'12 VA OLB Ken Ekanem (Virginia Tech Signee)

[rocket66]

Apparently they do...

Yep.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Beyond idiotic by the staff unless they really know something we don't about other prospects.

agreed...best of luck to him in his recovery at Va tech.

 

[aubeirish]

This is a lesson for all the people who think that taking your time and going through the process is always the smart move. Sometimes you have to take a chance.

I agree with this. We have seen this many times. Kids take too long to make their decision, and get left behind in the end. Usually kids get their offers from signing day to the beginning of the senior season. I think that ideally you need to be done with the process by the beginning of your senior season, or to the latest early December.

 

[NDBoiler]

Apparently they do...

Is anyone else optimistic that this could be promising news? Maybe there's someone else out there just as good (or even better) that the staff has a great read on right now and is in good position to get (insert fav 5-star recruit name here). I may be kidding myself to be thinking this, but then again, ignorance is bliss!

 

[Domina Nostra]

Apparently they do...

I bet it was more injury based than anything else. We have a lot of hybrid DE/OLBs on the roster as is.

I agree with this. We have seen this many times. Kids take too long to make their decision, and get left behind in the end. Usually kids get their offers from signing day to the beginning of the senior season. I think that ideally you need to be done with the process by the beginning of your senior season, or to the latest early December.

Exactly. I think you need to know what you are looking for by the beginning of the summer between Junior and Senior Year.
There are just so many moving parts in college football, you shouldn't pretend that you are going to have all variables nailed down at some point.

1) Narrow it down by the types of schools you are interested in.
2) Narrow it further by the success and stability of the football programs at those schools.
3) Visit and see if you fit in and there is room in the depth chart.
4) Pull the trigger and don't worry about it.
5) If something major changes, no one will blame you for switching at the last minute.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Beyond idiotic by the staff unless they really know something we don't about other prospects.

Let's just wait to see how the next 6 days play out before we call the staff "Idiotic"

 

[BeauBenken]

When doesn't the staff know more than us? lol

 

[Domina Nostra]

Let's just wait to see how the next 6 days play out before we call the staff "Idiotic"

The guy blew out his knee. Even if he pans out--which I would love to see--moving on can't really be considered idiotic at this point.

 

[zbikowski88]

Let's just wait to see how the next 6 days play out before we call the staff "Idiotic"

 

[IrishNJ89]

I don't see this being an idiotic move at all. You don't know how the kid is going to recover. You don't even know how he will develop as a prospect anyways.

Yes, Maybe the staff is hopeful for others on the board, but I would say putting any remaining schollies on the back burner for 2013 wouldn't be a bad option.

 

[OCIrish]

Beyond idiotic by the staff unless they really know something we don't about other prospects.

Yeah, we probly don't have enough Safeties on board, or I think we're short at the DE position. Wait, we need Standifer......that's the important one(sigh)

 

[Emcee77]

I don't see this being an idiotic move at all. You don't know how the kid is going to recover. You don't even know how he will develop as a prospect anyways.

Yes, Maybe the staff is hopeful for others on the board, but I would say putting any remaining schollies on the back burner for 2013 wouldn't be a bad option.

Although I love Ekanem, despite the injury, because he seems like a true RKG, I agree with the above. First, you never do know how they recover. Remember James Aldridge? Beast in high school, injured that knee, and although he was always a great straight-ahead runner he never regained the lateral movement/cutting ability to be more than a third-string runner at ND. There's always the chance of Ekanem being a guy like that.

Second, good point about 2013 schollies. Next year's graduating class is small, and you want to have a fair number of open spots to give you the flexibility to make a bunch of offers without having to worry constantly about getting too many commitments. Having more open spots to work with is probably a particularly good thing for the 2013 class.

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

I think its a combination of the depth chart being pretty stacked at his position with young talent, the major injury he suffered, and the staff wanting to maybe bring back some 5th year guys, and saving a few extra schollies for next year. As it stands, if we filled out this class next years would be VERY small in a year when there is apparently going to be a lot of top end talent and quality depth at many positions of need for us going into next recruiting cycle. The staff has a plan, and we have plenty of talent on board right now. I think unless a kid is a game changer or a very good talent at a position of need, we're going to be passing on some pretty soli players down the stretch. Now if the staff goes out and takes the commit of an off the radar guy at Ekanem's position, and he isnt a better talent I may reconsider my stance.

 

[BeauBenken]

Sorry about not getting your guy, Lax.

 

[connor_in]

1) Commit to Notre Dame
2) Narrow down by the types of other schools you are interested in.
3) Narrow it further by the success and stability of the football programs at those schools.
4) Visit and see if you fit in and there is room in the depth chart.
5) Pull the trigger on school #2 and don't worry about it.
6) If something major changes, no one will blame you for switching again at the last minute.

Fixed your list for you!

 

[Irishnuke]

Beyond idiotic by the staff unless they really know something we don't about other prospects.

I'll trust the staff's judgement over yours.

 

[IrishLax]

The point is more that unless our staff is sure that they will add at least 4 more players before next season they are passing to bring back Golic which is crazy to me.

 

[irishog77]

The point is more that unless our staff is sure that they will add at least 4 more players before next season they are passing to bring back Golic which is crazy to me.

Or not so much that they'd prefer Golic to Ekanem (which I'm with you on-- I'd rather have him than Golic...1st-5th year), but that they'd prefer to sit on a scholarship for next year. Which means they'd prefer ____ in 2013 over Ekanem. Ekanem's not getting on the field for ND (or probably anywhere) this year if he were to commit. Or they're bringing in 4 or so guys this year that they're very high on.

 

[TerryTate]

The staff had started cultivating the 2013 class last year. If we filled up this cycle, we'd only have 17-18 spots for 2013. I think the staff is doing a cost/benefit analysis, and right now I think they'd prefer Golic @ C over an OLB (not a position of need) with an ACL injury.

Also, it's not like we're in the running for that many game-changers...

 

[rtrn2glory]

The staff had started cultivating the 2013 class last year. If we filled up this cycle, we'd only have 17-18 spots for 2013. I think the staff is doing a cost/benefit analysis, and right now I think they'd prefer Golic @ C over an OLB (not a position of need) with an ACL injury.

Also, it's not like we're in the running for that many game-changers...

super way of clarifying things...i with ya now.

 

[ND55]

Another possibility is saving the spot for Neal/Armond, that they won't know about till after NSD (and if those don't happen maybe Golic does come back). I know Armond didn't get cleared by our Medical but IIRC I read somewhere that the USC was planning on clearing him this spring. I think it had something to do with being a year from whatever they first detected, as in, if he went a year without another "something" showing up on whatever test they saw something on the first time. I thought that maybe the ND Med staff might have laid out the same condition. Just guessing on my part, but it would explain a lot, and give hope that AA (I know it doesn't look good right now), might pick ND on NDS with the thought that Armond would join him after the spring semester and he is possibly cleared by ND. Just a thought.

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

The point is more that unless our staff is sure that they will add at least 4 more players before next season they are passing to bring back Golic which is crazy to me.

Golic could very well be one of our starting guards next year. If not he adds needed experience and versatility. If Cave were to get hurt again, Id much rather have Golic to step in again than roll the dice on an unproven player at such a crucial position. Dont know why it would be crazy to invite a possible starter on the OL back for a 5th year.

 

[Emcee77]

Golic could very well be one of our starting guards next year. If not he adds needed experience and versatility. If Cave were to get hurt again, Id much rather have Golic to step in again than roll the dice on an unproven player at such a crucial position. Dont know why it would be crazy to invite a possible starter on the OL back for a 5th year.

All great points. I've actually always hoped we could find a way to bring back Golic ... but I'm sorry we have to turn away a great kid like Ekanem to do it.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Bottom line...he had a chance to commit a long time ago, and didn't. He decided to let it play out and be sure about is decision, which is a wise thing to do if you're not sure (but also risky). Then he got hurt. ND has decided to move on, which is their right. It would be insensitive and wrong if he had committed and THEN ND stopped persuing him, but he had his shot and he passed.

As for it being 'idiotic'...I'm not buying it. Golic wasn't great, but imagine if we DIDN'T have him this year? Ouch...things would have gotten really ugly. So if it's between taking a risk on a guy coming off a major injury and saving his scholly for next year while keeping an important veteran along the O-Line? I'll take the latter.

 

[IrishLax]

Bottom line...he had a chance to commit a long time ago, and didn't. He decided to let it play out and be sure about is decision, which is a wise thing to do if you're not sure (but also risky). Then he got hurt. ND has decided to move on, which is their right. It would be insensitive and wrong if he had committed and THEN ND stopped persuing him, but he had his shot and he passed.

I want to break this post into too, because I 100% agree here. He wanted to decide after the season, he got hurt in the State Championship, that's the way the cookie crumbles. If the staff didn't want him simply because he got injured I totally understand, but I don't think that is the case entirely. I think it just pushed him from the "want" category to the "if we have room" category. Because they did stay in contact and did reschedule his visit and it wasn't until today that they called it off.

As for it being 'idiotic'...I'm not buying it. Golic wasn't great, but imagine if we DIDN'T have him this year? Ouch...things would have gotten really ugly. So if it's between taking a risk on a guy coming off a major injury and saving his scholly for next year while keeping an important veteran along the O-Line? I'll take the latter.

This part I don't understand. I am sure Matt Hegarty or someone else could fill in as a back-up center. I do understand where you and TT are coming from in the "save a scholarship for next year" department, but if there isn't more to the situation I still think it's really silly to pass. However, with the word of a "surprise" I think there truly is more to the situation which is why I added the "unless they really know something we don't about other prospects" qualifier to the end of my statement. The truth is a scenario with 3 open spots is worlds different than a scenario with 4 open spots and I totally understand passing if that's the case. If we assume that there is in fact a "surprise" with high probability of being Irish and that Standifer is a lock for ND if his Spanish class is approved then you only have 2 spots remaining to accommodate Poole (who is a coin flip) and have a spot open for Darby/Neal/etc. who might drag on past signing day with Golic as your man if one of those targets doesn't pan out. With no surprise, you're left with the likely scenario of not only bringing back Golic but one more 5th year in addition to him... and I don't see any other guys eligible for a year that would warrant passing on Ekanem.

But that's just my opinion from behind a keyboard.

 

[Domina Nostra]

and I don't see any other guys eligible for a year that would warrant passing on Ekanem.

But that's just my opinion from behind a keyboard.

Unless they can convince Sean that the working world can wait...

 

[IrishLax]

Unless they can convince Sean that the working world can wait...

Bingo. That's a very good point, I'm operating under the assumption that Cwynar is for sure heading to the real world.

 

[NDinL.A.]

This part I don't understand. I am sure Matt Hegarty or someone else could fill in as a back-up center. I do understand where you and TT are coming from in the "save a scholarship for next year" department, but if there isn't more to the situation I still think it's really silly to pass. However, with the word of a "surprise" I think there truly is more to the situation which is why I added the "unless they really know something we don't about other prospects" qualifier to the end of my statement. The truth is a scenario with 3 open spots is worlds different than a scenario with 4 open spots and I totally understand passing if that's the case. If we assume that there is in fact a "surprise" with high probability of being Irish and that Standifer is a lock for ND if his Spanish class is approved then you only have 2 spots remaining to accommodate Poole (who is a coin flip) and have a spot open for Darby/Neal/etc. who might drag on past signing day with Golic as your man if one of those targets doesn't pan out. With no surprise, you're left with the likely scenario of not only bringing back Golic but one more 5th year in addition to him... and I don't see any other guys eligible for a year that would warrant passing on Ekanem.

But that's just my opinion from behind a keyboard.

I would say that with that position being so dang important, maybe they don't want to risk putting a redshirt freshman in that spot, esp against the likes of Miami, OK, and USC. Golic can be this year's Andrew Nuss - a guy that can play multiple spots on the line in a pinch. We got pretty lucky this year with injuries on that line, but we might not be so lucky next year, and having a guy like Golic could be a luxury the coaches want to keep around.

But like you, it's just my opinion (probably worth a lot less than yours LOL)...

 

[GUknights75]

I agree with L.A. Golic would be very beneficial next year as a back-up guard and center. Ekanem wouldnt see the field evan if his knee wasnt F'd. We got a lot of OLB's last year, we have Okwara already this year, and there will be many highly sought after recruits with interest in ND for the 2013 class. No brainer, for me anyways, who I would chose between the 2.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I am willing to be called wrong on this because who knows how advanced Hegarty actually looks in practice, but my opinion says Hegarty is going to be an a$skicker of a center. If what we've been hearing in drips and drabs is correct, the staff is sky-high on him, and this is exactly the reason why they've chosen him as Cave's heir-apparent over several other candidates.

Having said that, if we whiff roundly from now on out, then I am for saving scholarships rather than flinging them. My guess is that Kelly sees the possibility of us striking gold at the last moment, and the back-up plan is fifth years to give competent depth while getting a couple of more opportunities in the pipeline next class. As I said in a previous post [somewhere in this maze], we need FOUR O-Line next time, having gotten only two [admittedly very good ones, but just two] this time. Four slots for O-Line in a diminished numbers year puts pressure all up and down the line-up.