Tom Lemming released his first Top 100 Recruits of 2012

[Old Man Mike]

All I could say as a factual statement on this is that Kelly thinks both of these guys can help him at the QB position sooner or later --- because he offered them both. In his eyes, their current manifested talents, plus potential, create a vision of being able to "play championship football" as he likes to phrase it.

The issue seems, therefore, not whether he thinks that they're good enough, but just when they'd ever play. Kelly's not only a "next-man-in" but a "best-man-in" regardless of "seniority" [which seems to mean nothing to him unless it's a dead heat on quality. Then he seems to go with the "old man" who's earned it.] Both Mauk and Kiel have different things to make us speculate on how fast they'd become the "best-man-in". So do Hendrix and Golson.

The difference in my depleted databank of facts is that both Hendrix and Golson have been praised for some things after Kelly has seen them in his college offense, and the high schoolers have not yet. It would be hard for me to speculate that a high schooler would leap them very quickly until they get to camp and I hear Kelly say glowing things.

 

[woolybug25]

Why dont you think Hendrix will even see the field? The guy has all the tools and the body. He also ran the spread in high school, I dont think Gunner does.

Golson is the wild card, if his cannon of an arm and athletism carry over into college, and he grasps the playbook, quickly, and stays healthy, he could be the best of the bunch.

My opinion on Hendrix has no bearing on how I feel about him as a football player. I think that Crist fully understands what is on the line this year. I think that this will be the year that he finally does not blow his knee out. Because of that, I think he will be successful and return for a fifth year.

That being said, Kelly has already expressed that he will be making packages for both Hendrix and Golson, the difference between the two being, that he plans on using Golson regardless of injury. Hendrix has a package in the case that he has to see the field because of injury.

In my opinion, I think we will see Crist for the next two seasons (and if he gets injured, then Rees will come in, Golson the next year) as the starter. We may see Golson in packages. Once Crist runs out of eligibility and Gunner redshirts, I believe (again, just my opinion) Gunner could become the starter alongside Golson. Ala Leak/Tebow.

Our coaching staff has a very compelling argument for playing time for Gunner. It just depends on whether he wants to be in such a competitive situation, or just get annointed the starter.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

 

[Old Man Mike]

This thread seemed to constrict to a debate about two QBs, but maybe it wouldn't be unwelcome to stretch the topic a bit more.

We all know that we have two early commitments, and I wondered how everyone else was doing. I looked at the teams with the top 50 rated classes [Rivals] last season. Most of them are in similar situations to ND, but others not. Texas A&M has 17 commits and Texas 15. TCU has 8. Alabama has 10. Florida has 9. LSU has 8. Miami and FSU have 7. The state of Texas and the deep South are hustling. [maybe in more ways than one].

On the other hand, OSU [with 5] and PSU [with 4] lead the mid-west Big East area, with no one else with more than two. [well, WVU has 3]. Out on the west coast, USC stands alone at 5 with no one else more than two. Texas schools, the deep SEC, OSU and USC: big surprises, eh?

54 of the 165 early commitments are from Texas. If you want to go there, you better feed early. 41 are from Georgia and Florida. California, only 10; Ohio 8. Louisiana has 11. There is one recruit early signed to a top 50 program from the area of NJ north [he is from MA]. [I know that this is a "moving target" but it was accurate today].

Post is getting long, so I'll skip to the next one.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Recruiting status, part two:
So far these programs have taken 80 offensive players and 63 defensive ones. There are 3 kickers. The balance are "athletes" headed for DB or WR probably in the majority. Of the 11 QBs committing, 5 are from Texas, and two from Florida. Of the 16 RBs committing, "only" three are from Texas. They are much more geographically diverse so far.

There are 20 WRs and 27 O-Linemen. On the linemen: 9 are from Texas, but 9 are also from the "big-ten area" [OH,IL,IN, MI --- 5 of these are Ohioans]. The deep south also produced 8. None are from the west coast or the mid-lands or the East.

Defensively, 18 DEs have committed, and 13 DTs. ALL of these guys are from Texas or the South except for two MD players and one Californian. GO SOUTH YOUNG DIACO!! 21 linebackers have committed and only 11 definitely described DBs.

What all this means, who knows? But it seems to speak to not only the urgency that the southern powers have in creating a base for their yearly class, but probably the strong insinuation of their influence into Texan and southern high schools [that kids would pull the trigger so quickly]. I also found the surge by A&M and TCU intriguing; they seem to be able to fist-fight Texas a bit now.

Paterno seems to have awakened from his coma a bit, and Frank Beamer is feeling more urgency at VT now that UVA is challenging him in his backyard. Both teams from the national championship game lag behind their rivals significantly --- perhaps the fruits of the stinks that have come up.

Well, enough. If I knew what it meant, I'd stay with it a while longer, but ... ???