Tomorrow Is Christmas Morning

[ryno 24]

This has been a ridiculous recruiting cycle and tomorrow it should be mostly over. It would be great if we got one or two more players but overall it has been a great recruiting class and I am excited to have all these great young men at Notre Dame. Since tomorrow is going to be a great day say what is your favorite part of NSD in general or this class in particular.



My favorite part of this class is Wide Receivers and general play making ability of this class. and my favorite part of National Signing Day is Wearing my Notre Dame Gear around in February watching the coverage on und.com and telling everybody on campus how great ND's recruiting class is.

 

[anarin]

For a poor family.

I expect to wake up with nothing under the tree, and dad sitting in his recliner drinking a beer and smoking a cig.

Maybe next year?

 

[Mr. Larson]

Happy with the class already...as for tomorrow being Christmas Morning:

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[gkIrish]

Happy with the class already...as for tomorrow being Christmas Morning:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sj-RxX_FjoM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I literally couldn't keep it together in class. Had to step out and I didn't even hear the audio. Reps

 

[Irish YJ]

It would be nice to pick up another, but not critical unless it's a CB. This is a solid top 10 class anyway you look at it IMHO. On average, the "quality" is up there with the best depending on which ranking your looking at. The WR haul is great, and under estimated in my opinion, we added a rock star QB that can take us to another level if the current QBs don't step it up, we've fortified the DT position, did very well at S, 2 nice RBs that compliment well, and have 3 quality OTs. The ability to bring a few more 5yrs back, and have extra slots next cycle is not a bad thing in my mind.

 

[The Polish Irishman]

I really like this class. It has attitude.

 

[ohara831]

Well, if Santa is listening, please bring ND a Poole and a Neal. With everything else we have, adding these 2 would make for a Wonderful Christmas. Not being greedy. Just those two to add to what we already have, and I wont ask for more until the new season begins.

 

[phgreek]

...stars matter...but remember Chuck had alot of stars...very highly rated recruiting classes...none was ever reflective of need...just reflective of Chucks one dimension...

The guys we have are excellent football players that meet needs...We got our socks, underwear, jeans, sneakers, t-shirts, and coat ...with Chuck we got the Red Rider BB gun, and then froze our A$$e$ off at the bus stop.

We never had a team w/ this much ballance and talent under chuck...

...these are guys who want to be here...meet needs...and are clearly an overall athletic upgrade to what we've had in the areas of need...

I'm a happy kid...christmas for me as is...

 

[micks60]

Kinda sucks knowing everything you are getting for Christmas. Even if it is really good stuff. I just hope there is a surprise or two that I did not expect.

 

[phgreek]

Kinda sucks knowing everything you are getting for Christmas. Even if it is really good stuff. I just hope there is a surprise or two that I did not expect.

...thats kinda funny...I get that point for sure...not all surprises are good...I'll take a good one

 

[JeremyND07]

Kinda sucks knowing everything you are getting for Christmas. Even if it is really good stuff. I just hope there is a surprise or two that I did not expect.

This....I do not see us picking anyone else up and just hoping it is not like Christmas past were we loss a big name in the last minute!

 

[Rhode Irish]

In a vacuum, this is a very good class. Its a top-10 class. It hit positions of need - DB, WR and QB - with ELITE talent. It added depth in other key areas - OL, DL, RB.

While I get that recruiting doesn't take place in a vacuum, I think some of the "meh" feeling I sense coming from this board regarding the 2012 class is a bit unjustified. Of course it sucks to have lost Darby and Decker late in the process. Of course it would have been nice to add Arik Armstead or Nelson Agholor, or another CB to replace Darby. Obviously, I would be thrilled if Poole or Neal ended up Irish after all is said and done.

But even without all of that, this class is nothing to hang our heads about. Imagine if we ended up with the exact same class, only Tee or Deontay or Jones or Gunner announced for us tonight or tomorrow - wouldn't the tone here be much more upbeat?

To give even further context to this year's class, it seems like if we widen our lens a bit we should be even happier. Like I said earlier, a top-10 class is nothing to sneeze at. But after the transfers of Amir and Prestwood, last year's class could be adjusted to be perhaps the best in the country. So this isn't just a top-10 class; its a top-10 class backing up a ~ top-3 class.

And these classes aren't just good on paper; in the last two recruiting cycles every position on the field has been infused with elite talent. If Kelly can implement the player development he was hired for, we have the makings of a championship-caliber club on our hands. Yes, next year could be scary, but it is also an opportunity to begin seeing the results we have seen in recruiting manifest themselves on the field.

To the Debbie Downers on this board, I say to you: bah, humbug!

 

[In Lou I Trust]

Any insiders know if Santa is an Irish fan?

 

[jakerbluegold]

All the presents under the tree are great, but without a shout-out to baby Jesus, and a great Christmas dinner, it leaves you both physically and spiritually hungry.

I'm referring of course to not getting to a BCS game, and maybe even winning that game!

 

[EddytoNow]

We have filled our primary need with a quality quarterback recruit, but for those who question the depth at cornerback I suggest you look at the previous coaching regime. They left the cupboard bare. Kelly and staff have been gradually plugging the holes left ignored by Weiss. Our upcomong defensive backfield may be inexperienced, but they are not without talent. Eilar Hardy, Bennett Jackson, Austin Collingsworth, Jalen Brown, Tee Shepherd, Nick Baratti, Elijah Shumate, Josh Atkinson, C.J. Procise, John Turner, etc. We have multiple players ready to plug the holes. And they can't play any worse than Gary Gray did in the Michigan game.

In a couple of years our defensive backfield will be right up there with our defensive front seven. So if tomorrow is Christmas, I'm sure glad we got Nick Baratti, Tee Shepherd, C.J. Procise, John Turner, and Elijah Shumate in this year's recruiting class. In numbers only we have doubled or tripled the number of recruits in this area over what Weiss and his staff was signing.

 

[Redbar]

Kinda sucks knowing everything you are getting for Christmas. Even if it is really good stuff. I just hope there is a surprise or two that I did not expect.

Just think if you were Tedford or a Cal fan and you thought you were getting all those nice gifts under the tree only to wake up and find they were for your brother.

 

[scUM Hater]

 

[CarrollVermin]

I am not sold on the "stars matter" argument. There is a part of me that believes that they do, but then again, what is more important, the evaluation of a coach, or the evaluation of a third party vendor?

I guess that goes to explaining why so many 5 stars flop and so many 2 stars excel.

Still, it is a great time of year, and this class is high on talent. I look forward to seeing how they pan out for the next 4 years.

 

[micks60]

I am that greedy little kid that opens up all his presents and no matter how good of stuff he gets he says "that's it?"

 

[stlnd01]

I guess that goes to explaining why so many 5 stars flop and so many 2 stars excel.

By no means do all five-stars turn out to be studs. And some two-stars do. But if you look at the results four years later, a far higher percentage of top recruits pan out as good/great college players than do two or three star guys. And it's not like the coaches who coach up two-star athletes are turning away elites to grab more. Just look at Kelly. Is he going after the same kids at ND as he did at Cincy? No way, because he can land better talent here.

It's a nice idea that two-stars can be studs, and I'm all for player development. But let's be realistic. If you want the best ballplayers, you go after the top recruits at the positions you need. Which is exactly what we've done the last two years. I think we'll see the results on the field in the next two.