'15 LA OT/DT Jerry Tillery (Notre Dame Early Enrollee)

Veritate Duce Progredi

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Yet another should-have-redshirted...

You can't possibly know that. What if he redshirted and took an extra year to respond to 'live game reps'. Then we'd be f*cked. His development this year has been a huge piece to our defensive puzzle.

All this revisionary history is for chumps. We should be glad we have him and that he's playing well. Coaches don't use players frivolously. Kelly saw how quickly fans will oust a coach if his eye is only on the future.

Coaches are in it to win it, now. With only a slight eye to the future.
 

Luckylucci

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I was saying this was a serious option. I really hope he comes back, as he's probably the least expendable of the fringe (stay or go) players.
 

Luckylucci

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Serious guys, you can't really think he's going to grad transfer?
 

zelezo vlk

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Somebody call up Sheldon Day, and have Sheldon give ol' Terry a ring saying how great coming back for your senior season is after a big win over LSU in a bowl game
 

Irish YJ

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NFL. 3rd year players only transfer when there's a prob with the staff.



He's just a Jr. and an economics major. If he graduates this semester he should skip the NFL and go directly to the Federal Reserve.

He's a smart dude, but I also don't think he's done with FB. I'd bet if he leaves, he goes to the Left Coast, somewhere northleft like Stanford.
 

BobbyMac

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He's a smart dude, but I also don't think he's done with FB. I'd bet if he leaves, he goes to the Left Coast, somewhere northleft like Stanford.

The only thing he'll be doing on the peninsula is playing for Notre Dame's pro team, the 42ers.
 

BoredIrish

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I think ND should recruit him to come back and be McGlincheys replacement. Kid could be a first round pick at LT.
 

BeatSC

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Dreaming if he thinks he would be drafted. Our D line was ok and he was part of the OK.
 

IrishLax

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People have said since before the season they expected him to be gone to the NFL. Personally, I think that's a mistake as he's very unlikely to get drafted high but with another year could be a second round pick (or better). Right now? 5th rounder, IMO.

It's weird because he's really intelligent so you think he wouldn't be opposed to staying in school another year but *shrug*... sometimes guys make up their minds for all kinds of reasons we can't really appreciate from the outside looking in.
 

Irish#1

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He improved tremendously this year and was better than "OK". However, he still has room for improvement. He would be wise to stay and help his draft stock. Here's hoping he gets an evaluation from the pros that has him stay.
 

Luckylucci

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I definitely think he should come back, but food for thought. Jerry ended the year with 52 tackles, 8.5 TFL's, and 4 Sacks.

Below is the top 8 DT prospects, per Walter Football, for the 2018 Draft. (As of Nov. 18th.)

D. Payne 45 tkls. 1 TFL's, 1 sack
C. Wilkins 52 tkls, 9 TFL's, 5 sacks
V. Vea 37 tkls, 5.5 TFL's, 3.5 sacks
T. Bryan 37 tkls, 6 TFL's, 4 sacks
M. Hurst 58 tkls, 13 TFL's, 5.5 sacks
D. Jones 20 tkls, 5 TFL's, 1 sack
T. Thompson 33 tkls, 3 TFL's, 0 sacks
D. Nnadi 51 tkls. 9 TFL's, 3.5 sacks

So, out of the top 8 DT's (per Walter football), there are only 2 that have better production this year, and some it's not even close.

Now some of this is position bias, I get it. But he was quite productive.
 
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Henges24

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Sherm thinks he gets drafted in the 2nd round. He sees Jarron Jones potential in him.
 

IrishLax

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I definitely think he should come back, but food for thought. Jerry ended the year with 52 tackles, 8.5 TFL's, and 4 Sacks.

Below is the top 8 DT prospects, per Walter Football, for the 2018 Draft. (As of Nov. 18th.)

D. Payne 45 tkls. 1 TFL's, 1 sack
C. Wilkins 52 tkls, 9 TFL's, 5 sacks
V. Vea 37 tkls, 5.5 TFL's, 3.5 sacks
T. Bryan 37 tkls, 6 TFL's, 4 sacks
M. Hurst 58 tkls, 13 TFL's, 5.5 sacks
D. Jones 20 tkls, 5 TFL's, 1 sack
T. Thompson 33 tkls, 3 TFL's, 0 sacks
D. Nnadi 51 tkls. 9 TFL's, 3.5 sacks

So, out of the top 8 DT's (per Walter football), there are only 2 that have better production this year, and some it's not even close.

Now some of this is position bias, I get it. But he was quite productive.

Yeah, and this is why I think he should come back. With a good year next year he's probably a top 50 pick. Right now? Probably a 4th or 5th rounder.
 

stlnd01

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This is the kind of situation where if he goes pro I worry it speaks to some deeper culture problem in our program.

Tillery is good and should be draftable. But he can get better and get drafted a lot higher. He's played for three seasons but really only has one year of quality production under his belt. No injury history. Would be a likely captain and veteran leader of our team next year.

More than that, though, he's one of those guys who clearly enjoys the school part of being a student-athlete. Smart kid, seems well-rounded, enjoys life outside football (indeed until this year the knock on him was he wasn't focused enough on football). Everything you want a Notre Dame student-athlete to be, now that he's got his head straight on gameday.

But now he's going to be a three-and-out? Leave without graduating? Just to be a fifth-round pick and take his shot on Sundays? Why? I do not know what's so much more appealing about playing pro ball. Yeah the money, but that'll be there next year, and likely more. Unless being a Notre Dame football player is that unpleasant. And if our best players are jumping ship at the first opportunity, how do you build a program for the long haul? You're constantly reloading and get a guy for one good year instead of two or three, and too few senior leaders. It's no good for anyone.

Something I've been worried about for several years - since 2013 when Niklas and Tuitt left overnight, really - but it seems to have gotten worse the last few years. And for a program like ours it's really troubling. BK needs to do some recruiting on his own team.
 

NDinL.A.

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This is the kind of situation where if he goes pro I worry it speaks to some deeper culture problem in our program.

Tillery is good and should be draftable. But he can get better and get drafted a lot higher. He's played for three seasons but really only has one year of quality production under his belt. No injury history. Would be a likely captain and veteran leader of our team next year.

More than that, though, he's one of those guys who clearly enjoys the school part of being a student-athlete. Smart kid, seems well-rounded, enjoys life outside football (indeed until this year the knock on him was he wasn't focused enough on football). Everything you want a Notre Dame student-athlete to be, now that he's got his head straight on gameday.

But now he's going to be a three-and-out? Leave without graduating? Just to be a fifth-round pick and take his shot on Sundays? Why? I do not know what's so much more appealing about playing pro ball. Yeah the money, but that'll be there next year, and likely more. Unless being a Notre Dame football player is that unpleasant. And if our best players are jumping ship at the first opportunity, how do you build a program for the long haul? You're constantly reloading and get a guy for one good year instead of two or three, and too few senior leaders. It's no good for anyone.

Something I've been worried about for several years - since 2013 when Niklas and Tuitt left overnight, really - but it seems to have gotten worse the last few years. And for a program like ours it's really troubling. BK needs to do some recruiting on his own team.
This is not a problem unique to ND. In fact, we have less players that leave early than most other top 20 programs. That either points to a very good culture at ND, or not enough talent (perhaps both).

Personally, I WANT more studs that have the opportunity to leave early. Not that I want them to leave, but if we have players playing so well that the NFL is noticing, that means we are probably playing well.

Oh, and I talked to someone yesterday that is acquaintances with Jerry and recently spoke to him. If Tillery gets some good feedback from NFL people, he’s as good as gone. The wear and tear on their bodies is a realization for these players much more than fans realize, and if you can get paid for playing, sometimes it is just too hard to pass up, even if you love school.
 
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