2014 Fall Camp Thread

[Irish#1]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The one and only Digger Phelps telling <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeMontana">@JoeMontana</a> stories to the ESPN <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/busblitz?src=hash">#busblitz</a> crew. Always a treat. <a href="http://t.co/89g1Vlvg6w">pic.twitter.com/89g1Vlvg6w</a></p>— Leigh Torbin (@LTorbin) <a href="https://twitter.com/LTorbin/statuses/498832126889189377">August 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Love Digger

I'm up at SB this summer watching my granddaughter in Muffet's camp. I walk into the hallway at the ACC and hear this lady coach (in front of her players) arguing with a guy bent over talking to the team. I hear him say, "You don't know who I am?", to which the lady coach replies, "You don't know who I am?". By that time I'm right by them and I start laughing. The lady coach gives me the evil eye, so I blurt out, "Lady, you really don't know who he is? He's got his name hanging from the rafters in there". She looks at me with a glazed look so I knew she didn't know who he was, so I say, "Lady, this is Digger Phelps. He's probably forgot more about basketball then you'll ever know." Digger stands up laughing, shakes my hand and I have my picture taken with him.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

I would say Tyler is as athletic as Anthony Fasano. i could see Tyler as that type of TE. Devastating blocker and good short to intermediate pass catcher. Fasano was a second round pic and has had a long NFL Career.

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>A few years ago Tony Pike summed it best “I’ve never seen a coach more in-tune with everything that makes the player and the position work..</p>— Kyle Goodwin (@cubster11) <a href="https://twitter.com/cubster11/statuses/498873391512711168">August 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>and I doubt I ever will.” <a href="https://twitter.com/NDJackNolan">@NDJackNolan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EHansenNDI">@EHansenNDI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFootball">@NDFootball</a></p>— Kyle Goodwin (@cubster11) <a href="https://twitter.com/cubster11/statuses/498873535440224258">August 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[WakeUpEchoes]

Sportscenter saying that Kelly was supposed to talk to them by now, but practice has been "extended." They are trying to draw some sort of inference from that.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

When Kelly mentioned that they haven't had a player of his size before at the TE position, I immediately thought it was coachspeak but after hearing Luatua is closer to 6'2", he really wasn't giving over to hyperbole.

Niklas was purported to be around 265-270 at 6'7" so at 79 inches and giving him the benefit of the doubt at 270, he was running 3.41 lbs/inch which is still large but his leverage wasn't as good and it was spread over a greater frame.

Luatua, as a true freshman, is running 3.65 lbs/inch with a much more compact frame.

It's difficult to appreciate decimal differences but if you look at our other TEs:

Tyler Eifer: 6'6" & 250 - 3.205

Kyle Rudolph - 6'6" & 265 - 3.397

The numbers aren't necessarily important but it shows you a unique trait for Luatua: compressed size with athleticism. You can see most TEs are running from 3.2-3.4 at the upper echelon and Luatua is running at the 3.65 range, that is a marked increase.

Some of the biggest guys on the roster hover in the 3.7-4.25 range (Sheldon Day, Quenton Nelson, McGlinchey). Luatua is almost a DE/OL with his size per inch but is athletic enough to release and make a few grabs.

He is going to be a great asset for goalline, 3rd/4th and short situations.

I wasn't all that excited when we signed him because his rankings continued to drop (which is a rarity in the Kelly era) but I believe Luatua represents a sizable piece to our Saturday success this seaon.

Go Irish!

 

[Sherm Sticky]

When Kelly mentioned that they haven't had a player of his size before at the TE position, I immediately thought it was coachspeak but after hearing Luatua is closer to 6'2", he really wasn't giving over to hyperbole.

Niklas was purported to be around 265-270 at 6'7" so at 79 inches and giving him the benefit of the doubt at 270, he was running 3.41 lbs/inch which is still large but his leverage wasn't as good and it was spread over a greater frame.

Luatua, as a true freshman, is running 3.65 lbs/inch with a much more compact frame.

It's difficult to appreciate decimal differences but if you look at our other TEs:

Tyler Eifer: 6'6" & 250 - 3.205

Kyle Rudolph - 6'6" & 265 - 3.397

The numbers aren't necessarily important but it shows you a unique trait for Luatua: compressed size with athleticism. You can see most TEs are running from 3.2-3.4 at the upper echelon and Luatua is running at the 3.65 range, that is a marked increase.

Some of the biggest guys on the roster hover in the 3.7-4.25 range (Sheldon Day, Quenton Nelson, McGlinchey). Luatua is almost a DE/OL with his size per inch but is athletic enough to release and make a few grabs.

He is going to be a great asset for goalline, 3rd/4th and short situations.

I wasn't all that excited when we signed him because his rankings continued to drop (which is a rarity in the Kelly era) but I believe Luatua represents a sizable piece to our Saturday success this seaon.

Go Irish!

Interesting.

I can't wait for a 3rd or 4th and short against USC, Tyler lined at H-back, get's put in motion, Golson hands to Cam, oh wait it's a fake, passes to Luatua who snuck out the backfield and rambles 50 yards for a TD.

 

[gkIrish]

BK live on ESPN right now if anyone is interested.

 

[gkIrish]

BK live on ESPN right now if anyone is interested.

BK says as many as 9 freshmen will play on defense this year.

Mack Brown also noted we probably have the toughest schedule.

 

[GUknights75]

ESPN, during Bk's interview, had a ticker that said ND lost to Rutgers in the pin stripe bowl....

 

[Irish2155]

ESPN, during Bk's interview, had a ticker that said ND lost to Rutgers in the pin stripe bowl....

Saw that...smh.

 

[zelezo vlk]

ESPN, during Bk's interview, had a ticker that said ND lost to Rutgers in the pin stripe bowl....

Excellent fact checking there.

 

[PANDFAN]

keith's article

keith's article

Breaking Down Notre Dame's Latest Depth Chart Moves Midway Through Fall Camp | Bleacher Report

 

[PANDFAN]

by the way, the hot reporter who we were all wondering about...here is her twitter

https://twitter.com/ChristinaWFFT

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Just Saw Drue Tranquill <a href="https://twitter.com/d_TraNquill">@d_TraNquill</a> Running Thru My TV Screen on <a href="https://twitter.com/espn">@ESPN</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> Football Practice <a href="https://twitter.com/WFFTLocal">@WFFTLocal</a> <a href="http://t.co/ol8WrqvmU5">pic.twitter.com/ol8WrqvmU5</a></p>— CHRISTINA AGUAYO (@ChristinaWFFT) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristinaWFFT/statuses/498891327988563968">August 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>One thing I gleaned from the Mack Brown conversation with Brian Kelly on SportsCenter earlier today: Brown is pretty excited about Golson.</p>— Tyler James (@TJamesNDI) <a href="https://twitter.com/TJamesNDI/statuses/498895381498175488">August 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[Riddickulous]

BK says as many as 9 freshmen will play on defense this year.

Mack Brown also noted we probably have the toughest schedule.

That... is unsettling.

 

[PANDFAN]

That... is unsettling.

3 or 4 are just pass rushers on 3rd down...so cut that in half

 

[Riddickulous]

3 or 4 are just pass rushers on 3rd down...so cut that in half

This makes me feel better.

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/BWienekeNDI">@BWienekeNDI</a>'s camp catch-up w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> RB Greg Bryant (<a href="https://twitter.com/The1twoWatch">@The1twoWatch</a>). <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NDInsider?src=hash">#NDInsider</a> video: <a href="http://t.co/uURQhRwoat">http://t.co/uURQhRwoat</a> <a href="http://t.co/0kcehPOdYq">pic.twitter.com/0kcehPOdYq</a></p>— Tyler James (@TJamesNDI) <a href="https://twitter.com/TJamesNDI/statuses/498896910791749633">August 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[Big23Head]

That... is unsettling.

Like PANDFAN said most likely pass rush guys. Then Watkins in certain situations I imagine and Trumbetti which is ok. For now, I do have your unsettled feeling with Cage/Mokwuah in the middle right now though.

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Golson in the top 5 MT <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooForde">@YahooForde</a>: CFB Most Intriguing Lists continue. This week: 25 Most Intriguing Quarterbacks. <a href="http://t.co/ARcst3rLjG">http://t.co/ARcst3rLjG</a></p>— Dan Murphy (@BGI_DanMurphy) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGI_DanMurphy/statuses/498897318532632576">August 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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5. Everett Golson, Notre Dame. Missed the entire season last year after getting into trouble academically, and the Fighting Irish offense was pedestrian without him. Now Notre Dame’s lone shining light from the 2013 BCS Championship Game debacle is back, with much expected of him. If Golson picks up where he left off in the latter half of the ’12 season, the Irish will have a chance at a double-digit victory total.

 

[NDWorld247]

With Luatua perform so far, it questions what the reporting services saw his senior year that caused his rankings to plummet.

IMO, three things contributed to Tyler’s drop in ratings:

1. He was rated too high to begin with (97 on 247...only one TE was rated a 97 by the end of the recruiting cycle - Mike Gesicki, Penn State).

2. Poor performances, including rumored “attitude” concerns (which I always thought was BS), in non-contact camp settings and the importance evaluator’s place on TE’s receiving ability in camps, 7ON tourneys, etc.

3. Senior season that didn’t live up to expectations, including missed games/nagging injuries, a drop in stats from great junior season, etc.

TE ratings are different than other positions though. A 91 on 247 put Tyler at #7 nationally, a top 10 talent at his position. Regarding his position, I think he’ll end up playing a lot more H-back (maybe even exclusively) than traditional TE roles (inline or flex), especially this season. When you consider his potential at H-back, now we’re probably talking about a top 3 player nationally at his true position in which there are no ratings/rankings. It will be interesting to see if/when he adds the more traditional TE roles to his responsibilities, but even if he plays solely H-back, I love the dimension he adds to the offense.

Regarding his “surprising” debut in Fall camp, BK and the staff knew what a unique talent they had in Tyler and Tyler bought in to their vision for his role in the offense. It took the rest of us some time to see how impactful he could be from day one in this role. I found this article interesting in that the Loy predicted what most people thought (a redshirt season) while Tyler and the staff thought otherwise:

SIGNED: Tyler Luatua

Tom Lemming Of Prep Football Report: “He’s a premier athlete. They didn’t throw much during his senior season, but he was dominant during his junior season. He has great hands, and he’s one of the nicest kids you will ever meet. He’s a natural athlete, and he’s going to be a good one at Notre Dame. He has what it takes to be a big, solid tight end that can run after the catch and make plays during his career.”


La Mirada head coach Mike Moschetti: “Tyler is a special kid. He’s been great to have on and off the field, and he’s a leader on our team. He’s impressive on the field and will be very good at tight end at Notre Dame. He will have a great career.”

Luatua On Why He Chose Notre Dame: “It was just the best place for me. They recruited me hard, made me feel wanted and treated me like I was special. I think there is a place for me to play as a freshman and contribute right away.”

 

[NDohio]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>One thing I gleaned from the Mack Brown conversation with Brian Kelly on SportsCenter earlier today: Brown is pretty excited about Golson.</p>— Tyler James (@TJamesNDI) <a href="https://twitter.com/TJamesNDI/statuses/498895381498175488">August 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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I have been getting the feeling that all the talk about EG and MK being in a battle is BS. I believe BK is simply trying to temper expectations, from the national media, for how EG will do this year. It seems like whenever reporters from outside the ND family see/talk with EG they are really impressed with him.

I am trying to keep my own expectations for him in check, but it gets harder each day. I am beginning to build expectations for a tremendous season from our QB.

 

[PANDFAN]

I have been getting the feeling that all the talk about EG and MK being in a battle is BS. I believe BK is simply trying to temper expectations, from the national media, for how EG will do this year. It seems like whenever reporters from outside the ND family see/talk with EG they are really impressed with him.

I am trying to keep my own expectations for him in check, but it gets harder each day. I am beginning to build expectations for a tremendous season from our QB.

screw that, i'm pouring, get in line

 

[Irish YJ]

 

[Whiskeyjack]

screw that, i'm pouring, get in line

 

[Luckylucci]

IMO, three things contributed to Tyler’s drop in ratings:

1. He was rated too high to begin with (97 on 247...only one TE was rated a 97 by the end of the recruiting cycle - Mike Gesicki, Penn State).

2. Poor performances, including rumored “attitude” concerns (which I always thought was BS), in non-contact camp settings and the importance evaluator’s place on TE’s receiving ability in camps, 7ON tourneys, etc.

3. Senior season that didn’t live up to expectations, including missed games/nagging injuries, a drop in stats from great junior season, etc.

TE ratings are different than other positions though. A 91 on 247 put Tyler at #7 nationally, a top 10 talent at his position. Regarding his position, I think he’ll end up playing a lot more H-back (maybe even exclusively) than traditional TE roles (inline or flex), especially this season. When you consider his potential at H-back, now we’re probably talking about a top 3 player nationally at his true position in which there are no ratings/rankings. It will be interesting to see if/when he adds the more traditional TE roles to his responsibilities, but even if he plays solely H-back, I love the dimension he adds to the offense.

Regarding his “surprising” debut in Fall camp, BK and the staff knew what a unique talent they had in Tyler and Tyler bought in to their vision for his role in the offense. It took the rest of us some time to see how impactful he could be from day one in this role. I found this article interesting in that the Loy predicted what most people thought (a redshirt season) while Tyler and the staff thought otherwise:

SIGNED: Tyler Luatua

I agree with almost everything posted here but he was extremely underwhelming all week during UA AA practice even as a blocker. Once they started to realize he didn't have the athleticism to really separate downfield they were looking for him to compete better at in-line blocking and he just wasn't there. So there was a pretty significant data point to turn to that justified his ratings drop. With that said, kudos to Tyler for taking the last few/several months to get stronger and commit himself to football and its clearly paying off. This isn't the same football player that was at the UA game from a physical perspective or a mentality perspective.

 

[NDWorld247]

That... is unsettling.

BK has repeatedly said a number of guys are going to play this season, regardless of class, so the idea that nine freshmen see the field on defense isn't surprising or "unsettling" to me. They're seeing the field because they are ready to contribute. Now the question is which nine are most likely to play and which three are most likely in for a redshirt year or only playing special teams/garbage time D since redshirt is off...

DT - Based on BK's previous comments, Cage and Mokwuah are ready to play and should contribute this season.

DE/Rush LB - (in order of 247 ranking) Trumbetti, Hayes, Blankenship, Bonner, Hill, Williams....Really hard to say here...if the other predictions are right, there's room for five of these six to contribute. I think Trumbetti and Williams are most likely, followed by Bonner and then the other three. I don't think any will be needed on special teams.

LB - I assume Morgan is one of the nine. Martini could be in for a redshirt as he's probably not "needed" on special teams.

DB - Watkins should play. I don't think Tranquill will play on D but special teams is a good possibility.

So, IMO, most likely to redshirt or only play special teams/garbage time D are Martini, Tranquill and one of the DEs.

 

[Irish#1]

When Kelly mentioned that they haven't had a player of his size before at the TE position, I immediately thought it was coachspeak but after hearing Luatua is closer to 6'2", he really wasn't giving over to hyperbole.

Niklas was purported to be around 265-270 at 6'7" so at 79 inches and giving him the benefit of the doubt at 270, he was running 3.41 lbs/inch which is still large but his leverage wasn't as good and it was spread over a greater frame.

Luatua, as a true freshman, is running 3.65 lbs/inch with a much more compact frame.

It's difficult to appreciate decimal differences but if you look at our other TEs:

Tyler Eifer: 6'6" & 250 - 3.205

Kyle Rudolph - 6'6" & 265 - 3.397

The numbers aren't necessarily important but it shows you a unique trait for Luatua: compressed size with athleticism. You can see most TEs are running from 3.2-3.4 at the upper echelon and Luatua is running at the 3.65 range, that is a marked increase.

Some of the biggest guys on the roster hover in the 3.7-4.25 range (Sheldon Day, Quenton Nelson, McGlinchey). Luatua is almost a DE/OL with his size per inch but is athletic enough to release and make a few grabs.

He is going to be a great asset for goalline, 3rd/4th and short situations.

I wasn't all that excited when we signed him because his rankings continued to drop (which is a rarity in the Kelly era) but I believe Luatua represents a sizable piece to our Saturday success this seaon.

Go Irish!

Dallas Clark wasn't tall either, but made a lot of noise from the H back position.

 

[NDWorld247]

I agree with almost everything posted here but he was extremely underwhelming all week during UA AA practice even as a blocker. Once they started to realize he didn't have the athleticism to really separate downfield they were looking for him to compete better at in-line blocking and he just wasn't there. So there was a pretty significant data point to turn to that justified his ratings drop. With that said, kudos to Tyler for taking the last few/several months to get stronger and commit himself to football and its clearly paying off. This isn't the same football player that was at the UA game from a physical perspective or a mentality perspective.

That's fair. I was looking at the 247 ratings which didn't update for him after the All-American games. They dropped him for the final time during his senior season (mid-October). However, ESPN, which airs the UA game, dropped him from #1 at his position and #76 overall (at the time of his commitment to ND on 12/16) to #3 and #107 respectively. I haven't looked at Rivals or Scout. I also just noticed that ESPN differentiates between Y and H tight ends. I like it.

I was actually at the UA game in St. Petersburg but didn't follow the practices leading up to it due to a lot of traveling. I tried to key on Tyler whenever he was in the game and don't have the benefit of a TV broadcast, but I remember liking what I saw from his physically. I don't think he was targeted in the passing game, but he was physical and, as you said, obviously put in the work since January to contribute to this team from day one.

 

[Domina Nostra]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/BWienekeNDI">@BWienekeNDI</a>'s camp catch-up w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> RB Greg Bryant (<a href="https://twitter.com/The1twoWatch">@The1twoWatch</a>). <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NDInsider?src=hash">#NDInsider</a> video: <a href="http://t.co/uURQhRwoat">http://t.co/uURQhRwoat</a> <a href="http://t.co/0kcehPOdYq">pic.twitter.com/0kcehPOdYq</a></p>— Tyler James (@TJamesNDI) <a href="https://twitter.com/TJamesNDI/statuses/498896910791749633">August 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Who is the last player that we had that is as confident as Greg Bryant? Clausen maybe?

https://notredame.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1668242