Stewart Mandel makes sense & a little love for our most overlooked recruit!

[Bogtrotter07]

A Quote from Stewart Mandel:

However, no one is suggesting that Kyle Brindza, Scout.com's top-ranked kicker this year, should be rated the No. 1 player in the country, as Henderson was last year. Heck, the Notre Dame commit doesn't even need to be ranked 100th.

But it would be nice if Brindza at least got that fourth star so that Brian Kelly's class -- currently ranked seventh with a 3.57 star average -- isn't penalized for signing the best player in the country at his position.



Read more: Top-ranked kickers only three-star recruits on National Signing Day - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

 

[BGIF]

Valid article.

Farrell and the other gurus are afraid to rate kickers. They use to lump Punters and Place Kickers in one category. They at least now recognize the skills are different.

 

[Shamrocks and Shenanigans]

Throw the kid a damn star, when is the last time you have seen a kid consistantly kickoff through the uprights. Tremendous leg.

 

[ACamp1900]

that is a good point...

 

[IrishLax]

Yup. I've always said specialists should simply be excluded from average start formulas if they are rated below the team average.

 

[irishfan]

I say rank the kickers but don't assign stars.

 

[BGIF]

I say rank the kickers but don't assign stars.

Why?

 

[Shamrocks and Shenanigans]

Top kickers get five stars and evenly reduce as they get lower in rank. The top kicker in the class should always be at least a 4 star player. These kids can change the game.

 

[IrishinSyria]

Umm, this would be a valid point... if it meant anything at all. The only ranking that matters is the one going into bowl month and going out of it.

 

[irishfan]

Why?

I say no stars because I just don't see kickers/punters as 5 or 4 star players. I don't see them as gamebreakers. As important as special teams are, I just don't think a position like kicker or punter deserves that kind of recognition (sorry to anyone on here who was a kicker/punter). For example, if Ruffer were to have been injured this year and missed a game, I would not be as worried if we were to have lost a skill position guy or a starter on D. Just my opinion. I like the idea of ranking them 1 through whatever, but no stars so that teams average star don't get lowered.

 

[Shamrocks and Shenanigans]

If the clock is at :01 with the NC hanging in the balance, I bet your opinion would change.

 

[irishfan]

If the clock is at :01 with the NC hanging in the balance, I bet your opinion would change.

Maybe. We're going to have to agree to disagree for now. On the college level, I have yet to see a kicker/punter carry his team to a great season the same way that a skill player or defensive guy can.

 

[BGIF]

Maybe. We're going to have to agree to disagree for now. On the college level, I have yet to see a kicker/punter carry his team to a great season the same way that a skill player or defensive guy can.

Reggie Ho

John Carney

Craig Hentrich

Harry O

George Gipp

Without them, ND has a bunch less wins. In addition to running and passing, Hornung punted, kicked off, place kicked, and returned punts and KOs.

 

[Shamrocks and Shenanigans]

Reggie Ho

John Carney

Craig Hentrich

Harry O

George Gipp

Without them, ND has a bunch less wins. In addition to running and passing, Hornung punted, kicked off, place kicked, and returned punts and KOs.

Loved Reggie Ho, extremely accurate inside 40 yards. I think alot of people forget how many points a kicker is responsible for in a season.

 

[irishfan]

Reggie Ho

John Carney

Craig Hentrich

Harry O

George Gipp

Without them, ND has a bunch less wins. In addition to running and passing, Hornung punted, kicked off, place kicked, and returned punts and KOs.

I'll reiterate. I haven't seen a kicker/punter put his team on his back for multiple games the way that an everydown player can. Hornung and Gipp did more than just kick so I am not counting them, although they are very good examples. A kicker can win you a game here and there, but there are no Cam Newtons, Vince Youngs, or Reggie Bushs out there who have done it for their team every game. Without Newton Auburn becomes an 8 win team. I don't think there is the same dropoff when you take a stud kicker out of the mix. Just my opinion, and like I said, we're going to have to agree to disagree.

 

[Shamrocks and Shenanigans]

I'll reiterate. I haven't seen a kicker/punter put his team on his back for multiple games the way that an everydown player can. Hornung and Gipp did more than just kick so I am not counting them, although they are very good examples. A kicker can win you a game here and there, but there are no Cam Newtons, Vince Youngs, or Reggie Bushs out there who have done it for their team every game. Without Newton Auburn becomes an 8 win team. I don't think there is the same dropoff when you take a stud kicker out of the mix. Just my opinion, and like I said, we're going to have to agree to disagree.

How about a long snapper!

 

[BGIF]

... A kicker can win you a game here and there, but there are no Cam Newtons, Vince Youngs, or Reggie Bushs out there who have done it for their team every game. Without Newton Auburn becomes an 8 win team. I don't think there is the same dropoff when you take a stud kicker out of the mix. ...

I grasp your point but by that logic shouldn't Cam Newton have been the only 5 Star. Not QB, any position for his HS year?

Without Wes Bynum, Auburn's Kicker, they'd be a 4 win team. I recall reading he made the Game Winning Kick in 4 games this year, including the Florida Gators and the National Championship Game as time ran out.

Wanna compare that with Boise St. kicker under pressure?

And following the Newton, Young, Bush rationale there should be no OLine stars either. Outside of the centers the OLs rarely touch the ball.

The stars are to differentiate players by position. The best at their position get the most stars.

 

[D-BOE34]

I grasp your point but by that logic shouldn't Cam Newton have been the only 5 Star. Not QB, any position for his HS year?

Without Wes Bynum, Auburn's Kicker, they'd be a 4 win team. I recall reading he made the Game Winning Kick in 4 games this year, including the Florida Gators and the National Championship Game as time ran out.

Wanna compare that with Boise St. kicker under pressure?

And following the Newton, Young, Bush rationale there should be no OLine stars either. Outside of the centers the OLs rarely touch the ball.

The stars are to differentiate players by position. The best at their position get the most stars.

I was on the fence and then comes BGIF.... WINNER!!!

 

[rikkitikki08]

A kicker who is a stud is just as important as a stud running back.....some games things just dont go the way an offense wants and sometimes field goals get the job done. Its a group effort and kickers can make or break a year simple as that.

 

[GEORGIA DOMER]

piggie back

piggie back

I grasp your point but by that logic shouldn't Cam Newton have been the only 5 Star. Not QB, any position for his HS year?

Without Wes Bynum, Auburn's Kicker, they'd be a 4 win team. I recall reading he made the Game Winning Kick in 4 games this year, including the Florida Gators and the National Championship Game as time ran out.

Wanna compare that with Boise St. kicker under pressure?

And following the Newton, Young, Bush rationale there should be no OLine stars either. Outside of the centers the OLs rarely touch the ball.

The stars are to differentiate players by position. The best at their position get the most stars.

janikowski in 99 was a beast, in the NC i dont think VT got to return a kick! they had a return guy (davis i think was his name) that was going to be the diffrence maker! on top of that vick had to go 80 yards everytime! give the man his star

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

Umm, this would be a valid point... if it meant anything at all. The only ranking that matters is the one going into bowl month and going out of it.

Well, perhaps, but without all these rankings and stars, it would be pretty boring around here don't you think?

 

[IrishInColumbus]

A kicker who is a stud is just as important as a stud running back.....some games things just dont go the way an offense wants and sometimes field goals get the job done. Its a group effort and kickers can make or break a year simple as that.

Absolutely not.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Re: the idea that a great kicker is relatively unimportant, Frank Beamer will also disagree. Frank and I say: gotta have that great kicker or we're screwed.