'12 TX ATH Nick Baratti (Notre Dame Signed LOI)

[edgesofsanity]

Athlete
Spring, Texas
Klein Oak

Ht: 6'2"
Wt: 215 lbs
40: 4.52 secs
Shuttle: 4.34
Bench Max: 285
Squat Max: 410

Rankings:
Scout:

, #14 S
ESPN:

Rivals:

, S #22

Offers:
Arizona State
Baylor
Houston
Mississippi State
Notre Dame
Rice
Southern Miss
Texas Tech
West Virginia

ND Recruiter: Kerry Cooks

Scout
ESPN

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

His offer is at safety correct?

 

[edgesofsanity]

Offered yesterday per multiple sources. Will be at ND's junior day this weekend. Played QB in high school, but likely will be a safety at the next level.

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[Irish Man3]

He's at the Notre Dame basketball game tonight. He has had a great visit according to ISD.

 

[NDirish66]

will be our 1st commit within the week....just my opinion!

Early PT possibly and seems like a ND type kid.

 

[Irish Man3]

Told ISD that ND was his clear favorite at this time but will not pull the trigger until he has time to meet with some of the guys one on one. He will be there for the Blue and Gold game and I expect him to be Irish sometime around that point.

 

[InKellyITrust]

Told ISD that ND was his clear favorite at this time but will not pull the trigger until he has time to meet with some of the guys one on one. He will be there for the Blue and Gold game and I expect him to be Irish sometime around that point.

Great news. The defensive backfield has to be one of Kelly's main focuses for next year. Kid seems like a great athlete and person. I'll be interested to see who else offers him.

 

[ryno 24]

I like this kid seems like a hard worker

 

[North Buffalo Irish]

The Irish pulling kids out of Texas is ALWAYS good with me.

 

[TerryTate]

Bigger Zibi?

 

[Rocket89]

Oh, how I have longed for a big safety with blazing speed.

Is this kid the one??

 

[Irish Fam]

Bigger Zibi?

Man, I would definitely be cool with that

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Zibikowski didn't hit hard enough**

Sarcasm Font**

 

[BeauBenken]

Zbikowski was a game changer. The best Irish punt return man in my life time. He went for KOs like he was in the ring...

If this guy was anything close to that I'd be very happy.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Oh, how I have longed for a big safety with blazing speed.

Is this kid the one??

Bigger than Smith or Motta, no. Same size. By the stats, a shade slower than Harrison, maybe?

Bigger than Zibi, by maybe four inches, same weight already. You are right about Zibi hittiing. I have had the pleasure to stand, (relatively) next to Zibi, Motta, the McCarthy brothers and H. Smith among others, Zibi was the shortest, Motta the tallest, then H. Smith. You were right about Zibi by the end of his career he could really tatoo, anyone! Want to hear my prediction about H. Smith and Z. Motta this year? They are going to follow Zibi's proud tradition, and people are going to think we have six or seven linebackers out there! I could wish nothing more than to see Nick follow . . . the long line is forming!

 

[Rocket89]

Zibi was a good safety. Very tough in run support and an amazing punt returner. However, his coverage skills were average. Many times he crept up to the line of scrimmage, only to have the ball sail over his head as the opponent went deep.

Hayseed made huge strides this past year and looks to enter the "very good" arena for a safety.

No knock on those players, but I'm dying for an Ed-Reed type of safety. Someone who dominates and changes the game.

 

[BGIF]

... "You were right about Zibi by the end of his career he could really tatoo, anyone! Want to hear my prediction about H. Smith and Z. Motta this year? They are going to follow Zibi's proud tradition, and people are going to think we have six or seven linebackers out there! ...

The problem was he was supposed to be a Safety NOT a LB. He often bit on play acton and got toasted on the resulting pass.

"... by the end of his career he could really tatoo, anyone!" Didn't he play much of his senior season with a shoulder injury. He was criticized for trying to lay the lumber and not wrapping up. I recall a couple of big plays where he whiffed on what would have been a short gain if he had tried to tackle the ball carrier rather then dismembering him. It was reported that a shoulder problem limited his ability to wrap. I though he was a more capable defender in underclassman years than he was as a senior. He focus on boxing didn't help his football game.

 

[Old Man Mike]

If you watch the Purdue game, he receives a [well, I'd call it dirty] hit to his shoulder and, in my opinion is never the same guy again for Notre Dame. He's still out there playing his butt off but it's no more slobberknockers and a lot of conservative "patrolling" and pushing people out-of-bounds. I had great admiration for Zbikowski because it was obvious that he couldn't play as he wanted to, and was hurting. Still he was there every down.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Just give me a safety that's disciplined and a good tackler...kyle mccarthy type. If you're in the right spot a lot of times the ball just happens to find you, which was the case for zibby early in his career before he started to try to do too much. Harrison Smith greatly improved over the course of the year and I've got confidence he will continue to do so with a year under him in the system and three years of experience.

Don't forget about Jamoris Slaughter either...injury kept him out most of the year and him healthy will make for a competitive spring with motta to see who starts at the other safety.

Eitherway we need to real in a couple big timers in this class that could perhaps play right away in 2012

 

[Irish Fam]

Just give me a safety that's disciplined and a good tackler...kyle mccarthy type. If you're in the right spot a lot of times the ball just happens to find you, which was the case for zibby early in his career before he started to try to do too much. Harrison Smith greatly improved over the course of the year and I've got confidence he will continue to do so with a year under him in the system and three years of experience.

Don't forget about Jamoris Slaughter either...injury kept him out most of the year and him healthy will make for a competitive spring with motta to see who starts at the other safety.

Eitherway we need to real in a couple big timers in this class that could perhaps play right away in 2012

I know its just a verbal right now, but Tee was a pretty great start.

 

[rtrn2glory]

I agree, but I was thinking more along the lines of safety, Tee's gonna play corner

 

[ThePiombino]

I know its just a verbal right now, but Tee was a pretty great start.

Absolutely!

 

[Irish Fam]

Yea I think he will be a corner as well, but his high school coach claims he has the skill set and ability to play either safety or corner and said he will play some safety his senior year...

I love the versatility of the recruits Kelly is bringing in

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Are we no longer the leader for this kid? There is a premium ISD article that seems to suggest it from the heading.

 

[Ironman8]

Are we no longer the leader for this kid? There is a premium ISD article that seems to suggest it from the heading.

That's not the article's theme. We are still in great shape, and he still plans on being here for the Spring game.

 

[TerryTate]

Is there anything beyond him still coming to the B&G game in that article?

Craving recruiting news.

 

[GBdomer]

Last i heard he was coming

 

[BeauBenken]

Guess who else is gonna be at the Blue-Gold game... THIS GUY

 

[IrishInFl]

Guess who'll be at the FSU spring game... this guy

 

[IrishLax]

Guess who'll be at the FSU spring game... this guy

Wear an Aaron Lynch jersey for me?