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

[rtrn2glory]

personally i'm not worried about the size of the guy you put there...i want someone there that can tackle and play and space and if nicky is good enough to fit that mold once he gets here then by all means strap him up.

 

[Buster Bluth]

personally i'm not worried about the size of the guy you put there...i want someone there that can tackle and play and space and if nicky is good enough to fit that mold once he gets here then by all means strap him up.

smh. You need size and speed.

 

[BeauBenken]

smh. You need size and speed.

You don't necessarily need size. You need someone who can take on a block hopefully just as good as a d-lineman.

 

[rtrn2glory]

you need speed there and someone that can tackle...beggers can't be choosers. we have size there the last two years, but no speed. ask any coach, i'd rather be fast than big. both would be great but speed kills.

 

[tadman95]

I can't make a statement about what's needed when it comes the size needed for the Dog linebacker, just don't know.

I can say to defend the pass, you have to get to the pass.

 

[irishog77]

What ND LB is good in coverage? Fleming and Filer? No (gone anyway). Fox and Calabrese? No. Ishaq? No, and he wasn't really brought here anyway to cover TE's, RB's, and the occasional WR down the field. Shembo? No. Niklas? Maybe, but he's a literal hulk of a dude and will probably only keep getting bigger. At some point, if I'm an opposing OC, I'll be able to find favorable matchups against a 6'7, 255-275lb defender in the open field. Spond? Perhaps, but it's nothing more than speculation at this point to say he can be a solid contributor on the field for an entire game. Rabassa, Grace, More, Councell, Utopo? All of them are unknowns.

If a solidly-built 6'2, 215+ kid (as a senior in high school) that moves well in space can provide something on the field that others can not, then why not give Baratti a chance at Dog? He may be a good safety (but like Niklas), but there's a decent chance he will physically outgrow the position he's PROJECTED as RIGHT NOW.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

If a solidly-built 6'2, 215+ kid (as a senior in high school) that moves well in space can provide something on the field that others can not, then why not give Baratti a chance at Dog? He may be a good safety (but like Niklas), but there's a decent chance he will physically outgrow the position he's PROJECTED as RIGHT NOW.

That's exactly my point. Instead of targeting high school LBs and WDEs for the DOG, we ought to be looking for big aggressive SSs. Like Baratti.

 

[NYMIKE6]

That's exactly my point. Instead of targeting high school LBs and WDEs for the DOG, we ought to be looking for big aggressive SSs. Like Baratti.

Thats exactly how Butch used to recruit at NC. remember bruce carter freak olb. ran 4.4 40, benched 450 lbs. he was a high school quarterback-runningback/safety.

 

[irishog77]

That's exactly my point. Instead of targeting high school LBs and WDEs for the DOG, we ought to be looking for big aggressive SSs. Like Baratti.

Yeah, I know you brought it up several posts ago-- this was my agreement with you. And I agree that we need to perhaps rethink the recruiting "style" for some of the LB's at ND. I want Ifeadi in this class, and have all along, but I'm not sold he will be able to cover down the field once in big time college football. In fact, I'm not sold that a lot of high school "DE's" will be able to make the adjustment very well to Dog. High school bad@ss athlete/DE moving to Cat is not as big of an adjustment as moving to Dog. I think getting in some high school S's/LB's/Athletes is the best route to finding future Dog's, not high school DL's/DE's.

 

[BeauBenken]

That's exactly my point. Instead of targeting high school LBs and WDEs for the DOG, we ought to be looking for big aggressive SSs. Like Baratti.

That's how I do it in my Dynasty sometimes.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

That's exactly my point. Instead of targeting high school LBs and WDEs for the DOG, we ought to be looking for big aggressive SSs. Like Baratti.

Danny Spond played QB and I believe safety in high school.

 

[NYMIKE6]

How a players physical development has every thing to do with this. Obviously you guys know some kids hit their growth spurt early while others hit it later on. That is the key factor in where they can transition to.

I've seen kids that were monsters in high school stay basically the same size years after graduating and some guys are small and blow up when they hit early 20's.

 

[jmurphy75]

One of the biggest attributes of a player in the DOG position is having a nose for the ball and knowing where to be (seeing the field) which is hard to do for someone used to playing HS DE. It's what comes naturally to most good SS or OLBs.

 

[Buster Bluth]

you need speed there and someone that can tackle...beggers can't be choosers. we have size there the last two years, but no speed. ask any coach, i'd rather be fast than big. both would be great but speed kills.

Well I am a coach, and I certainly wouldn't endorse trying to play Big Ten schools with safeties playing OLB. You need both to be great. I'm not saying Baratti can't do it in the future, but he would need to get to ~235 at a minimum to be truly effective.

 

[IrishLax]

Ben. Councell.

 

[BobD]

Danny Spond

 

[NYMIKE6]

Ben. Councell.

Kid definitely has the wheels and nose for the ball. Just needs to add a few pounds and were in business.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Sorry that my radical views of 21st century outside linebacker speed defense is causing so much dissension in the ranks. All I can say to the speed/coverage vs mass/immovability argument is that the offenses are becoming "spread" [whether running oriented a la Oregon, or passing oriented like Holgerson at WVU]. That means mass/immovability against the average future team is going to be checkpoint two on the list rather than checkpoint one. Sure, against Wisconsin, or more real MSU and the old Pitt [note that the former Tulsa coach is re-doing Pitt, though], put Carlo Calabreese in there, but the other teams are going to stress you in space both short and deep. Passing spreads are going to go at you in the 8-12 yard area --- linebacker country. Scrambling QBs are going to ask your LBs to close a lot of ground. If you cannot both run fast AND have flexible direction-changing hips [just like the DBs], you are never going to be there to deliver the "mass" to the opponent.

I fulminate unconvincingly I know, but I have watched my brother's team, VT, play this way for over a decade. Last year's WVU team was the same way. "Southern Speed" became a legend when way back when FSU and Miami brought in smaller, super-athletic, speed linebackers to chase everything down everywhere. Even the Dallas Cowboys broke the line in one phase of NFL football back then with speed linebackers [the only reason that you don't see this as obviously in the NFL today is because they can find the freaks who are both big and fast in this age.]

This is why I wanted Perkins so badly...big enough, VERY intense about hitting people, fast, and demonstrated great coverage skills at the 7x7s. That's why, when I saw us limping along at OLB coverage candidates, I floated the idea of a smart, fast, coverage convert named Nicky Baratti. It's all bs imagination by me, but from my distance, he fits the design of the cover-the-space OLB. Badger would too, but the thought of him going downhill Zibbyknockering the opponents is too much not to want to see it from safety.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Danny Spond

Said it first

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Well I am a coach, and I certainly wouldn't endorse trying to play Big Ten schools with safeties playing OLB. You need both to be great. I'm not saying Baratti can't do it in the future, but he would need to get to ~235 at a minimum to be truly effective.

Where does that number come from? Aren't LSU's LBs smaller than that?

 

[irishog77]

Where does that number come from? Aren't LSU's LBs smaller than that?

Yep.

But to be fair, they don't run a 3-4.

I'm not sure why Baratti (or any potential Dog) has to fit into the 3-4 OLB stereotypical mold. Granted, the average outside LB in a 3-4 usually has to be bigger than the average OLB in a 4-3 (one of them anyway). What difference will it make though if ND has 8 OLB's that fit the "3-4 OLB mold," but can't cover guys in space or down the field? Do coaches want those guys out there? Do we, as fans, want those guys out there? When the answer is, "the player isn't helping his team win, or worse, the player is hurting his team" then I tend to think the answer would be a resounding NO. Baratti, Councell, _____, or anybody else that can cover opposing players in space and down the field should be out there....regardless of his weight.

I think this is the point OMM, Whiskey, myself, and others are trying to bring home.

 

[koonja]

IMO he's a bigger Zeke Motta than a Harrison Smith. I think he plays LB in college.

 

[NYMIKE6]

Where does that number come from? Aren't LSU's LBs smaller than that?

yes both outsides are around 215 with the middle at 225

 

[NDPhilly]

LSUs LBs

Sam
23 Stefoin Francois 6-1 223 Sr.
58 Tahj Jones 6-2 205 So.

Mike
46 Kevin Minter 6-1 242 So.
37 Karnell Hatcher 6-2 223 Sr.
31 D.J. Welter 6-0 226 Fr.-RS

Will
22 Ryan Baker 6-0 236 Sr.
57 Lamin Barrow 6-2 229 So.
52 Luke Muncie 6-3 220 So.


Very small but very quick. Perfect fit for Perkins but lets not get off track.

 

[NYMIKE6]

LSUs LBs

Sam
23 Stefoin Francois 6-1 223 Sr.
58 Tahj Jones 6-2 205 So.

Mike
46 Kevin Minter 6-1 242 So.
37 Karnell Hatcher 6-2 223 Sr.
31 D.J. Welter 6-0 226 Fr.-RS

Will
22 Ryan Baker 6-0 236 Sr.
57 Lamin Barrow 6-2 229 So.
52 Luke Muncie 6-3 220 So.


Very small but very quick. Perfect fit for Perkins but lets not get off track.

Where did you get your info Philly because rivals is completely different.

 

[NDPhilly]

Where did you get your info Philly because rivals is completely different.

LSUfootball.net

 

[NYMIKE6]

LSUfootball.net

Thanks

 

[rtrn2glory]

Well I am a coach, and I certainly wouldn't endorse trying to play Big Ten schools with safeties playing OLB. You need both to be great. I'm not saying Baratti can't do it in the future, but he would need to get to ~235 at a minimum to be truly effective.

speed...speed...speed...i'll take it any day of the week and twice on the weekend.

take a gander on CBS on saturday afternoons. the biggest difference between them and everyone else is the turbo

 

[IrishLax]

IMO he's a bigger Zeke Motta than a Harrison Smith. I think he plays LB in college.

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. Based on what? Seriously, please explain why you liken him to either of those guys but especially Zeke Motta.

If anything, he is very similar to Zibby as a prospect.

 

[Old Man Mike]

LAX: you may be 100% correct on Nick Baratti. Diaco and the D-Back coaches will determine that. He is such a good prospect that I'm certain he'll be a great help wherever he plays.

I'm just using Baratti as an example of how the staff might creatively move to solve what I think is obviously a big Defensive Deficit --- speed/ coverage in space, especially given the trouble we seem to be having getting the speed linebacker who is also body flexible by normal drafting means.

We became SO much better at ILB last year when Brian replaced Carlo in the middle and brought less mass but way more direction-changing ability to the Will. Same thing with Jamoris this year outside: a defense that I believe would have worked against many teams beyond just AF and USN.

Somehow we have to change the name of the Movie from Lost-in-Space to Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers. That's all I'm hoping for however they get it done.