to see

 

[Chicago Domer]

You guys have obviously not seen this kid play in person. I have, he’s a monster on the field. He’s a freak. He is a dominant player in every game. I’m excited he picked ND. IMO, one of the best players in Illinois. IC has a great program. They win the state title almost every year.

Great get for ND. I would not be surprised to see him blow up, but picking ND early won’t help in that regard.

 

[Irishdrunk]

so you are saying we are landing another 3 Star Stud - Great!!

I go to Trader Joe’s… I know my Two-Buck Chuck is better than Caymus - no matter what Wine Spectator says!!

 

[notredomer23]

My understanding is where aren’t favored for the top of our list lbs but yea time to see

ND will probably get officials and are in the top group of schools for NOB, Christian Jones, Madden Faraimo, Noah Mikhail, and Marco Jones, all top 100 guys. It’s not a stretch to think ND will land 2 of them.

 

[irishandy]

Welcome to ND Dominik!!

Some fans dig into this way too much and care way too much about the star system.

 

[laughingirish90]

You guys have obviously not seen this kid play in person. I have, he’s a monster on the field. He’s a freak. He is a dominant player in every game. I’m excited he picked ND. IMO, one of the best players in Illinois. IC has a great program. They win the state title almost every year.

Great get for ND. I would not be surprised to see him blow up, but picking ND early won’t help in that regard.

you aren't the only one saying this because Ryan and Shaun on the IB recruiting podcast yesterday were both saying almost the same thing. both said if you watch his soph film that you don't see a guy that is a take for our irish right now but then talked about how he had a monster type year this season. Shaun said he goes to games and talks to a lot of area coaches around Chicago area and said this kid's name was brought up by multiple coaches when asking who were some of the best players were that they faced this season.

 

[irishff1014]

You guys have obviously not seen this kid play in person. I have, he’s a monster on the field. He’s a freak. He is a dominant player in every game. I’m excited he picked ND. IMO, one of the best players in Illinois. IC has a great program. They win the state title almost every year.

Great get for ND. I would not be surprised to see him blow up, but picking ND early won’t help in that regard.

You have seen him in person, I have not. Who ever filmed it wasn’t the best either. So I’ll take your word on that opinion.