'12 MD ATH Ronald Darby (Florida State Signee)

[koonja]

I believe Crist was a junior when BK got here

Either way, I'll throw down some shots with ya if we land both Armsteads

Well Crist was here last year, this year, and has one year of eligibility left so he could have been considered a red-shirt sophomore at the time.

Anyways, here's to hoping!

 

[ND NYC]

Demps to focus on track and Olympic dreams:

Demps Running Track for Gators and Plans to Pursue Olympics and Pro Career Instead of NFL - GatorZone.com

posting only due to perhaps a similarity to Ronald vis a vis the football/track dynamic thats been discussed here.

 

[NDinFL]

But if Crist would of worked out he very possibly could have been a fifth year this up coming season, meaning three years at the helm. I believe this is what he was referring to.

Absolutey

Totally spaced on the 5th year....

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

It does NOT take a plane to get home to MD. Not even close. It's an easy 8 hour drive. I've made that trip tons of times. Florida is about twice as far... and that's a huge deal.

While it certainly does not require a plane to get from South Bend to where he lives in MD, it is definitely NOT an easy 8 hour drive. Literally stopping only for gas twice, and taking a quick **** only on each one of those breaks, and cruise control on 80 mph the entire way it is a 9 1/2 hour drive. Certainly do-able by car, as I have also done it many times...but certainly not an enviable ride. With gas and tolls, the cost is a push, and its a much quicker and more enjoyable plane right. I dont see our distance being an better than FSU really, its not like he could hop in the car and go home on a normal weekend either way.

In my opinion, if we end up getting Darby back, its because Coach Kelly goes balls to the wall and sells him on the academics, opportunities after football, and the fact that he will be part of something special that coach is putting together over the next 4 years...like BCS championship special. As much as track has been discussed lately, I still think those factors will end up trumping it in the end. It is not coincidence that LSU, one of the schools he is interested in had a championship caliber defense this year, and so did FSU..a team with a great defense that is very much perceived in the public eye to be on the upswing and trendy again.

 

[IrishLax]

While it certainly does not require a plane to get from South Bend to where he lives in MD, it is definitely NOT an easy 8 hour drive. Literally stopping only for gas twice, and taking a quick **** only on each one of those breaks, and cruise control on 80 mph the entire way it is a 9 1/2 hour drive. Certainly do-able by car, as I have also done it many times...but certainly not an enviable ride. With gas and tolls, the cost is a push, and its a much quicker and more enjoyable plane right. I dont see our distance being an better than FSU really, its not like he could hop in the car and go home on a normal weekend either way.

I make the drive from Virginia, which is even further as I have to come all the way down 270 to the beltway to the toll road coming to Reston.... and I make it in 8.5 regularly stopping for one 15 minute gas + snack in Ohio. I get to where Darby lives in 8 and under. You need to step up your driving game... Ohio is a speeders paradise. Flat as hell, everyone speeds so you have cover, and you can see cops coming from miles away. Pennsylvania Turnpike is similarly awesome because there are very few places for cops to hide with all the mountains and such... although the twists and turns make it a little scarier going over 80.

Either way, ND to MD is a day drive. Makes it very easy to move your stuff back and forth versus, say, going to Florida and having to ship everything or make a multi-day drive which is literally almost twice as long as the trip to ND.

 

[DillonHall]

While it certainly does not require a plane to get from South Bend to where he lives in MD, it is definitely NOT an easy 8 hour drive. Literally stopping only for gas twice, and taking a quick **** only on each one of those breaks, and cruise control on 80 mph the entire way it is a 9 1/2 hour drive. Certainly do-able by car, as I have also done it many times...but certainly not an enviable ride. With gas and tolls, the cost is a push, and its a much quicker and more enjoyable plane right. I dont see our distance being an better than FSU really, its not like he could hop in the car and go home on a normal weekend either way.

In my opinion, if we end up getting Darby back, its because Coach Kelly goes balls to the wall and sells him on the academics, opportunities after football, and the fact that he will be part of something special that coach is putting together over the next 4 years...like BCS championship special. As much as track has been discussed lately, I still think those factors will end up trumping it in the end. It is not coincidence that LSU, one of the schools he is interested in had a championship caliber defense this year, and so did FSU..a team with a great defense that is very much perceived in the public eye to be on the upswing and trendy again.

This is the problem we have recruiting this year. How can Kelly convince anyone that ND will has a better future than FSU after the bowl game? Last year, Kelly and his staff were able to back up their words by beating Utah, USC on the road, and blowing out Miami in the bowl game. This year, the momentum from the season doesn't exist.

 

[IrishLax]

I'm sure when BK took over at ND he expected Crist to be the starter for 3 years, which gave him plenty of time to find his future QB (Golson). But Crist didn't work out (let's not even go there, lol). So how's that different than Fisher starting freshman over upperclassmen on the line? I'm sure when Fisher recruited the current upperclassman O-line, he expected some of them to be future starters.

Because Fisher has been part of the coaching staff forever and the defacto head for a sizable amount of time. He has no one to blame but himself for any recruiting deficiencies, lack of player development, etc. Like you said in your last sentence, Fisher recruited these guys. He didn't get stuck with them. By recruiting class rankings to on-field production, Fisher is the worst coach in DI by far. It isn't remotely close. As also noted by the fact that FSU is the most overrated team in the past decade per many studies that have been linked on here earlier.

Can't say the same thing for Kelly. He didn't pick practically any of the offensive guys he has had to use for the past two years.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Since we're psychologizin, if the quote is true, and I ain't saying its all scientifical, but how I would have read it, is that he didn't say clone himself in three. No, chop was the word. And that denotes (self) punishment. Like as in regret. Like as in Momma and Poppa liked the way things were headin' and the only real support I had is gone. I would close him hard, carefully, but hard.

Never thought of that comment in that light until you spoke of it. If true, that isn't good for us.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Ohio is a speeders paradise. Flat as hell, everyone speeds so you have cover, and you can see cops coming from miles away. Pennsylvania Turnpike is similarly awesome because there are very few places for cops to hide with all the mountains and such... although the twists and turns make it a little scarier going over 80.

My six speeding tickets disagree with you. I've dodged more than my fair share of cops, but Rt 23 is the bane of my existence.

There's nothing quite like responding to a State Highway Patrolman who says "Do you know how fast you were going?! 72! That's 17 over!" with "....honestly, I don't give a sh*t about this ticket. Have a good day."

 

[stlnd01]

This is the problem we have recruiting this year. How can Kelly convince anyone that ND will has a better future than FSU after the bowl game?

It's not like they blew us out. A hot **** cornerback might even come away from that game thinking he'd be the difference between us losing and winning. Because he might have been.
Winning the bowl game is always better for offseason momentum than losing it, but it's hard to say the Champs Bowl was fatal.

 

[irishff1014]

I make the drive from Virginia, which is even further as I have to come all the way down 270 to the beltway to the toll road coming to Reston.... and I make it in 8.5 regularly stopping for one 15 minute gas + snack in Ohio. I get to where Darby lives in 8 and under. You need to step up your driving game... Ohio is a speeders paradise. Flat as hell, everyone speeds so you have cover, and you can see cops coming from miles away. Pennsylvania Turnpike is similarly awesome because there are very few places for cops to hide with all the mountains and such... although the twists and turns make it a little scarier going over 80.

Either way, ND to MD is a day drive. Makes it very easy to move your stuff back and forth versus, say, going to Florida and having to ship everything or make a multi-day drive which is literally almost twice as long as the trip to ND.

But the turnpike is a very boring ride.

 

[joesergi]

I truly believe things get interesting tommorrow and think we r in good with Darby after that cause he is a smart and good hearted like 2 kids last year that got caught up in the recruiting game and I think that's what Kelly points out right away in home visit

 

[anarin]

Analysis: Ronald Darby's options

Once a commitment to the Fighting Irish, the four-star athlete from Oxon Hill (Md.) Potomac decommitted from Notre Dame earlier this week, but that doesn't mean the divorce is final. For now, it's more like a separation.

“I'm still considering them,” Darby said of the Fighting Irish just before he participated in a school track meet on Thursday evening.

ESPN insider for anyone that has it.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

If we get Ronald...again... I'll literally leap for joy. Til then, I'll try not to get my hopes up.

 

[gkautz10]

FSU scares me more than LSU for this reason alone. One of my best friend runs for FSU and was recruited by Braman (the head track coach at FSU). I have personally seen the kind of recruiting he does and he is one heck of a recruiter. Very smooth talker, reminds me a lot of BK. That being said, once you get to school there, he is a complete ****. Take it FWIW.

 

[ThePiombino]

I just hope RD has the wherewithal to look past all the BS that's about to be thrown in his general direction the next three weeks and see the truth, whatever that may be. Then, and only then, do I hope he makes his decision.

 

[georgia irish]

I don't know if Mr. Darby reads this site, but if he does I want him to know how much we want him.Nitro has a chance to not only start from day 1,he has a chance to dominate a game.With punt returns,kick offreturns,and I would use him on screen passes and wildcat packages. We are talking heisman candidate.

 

[rtrn2glory]

all we need to do is land darby and i consider this class a huge success!! i'll admit i didn't know what we had when we had him, shame on me. land him and the rest is frosting imo.

 

[Sweetness34]

I want RD here really badly but if he doesn't come because he finds a better football/ track fit then I have no problem with that. I wish him the best and hopefully he will make his college football debut in Dublin.

 

[koonja]

Does ND have a chance to re-recruit Ronald Darby, a five-star
cornerback who recently decommited?

"Hardly ever do you see a guy decommit and then end up back at that
school, though it happened twice last year at ND, with Aaron Lynch and
Stephon Tuitt," Wiltfong said. "But this one just doesn't seem the
same.

"For whatever reason, Darby was flirting with other schools the whole
time after he committed last spring. He finally opened it back up and
seems to be enamored with a couple of other places. Notre Dame thinks
they have a chance, and he's communicating with ND, but it doesn't
look good right now. Other schools seem to have better momentum."

Steve Wiltfong.

 

[rocket66]

Meh, Wiltfong has been more wrong than right this year. He's guessing like the rest of us.

 

[anarin]

So I had a dream last night that he re-committed to the Irish. So that tells me:

A) I need to step away from recruiting for a bit.
B) I shouldn't read these boards before bed.
C) I can predict the future.

You can make your own conclusion

 

[military_irish]

So I had a dream last night that he re-committed to the Irish. So that tells me:

A) I need to step away from recruiting for a bit.
B) I shouldn't read these boards before bed.
C) I can predict the future.

You can make your own conclusion

I am going with "C" but if that doesn't happen then "A" FOREVER!!!!!, for getting my hopes hope.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

FSU 247 guy says that Darby's visit to FSU this weekend could be his last visit because of his track schedule.

He also think Darby will end up a Nole.

 

[L-cart ND-ana]

FSU 247 guy says that Darby's visit to FSU this weekend could be his last visit because of his track schedule.

He also think Darby will end up a Nole.

If I were a betting man I would put my money on FSU. I think the peer pressure at the all-star game pushed him that way and the FSU guys recruited him very very hard and sold him on FSU without him even stepping foot on the campus. I think he is sold on FSU that he made the decision to decommit from the ND. I have only heard that Marvin Bracy and him hot it off and Bracy is track star as well so I am sure that had a ton to do with it. I think all signs point to FSU and he is FSU's to lose right now IMO. I am just hoping that his visit is a huge disappointment and letdown, like meeting a STD infested tank of a women with an adams apple on a blind date dissapointment.

 

[PigtownIrish]

Maybe Darby should talk to Prestwood and Lynch about choosing FSU over ND.

 

[irish4ever]

Maybe Darby should talk to Prestwood and Lynch about choosing FSU over ND.

The difference being that Darby appears to be as interested in track as he is football. Prestwood and Lynch were focused on football only sports-wise.

 

[GBdomer]

Maybe Darby should talk to Prestwood and Lynch about choosing FSU over ND.

Maybe Darby will talk to FSU guys why they choose Free Shoes University over ND. Ronald Darby will make the best decision for himself and will be a stud.

 

[BeauBenken]

I don't know about you guys, but I don't like FSU.

I'd feel betrayed if Darby chose them.

I'm not saying I'll go burn down his house or start a flamewar on Darby online, but that would hurt tremendously. (BUT I WOULDN'T CRY ABOUT IT LIKE SOME BABY!) I loved this kid from the moment he signed on. I honestly believe he is a Notre Dame type of guy too. I think he fits with our guys very well.

That all being said, please come back home Darby.

 

[aubeirish]

The first rule of recruiting: Don't get emotionally attach until the papers are sign. You are in for a lot of deceptions otherwise.