'18 IL ATH Houston Griffith (Notre Dame Early Enrollee)

[NDGOLDEN]

Visiting FSU this weekend
Check out @SWiltfong247's Tweet: https://twitter.com/SWiltfong247/status/834562468957528064?s=09

 

[Big23Head]

ND working to set up another visit

Insider Report: ND can bulk up this weekend - Notre Dame - Scout

 

[BobbyMac]

Wiltfong with the CB for OSU.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Yeah...I've always had a feeling that he would end up a football factory.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Irishnuke]

Shit

 

[Meatloaf]

Fong'd

 

[irishff1014]

Wiltfong with the CB for OSU.

Ugh..... this blows.

 

[zelezo vlk]

This doesn't surprise me too much. I don't have any inside info, but going to IMG made me less confident and then we had the Allen commitment. Yeah, it blows, but it happens.

 

[koonja]

Why you'd want to follow go to OSU after the insane CB and safety hauls they had last year, and this year, both blows my mind and impresses me.

 

[Irish#1]

Wiltfong with the CB for OSU.

I'm on vacation. Can't go to the beach because of a storm. Please stop piling on. lol

 

[Ndaccountant]

Why you'd want to follow go to OSU after the insane CB and safety hauls they had last year, and this year, both blows my mind and impresses me.

Why not? Hooker started for one season and is going to be a high first round draft pick. Ditto for Lattimore. These two prove that you don't need 4 years of starting to reach a NFL dream. You need one year and the staff at OSU obviously develops their DB roster. I see no problems here.

 

[koonja]

Why not? Hooker started for one season and is going to be a high first round draft pick. Ditto for Lattimore. These two prove that you don't need 4 years of starting to reach a NFL dream. You need one year and the staff at OSU obviously develops their DB roster. I see no problems here.

Because I don't think 5-star talents generally like the idea of possible sitting for a couple of years even if they get 1 year to be the actual starter and go pro. They want to start 2-3 years then go pro.

 

[Ndaccountant]

Because I don't think 5-star talents generally like the idea of possible sitting for a couple of years even if they get 1 year to be the actual starter and go pro. They want to start 2-3 years then go pro.

They didn't sit "for a couple" of years. Lattimore --top 50 recruit-- had season ending surgery as a frosh, played some as a soph and balled out this year, his first starting. Hooker --composite ~350 player -- redshirted freshman year since he only played football as a Junior and Senior in high school. He played as soph in 2015, both on special teams and as a back-up to Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell and started this year.

 

[koonja]

They didn't sit "for a couple" of years. Lattimore --top 50 recruit-- had season ending surgery as a frosh, played some as a soph and balled out this year, his first starting. Hooker --composite ~350 player -- redshirted freshman year since he only played football as a Junior and Senior in high school. He played as soph in 2015, both on special teams and as a back-up to Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell and started this year.

I don't think 5-star players want to be role players then start at the end of their college career. Just because a few have been willing to do that, doesn't mean most are. I don't think Houston Griffin's expectation to red shirt/play limited role in year 1, then play back up DB for a year with special teams on year 2, then be 'the guy' in year 3.

Just my opinion.

 

[Ndaccountant]

I don't think 5-star players want to be role players then start at the end of their college career. Just because a few have been willing to do that, doesn't mean most are. I don't think Houston Griffin's expectation to red shirt/play limited role in year 1, then play back up DB for a year with special teams on year 2, then be 'the guy' in year 3.

Just my opinion.

you think his goal is to play as a frosh or to make it as a 1st round NFL selection? At this point, if it is the latter, Bama and OSU are as good as it gets.

 

[woolybug25]

I don't think 5-star players want to be role players then start at the end of their college career. Just because a few have been willing to do that, doesn't mean most are. I don't think Houston Griffin's expectation to red shirt/play limited role in year 1, then play back up DB for a year with special teams on year 2, then be 'the guy' in year 3.

Just my opinion.

It's a bad one made without any evidence. Top programs have no problem selling to kids that they will eventually make the field, and when they do, they will be trying out for the NFL. "Just like _____ from last season".

OSU has been doing lately with DB's, Bama does it with RB's, USC used to do it with QB's in Carroll's day. Hell, FSU signed three big time RB's last season in the same class. Kids will buy that they may sit if the opportunity is great enough when they get their shot.

 

[koonja]

you think his goal is to play as a frosh or to make it as a 1st round NFL selection? At this point, if it is the latter, Bama and OSU are as good as it gets.

I think his goal (and most 5 star players) is probably to play a big time role year 1, be the without-a-doubt starter by year 2 (if not already by year 1), and go pro after year 3.

 

[Ndaccountant]

I think his goal (and most 5 star players) is probably to play a big time role year 1, be the without-a-doubt starter by year 2 (if not already by year 1), and go pro after year 3.

I applaud him for taking the smart approach rather than succumbing to the lure of "immediate" playing time. If my goal was the NFL or bust, OSU or Bama is where I would go as a DB.

 

[koonja]

I applaud him for taking the smart approach rather than succumbing to the lure of "immediate" playing time. If my goal was the NFL or bust, OSU or Bama is where I would go as a DB.

Hence why I said I'm impressed if this is where he ends up.

 

[koonja]

https://twitter.com/TomLoy247/status/848913541667201024

 

[EddytoNow]

Because I don't think 5-star talents generally like the idea of possible sitting for a couple of years even if they get 1 year to be the actual starter and go pro. They want to start 2-3 years then go pro.

Granted Notre Dame doesn't get many 5-Stars, and for the most part their 5-Stars haven't fulfilled expectations, but you've got to get the most talented players on the field. You've got to figure your most talented players are only going to be there for three years.

One of my biggest criticisms of Kelly is that he has been unable to get his top recruits on the field until their third or fourth year. If we're lucky, they have one good year before leaving. How do other teams get these freshmen on the field right away in a productive capacity while our recruits sit behind less talented players waiting and waiting for an opportunity? Brandon Wimbush is a good example of this failure to utilize the talent you have. He plays sparingly his freshman year, thereby blowing a year of eligibility. He is redshirted his sophomore year when he should be gaining some valuable experience behind Kizer. Now he's expected to start after sitting for two years. If he has a good year, he's gone to the NFL, and we've wasted his talent for two of his three years. If he has a crappy year, he will return and more than likely be the starter for the next two years because of Kelly's reluctance to play younger talent. Is Kelly just too **** loyal to his upper-classmen? We know he has been too loyal to his assistant coaches. Does loyalty blind Kelly when it comes to evaluating the young talent on his team?

 

[BobbyMac]

I think having the best CB/S hybrid in this class (Allen) will hurt with Griffith's recruitment. Griffith needs to have a clear shot at FS as a plan B. He measured in at 6-1, 190+ yesterday. His dad was a 5-10/11 235lb RB. It's gonna be tough to keep weight off him unless his mom is Kate Moss. Plus, let's see how he tested. If I had to bet, he has pedestrian #'s or he didn't test. Kalon Gervin ran a 4.41, he had nothing to hide and actually improved on what was thought of him.

There are some pure CB's that most haven't even heard of yet that would be great additions to any P5. DJ Johnson is a 4 star CB in Indy dying for an ND offer. Erik Hallett coming in for the Spring Game is hot on the Irish and that's the quickest dude tested in the shuttle this year. Greg Newsome is still trying to prove everyone wrong about being CB worthy... he may in the end be another guy who needs to keep FS as a plan B or maybe it's plan A from the gitgo(?) Let's see what Newsome and Griffith did yesterday on W/Th when the results come out. I don't think Newsome's #'s will be great because he hasn't posted them BUT he did win the MVP over Kalon and Griffith.
Let's also remember: Everyone's thrilled with Julian Love... he ran a 4.71 at the Opening.

No need to worry yet.

 

[koonja]

I think having the best CB/S hybrid in this class (Allen) will hurt with Griffith's recruitment. Griffith needs to have a clear shot at FS as a plan B. He measured in at 6-1, 190+ yesterday. His dad was a 5-10/11 235lb RB. It's gonna be tough to keep weight off him unless his mom is Kate Moss. Plus, let's see how he tested. If I had to bet, he has pedestrian #'s or he didn't test. Kalon Gervin ran a 4.41, he had nothing to hide and actually improved on what was thought of him.

There are some pure CB's that most haven't even heard of yet that would be great additions to any P5. DJ Johnson is a 4 star CB in Indy dying for an ND offer. Erik Hallett coming in for the Spring Game is hot on the Irish and that's the quickest dude tested in the shuttle this year. Greg Newsome is still trying to prove everyone wrong about being CB worthy... he may in the end be another guy who needs to keep FS as a plan B or maybe it's plan A from the gitgo(?) Let's see what Newsome and Griffith did yesterday on W/Th when the results come out. I don't think Newsome's #'s will be great because he hasn't posted them BUT he did win the MVP over Kalon and Griffith.
Let's also remember: Everyone's thrilled with Julian Love... he ran a 4.71 at the Opening.

No need to worry yet.

Compared to ND, I disagree. Allen is the only elite DB we've brought in/will bring in between 2017 and 2018.

In OSU's 2017 or 2018 class for DBs. Many of them have the skill to play multiple positions in the secondary:

Jeffrey Okudah, 6'1.5", 190, .99 rating.
Shaun Wade, 6'1", 177, .99 rating.
Isaiah Pryor, 6'1.5", 195, .97 rating.
Kendall Sheffield, 6', 185, .94 rating.
Jaiden Woodbey, 6'1", 209, .98 rating.


They have a couple other 4-star DBs in this same time frame that I didn't list because I don't think they're elite enough to scare someone like Houston Griffith off. The road to PT between ND and OSU for a DB is not on the same planet.

 

[IrishLax]

Granted Notre Dame doesn't get many 5-Stars, and for the most part their 5-Stars haven't fulfilled expectations, but you've got to get the most talented players on the field. You've got to figure your most talented players are only going to be there for three years.

One of my biggest criticisms of Kelly is that he has been unable to get his top recruits on the field until their third or fourth year. If we're lucky, they have one good year before leaving. How do other teams get these freshmen on the field right away in a productive capacity while our recruits sit behind less talented players waiting and waiting for an opportunity? Brandon Wimbush is a good example of this failure to utilize the talent you have. He plays sparingly his freshman year, thereby blowing a year of eligibility. He is redshirted his sophomore year when he should be gaining some valuable experience behind Kizer. Now he's expected to start after sitting for two years. If he has a good year, he's gone to the NFL, and we've wasted his talent for two of his three years. If he has a crappy year, he will return and more than likely be the starter for the next two years because of Kelly's reluctance to play younger talent. Is Kelly just too **** loyal to his upper-classmen? We know he has been too loyal to his assistant coaches. Does loyalty blind Kelly when it comes to evaluating the young talent on his team?

LOL this makes absolutely no sense on any level. Good grief.

First of all, coming in Wimbush knew he would sit for at least one and probably two years because of the QBs in front of him. He and his mom have even talked about that how they knew the earliest he could possibly compete for the starting job would be 2016 (and that'd only be if Golson stayed and won the job in 2015 thereby putting Brandon in a three-way QB derby with Zaire/Kizer in 2016 after Golson departed) and that the coaches did not promise him early PT. They've said repeatedly how going to ND was a long term decision and not one they made to get on the field immediately.

Second, getting the number of live reps he got as a frosh is not "blowing a year of eligibility." He got more valuable experience in those snaps than he possibly could've gotten last year with Kizer/Zaire ahead of him and Kizer being a top NFL prospect. Knowing that he was going to redshirt one season, it is almost inarguable that it was better for him to get a high number of quality snaps in 2015 than the effectively zero he could've gotten in 2016 as we fought tooth-and-nail for a .500 record. Show me where he could've gotten real reps besides the Army game.

Third, it was an absolute necessity that he be ready to go his freshman year because he was the backup QB and almost every single team in the country needs their backup QB to take a couple snaps at some point in the season due to injury, helmet popping off, etc. etc. It would not have been reasonable for a coach to commit to him redshirting and therefor having no backup QB ready to go for a top 10 team chasing a playoff spot.

Fourth, being asked to start after sitting a few years is quite typical for QBs if the situation dictates it. See: Mitch Trubisky, virtually every USC QB under Carroll, etc. There are truly dozens and dozens of examples.

Fifth, the idea that he is gone to the NFL if he has a good year is bunk. Heisman caliber year? Maybe. But even then it's very rare that someone goes to the NFL as a top QB prospect after starting for only one season. In the past five years, the only QB drafted in the first round that started for only one season was... oh wait, there haven't been any. The closest is Ryan Tannehill who bounced around at WR and played about 1.5 seasons at QB. He would not have redshirted period if there wasn't a chance of him possibly playing the next 3 seasons at QB.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

LOL this makes absolutely no sense on any level. Good grief.

First of all, coming in Wimbush knew he would sit for at least one and probably two years because of the QBs in front of him. He and his mom have even talked about that how they knew the earliest he could possibly compete for the starting job would be 2016 (and that'd only be if Golson stayed and won the job in 2015 thereby putting Brandon in a three-way QB derby with Zaire/Kizer in 2016 after Golson departed) and that the coaches did not promise him early PT. They've said repeatedly how going to ND was a long term decision and not one they made to get on the field immediately.

Second, getting the number of live reps he got as a frosh is not "blowing a year of eligibility." He got more valuable experience in those snaps than he possibly could've gotten last year with Kizer/Zaire ahead of him and Kizer being a top NFL prospect. Knowing that he was going to redshirt one season, it is almost inarguable that it was better for him to get a high number of quality snaps in 2015 than the effectively zero he could've gotten in 2016 as we fought tooth-and-nail for a .500 record. Show me where he could've gotten real reps besides the Army game.

Third, it was an absolute necessity that he be ready to go his freshman year because he was the backup QB and almost every single team in the country needs their backup QB to take a couple snaps at some point in the season due to injury, helmet popping off, etc. etc. It would not have been reasonable for a coach to commit to him redshirting and therefor having no backup QB ready to go for a top 10 team chasing a playoff spot.

Fourth, being asked to start after sitting a few years is quite typical for QBs if the situation dictates it. See: Mitch Trubisky, virtually every USC QB under Carroll, etc. There are truly dozens and dozens of examples.

Fifth, the idea that he is gone to the NFL if he has a good year is bunk. Heisman caliber year? Maybe. But even then it's very rare that someone goes to the NFL as a top QB prospect after starting for only one season. In the past five years, the only QB drafted in the first round that started for only one season was... oh wait, there haven't been any. The closest is Ryan Tannehill who bounced around at WR and played about 1.5 seasons at QB. He would not have redshirted period if there wasn't a chance of him possibly playing the next 3 seasons at QB.

I thought fact based arguments were frowned upon here? Did I not get the memo?

 

[BobbyMac]

Compared to ND, I disagree. Allen is the only elite DB we've brought in/will bring in between 2017 and 2018.

In OSU's 2017 or 2018 class for DBs. Many of them have the skill to play multiple positions in the secondary:

Jeffrey Okudah, 6'1.5", 190, .99 rating.
Shaun Wade, 6'1", 177, .99 rating.
Isaiah Pryor, 6'1.5", 195, .97 rating.
Kendall Sheffield, 6', 185, .94 rating.
Jaiden Woodbey, 6'1", 209, .98 rating.


They have a couple other 4-star DBs in this same time frame that I didn't list because I don't think they're elite enough to scare someone like Houston Griffith off. The road to PT between ND and OSU for a DB is not on the same planet.

Are you are disagreeing with me because you thought I meant Griffith would choose OSU over ND because of Allen? I didn't say where i thought Griffith would go if he didn't like how he sees the projected roster/depth chart at ND.

 

[koonja]

Are you are disagreeing with me because you thought I meant Griffith would choose OSU over ND because of Allen? I didn't say where i thought Griffith would go if he didn't like how he sees the projected roster/depth chart at ND.

Yes I was. But if you're saying you don't think he goes to ND because of Allen, then I'd buy that. I guess I was just saying that logic would rule out OSU then. But maybe you're saying you think he passes on both because of Allen + OSU being loaded.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Are Allen and Griffith both FS prospects? Is there a reason they wouldn't be running FS/SS to get them both on the field?

Obviously, doesn't look like we're getting Griffith but just curious how you all profile the different safeties to a specific position.

 

[BobbyMac]

Yes I was. But if you're saying you don't think he goes to ND because of Allen, then I'd buy that. I guess I was just saying that logic would rule out OSU then. But maybe you're saying you think he passes on both because of Allen + OSU being loaded.

The one thing that OSU has over ND right now is they are the factory as you stated. But maybe FSU and or Illinois are higher on the list than we know? I think if he goes to OSU, he's the best CB--->FS in this class. Woodbey's gonna be a SS, maybe an OLB. I think Pryor projects the same way. Okudah COULD be a CB--->FS but if he stays at CB which I know he wants, then Griffith might have the inside track on FS quicker in Columbus than being in Derrik Allen's class and position. just throwing that out there.

 

[koonja]

The one thing that OSU has over ND right now is they are the factory as you stated. But maybe FSU and or Illinois are higher on the list than we know? I think if he goes to OSU, he's the best CB--->FS in this class. Woodbey's gonna be a SS, maybe an OLB. I think Pryor projects the same way. Okudah COULD be a CB--->FS but if he stays at CB which I know he wants, then Griffith might have the inside track on FS quicker in Columbus than being in Derrik Allen's class and position. just throwing that out there.

I mean, maybe it plays out that way, but he has 5 elite guys to dodge in the backfield at OSU, and 1 at ND. The chips would have to fall very unfavorably for him to truly be a bench player at ND before OSU.

But yeah - I'd be interested to see who else he's serious about.