'14 TX DB Nick Watkins (Notre Dame Signee)

[BobbyMac]

Incorrect. Staff did the right thing, they didn’t want Watkins to leave and didn’t force him out but they were honest with him and that honesty led him to find the best path for himself. There’s some hurt feelings on both ends but at the end of the day everyone did what’s right. ND didn’t mislead Watkins, they informed him his role would be a little different and Nick decided that it would be better to find a more permanent role elsewhere. Pride is ready to take a huge step forward, Vaughn will be a great #3 and Crawford is all the way back and dynamite in the slot. ND will be in very good shape at Corner and hopefully Watkins has a great SR year elsewhere and realizes his NFL dreams. You don’t mislead trick guys into mortgaging their future to make you team a little better. That will ultimately have serious long term negative ramifications.

Incorrect? That I would start a 5th yr Sr. that has played as well as and better than the rising Jr has through this spring's practices? If you guys are under the assumption Pride has completely distanced himself from Watkins you are in complete disagreement with those who've watched spring practice... Some even said he was the best corner. Yeah, I'm old school. I start my Sr. if it's close and then give the underclassmen the snaps they earn.

I think the point is that Kelly tried to placate Zaire and not just come right out and name a starter is what he is getting at. That fits more with the theme of the thread. BK needed to just be honest with Zaire and make DK the starter. The handling of this situation is the correct way to do this.

Completely different situation. Corners rotate and share snaps every game. Qb's don't.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Incorrect? That I would start a 5th yr Sr. that has played as well as and better than the rising Jr has through this spring's practices? If you guys are under the assumption Pride has completely distanced himself from Watkins you are in complete disagreement with those who've watched spring practice... Some even said he was the best corner. Yeah, I'm old school. I start my Sr. if it's close and then give the underclassmen the snaps they earn.



Completely different situation. Corners rotate and share snaps every game. Qb's don't.

Dude. He wanted more snaps. Our other CBs talent making it so he can't meet his demand... Dude decided to take his talents elsewhere.

This is economics 101, my friend. Has ZERO to do with our staff. What are they supposed to do? Disservice him, promise big minutes, then pull the rug from under him?

That's cool, if you want to go Saban/Urban route....

 

[PANDFAN]

i like that the coaches are going to play who is playing the best. if you can't elevate your game then either look inside and see what you can do to be better or kick rocks.....he decided to take his ball and go home...glad to see we aren't just putting people out there for whatever special reasons a la joe schmidt....i doubt meyer, saban, swinney etc aren't trying to appease seniors if they aren't playing as well as some younger guys...specific example just last year w/ pagano at clemson..younger guys behind him were taking snaps away from him so he left..silly to me to leave now, because you are going to try learning a new system wherever he may go (unless texas a&m) in just the fall..these never end well for those players

 

[BobbyMac]

Dude. He wanted more snaps. Our other CBs talent making it so he can't meet his demand... Dude decided to take his talents elsewhere.

This is economics 101, my friend. Has ZERO to do with our staff. What are they supposed to do? Disservice him, promise big minutes, then pull the rug from under him?

That's cool, if you want to go Saban/Urban route....

Dude. I agree with your assessment on his desires for more snaps but everybody here is having a hard time reading. I said start him, he's a Sr and he's earned it. Guys at ISD thought he was the best CB of the spring. That's earning it. He was going to have to share snaps with other CB's in ND's scheme anyways (which is nickel 60% of the time), that's a given. If being the starter is not enough and he still thinks he can get a higher % of snaps with Elko, then there's no keeping him.

 

[NDohio]

MZ would have acted like an even bigger malcontent then and ruined the team chemistry more.

Unless it was done after spring ball and that gave MZ time to transfer...

Incorrect? That I would start a 5th yr Sr. that has played as well as and better than the rising Jr has through this spring's practices? If you guys are under the assumption Pride has completely distanced himself from Watkins you are in complete disagreement with those who've watched spring practice... Some even said he was the best corner. Yeah, I'm old school. I start my Sr. if it's close and then give the underclassmen the snaps they earn.



Completely different situation. Corners rotate and share snaps every game. Qb's don't.

I didn't start the QB comparison, I was just adding my $.02 to an existing conversation.

The point about the coaches being honest with the players is applicable though.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Dude. I agree with your assessment on his desires for more snaps but everybody here is having a hard time reading. I said start him, he's a Sr and he's earned it. Guys at ISD thought he was the best CB of the spring. That's earning it. He was going to have to share snaps with other CB's in ND's scheme anyways (which is nickel 60% of the time), that's a given. If being the starter is not enough and he still thinks he can get a higher % of snaps with Elko, then there's no keeping him.

If he was told he wasn't going to start (or had to compete in fall), then that means we have better guys then him...

ISD doesn't call the shots. You shouldn't name "your starter" based on journalists', skewed, limited sample size, reports.

If you want to get down to brass tax, this is a good problem to have. It means we have depth, talent, and youth pushing are "veterans".

 

[BobbyMac]

Unless it was done after spring ball and that gave MZ time to transfer...

I didn't start the QB comparison, I was just adding my $.02 to an existing conversation.

The point about the coaches being honest with the players is applicable though.

Yeah, I don't know where/why my posts got tagged with the dishonest label.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Also:
Starting a senior just because he's a senior is a really, really bad hot take. Lol

 

[ab2cmiller]

Yeah, I don't know where/why my posts got tagged with the dishonest label.

I don't believe he was saying your being dishonest, he's just happy that coaches are being honest about starting/playing time. I didn't take it as a swipe against you at all.

 

[NDohio]

Yeah, I don't know where/why my posts got tagged with the dishonest label.

I am pretty confused here. I responded to a completely different conversation from what you were having and simply stated I appreciate the coaches being forthright with NW and wished they would have done the same during the MZ/DK situation. Then you brought me into your conversation and...

 

[Luckylucci]

Incorrect? That I would start a 5th yr Sr. that has played as well as and better than the rising Jr has through this spring's practices? If you guys are under the assumption Pride has completely distanced himself from Watkins you are in complete disagreement with those who've watched spring practice... Some even said he was the best corner. Yeah, I'm old school. I start my Sr. if it's close and then give the underclassmen the snaps they earn.



Completely different situation. Corners rotate and share snaps every game. Qb's don't.

Yea, and to be clear. There were practices that were watched by ND analysts where Watkins was by far and away the best cover CB. And it wasn't close. There were phrases like "lock down CB", being used.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Yea, and to be clear. There were practices that were watched by ND analysts where Watkins was by far and away the best cover CB. And it wasn't close. There were phrases like "lock down CB", being used.

That’s great and all, but those analysts were not there for every minute of every practice. Todd Lyght said the two most consistent corners this spring were Crawford and Pride.

 

[SoIll]

send his ass over to Littyville!

 

[Luckylucci]

That’s great and all, but those analysts were not there for every minute of every practice. Todd Lyght said the two most consistent corners this spring were Crawford and Pride.

Some of that is coach speak. They love Crawford the person/teammate but he's not the same player that started last year.

Also, it's not the point that he was the best, all the time. It's that, by all accounts, this was a very competitive situation.

 

[BobbyMac]

Also:
Starting a senior just because he's a senior is a really, really bad hot take. Lol

Come on now. No one but you is even thinking along those lines. For instance, starting post-injury Sr. Joe Schmidt in front of Morgan = dumbest depth chart move of the Kelly administration.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Come on now. No one but you is even thinking along those lines. For instance, starting post-injury Sr. Joe Schmidt in front of Morgan = dumbest depth chart move of the Kelly administration.

Woah, buddy.

You're the one that implied you would put him over the top because he's a "senior". If the coaches don't think he's worthy of starting, then. the younger bucks get the job.

I know you're not advocating that Schmidt should have started. But, a "senior" should never just "break a close tie". Best player plays. Class says nothing in my opinion.

 

[Irish#1]

BVG is no longer here, so i trust the judgement of the staff until they prove otherwise.

 

[BobbyMac]

Reportedly will visit WVU, TCU, SMU & Houston

 

[koonja]

Reportedly will visit WVU, TCU, SMU & Houston

Sheesh, a pretty big step down regardless of where he ends.

 

[BobbyMac]

Sheesh, a pretty big step down regardless of where he ends.

Not sure if stepping down matters to a guy who's trying to get snaps to get to the NFL. Here's the Top 20 CB's taken this year.

1 18 Green Bay Jaire Alexander Louisville
1 30 Minnesota Mike Hughes UCF
2 45 Green Bay Josh Jackson Iowa
2 53 Tampa Bay M. J. Stewart North Carolina
2 55 Carolina Donte Jackson LSU
2 56 New England Duke Dawson Florida
2 58 Atlanta Isaiah Oliver Colorado
2 63 Tampa Bay Carlton Davis Auburn
3 85 Carolina Rashaan Gaulden Tennessee
3 99 Denver Isaac Yiadom Boston College
4 110 Oakland Nick Nelson Wisconsin
4 118 Baltimore Anthony Averett Alabama
4 121 Buffalo Taron Johnson Weber State
4 125 Philadelphia Avonte Maddox Pittsburgh
5 142 San Fran D. J. Reed Kansas St
5 151 Cincinnati Davontae Harris Illinois St
5 152 Tennessee Dane Cruikshank Arizona
5 154 Buffalo Siran Neal Jacksonville St

 

[Crazy Balki]

Those make sense honestly. Watkins is from Texas, and probably wants to play closer to home. Only one that doesn't make that much sense is WVU, but they play all over that area being in the Big XII. In addition, also allows him to test his skills against a ton of pass-heavy offenses.

 

[zelezo vlk]

TCU would make a ton of sense seeing as he's from Dallas

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[stlnd01]

Sheesh, a pretty big step down regardless of where he ends.

A step down makes sense if you want to be a clear-cut starter, and you can certainly get to the NFL from those programs. More sense than Jay Hayes going to Georgia or Oklahoma or wherever he wound up.

 

[Irishize]

Those make sense honestly. Watkins is from Texas, and probably wants to play closer to home. Only one that doesn't make that much sense is WVU, but they play all over that area being in the Big XII. In addition, also allows him to test his skills against a ton of pass-heavy offenses.

WVU needs better defense so he probably steps right in and upgrades their secondary. If they can have a Top 40 defense, I think they’re the favorite to win the Big 12.

 

[KizerWilhelm]

Virginia Tech wants him https://247sports.com/college/virgi...e-Adonis-Alexander-at-Virginia-Tech-118708928

 

[CanadalovesND]

Virginia Tech wants him https://247sports.com/college/virgi...e-Adonis-Alexander-at-Virginia-Tech-118708928

They lost Adonis Alexander to the supplemental draft, and another cornerback who was expected to start just suffered a season ending injury. There is definitely a spot for Nick to start in their secondary.

 

[IrishLax]

Him going to Virginia Tech would basically be a worst case scenario for us.

 

[KizerWilhelm]

Him going to Virginia Tech would basically be a worst case scenario for us.

That was my thought: Would/could Kelly block the transfer?

 

[snoopdog]

That was my thought: Would/could Kelly block the transfer?

If he can, he must.

 

[StPaul_Irish]

That was my thought: Would/could Kelly block the transfer?

Can you block Grad transfers? I know for underclassman you can, and I thought the NCAA had a rule about blocking transfers to opponents on the teams schedule. I just read about a QB who the school blocked, Jacob Park I think. I will try to find the article and post it.