'13 IL RB Ty Isaac (Michigan Transfer)

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Me2SouthBend

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From ISD
Brian Kelly and his staff are entering their third full recruiting cycle, and the Irish staff is looking to put together another strong group of prospects. The Notre Dame coaches are looking to counter the average finish to the Class of 2012 with a dynamic haul with the Class of 2013. Kelly and his staff have done an excellent job getting an early start on the current junior class, which should help them get off to a fast start.

One benefit working in Notre Dame’s favor is a deep and talented group of Midwest football players. There are a higher number of impact players in the Midwest than we’ve seen in the past few seasons. That should give Notre Dame a foundation to build around as it looks to put together a strong Class of 2013. Even the state of Indiana has a few impact players in it, and the state of Illinois is loaded with talented offensive linemen and a few impact skill players.

Notre Dame’s first commit, Steve Elmer, is a Michigan standout and arguably the best of a deep and talented group of Midwest linemen. If Notre Dame is going to put together an elite Class of 2013 recruits it must do well in the Midwest. Over the next week we will break down the top players in the Midwest and talk about where Notre Dame stands in their recruitment.

The state of Illinois is especially loaded in the Class of 2013. The offensive line is especially dynamic, but Illinois also has two talented run-throw quarterbacks that have received interest from the Irish staff. Unlike most seasons, Illinois also has two dynamic offensive skill players in running back Ty Isaac and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. Notre Dame has not had as much success in Illinois of late as it had in past years, but that trend must reverse a bit this season. Doing so would give Notre Dame a strong foundation in the Class of 2013, especially along the offensive line.


Here is the first part of our look at the state of Illinois:

TY ISAAC, RB, 6-2, 215, JOLIET(CATHOLIC)IL

EARLY OFFERS: Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, Syracuse, USC, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin

COACH D’S EVALUATION: Ty Isaac is one of the best running backs in the nation and is the total package. He can rip off big runs, he can work for tough yards, and he can catch the ball like a receiver out of the backfield. As a junior, Isaac rushed for 2629 yards and 42 touchdowns, including a 515-yard performance in the state championship game. Every time the Joliet Catholic standout touches the football he is a threat to score. He is a long strider in the open field, a trait that gives him a solid second gear. Isaac does a nice job keeping a good base and keeping his feet underneath him in the backfield. This prevents his length from becoming a disadvantage as Isaac is always in position to immediately plant and cut vertically through the hole. He does not open up his big strides until he is through the first level and sees a crease. If he is working on the second level in traffic he keeps his base and shows the ability to make defenders miss with his quick, compact movements. Isaac is a smooth runner with strong agility, fluid hips, and impressive balance. He is able to stretch to the perimeter and immediately plant vertically with no wasted motion. He is a fluid runner that is able to weave his way in and out of traffic. His agility and elusiveness makes him very hard to get a clean shot on, which is surprising considering how big he is. Isaac has an outstanding stiff arm on the perimeter and runs with great leg drive between the tackles. On top of having outstanding physical traits, Isaac also has elite running back skills. He shows tremendous vision behind the line and on the second level. He reads well and anticipates extremely well. Isaac has a knack for finding creases in the defense and once he gets a step he is a threat to take it the distance. He runs with good pad level for a tall runner and does a nice job getting narrow as he works through the line. Isaac has very good hands and runs routes like a wide receiver. He can easily line up in the slot or out wide and be a legitimate weapon in the pass game, giving his offense tremendous versatility when he is in the game. Although he is big and strong, Isaac would rather make defenders miss than lower his shoulder and run someone over. He is a tough runner but is not someone who looks for punishment.

WHERE THINGS STAND: Joliet Catholic has been good to Notre Dame in the past, and the Irish hope that will continue with Isaac. Isaac has already become a national recruit and his offer list is going to continue to grow the longer he remains uncommitted. Notre Dame and Michigan are considered two of the early front runners but it does not appear that Isaac is in any hurry to narrow things down. Expect a long and intense battle for his services. Isaac has been on Notre Dame’s campus many times and plans to come back during the spring and summer. His interest in Notre Dame is legitimate. They have just as good of a chance at landing Isaac as any other school but are by no means the leader. It appears that Isaac is genuinely open to all schools despite his obvious early interest in the Irish and Wolverines. Notre Dame’s strong season on the ground has only helped its chances, and continuing that trend in 2012 would certainly help. It is way too early to start narrowing down a list of favorites, but Notre Dame has certainly placed itself in position to be among the final schools for Isaac when it is all said and done.
 
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Buster Bluth

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He hasn't been with the team since October, the questionable part is definitely why the f*ck wait until after NSD.
 
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Buster Bluth

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Nix offers to play people on NCAA 12 all of the time, has anyone actually taken him up on the offer?
 
IrishLax

IrishLax

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Buster Bluth said:
He hasn't been with the team since October, the questionable part is definitely why the f*ck wait until after NSD.
Click to expand...

Good question, but I think there might be a good answer for the last part. Meyer just took over and was spending 24 hours a day recruiting through NSD. Now that NSD is over, he's taking a look at his current team... dismisses the guy during the week or so after NSD.

Even as someone who thinks Meyer is devoid of ethics, I think I understand the timeline on this one.
 
NDhoosier

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Hey, I won two national championships at Ball State... then Notre Dame hired me and I owned every year. #1 recruiting class every year, they should hire me in real life I am good at recruiting in NCAA 12, so I would have gotten Darby AND Poole as well as kept Greenbury (because there are no decommits from NCAA)

<-- Ball State alumni... :)
 
Irish Man3

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J Smith and T Isaac are the two must gets in this class in my opinion.

Not worried about the OL haul because there are just to many good prospects in the Midwest/Northeast this year. We will get our share.

Guys like Isaac and Smith are crutial for this class.
 
beryirish

beryirish

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Irish Man3 said:
J Smith and T Isaac are the two must gets in this class in my opinion.

Not worried about the OL haul because there are just to many good prospects in the Midwest/Northeast this year. We will get our share.

Guys like Isaac and Smith are crutial for this class.
Click to expand...


I feel those two guys are the cornerstones players needed in this class.

Even though they are in the backyard, everyone wants them so it's going to be extremely tough and most likely a long process with both.
 
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