'25 CA LB Madden Faraimo (Notre Dame Signee)

[rtrn2glory]

If we also land Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng I would agree

Was thinking the exact same thing

 

[Katzenboyer]

Awesome news. Hopefully we lock him up.

Is he projected as a MIKE? Or more of an outside guy?

 

[NDMD]

Awesome news. Hopefully we lock him up.

Is he projected as a MIKE? Or more of an outside guy?

Jamie at ISD compared him positively to Liufau, but said he's intelligent enough to play Mike & could potentially grow into it

 

[Irish Man3]

I think even without NOB, this has to be considered the best run at LB as a whole. The exciting thing is, you can also make that argument about DB recruiting at the exact same time.

 

[GoldenTate(r)Tots]

I think even without NOB, this has to be considered the best run at LB as a whole. The exciting thing is, you can also make that argument about DB recruiting at the exact same time.

It's been pointed out by a lot of folks, but man the way this staff is recruiting at pretty much every position just feels like something special is brewing. So many years of the BK BS excuse train legit made you feel like there was no shot with certain guys.

 

[allenm5333]

It's been pointed out by a lot of folks, but man the way this staff is recruiting at pretty much every position just feels like something special is brewing. So many years of the BK BS excuse train legit made you feel like there was no shot with certain guys.

Let's look at it position by position, Freeman v. Kelly:
QB: Freeman
RB: Freeman (this year ain't great)
WR: Freeman
OL: Kelly?
TE: Kelly
DL: Kelly
LB: Freeman
CB: Freeman
S: Freeman

 

[GoldenTate(r)Tots]

Let's look at it position by position, Freeman v. Kelly:
QB: Freeman
RB: Freeman (this year ain't great)
WR: Freeman
OL: Kelly?
TE: Kelly
DL: Kelly
LB: Freeman
CB: Freeman
S: Freeman

I'm feeling like DL is more Freeman with the talent/potential that he's recently brought on, OL maybe Kelly but let's be honest it was mostly Harry pulling them in over BK, TE we've just been blessed with ridiculous talent, so sure give it to BK for now. But Freeman has some potential there. I'm less bullish on the RB room even with the Payne injury. But again, it just feels different with how Freeman & Co are doing business.

 

[allenm5333]

I agree with all these. RB is just week in the 2025 class for everyone, down year. I would love to see improvements on recruiting the trenches. With Dembrocks offense we are unlikely to see improvements over the Kelly TE room

I would also add the DL is only slightly Kelly and i’m monitoring Freeman’s dl. Kelly gets edge bc of some ridiculous classes, but was dipping from a stars rating towards the end

 

[Irish Man3]

Let's look at it position by position, Freeman v. Kelly:
QB: Freeman
RB: Freeman (this year ain't great)
WR: Freeman
OL: Kelly?
TE: Kelly
DL: Kelly
LB: Freeman
CB: Freeman
S: Freeman

My thing has always been this:

If TE and OL recruiting are where you hang your hat, you’ll never be great in this era of college football. You can do exactly what ND has done and kuddos to them for doing so, but until you start hitting on the skill positions at a higher rate, you won’t get over that hump.

I’d argue that OL recruiting is at the very least the same under Freeman.

 

[ND7983]

Kelly has multiple Safties in the NFL, including All Pro guys.

 

[allenm5333]

Kelly has multiple Safties in the NFL, including All Pro guys.

I may be blinded by Watts success and recent recruiting here

 

[ND7983]

I may be blinded by Watts success and recent recruiting here

Watts was a BK recruit. His last ND class.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Watts was a BK recruit. His last ND class.

BK's last class could really be considered '22, Watts was a '20 recruit.

 

[GoldenTate(r)Tots]

Watts was a BK recruit. His last ND class.

Yeah but who was instrumental is switching him from WR to S... (besides O'Leary)

 

[ND7983]

BK's last class could really be considered '22, Watts was a '20 recruit.

Yeah, I meant without Freeman influence.
A lot of people will say the class Freeman was DC for, was his, not BK’s.

 

[ND7983]

Yeah but who was instrumental is switching him from WR to S... (besides O'Leary)

Do we give BK credit for Harrison Smith then?
Weis recruited him, but BK moved him to his NFL, All Pro, position.

 

[Rocketman84]

It's been pointed out by a lot of folks, but man the way this staff is recruiting at pretty much every position just feels like something special is brewing. So many years of the BK BS excuse train legit made you feel like there was no shot with certain guys.

Just get on the ball at DT and it would be complete.

 

[GoldenTate(r)Tots]

Do we give BK credit for Harrison Smith then?
Weis recruited him, but BK moved him to his NFL, All Pro, position.

Have to give props where it's due right? Weis almost tanked things for Harrison and BK revived him. While it was probably never a doubt for Kyle Hamilton to be who he is now, there has to be some Freeman influence there with how he ended up. But now we're going into the realm of recruiting vs. development which I'm drinking the Freeman kool-aid a bit more. I suppose with recruiting, my big gripe with BK was how he always had an excuse or would set lower expectations, whereas Freeman just seems to be more apt to go after the big fish best way he can and if we lose out, it doesn't seem for lack of effort on ND's end. Just my thoughts.

 

[Luckylucci]

BK and Clark Lea specifically recruited Watts because he could play defense. In fact, on signing day the running joke was that Lea was still pitching Watts on playing S. The plan all along was for Watts to move to S if he wasn’t playing at WR.

 

[ND7983]

BK and Clark Lea specifically recruited Watts because he could play defense. In fact, on signing day the running joke was that Lea was still pitching Watts on playing S. The plan all along was for Watts to move to S if he wasn’t playing at WR.

I watched Watts play back to back HS tournament games his Junior year, the year they won State.
He was unstoppable at WR in that tournament & easily outperformed the borderline 5 Star WR that went to (and flamed out at) Nebraska, Xavier Betts.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I watched Watts play back to back HS tournament games his Junior year, the year they won State.
He was unstoppable at WR in that tournament & easily outperformed the borderline 5 Star WR that went to (and flamed out at) Nebraska, Xavier Betts.

Seems like Nebraska was recruiting the wrong Xavier __tts

 

[GoldenTate(r)Tots]

I watched Watts play back to back HS tournament games his Junior year, the year they won State.
He was unstoppable at WR in that tournament & easily outperformed the borderline 5 Star WR that went to (and flamed out at) Nebraska, Xavier Betts.

If I remember right he was just an amazing player who was undervalued by lots of teams, but we legit wanted him for WR. I remember Lea did the funny "pitch" for him to come on the D side on signing-day, but it took a while for the whole position switch to happen at ND for weird injury concerns and other reasons.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Did any of you watch Faraimo's highlights? This guy comes down the lane like a freight train. I mean true predator vibes watching him hawk down RBs/QBs. He looks instinctual, explosive and violent.

I just want to double down on this. Anyone who has casually looked at his ranking and given a thumbs up, please go and watch his highlights. He is a scary inside LBer who loves tracking down his victims.

 

[SWirishfan]

Jamie at ISD compared him positively to Liufau, but said he's intelligent enough to play Mike & could potentially grow into it

I just want to double down on this. Anyone who has casually looked at his ranking and given a thumbs up, please go and watch his highlights. He is a scary inside LBer who loves tracking down his victims.

Doesn't 6'3' 230, going into his senior season, sound like a nascent vyper?
He has 20 lbs on Liufau at the same point here. I think that Marist was drafted at 230-ish.

 

[Irish#1]

I just want to double down on this. Anyone who has casually looked at his ranking and given a thumbs up, please go and watch his highlights. He is a scary inside LBer who loves tracking down his victims.

Did any of you watch Faraimo's highlights? This guy comes down the lane like a freight train. I mean true predator vibes watching him hawk down RBs/QBs. He looks instinctual, explosive and violent.

 

[a mike]

Doesn't 6'3' 230, going into his senior season, sound like a nascent vyper?
He has 20 lbs on Liufau at the same point here. I think that Marist was drafted at 230-ish.

Yes, he will end up a Vyper like Burnham and Junior T

 

[PutuporShutup]

Let's look at it position by position, Freeman v. Kelly:
QB: Freeman
RB: Freeman (this year ain't great)
WR: Freeman
OL: Kelly?
TE: Kelly
DL: Kelly
LB: Freeman
CB: Freeman
S: Freeman

Agree other than Kelly recruited 2 AA safeties

 

[jason_h537]

Doesn't 6'3' 230, going into his senior season, sound like a nascent vyper?
He has 20 lbs on Liufau at the same point here. I think that Marist was drafted at 230-ish.

This is just his size. He was playing Safety last year. On message boards, we all make assumptions based on their size in HS and not about the type of player they are. What if he loses weight? What if his speed is not affected by the weight gain? What if his skill set does not fit that role?

I remember everyone saying Jack Lamb should move to DE because he was 6'4 even though his specialty was dropping into coverage. Khalid Kareem was 100% going to move inside, until he got on campus and lost weight.

Maybe he ends up at Vyper but I have not seen anyone say that is what his strengths are. Most seem to assume he is best suited to play Buck (do they still call it that?) or Mike.

 

[ND7983]

KVA was bigger (by 5 lbs) at the same age.
And thicker because he was an inch shorter.

KVA is an elite Mike.

 

[GoIrish41]

Kelly has multiple Safties in the NFL, including All Pro guys.

Sure … in 12 seasons he got more safeties than Freeman did in four. But that train is picking up speed and it’s only a matter of time until Freeman surpasses Kelly in safety recruiting.