'12 GA DB Geno Smith (Alabama Verbal)

[BeauBenken]

I think that's pretty spot on. If we get someone like Shaq+Geno this might be the best overall DB haul I can remember for any team in the past 5 or 10 years.

The crazy thing is if you put that together with the DE/OLB haul from last year and our apparent depth at ILB... the only thing we are missing is NT in this class to give us one ridiculously talented (on paper) defensive recruiting haul over the past two years.

Tommy Schutt, come on down.

Or maybe the staff has their eyes on some phenomenal NT for next year's class?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I'd just like to reiterate this point: the fact that Geno's pregame ritual is praying the rosary bodes very well for us.

You have kids like Te'o who aren't Catholic, but to whom spirituality is very important. ND's religious character and landmarks like the Grotto can help land such kids.

You also have kids for whom Catholicism is merely one part of their identity. They're not really practicing Catholics, but maybe their family goes to church at Easter and Christmas every year, or maybe they attend a Catholic high school. ND's status as a Catholic university can provide these kids with an added layer of familiarity.

But if Geno is a practicing Catholic for whom faith is especially important... how do we miss on this kid?

 

[IrishLax]

I'd just like to reiterate this point: the fact that Geno's pregame ritual is praying the rosary bodes very well for us.

You have kids like Te'o who aren't Catholic, but to whom spirituality is very important. ND's religious character and landmarks like the Grotto can help land such kids.

You also have kids for whom Catholicism is merely one part of their identity. They're not really practicing Catholics, but maybe their family goes to church at Easter and Christmas every year, or maybe they attend a Catholic high school. ND's status as a Catholic university can provide these kids with an added layer of familiarity.

But if Geno is a practicing Catholic for whom faith is especially important... how do we miss on this kid?

Amir Carlisle was incredibly spiritual and there was an article recently about how God lead him to USC. Just sayin'........

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Amir Carlisle was incredibly spiritual and there was an article recently about how God lead him to USC. Just sayin'........

I didn't mean to imply that ND's religious character was an ace in the hole for all such recruits I described; there's definitely an hierarchy of importance.

"spiritual" non-Catholics < non-practicing Catholics < practicing Catholics

It sounds like Geno falls into that last group. That's gotta be a huge plus for ND.

 

[beryirish]

Geez fellas, I tried to clarify and said that I stood corrected. You can certianly give a kid a jersey, but you cant do it in a "game type atmosphere". Sorry for my confusion, homies.

Whiskey - Totally agree with you dude. I think his comments certianly seem like he is tailored to come to ND. We'll see.

Everyone - What's your opinion on this. Rankings aside, would you say that if we landed Geno, are DB class is as kick @ss as last year's DE class? Or would you just say its killer, but duplicating last year's awesomeness is like seeing a unicorn.... once in a lifetime?

I would hope it's not seeing a unicorn, once in a lifetime. ND needs to pull these types of classes year in-year out to stay competitive at an absolute elite level which we all want them to. So I know this was an outstanding class last year and looking like a comparable one this year but ND needs to get classes like these all the time......Geno will be a nice addition to get ND there.

 

[woolybug25]

I would hope it's not seeing a unicorn, once in a lifetime. ND needs to pull these types of classes year in-year out to stay competitive at an absolute elite level which we all want them to. So I know this was an outstanding class last year and looking like a comparable one this year but ND needs to get classes like these all the time......Geno will be a nice addition to get ND there.

I agree that we need to pull great classes every year to stay competitive, but that wasn't what I was talking about. I was talking about this years potential DB haul vs last year's DE haul. You dont have to get three of the top ten DE's in the same class every year to stay competitive. Getting that kind of DE haul is rare, even for SEC standards.

But I hear what you are saying, and I agree.

 

[Fbolt]

Agreed re: getting top classes year in and year out. I was recalling LSU's great DT recruiting from a few years ago and went searching:


2007 class:


QB 15 Jarrett Lee

FB 5 Stevan Ridley

WR 1 Terrance Toliver

WR JC Demetrius Byrd

WR 6 Ron Brooks

WR 7 DeAngelo Benton

TE 5 Mitch Joseph

TE 9 Jordan Corbin

TE 20 Alex Russian

OT 10 Jarvis Jones

OT 31 Ernest McCoy

OT 78 Josh Dworaczyk

C 8 T-Bob Hebert

DT 4 Joseph Barksdale

DT 19 Drake Nevis


DT 22 Will Blackwell

DT 30 Kentravis Aubrey

DE 16 Sidell Corley

S 1 Chad Jones

S 8 Stefoin Francois

CB 8 John Williams

CB 13 Phelon Jones

CB 62 Delvin Breaux

K 3 Andrew Crutchfield

K 12 Josh Jasper

LSU has multiple highly ranked people at each position (I'm sure there are better examples). I know this has been a topic of conversation for a while here-we need great athletes who want to go against the best and are not afraid of competition. Seems that we are headed in the right direction.

 

[IrishLax]

Articles like this showing up in a Georgia paper can't do anything but help us with kids like Geno and other SEC country prospects. It's crazy just how national the ND brand is.

 

[johnnykillz]

Amir Carlisle was incredibly spiritual and there was an article recently about how God lead him to USC. Just sayin'........

I'm going to keep my mouth from opening, moreso my fingers from typing.

Just sayin'.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Articles like this showing up in a Georgia paper can't do anything but help us with kids like Geno and other SEC country prospects. It's crazy just how national the ND brand is.

Great find. This quote made me laugh:

Kelly, who could be a stunt double for a younger William Shatner...

I guess I can see it.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Articles like this showing up in a Georgia paper can't do anything but help us with kids like Geno and other SEC country prospects. It's crazy just how national the ND brand is.

Likey....

 

[Old Man Mike]

A). love the article --- our genius PR coach does it again.

B). re: Carlisle --- there have always been "false prophets"; hope the young man shakes this particular demon off.

 

[JDAtlanta]

I would not put it past Ogeron to put a subliminal messaging system in his pillow.

 

[GBdomer]

His facebook status says "Roll Tide" if anybody cares.

 

[BeauBenken]

His facebook status says "Go Irish!" if anybody cares.

There. That's better.

 

[beryirish]

There. That's better.

Haha yeah we will just turn a blind eye and that there's no one else but ND for him to go to.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Bama and Auburn fans tweet him like 50 times a day. "Come to Bama, play for Saban." "No, come to Auburn, War Eagle!" It is nauseating.

 

[BeauBenken]

Haha yeah we will just turn a blind eye and that there's no one else but ND for him to go to.

Ignorance is bliss.

 

[GBdomer]

This kid flirts with every school i dont believe anyhting he posts or says.

 

[MacIrish75]

I'd do the same thing. It's a game to them...it's gotta be funny watching 25-60 year old men hang on your every word.

 

[Riddickulous]

Some guy on II got him confused with West Virginia's QB and thought he had verballed there.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

I'd do the same thing. It's a game to them...it's gotta be funny watching 25-60 year old men hang on your every word.

Yeah, until they poison your trees.

 

[BeauBenken]

Some guy on II got him confused with West Virginia's QB and thought he had verballed there.

LOL

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

I don't know who ndrick is.

“@SmithGeno4: To manyRT @ndrickSmithGeno4 add u too Tee Shepard, Ronald Darby, Nick Barretti, Yuri Wright best freshman db class in the nation all irish”

 

[GBdomer]

Geno twetted that or what. I am confused.

 

[military_irish]

Geno twetted that or what. I am confused.

the ndrick guy tweeted that Geno would be good with all those other guys, and Geno reTweeted saying "to many". If that makes sense

 

[IrishLax]

It does make sense. There is no way we get both Geno and Yuri. In fact, there is a pretty low chance we get either of them... although I think we will get one more DB from somewhere before all is said and done.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Has he said when he wants to announce? We know Yuri has said he is waiting until after the season...

 

[NDPhilly]

It does make sense. There is no way we get both Geno and Yuri. In fact, there is a pretty low chance we get either of them... although I think we will get one more DB from somewhere before all is said and done.

I thought Yuri had us on top?

 

[jason_h537]

Has he said when he wants to announce? We know Yuri has said he is waiting until after the season...

Smith plans to visit all his final schools then announce before the start of his senior season.

Wright says he plans on waiting til later, but that is more of an ideal plan than a set timetable. He could pop sooner.