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

[Whiskeyjack]

From an article I read (I believe it was the Bleacher Report one posted in this very thread), it sounded like he wasn't going to play a whole lot of safety this year.

From a Jim Sheridan article on BR:

Pete Wurdinder: Will you train your last year to prepare you for your position at ND with your high school coach and still keep your team's best interest in hand?

Nick Baratti: I will still be playing full-time QB at my high school but we are a spread team so it is not like I am a pocket passer and do not train like the rest of our skill players. But I will be playing a little bit of safety too in most key situations.

 

[Irish To The Core]

Whether we like it or not, a hell of a lot more 5*'s end up being studs than 3*'s... Of course it's not a given, but you let me take 100 5*'s and you pick your best 100 3*'s and we'll see who ends up with more kids in the NFL. I'll trust the recruiting sites/experts more than anyone else, simply because I have no one else to differ to.

The recruiting sites are pretty good for the elite guys the 5* and high 4* who everybody knows and the sites have definitely seen first hand. But it is a fact that MOST 4 and 5 star guys were originally ranked much lower than that by the sites. The coaches find the kids who are likely to succeed and the sites jack up there ratings.

It is not the ranking sites who find these guys for the most part it is the coaches. The 5* guys go to the NFL because they were identified and recruited by the top programs.

I like the sites too, but I don't care one iota how they rank the Notre Dame targets. They provide some interesting info on 40 times etc., but the actual stars I take with a grain of salt. the ND coaches have forgotten more about football than the recruitniks ever knew...if coach Kelly targets a player that is good enough for me. The star ratings cannot account for intangibles like character coach K can and does.

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

The recruiting sites are pretty good for the elite guys the 5* and high 4* who everybody knows and the sites have definitely seen first hand. But it is a fact that MOST 4 and 5 star guys were originally ranked much lower than that by the sites. The coaches find the kids who are likely to succeed and the sites jack up there ratings.

It is not the ranking sites who find these guys for the most part it is the coaches. The 5* guys go to the NFL because they were identified and recruited by the top programs.

I like the sites too, but I don't care one iota how they rank the Notre Dame targets. They provide some interesting info on 40 times etc., but the actual stars I take with a grain of salt. the ND coaches have forgotten more about football than the recruitniks ever knew...if coach Kelly targets a player that is good enough for me. The star ratings cannot account for intangibles like character coach K can and does.

I agree for the most part but we all saw BK's Bearcats get manhandled by the Gators.. and MSU get "rolled" by the Tide. But, then you have Peterson and Boise.. Im kind of arguing with myself here ha. I think in the end BK has a MUCH bigger pool of talent to choose from and I would trust him taking whoever he wants. Solid hard working 3*s with high ceiling 4/5*s will mix well with development heavy coaches. WE WILL WIN!!

 

[IrishJimmy]

Just heard from Nick Baratti this afternoon. He was given a 4th star from Rivals today. Good work.

 

[GBdomer]

He didnt get his 4th star.

 

[Ironman8]

He didnt get his 4th star.

If Jimmy talked to him I am going to take him at his word. The Turning Point is corroborating that. Rivals is coming out with their positional rankings tomorrow I believe, so it will probably first show up on his profile there tomorrow. That's my thinking at least. Like Jimmy said, good for him. Can't wait to see him in our secondary.

 

[GBdomer]

I am happy for him if he does. Rivals rating yet to come out thats when he might get his 4th star. User rating he has a 4 yes, Rivals rating he has nothing. Mike Farrel or someone at rivals says he wants to see him play safety and get to a couple of his games before he receives his 4th.

 

[IrishJimmy]

He didnt get his 4th star.

You sir are correct, he confused the fan rating with the Rivals rating. I didn't feel the need to check further after I talked to him. That is my fault.

 

[Ironman8]

 

[beryirish]

^this

"The U" has nothing on us

 

[Riddickulous]

Oh hell yes.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Cause for concern? Btw if we don't run a spread what do we run?
Recruiting Notes: Texans 7-on-7

One of the more talented teams was Klein Oak, which features Notre Dame athlete commitment Nicky Baratti, fullback Ejay Fatu and outside linebacker A.J. Hilliard.

For Klein Oak coach David Smith, it has been more than business as usual.

“Every school in the country that recruits Texas has been through this spring,” Smith said Sunday while watching his team compete. “More than any other spring.”

Smith’s quarterback, Nick Baratti, has taken his play up several notches as a passer this spring, and college coaches have taken notice.

“Nicky is up to 15 or 20 quarterback offers now. He is really spinning the ball this spring. He has really improved and is more confident now,” Smith said.

For Baratti, he remains committed to the Fighting Irish, but is still considering his options as a potential quarterback.

“I’m going to keep taking a look around,” Baratti said. “Notre Dame said they would give me shot at quarterback, but they don’t run a spread offense.”


Hilliard's stock is soaring in MayThe 6-foot-2, 215-pounder has 4.55-speed in the 40-yard dash. He reports that Arkansas and Wake Forest have recently offered him as a quarterback. He plans to camp at LSU and Notre Dame for sure this summer

 

[IrishInFl]

Why would he say that ND does not run the spread?

 

[GainesvilleIrish]

Maybe he will be the one player we take from this class that plays quarterback.

 

[TerryTate]

No concern.

 

[PANDFAN]

didn't like the sound of the article which kind of leaves it that if he gets the opportunity to play qb in college he may go elsewhere...

 

[BeauBenken]

If what we run isn't a spread...what the heck is it?

 

[Old Man Mike]

Article seemed incompetent to me --- Baratti saying that we don't run the spread, and the article saying a teammate linebacker was being offered by Arkansas and Wake Forest as a QB. I'm sitting here wondering what exactly WAS said by anyone??

 

[InKellyITrust]

He created a hand signal for ND. He's not going anywhere.

 

[BGIF]

Article seemed incompetent to me --- Baratti saying that we don't run the spread, and the article saying a teammate linebacker was being offered by Arkansas and Wake Forest as a QB. I'm sitting here wondering what exactly WAS said by anyone??

Don't know the basis for the questionable spread comment but it was in an article by Gerry Hamilton of 247.

Recruiting Notes: Texans 7-on-7

Zbikowski, Elam, Battle, Clark, Godsey, et al were good HS QBs and were recruited by some schools as QBs. Godsey had an offer from OSU. All were told they would get a "look" at QB at ND and they did. All, like Massa, ended up at another position. It wasn't bait and switch, they were moved to the position they were best suited for at the Div 1 level.

Baratti is a decent HS QB. He passed for almost 1900 yds while rushing for almost another 1300 yds. What's not to like over 3100 yds of Total Offense? He hit 57% of his passes with an NCAA QB Eff Rating of 137. His TD to INT Ratio was 13 to 5. He might have had more passing TDs than 13 but he scored 17 times running the ball. His completions averaged 13.8 yds so he apparently he's not a dink and dunk passer. Supposedly he's showing improvement this Spring and with a good senior season might become a real QB prospect. At 6-2 215 4.48 and still a Junior he's probably got some more growing to do.

That said Gerry Hamilton is a Texas beat writer. I'm sure his article got a lot of hits from Houston, Baylor, Rice and other TX school fans which is his job. Baratti does seem like a viable QB prospect for AF, WVU, NEV, USM and some others on his offer list. Maybe in 6 months he'll be a viable QB candidate for ND. OR maybe he'll be a 5 Star Safety. Time will tell.


Contrary to what was posted in this thread earlier the article doesn't say the that his teammate linebacker, A.J.Hilliard (Big Ced's little brother) was being offered as a QB. The "piece" posted was cut and pasted from a long article. A photo of Hilliard was deleted with the post but the CAPTION, Hilliard's stock is soaring in May, under the picture was NOT deleted and became jumbled into the last paragraph about Baratti. Note in the first sentence of the last paragraph from the IE post the words "May" and "The" are connected and the word "The" is capitalized. It was the first word of a full sentence that got combined with the CAPTION. Delete the misplaced CAPTION and the sentence makes sense.

Hilliard's stock is soaring in MayThe 6-foot-2, 215-pounder has 4.55-speed in the 40-yard dash. He reports that Arkansas and Wake Forest have recently offered him as a quarterback. He plans to camp at LSU and Notre Dame for sure this summer

Here's the original text regarding three Klein Oak teammates Baratti, Fau, and Hilliard.

One of the more talented teams was Klein Oak, which features Notre Dame athlete commitment Nicky Baratti, fullback Ejay Fatu and outside linebacker A.J. Hilliard.
For Klein Oak coach David Smith, it has been more than business as usual.
“Every school in the country that recruits Texas has been through this spring,” Smith said Sunday while watching his team compete. “More than any other spring.”
Smith’s quarterback, Nick Baratti, has taken his play up several notches as a passer this spring, and college coaches have taken notice.
“Nicky is up to 15 or 20 quarterback offers now. He is really spinning the ball this spring. He has really improved and is more confident now,” Smith said.
For Baratti, he remains committed to the Fighting Irish, but is still considering his options as a potential quarterback.
“I’m going to keep taking a look around,” Baratti said. “Notre Dame said they would give me shot at quarterback, but they don’t run a spread offense.”
The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder has 4.55-speed in the 40-yard dash. He reports that Arkansas and Wake Forest have recently offered him as a quarterback. He plans to camp at LSU and Notre Dame for sure this summer.
Like Baratti, Fatu recently picked up an offer from Arkansas.
The Razorbacks join Michigan, Utah, Nevada and Arizona State in verbally offering.
“I’m talking with Michigan the most. Utah also. I talk to Coach (Morgan) Scalley and their linebackers coach. They have talked to me about fullback and linebacker,” Fatu said.
Hilliard is the Klein Oak prospect who has seen his stock rise the most in May. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound athletic and powerful prospect picked up two more verbal offers last week.
“Michigan State and Boise State offered me last week,” Hilliard said.
The Spartans and Broncos join Houston, West Virginia, Louisville, Nevada and Minnesota in offering.
While the young brother of former Notre Dame and Arlington (Texas) Lamar defensive tackle Cedric Hilliard is happy with his offers, he has his eye on thwo Big 12 programs he hopes follow suit.
“I like Missouri and Oklahoma State right now. Missouri and Kansas are close to offering,” he said.
Hilliard lists Houston as recruiting him the hardest on a daily basis.

 

[rtrn2glory]

wow...must really suck to have that kind of talent on your team...especially as a coach.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Thanks BGIF for unraveling most of the confusion.

 

[mriguy]

Nick reminds me a little of Danny Spond in high school. Both were/are QB's in high school but have been recruited as defensive players. I hope we hang on to Nick and he develops as well as Spond has. I look forward to cheering them both on at ND!

 

[Rhode Irish]

If TT says don't worry, I'm willing to trust him. He is a lot more clued into what is going on than I am, so I'll defer. But this certainly isn't encouraging.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Rivals: , 24th ATH
Scout: , 14th S
247:
ESPN: , 83rd ATH

Composite Score: 3.25 , 53rd ATH

 

[Ironman8]

Heading up to ND for an unofficial visit.

 

[Rhode Irish]

Good news.

 

[clashmore_mike]

S commit Nicky Baratti - Returns to the Bend, solid pledge

He said he's in town until Thursday visiting with the players and coaches. His parents are also looking into getting a condo in the area, so it doesn't sound like he plans on budging from his commitment at all.

 

[GainesvilleIrish]

Great news. Sure doesn't sound like a kid who is wavering on his commitment like some said.

 

[calvegas04]

Parents wanna cash in on come gameday condo rentals lol