'11 FL DE Anthony Rabasa (Signed Notre Dame LOI)

[Rocket89]

So, Kelly has told Rabasa that he'll play as a freshman eh?

Tuitt is so developed physically that it's hard to imagine he won't make an impact in the summer and fall.

Lynch and Ishaq are most likely going to play too since they are already on campus.

All four studs playing as freshmen? Hmmm...I don't know how I feel about that.

 

[irishff1014]

So, Kelly has told Rabasa that he'll play as a freshman eh?

Tuitt is so developed physically that it's hard to imagine he won't make an impact in the summer and fall.

Lynch and Ishaq are most likely going to play too since they are already on campus.

All four studs playing as freshmen? Hmmm...I don't know how I feel about that.

Kelly wants to win!!

 

[Rocket89]

Kelly wants to win!!

Of course, but there's going to be a ton of bodies in the front 7 and particularly on the D-line. Usually a good thing, but I just hope were not wasting a year of eligibility. If Tuitt or Rabasa is out there playing well and often, that's different. But if they end the year with like 8 tackles and a half sack while rotating through 10-deep on the depth chart, that kind of sucks.

Such is the life of a coach.

 

[gspjeb]

not sure that it is a good idea to wait with the truly great players.....mainly because, they tend to go pro after their junior season. Why not use em early (if they are that good) so that when they leave we at least got 3 years from them. I know that sounds bad but...Clausen....Tate.....Rudy...

 

[rickity21]

not sure that it is a good idea to wait with the truly great players.....mainly because, they tend to go pro after their junior season. Why not use em early (if they are that good) so that when they leave we at least got 3 years from them. I know that sounds bad but...Clausen....Tate.....Rudy...



^Well said.....

 

[irishandy]

All four studs playing as freshmen? Hmmm...I don't know how I feel about that.

All four studs playing as freshman= road to BCS Champions!!
Lynch and Williams have a leg up on the other guys because they are already there, but come summer when the other guys get there i.e. Tuitt, Rabasa, etc. the competition is going to make everyone better. I do see Tuitt and Rabasa getting playing time as freshman as well.

 

[The Polish Irishman]

Great passer rusher off the edge...Love to take someone out of Miami's backyard

 

[billyboettcher]

For some reason I have the feeling that Rabasa could end up playing the inside linebacker spot. I don't remember the quote but I thought Kelly said something to the effect of he can play a number of positions today at his presser. Also it always felt weird to me that Kelly would recruit two studs and the same Cat position. And Rabasa is 2-3 inches shorter than Ishaq and Councell. Just my gut feeling.

 

[TerryTate]

For some reason I have the feeling that Rabasa could end up playing the inside linebacker spot. I don't remember the quote but I thought Kelly said something to the effect of he can play a number of positions today at his presser. Also it always felt weird to me that Kelly would recruit two studs and the same Cat position. And Rabasa is 2-3 inches shorter than Ishaq and Councell. Just my gut feeling.

Kelly did bring that up in the presser.

I think a few people, including myself, have mentioned that position for him as well.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Boettcher & Terry: whenever I've fiddled around with my line-ups that's where he ends up [standing next to Manti] too. I'm not sure that coach is sold on Carlo there. Brian Smith's late playing with mobility may have shaken up his/Diaco's thinking.

 

[IrishLax]

Indeed, I have always said that is a possibility as well. Really depends on what happens with Shembo and Kendall Moore more than anything. The positions battles this spring will be fascinating.

 

[ACamp1900]

I know this for sure... dude looks like Shia Labeouf's buffed up stunt double...

 

[Big23Head]

Working out 6 days a week, training where NFL guys do to be in premiere shape

Says he's still 6'3" but 245lbs and "will not get pushed around"

Ready to rock and roll

No jersey #, will play CAT LB

 

[rtrn2glory]

gotta ton of depth at the cat position...staff must be pretty high on utupo being able to play in the middle with moore if they got anthony playing the cat.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

gotta ton of depth at the cat position...staff must be pretty high on utupo being able to play in the middle with moore if they got anthony playing the cat.

I was under the impression that Rabasa was recruited for Cat, and the possibility of being able to move inside was "just in case."

What's our depth at Cat? Fleming > Ishaq > Rabasa? With Fleming gone after 2011, I wouldn't say that's a "ton".

 

[rtrn2glory]

i'm talking about this year dude...remember we still have to play 2011

plus olb is a position where we will take at least one or two per year so the cupboard will usually not be empty.

 

[Riddickulous]

Working out 6 days a week, training where NFL guys do to be in premiere shape

Says he's still 6'3" but 245lbs and "will not get pushed around"
Ready to rock and roll

No jersey #, will play CAT LB

245? Jesus.

That's a pound larger than Manti Te'o was when fall camp began back in 2009. Somehow I'm skeptical.

 

[Big23Head]

It literally sounds like he is training all the time at a high end place. He is ready to work very hard and earn a spot.

 

[Irish Man3]

I was under the impression that Rabasa was recruited for Cat, and the possibility of being able to move inside was "just in case."

What's our depth at Cat? Fleming > Ishaq > Rabasa? With Fleming gone after 2011, I wouldn't say that's a "ton".

Shembo?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Shembo?

Shembo and Spond are playing at the Dog currently.

 

[Rocket89]

Yeah, you had to figure he was going to play Cat.

His burst off the line is Von Miller-esque.

But damn, 25 pounds gained already? How do these kids do it?

 

[Riddickulous]

Yeah, you had to figure he was going to play Cat.

His burst off the line is Von Miller-esque.

But damn, 25 pounds gained already? How do these kids do it?

Bobby Diaco told them to.

 

[NDIrishlover3]

Yeah, you had to figure he was going to play Cat.

His burst off the line is Von Miller-esque.

But damn, 25 pounds gained already? How do these kids do it?

I bet some of the added weight is fat. When you bulk like he has been doing you usually put on fat as well as muscle and that is probably where a lot of the weight came from. I'm not saying he has gotten fat, just that he has probably put a little bit on to get his weight up

 

[Rocket89]

Bobby Diaco told them to.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Fleming/IWilliams/Rabasa; Moore/Calabreese/Utupo; Te'o/Fox/Grace; Spond/Shembo/Councell. ... Filer?? McDonald??

You could make a pretty good linebacking corps out of any set of the three-deep. Right now the OLBs seem stuffed with talent. If it wasn't for Manti, we'd probably realize that they're better than the ILBs.

I don't know how he's going to lever himself in there, but my vibes on Rabasa are that he's a big, powerful, roughneck talent, who has an iron will. He's going to get in somehow and flatten a bunch of people.

If I didn't believe that Grace was going to be really good, and I wasn't listening to Kelly's praise of Dan Fox, I'd be assuming that Big Anthony would be heading ultimately inside so we could get the likes of him, Ishaq, Ben Councell, and Spond or Shembo all on the field at the same time once Manti graduates. We can't replace Manti, but a foursome of that all-over quality might do.

Yeh, I know that most of them haven't yet played, but Diaco's seen Spond and Shembo and praised them, and Ishaq and Ben were MVPs in AA games, and Anthony was recognized for outstanding play as well. I think that Diaco's dealt himself a Royal Flush here for a while...just need to smarten them up.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Yeah, you had to figure he was going to play Cat.

His burst off the line is Von Miller-esque.

But damn, 25 pounds gained already? How do these kids do it?

Peanut butter.

OMM. At the spring game - Fox's mobility and athleticism were awesome to watch. Shembo and Spond were out of their heads. I mean it. The sound of their hits, particularly Spond's were different. The kid hits with high-velocity impact. It is almost freakish.

 

[rtrn2glory]

REALLY excited about Danny Spond!!

 

[Old Man Mike]

Trotter: love the observations. I've been picking up the "between-the-lines" vibes about Dan Fox. Hopefully he's the big solution to Manti's partner-in-crime. I had the positive intuition about Spond from the beginning, and Shembo's ability to move in space has stunned me. Maybe our LB "holes" aren't holes at all, but strengths. Now if we can just keep our studs in the backfield [Gray, Blanton, and Smith] healthy, we'll probably be one of the solidest defenses in the country.

 

[rtrn2glory]

got three more years of D Fox too...would love to see him continue to develop to solidify the MLB position.

 

[NDFANnSouthWest]

REALLY excited about Danny Spond!!

^ this

and if i may add....I am excited about Grace- not getting that much love..however I think he is going to be special!