ND's Current Class Ranking

[IrishJayhawk]

If we go Shumate, Wright, Fuller, Ekanem, Neal to close out this class... sweet mother of pearl. And that's not even a "dream list" counting current longshots like Armstead or Agholor. Or even a realistic dude like Garnett. All those guys I listed we either currently lead for or are tied up top for.

Right now I'll just be thrilled to hang on tight to Shephard, Greenberry, Darby, and Decker. But holy crap does this class have amazing upside.

And...that would be two in a row with that upside...and on both sides of the ball.

 

[PLACforever]

Anyone want to do a breakdown of who we have offers out to and where those players will likely end up?
I'd do it but I'm sure one of you gurus out there already has it started.

 

[NDdomer2]

I would check out upshot for the rest of the class thread.

 

[IrishLax]

Notre Dame just jumped to the #3 class with the commitment of Elijah Shumate and should hold on for a top 5 spot if the class closes normally. We may even catch Texas for #2 with a dream finish that includes guys like Arik Armstead.

 

[enrico514]

Notre Dame just jumped to the #3 class with the commitment of Elijah Shumate and should hold on for a top 5 spot if the class closes normally. We may even catch Texas for #2 with a dream finish that includes guys like Arik Armstead.

Love being ahead of scUM with 6 less commits!!!

 

[DomeX2 eNVy]

That is good to see, I love our class . . . and am excited to see the rest of it.

Lax, Has Cal moved into the top 10 yet? They had an incredible week - hope they beat some Trojan butt the next few years.
Thanks

 

[irishff1014]

Notre Dame just jumped to the #3 class with the commitment of Elijah Shumate and should hold on for a top 5 spot if the class closes normally. We may even catch Texas for #2 with a dream finish that includes guys like Arik Armstead.

Wow thats good news. I still think that we have a couple of guys that we need to get.

 

[IrishLax]

That is good to see, I love our class . . . and am excited to see the rest of it.

Lax, Has Cal moved into the top 10 yet? They had an incredible week - hope they beat some Trojan butt the next few years.
Thanks

They're right on the border of the top 10. A couple more of their dominoes fall in place and they'll move inside.

 

[GreatGolson]

#3 on 247 means #10 on ESPN unfortunately

 

[IrishLax]

#3 on 247 means #10 on ESPN unfortunately

Yeah, the recruiting service that has Deontay Greenberry, the record setting California receiver, at #19.

I think I'm OK with being rated lowly there and on the suckitude that is Rivals.

 

[Andy in Sactown]

#3 on 247 means #10 on ESPN unfortunately

Actually it means #13 on ESPN. College Football Class Rankings 2012 - ESPN

I thought this little gem from the write-up of our class helped their credibility tremendously, "ATH David Perkins (South Bend, Ind./Washington) could play on either side of the football, but we feel he will be an outside linebacker with pass-rush ability".

He decommitted what, nine weeks ago?

 

[irishfanjho15]

Actually it means #13 on ESPN. College Football Class Rankings 2012 - ESPN

I thought this little gem from the write-up of our class helped their credibility tremendously, "ATH David Perkins (South Bend, Ind./Washington) could play on either side of the football, but we feel he will be an outside linebacker with pass-rush ability".

He decommitted what, nine weeks ago?

ESPN does not count, period. They are the TMZ of sports networks. The ND blog is written by Matt Fortuna for god's sake. He is about as good as a paper sail in a shite storm.

 

[Pachuco]

ESPN does not count, period. They are the TMZ of sports networks. The ND blog is written by Matt Fortuna for god's sake. He is about as good as a paper sail in a shite storm.

Near-perfect comparison.

 

[CraigKrenzel]

I do like ESPN's write-ups and video on most recruits. Not sure how much I trust them, but nonetheless they're more informative than the simple star-and-number on 247. (Am I missing something on that site on the individual recruits' pages?)

ESPN's actual commitments don't have David Perkins on there (but they do have Shumate); they just seem to be very slow at updating those little blurbs on that rankings page. Poor showing there.

 

[Rocky2820]

Already such a good class, and don't forget about Jordan Prestwood.

 

[North Buffalo Irish]

And apparently Amir Carlisle, too.

Am I wrong in thinking that ESPN has ranked our classes the lowest out of the major recruiting services every year since they got into the game?

 

[irishfanjho15]

And apparently Amir Carlisle, too.

Am I wrong in thinking that ESPN has ranked our classes the lowest out of the major recruiting services every year since they got into the game?

They hate our deal with NBC. All politics and bottom lines with ESPiN.

 

[Rack Em]

Just for fun, I did a run down of our ~4 remaining scholarships. We have a very legitimate shot at landing 3 5 prospects with those last 4 spots. I used 247's ratings because Lax swears by them and he's right in saying they use the best methodology. I was an Econ major at ND so I get really, really uptight about methodology and statistics.

In theory we could land Armstead, Fuller, and Wright which would give us 5 5 recruits in this class, per 247. If this happens I think we definitely overtake Texas for the #2 spot and possibly challenge Alabama for #1, provided they wiff on some highly touted recruits by NSD.

 

[yankeehater]

I always thought that recruiting rankings were pretty stupid. Tell me in fours years where the team ends up and that is how well the recruiting class was.

With that being said, one thing a ranking also does not evaluate is need. Other than QB, this is where Kelly seems to be excelling. Last year with the d-line and this year with the secondary and WR's. I think this is a big difference between Kelly and Weiss and will be the ultimate difference in their level of on the field performance.

 

[ACamp1900]

And apparently Amir Carlisle, too.

Am I wrong in thinking that ESPN has ranked our classes the lowest out of the major recruiting services every year since they got into the game?

I have said this many times... but I will never forget how THEY built Jimmy Clausen up as the "Once in a decade prospect"... ESPN did that... Not Notre Dame... and they did so when JC was assumed to be going to USC... the HYPE started with ESPN...

Once JC committed to Notre Dame... it shifted within a month to "Notre Dame thinks they have a 'Once in a generation guy'... is he overhyped by them??"... they then knocked their "Once in a decade prospect" out of the top three recruits FOR THAT YEAR and gave the top spot to Marc Tyler (a USC verbal)...

the reasoning usually given for this was that JC's high school team didn't play top competition and he may not translate as expected due to this... problem with that was Marc Tyler was his teammate...


It may be in the history books now, but that whole deal was blindly and obviously pumping SC and knocking ND...

 

[NDinL.A.]

And apparently Amir Carlisle, too.

Am I wrong in thinking that ESPN has ranked our classes the lowest out of the major recruiting services every year since they got into the game?

3 years ago, ND had our class ranked higher than both the other services. Back then, ND fans said that ESPN 'gets it' and that they had the best ranking system. Now those same fans are saying they are biased against us.

I'll say this - I think ESPN will always have a Southern bias. At the same time, I highly doubt they all hate us. There are plenty of ND fans working at ESPN. So, I personally don't even get worked up about it, because it's not going to change.

 

[ThePiombino]

I always thought that recruiting rankings were pretty stupid. Tell me in fours years where the team ends up and that is how well the recruiting class was.

With that being said, one thing a ranking also does not evaluate is need. Other than QB, this is where Kelly seems to be excelling. Last year with the d-line and this year with the secondary and WR's. I think this is a big difference between Kelly and Weiss and will be the ultimate difference in their level of on the field performance.

Your logic is flawed. In this model, we completely discount the coaching and development of players.

 

[irishroo]

3 years ago, ND had our class ranked higher than both the other services. Back then, ND fans said that ESPN 'gets it' and that they had the best ranking system. Now those same fans are saying they are biased against us.

I'll say this - I think ESPN will always have a Southern bias. At the same time, I highly doubt they all hate us. There are plenty of ND fans working at ESPN. So, I personally don't even get worked up about it, because it's not going to change.

Agreed. Not necessarily on the recruiting side of things, but ESPN employs multiple commentators who are blatantly biased towards Notre Dame, including Hannah Storm, Digger, **** Vitale, and of course the son of God himself Lou Holtz.

 

[Kak7304]

Agreed. Not necessarily on the recruiting side of things, but ESPN employs multiple commentators who are blatantly biased towards Notre Dame, including Hannah Storm, Digger, **** Vitale, and of course the son of God himself Lou Holtz.

Hahaha I like how the filter censors Coach Vitale's name.

 

[ACamp1900]

Your logic is flawed. In this model, we completely discount the coaching and development of players.

this is true, though look at the teams who have been in the top rankings in recruiting and you are looking at a mirror image of the top teams in the country typically speaking...

 

[ThePiombino]

this is true, though look at the teams who have been in the top rankings in recruiting and you are looking at a mirror image of the top teams in the country typically speaking...

True, but also all great coaching staffs. So, the eternal question - the chicken or the egg?

 

[yankeehater]

True, but also all great coaching staffs. So, the eternal question - the chicken or the egg?

You can ask the chicken or the egg question about the coaching staffs as well. Were there great coaches at Auburn before or after Cam Newton? Baylor with Robert Griffin? Mack Brown has not really won since Vince Young. I think everything mentioned in the above posts play a part, but I feel too much is made about rankings of both players coming out of high school and ranking college's signing classes. Also the rankings are done ssooooo early in the player's high school careers that it makes it difficult for late bloomers to garner the respect and therefore ranking that they may deserve.

 

[ThePiombino]

You can ask the chicken or the egg question about the coaching staffs as well. Were there great coaches at Auburn before or after Cam Newton? Baylor with Robert Griffin? Mack Brown has not really won since Vince Young. I think everything mentioned in the above posts play a part, but I feel too much is made about rankings of both players coming out of high school and ranking college's signing classes. Also the rankings are done ssooooo early in the player's high school careers that it makes it difficult for late bloomers to garner the respect and therefore ranking that they may deserve.

All valid points. I guess my humble opinion is that class rankings should be used to judge potential- nothing more, nothing less. Yes, you will tend to see a correlation between rankings and success on the field, but there are exceptions to that in both directions. Nonetheless, at the end of the day I think that you will find that the perennial powerhouses have two things in common: consistent high class rankings and above-par coaching (not just head coaches).

 

[IrishJayhawk]

IMO, people on this blog get angry at ESPN because many of their commentators have been right about us in the last 5 years.

I hate it, but Mark May has been way more accurate than Lou (or me) over that time span. It just is what it is.

 

[ThePiombino]

IMO, people on this blog get angry at ESPN because many of their commentators have been right about us in the last 5 years.

I hate it, but Mark May has been way more accurate than Lou (or me) over that time span. It just is what it is.

No. I can appreciate honesty, which is why I like Herbstreit. However, ESPN's spurning of ND has become way too frequent to be purely coincidental. They've made an art of it. Even their praise borders on backhanded compliment.