NewEnglandGuy
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Notre Dame Football Six Seniors Apply For Fifth Season
Most recent article that discusses fitting into the NCAA scholarship regulations. I like everything it says except for Niklas at Tight End. I was thinking OL/DL for him.
The Road to 85:
By the University's announcement of the six players applying for their fifth season of eligibility, the road begins with either of these two schools of thought:
1. Coach Kelly wants to assure the roster will be at least to the limit whether we sign anymore players or not.
2. Coach Kelly has a number in mind through talking with current players and recruits as to who will be here in August.
Reasons to believe in #1.
We are conviently at the limit of 85 if the fifth year players are accepted into graduate programs. If coach Kelly thought someone else was leaving and we were not good positions with the remaining targets, an arguement could be made that Romine should have also been brought back. If we land one more recruit and have to cut the spot of a fifth year, why not bring back Romine as well just in case? Would there be much of a difference cutting one more player? What if he showed tremendous growth in spring practice? Kelly must have already talked to these guys and told them the situation: apply, continue working out, but I cannot guarantee you a spot just yet.
Reasons to believe in #2.
These six players apparently made it through the first round of "cuts" by the staff. It must have been a hard decision to take either Ragone, Nuss, or Romine. Coach Kelly is publicly recruiting at least two targets strong by hosting Niklas this weekend and traveling to see Haynes. He did not allow Romine to apply simply because there is no more room and he would not allow a player to continue to be with the team with the possibility of having too many. They are in position to pick up another recruit because a scholarship will be open by May.
Whatever the reasons that everyone has, these are my thoughts:
All the delays in the Haynes announcement have been because we are in the lead and were updating the status of positions available. The Niklas situation is confusing because unless the staff knows something no one else does, it is hard to predict who leads. With him yet to take an official visit, I doubt the staff (which does not take no for an answer) considers him "out." That makes me think we were always trying to get 2 more players (with Huggins also clouding the picture, or at least the staff would not accept being 3rd, until recently).
Kelly did not say anyone was planning to transfer, but he basically said everything else.
-The QB situation has to shake someone to another program with more playing time. With family ties and the BK quote about not using his scholarship to get under 85, it is almost certain Montana will be back and on scholarship. All signs therefore point to Luke Massa.
-The second spot will likely be from a current freshman or sophmore as I do not see someone in their last year wanting to give up the ND degree, change schools, and sit out.
All speculation at this point, but if we sign a player or two, someone will be leaving. And what if Wenger is awarded a 6th year by the NCAA? We would not let him go through all the paper work if we were not interested in taking him too....
Most recent article that discusses fitting into the NCAA scholarship regulations. I like everything it says except for Niklas at Tight End. I was thinking OL/DL for him.
The Road to 85:
By the University's announcement of the six players applying for their fifth season of eligibility, the road begins with either of these two schools of thought:
1. Coach Kelly wants to assure the roster will be at least to the limit whether we sign anymore players or not.
2. Coach Kelly has a number in mind through talking with current players and recruits as to who will be here in August.
Reasons to believe in #1.
We are conviently at the limit of 85 if the fifth year players are accepted into graduate programs. If coach Kelly thought someone else was leaving and we were not good positions with the remaining targets, an arguement could be made that Romine should have also been brought back. If we land one more recruit and have to cut the spot of a fifth year, why not bring back Romine as well just in case? Would there be much of a difference cutting one more player? What if he showed tremendous growth in spring practice? Kelly must have already talked to these guys and told them the situation: apply, continue working out, but I cannot guarantee you a spot just yet.
Reasons to believe in #2.
These six players apparently made it through the first round of "cuts" by the staff. It must have been a hard decision to take either Ragone, Nuss, or Romine. Coach Kelly is publicly recruiting at least two targets strong by hosting Niklas this weekend and traveling to see Haynes. He did not allow Romine to apply simply because there is no more room and he would not allow a player to continue to be with the team with the possibility of having too many. They are in position to pick up another recruit because a scholarship will be open by May.
Whatever the reasons that everyone has, these are my thoughts:
All the delays in the Haynes announcement have been because we are in the lead and were updating the status of positions available. The Niklas situation is confusing because unless the staff knows something no one else does, it is hard to predict who leads. With him yet to take an official visit, I doubt the staff (which does not take no for an answer) considers him "out." That makes me think we were always trying to get 2 more players (with Huggins also clouding the picture, or at least the staff would not accept being 3rd, until recently).
Kelly did not say anyone was planning to transfer, but he basically said everything else.
-The QB situation has to shake someone to another program with more playing time. With family ties and the BK quote about not using his scholarship to get under 85, it is almost certain Montana will be back and on scholarship. All signs therefore point to Luke Massa.
-The second spot will likely be from a current freshman or sophmore as I do not see someone in their last year wanting to give up the ND degree, change schools, and sit out.
All speculation at this point, but if we sign a player or two, someone will be leaving. And what if Wenger is awarded a 6th year by the NCAA? We would not let him go through all the paper work if we were not interested in taking him too....
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