'20 NJ OLB Cody Simon (Ohio State Verbal)

[Luckylucci]

We're going to lose out on Simon? That would be a big bummer.

Sounds like by choice. I realize his recent camp performance makes this difficult to hear but this has been a very real possibility for awhile now

 

[KizerWilhelm]

We're going to lose out on Simon? That would be a big bummer.

From what Loy said, it's more that Notre Dame decided they don't want a pure linebacker at all this class

 

[TP81989]

Making room for JD Bertrand but not Cody Simon is bizarre.

 

[EddytoNow]

Making room for JD Bertrand but not Cody Simon is bizarre.

A bird in the hand is ...

 

[NDIrish88]

From what Loy said, it's more that Notre Dame decided they don't want a pure linebacker at all this class

I know they will have a lot of LBs but this kid is legit and his brother already goes to ND. I am little surprised, but roster management is important. Also I am wondering if Lea really thinks Bertrand and Marist are better options than Cody? I would say no but he has produced pretty good talent so who am I to disagree.

 

[Luckylucci]

Making room for JD Bertrand but not Cody Simon is bizarre.

This was posted on the 247 board and this comparison isn't relevant, at all. They told Bertrand he'd have a scholarship when one opened up, before Cody even finished his 1st semester of his Junior Year. If Simon had committed, when Baumann and Mayer did, I'm sure we might have skipped taking Bertrand or Liufau. Just like we skipped TE recruiting in the 19' class.

Cody wanted to have his own recruitment and wanted to take visits. Are we supposed to put LB recruiting, in the class ahead of him, on hold until his decision? That sounds like the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It's also precisely what got previous defensive staffs in trouble. Narrowing the focus to guys they "should" be able to get. Then when they didn't get those guys, we were screwed.

 

[Luckylucci]

Saying you like Simon more than Bertrand, ok I get it, so do I. But it's not relevant to this decision because that wasn't a choice the staff had when taking Bertrand.

 

[IrishLion]

ND has too many scholarships tied up at LB.

Skipping this class is probably the best move to start staggering the roster and scholarship count to be healthier for other position groups.

(It's also potentially a big problem if you experience bad luck in terms of attrition beyond '20, but I at least trust Clark Lea to handle it better than Diaco did.)

 

[Ndaccountant]

Either way, I always feel like there is a risk doing this, especially if Simon really liked ND. Specifically, the risk of pissing off locals who might do training, be affiliated with the school, etc. New Jersey has been a state that ND can find success in and there is usually a dozen or so kids per year that could play at a high level. Hope there are no bridges burned.

 

[NDMIA]

2020 Roster (12 Scholarships)
RS SR Jonathan Jones
SR Jordan Genmark-Heath
RS JR Jeremiah O-Koramoah
RS JR Drew White
JR Shayne Simon
JR Bo Bauer
JR Paul Moala
RS SO Jack Lamb
RS FR JD Bertrand
RS FR Osita Ekwonu
RS FR Marist Liufau
RS FR Jack Kiser

So I think 12 is perfect from a numbers perspective, but I still think passing on Cody Simon would be a huge huge mistake. First off I think Jon Jones is out of ND after this season and I’d guess at least 1 other guy leaves because of the clog between RS JR, JR, and RS SO on the 2020 roster. Fortunes can change quickly when it comes to roster management and I think passing on a consensus 4 star from a pipeline school that will be in a National all star game is a really bad idea. I think that god forbid ND takes Cody Simon and they roll into 2020 with 12 scholarship LBers that isn’t the end of the world because that’s what they’ve carried in 2017 & 2018 and seemed to have some pretty good years. I didn’t mind taking 1 linebacker this cycle but taking zero has proven before to be a huge mistake at different position groups. It’s one thing to skip a cycle when you can get a MAC level kid from close by and it’s a whole other thing to tell an ND player’s little brother that he’s not welcome when he’s a consensus 4 star and fits pretty perfectly into the “athletic long linebackers that can run” category in Clark Lea’s defense.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

EDIT: Never mind; I misread.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Unless the staff expect to sign a RB/LB hybrid or a DE/LB hybrid whom they believe can take reps at LB if needed, then I hate the idea of skipping a position for an entire year. Especially a position that has 2-3 players on the field.

It's one thing to skip TE, because you're loaded with top 10 players and you have 1&2 already verbal'd in the next class.

But, I'm sure the staff have thought through this many times and have a good reason for their strategy.

 

[Luckylucci]

FWIW, there was no mention of staff cutting of communication or stop recruiting him, altogether. In fact, we were just at his school within the last week. This seems like more of a future projection based on how the class could play out.

 

[Irish#1]

It’s one thing to skip a cycle when you can get a MAC level kid from close by and it’s a whole other thing to tell an ND player’s little brother that he’s not welcome when he’s a consensus 4 star and fits pretty perfectly into the “athletic long linebackers that can run” category in Clark Lea’s defense.

We have no idea what they told Simon, but I bet it wasn't "you're not welcome". Having a brother on the team doesn't automatically get you a spot. I've said this before, as much as we subscribe to services and get "intel" from various sources, the bottom line is we're not in the meetings and don't know what's discussed. I would have taken Simon myself, but that's from my view and not the staffs.

Unless the staff expect to sign a RB/LB hybrid or a DE/LB hybrid whom they believe can take reps at LB if needed, then I hate the idea of skipping a position for an entire year. Especially a position that has 2-3 players on the field.

But, I'm sure the staff have thought through this many times and have a good reason for their strategy.

I'm in the camp that you always take one, but they have their reason.

 

[KizerWilhelm]

Unless the staff expect to sign a RB/LB hybrid or a DE/LB hybrid whom they believe can take reps at LB if needed, then I hate the idea of skipping a position for an entire year.

I think this might be exactly their plan (Loy's exact wording was they wouldn't take a "pure" linebacker). Coleman, Martinez, and Melton can all play LB if needed, so it's hard to make the case that we need Simon.

 

[T-Boone]

We have no idea what they told Simon, but I bet it wasn't "you're not welcome". Having a brother on the team doesn't automatically get you a spot. I've said this before, as much as we subscribe to services and get "intel" from various sources, the bottom line is we're not in the meetings and don't know what's discussed. I would have taken Simon myself, but that's from my view and not the staffs.

It certainly doesnt, its almost the opposite. It seems like we are 1 from about 10 with brothers lately.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

I think this might be exactly their plan (Loy's exact wording was they wouldn't take a "pure" linebacker). Coleman, Martinez, and Melton can all play LB if needed, so it's hard to make the case that we need Simon.

Given the number of RBs on the roster, I have to wonder if landing Tyree alleviates the RB concerns enough to mean Simon becomes a take.

 

[Domina Nostra]

I would always take the high talent brother from a good family. You don't take a kid unless he earns it, but if he does, its just natural loyalty to your guys to treat their family as a priority. It creates a good vibe.

Again, he has to earn a spot.

 

[dad4aa]

How do we know this isn't more about his choice? A lot of younger brothers are tired of playing in the shadow and want to be their own person on their own campus. He has blown up at camps and is getting major offers.

 

[NDIrish88]

Wonder if he does what bertrand is doing? Grey shirt until a spot opens up

 

[Luckylucci]

Wonder if he does what bertrand is doing? Grey shirt until a spot opens up

A long way to go before that decision would be made. I’d place the chances of that happening at less than 1%. However, I do hope he’s patient and allows the BPA board to play itself out

 

[Irish#1]

It certainly doesnt, its almost the opposite. It seems like we are 1 from about 10 with brothers lately.

As mentioned by DAD4aa, it could be the brother wants to set their own direction and not be in the proverbial shadow.

I would always take the high talent brother from a good family. You don't take a kid unless he earns it, but if he does, its just natural loyalty to your guys to treat their family as a priority. It creates a good vibe.

Again, he has to earn a spot.

Always seems like a good thing to do. I have to believe this is really more about "fit" in the defense and what the staff has identified as the prerequisites.

 

[Big23Head]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Very honored to have been invited to the Rivals Five-Star Challenge!! <a href="https://twitter.com/RivalsFriedman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RivalsFriedman</a> <a href="https://t.co/As7lsKVKqw">pic.twitter.com/As7lsKVKqw</a></p>— Cody Simon (@Cody_Simon30) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cody_Simon30/status/1130994386655952897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[NDMIA]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Four-star Penn State LB target Cody Simon schedules June visits (VIP)<a href="https://t.co/X10TUqbZVi">https://t.co/X10TUqbZVi</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZqWMbWB2Ru">pic.twitter.com/ZqWMbWB2Ru</a></p>— Lions247 (@Lions247) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lions247/status/1133500696664391680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
6/8 Nebraska
6/15 Penn State
6/22 Ohio State

ND’s been willing to take some chances on younger brothers in the past (Okwara, Ademilola, Jones, Martin, etc) with varying degrees of success and I get that ND shouldn’t be just forced to take someone because of their family because this is about ND football being as good of a roster as it can get, but this one doesn’t make sense to me. Yes, there’s 12 linebackers projected to return on scholarship which is definitely a lot. However, there’s going to be attrition to this linebacking corps by fall of 2020 and I’d bet big bucks on that. There’s too many guys for not enough snaps and I know that sounds counterintuitive to bringing on another body, but I think Cody Simon is and can be better than more than a few of the linebackers that ND has on scholarship currently. Drew White can apparently only play in specific games (Navy), Jonathan Jones hasn’t played at all in 3+ years, Bo Bauer is a Brian VanGorder recruit, Koramoah broke his foot badly enough to skip a whole year, Kiser already had significant shoulder surgery, and Moala and Genmark-Heath are converted safeties. That’s obviously an over-negative way to look at the position group but I don’t see how Cody Simon doesn’t improve the linebacker room at Notre Dame. It also doesn’t make sense to pass on a 4* recruit who’s brother is on the team and goes to a pipeline school. Taking Cody Simon makes too much sense but ND is gonna skip this class for linebackers. I don’t like it one bit and I hope it changes.

 

[JD Irish]

ND screwed this recruitment up big time. They love overthinking things.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I don't care that it's a crowded depth chart and that the position has changed, skipping any position in a recruiting class is dumb, especially at a position where multiple people play at a time.

 

[BobbyMac]

Cody will have his chance to be in this class. They need him more than they need Atteberry or any receiver not named Johnson or McMillan.

 

[snoopdog]

Cody will have his chance to be in this class. They need him more than they need Atteberry or any receiver not named Johnson or McMillan.

I do hope you are right

 

[Luckylucci]

We’ll see, either way, a lot has to go wrong for this to matter. I do hope he makes the class but very hard for this to be a needle mover for us.

 

[NDMIA]

I’m not a master of film study but he looks good. He’s a 4.6 guy which isn’t a non-take for Clark Lea’s defense. He’s a 4 star on every recruiting service. He’s being heavily recruited by Penn State and Ohio State. He’s going to the Opening Finals and will likely end the year and two prestigious all American games for high schoolers. He does seem like a needle move to me. 4 stars sometimes do make differences and guys like Michael Carmody, Cody Simon and Tirek Murphy end up making a top 10 class achievable which allows ND to compete for championships. I’ll just hope from now on until December that Cody Simon ends up in the class.