2018 - State of the Recruiting Class thread

[Southside Sully]

Any chance the staff would take 3 RB's this cycle?

They are in contact with some really interesting <strike>2019</strike> 2018 RB's right now besides C'Bo.

Who are you hearing?

 

[NDdomer2]

Talking 2018.

I wouldn't have thought this but they got in contact with a couple of guys after they had C'Bo set up. Obviously could be Plan D but with 3 leaving, the math is there to support the idea.

* Just saw my 2019 typo above.


.

Second:

Who are you hearing?

 

[BobbyMac]

If it were up to me, I wouldn't take 3 in 18'. I'm a pretty big fan of some of the athletes in the 19' class, that I'd rather leave a spot for an RB/athlete type.

I'm leaning that way but hate the RB depth next year with Sex and TJ being banged up this year.

I guess wanting AJ Dillon to be a Pool A RB priority wasn't as foolish as some believed now that the hindsight lenses are in full focus

 

[ab2cmiller]

I'm leaning that way but hate the RB depth next year with Sex and TJ being banged up this year.

I guess wanting AJ Dillon to be a Pool A RB priority wasn't as foolish as some believed now that the hindsight lenses are in full focus

Wouldn't have mattered, Stepherson would've taken him shopping too.

 

[Luckylucci]

I'm leaning that way but hate the RB depth next year with Sex and TJ being banged up this year.

I guess wanting AJ Dillon to be a Pool A RB priority wasn't as foolish as some believed now that the hindsight lenses are in full focus

I hear ya and it's a tough spot to be in. I will say though that part of me thinks some of that was BK playing favorites and trying to get Adams in the Heisman race. I'm not so sure Dex was banged up that entire time. Certainly was for some of it, but I think there were plenty of carries left on the table. Now if both were truly banged up as much as their playing time reflects then I would agree and it could be an issue.

Also, I'm just not sure who else in this class we can get, that can get into ND. Apparently the staff has looked extensively at options and there just isn't a lot to choose from. I'd rather roll with the 4, including C'Bo, and get the right guys in 19'. Melusi, Chambers, and Williams. That'd be pretty nice.

 

[connor_in]

I'm leaning that way but hate the RB depth next year with Sex and TJ being banged up this year.

I guess wanting AJ Dillon to be a Pool A RB priority wasn't as foolish as some believed now that the hindsight lenses are in full focus

Sex is banged up? Sorry to hear that dude

 

[BobbyMac]

Who are you hearing?

Oops... Threw them in the 2018 Master List thread. (forgot where I was)

 

[stlnd01]

I'm leaning that way but hate the RB depth next year with Sex and TJ being banged up this year.

I guess wanting AJ Dillon to be a Pool A RB priority wasn't as foolish as some believed now that the hindsight lenses are in full focus

Yeah AJ Dillon would be nice to have.
Our ‘19 RB depth chart is even worse than ‘18. Basically TJ and Jahmir Smith. I’m sure we’ll recruit a couple but a lot to expect a true freshman to walk in and contribute. I’d grab two now, or one and convert an incoming freshman at another position with an eye to contributing in ‘19.

 

[Luckylucci]

Yeah AJ Dillon would be nice to have.
Our ‘19 RB depth chart is even worse than ‘18. Basically TJ and Jahmir Smith. I’m sure we’ll recruit a couple but a lot to expect a true freshman to walk in and contribute. I’d grab two now, or one and convert an incoming freshman at another position with an eye to contributing in ‘19.

Honestly, I don't think its that big of a deal if a true freshman is your 3rd string back. As long as he doesn't have to become your first string for long stretches, by himself. Our 3rd sting back gets what, 5-7 carries/game?

Also, RB is one place where you can certainly have true freshman make impacts early on.

Folston had 88 for 470
Adams had 116 for 838
That's 2 in the last 5 seasons. Certainly not unheard of.

Split Adams carries between Dex and Jones, and give Jahmir what Jones and Dex were getting/game. Rinse and repeat the next year with Jones/Jahmir, with C'Bo, Melusi, etc.

 

[irishff1014]

Lucci if you utilize both Dex and Jones other than mop up duty in large leads not much use for a third back imo. We don’t use a lot of 2 back sets and as long as the can avoid the injury bug we should be ok.

 

[BobbyMac]

Who's the patron saint of injuries?

They need a prayer thread.

 

[stlnd01]

Honestly, I don't think its that big of a deal if a true freshman is your 3rd string back. As long as he doesn't have to become your first string for long stretches, by himself. Our 3rd sting back gets what, 5-7 carries/game?

Also, RB is one place where you can certainly have true freshman make impacts early on.

Folston had 88 for 470
Adams had 116 for 838
That's 2 in the last 5 seasons. Certainly not unheard of.

Split Adams carries between Dex and Jones, and give Jahmir what Jones and Dex were getting/game. Rinse and repeat the next year with Jones/Jahmir, with C'Bo, Melusi, etc.

Forgot how much Adams played as a freshman - though IIRC that was largely later in the season after Prosise wore down, and both of them were pressed into service after Folston got hurt. That was not the plan.

Either way, three RBs is not much of a net for injuries, "attrition," etc. Also Jahmir Smith may be physically ready - and has advantage of being an EE - but a lot of true freshmen RBs aren't.
I think we pretty much have to either take another this cycle (C'Bo?) or reposition someone currently on the team and then grab two in the '19 class.

 

[Calabrese's People]

Who's the patron saint of injuries?

They need a prayer thread.

Pray to Saint Sebastian, my child.

 

[dublinirish]

Lucci if you utilize both Dex and Jones other than mop up duty in large leads not much use for a third back imo. We don’t use a lot of 2 back sets and as long as the can avoid the injury bug we should be ok.

both are injury prone as heck though. you can't rely on them given their track record at ND so far.

 

[IrishLax]

both are injury prone as heck though. you can't rely on them given their track record at ND so far.

Right, this is why people say you need 4 backs on the roster at minimum. RBs have the highest injury rate.

 

[dublinirish]

Right, this is why people say you need 4 backs on the roster at minimum. RBs have the highest injury rate.

these guys especially though. you almost need 5 if these 2 are part of your RB group.

 

[zelezo vlk]

these guys especially though. you almost need 5 if these 2 are part of your RB group.

Wimbush acts as a 3rd back anyways

 

[irish4ever]

Wimbush acts as a 3rd back anyways

He's starting?

 

[connor_in]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just one week away from National Signing Day &#55357;&#56714;️. We're excited to see who else will be joining <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NDFootball</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IrishBouND18?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IrishBouND18</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoIrish?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoIrish</a> ☘️<br><br>Feb. 7&#55357;&#56787;️<br>10:00 am ⌚️<a href="https://t.co/YqdA99Uz8p">https://t.co/YqdA99Uz8p</a> <br><br>Photo by <a href="https://twitter.com/mattcashore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattCashore</a> <a href="https://t.co/adXGCfij5y">pic.twitter.com/adXGCfij5y</a></p>— Notre Dame Game Day (@gamedayND) <a href="https://twitter.com/gamedayND/status/958726943691730944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


It is going to be so weird this year since so many signed up on early signing day, but we are in the running on some really good guys who haven't gone public yet for like 3-5 more people

 

[NDMIA]

Rest of 2018 Class (22 Commits)

ND Leader
.9026 3* WR Lawrence Keys III - 15/18 CB's (Final 3 of ND, Texas, SMU)
.8802 3* DB DJ Brown - 13/13 CB's (Final 3 of Cal, N'Western, ND)
.8464 3* DL Derrick Eason - 4/7 CB's - last 4 ND CB's (Final 2 of ND, NC St)
.8382 3* RB C'Bo Flemister - 6/7 CB's (Final 3 of ND, Tenn, GT)

ND Has a Chance
.9963 5* OL Nicholas Petit-Frere - 2/13 CB's - Loy/Wiltfong (Final 4 of Bama, UF, ND, OSU)
.9582 4* LB Solomon Tuliaupupu - 0/18 CB's (Final 3 of ND, USC, UCLA)
.8912 4* OL Jarrett Patterson - 0/16 CB's (Final 2 of ND, UCLA)

ND Has No Chance but still listed in Final List, Move on
.8916 4* DB Noah Boykin - 0/21 CB's (Final 4 of Maryland, ND, UF, UVA)
.8884 4* DL Moro Ojomo - 0/14 CB's (Final 6 of TA&M, ND, Texas, Okl, Oregon, TCU, UM)

We can take a max of 29 guys so every single guy on the top 2 lists can be a take if ND wants to fill out the maximum, but I don't think we land every single guy. Nice position to be in for ND. Hopefully we land a few guys from that second section!

 

[SoIll]

Rest of 2018 Class (22 Commits)

ND Leader
.9026 3* WR Lawrence Keys III - 15/18 CB's (Final 3 of ND, Texas, SMU)
.8802 3* DB DJ Brown - 13/13 CB's (Final 3 of Cal, N'Western, ND)
.8464 3* DL Derrick Eason - 4/7 CB's - last 4 ND CB's (Final 2 of ND, NC St)
.8382 3* RB C'Bo Flemister - 6/7 CB's (Final 3 of ND, Tenn, GT)

ND Has a Chance
.9963 5* OL Nicholas Petit-Frere - 2/13 CB's - Loy/Wiltfong (Final 4 of Bama, UF, ND, OSU)
.9582 4* LB Solomon Tuliaupupu - 0/18 CB's (Final 3 of ND, USC, UCLA)
.8912 4* OL Jarrett Patterson - 0/16 CB's (Final 2 of ND, UCLA)

ND Has No Chance but still listed in Final List, Move on
.8916 4* DB Noah Boykin - 0/21 CB's (Final 4 of Maryland, ND, UF, UVA)
.8884 4* DL Moro Ojomo - 0/14 CB's (Final 6 of TA&M, ND, Texas, Okl, Oregon, TCU, UM)

We can take a max of 29 guys so every single guy on the top 2 lists can be a take if ND wants to fill out the maximum, but I don't think we land every single guy. Nice position to be in for ND. Hopefully we land a few guys from that second section!

no chance? ISD suggested ND is still in it. Thought all CB's are in for Florida

 

[beryirish]

https://247sports.com/college/notre-dame/Gallery/Loys-Confidence-Meter-2018-targets-and-Notre-Dame-Jan-31-114456692

Loy’s Confidence Meter: 2018 targets and Notre Dame (Jan. 31)
Here is a look at the Notre Dame Target Board. Who will the Irish wrap-up the 2018 class with? Here is the latest Confidence Meter from 247Sports insider Tom Loy.

No. 9 — Three-star DT Moro Ojomo

— I expect him to stay closer to home. Notre Dame was able to get him on campus for a visit, but I expect this to be a Texas-Oklahoma visit down the stretch.

No. 8 — Four-star CB Noah Boykin

— Notre Dame is still working hard here. Some on the Irish staff believe they have a better shot than most are giving them credit for, but in the end, the expectation is that he picks Florida.

No. 7 — Four-star LB Solomon Tuliaupupu

— This one is intriguing. All signs pointed toward USC early and through most of this recruitment, but Notre Dame made a huge push and made this one extremely close. Confidence was high regarding the Irish's chances, but things looked to have changed this week following his official visit to USC. It looks like the Trojans are going to win this battle, but Notre Dame is still working hard to get him on board.

No. 6 — Four-star OL Jarrett Patterson

— As it stands right now, I'm leaning toward UCLA, but not enough to put in a 247Sports Crystal Ball yet. Distance surely helps, however, I don't think it's done quite yet. The Bruins coaching staff goes in-home on Thursday and Notre Dame goes in-home on Friday. Head coach Brian Kelly, offensive line coach Jeff Quinn and special teams coordinator Brian Polian will make their pitch. Notre Dame believes it has the better offensive, academic opportunities, and overall fit for what Patterson is looking for. Let's see what happens later this week.

No. 5 — Five-star OL Nicholas Petit-Frere

— This is a tough one to read. I nearly had him a spot or two closer to the "most likely" end of things. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly goes in-home on Wednesday and the Irish are going to try and make a big impression. The fact of the matter is Notre Dame's academic reputation is playing a big factor here with both Petit-Frere and his mother. Anyone claiming this one is done to Florida, Ohio State or Alabama isn't giving the Irish enough credit.

No. 4 — Four-star WR Lawrence Keys III

— This is a Notre Dame-Texas battle. SMU is in play as well, but the expectation is that he's Irish or a Longhorn come Signing Day. Both schools have optimism and to be quite honest, I don't think he's made up his mind yet or informed a coaching staff of his decision. I'm leaning toward Notre Dame on this one though, based on the academic opportunities and need for him in this class. He's been a priority for DelVaughn Alexander and Chip Long for a very long time.

No. 3 — Three-star CB DJ Brown

— Notre Dame makes sense. Brown wanted the offer for a while and likely would have already committed if there was a spot available to him a while back. Things changed and the staff is now pushing heavily. His decision will come next Wednesday between the Irish, Cal and Northwestern. I like Notre Dame here, but I'm keeping a close eye on Cal as well.

No. 2 — Three-star RB C'Bo Flemister

— Notre Dame made a big move late in the process and it seems the Irish are the favorites to land the productive back. Flemister and his family visited South Bend last weekend and from all accounts, things couldn't have gone better. Tennessee is a major threat and Flemister remains committed to Georgia Tech, but barring a late change of heart, I expect him to be Irish.

No. 1 — Three-star DE Derrick Eason

— Once the longtime North Carolina State commit set an official visit to Notre Dame, all signs pointed toward a flip. It just made sense. The Irish, led by Mike Elston, did a tremendous job recruiting Eason down the stretch and it continues to look like it'll pay off. I feel good about Notre Dame's chances here. As I reported over the weekend, Elston goes in-home on Wednesday. We'll see if things get wrapped up at that time.

 

[IrishLax]

Rest of 2018 Class (22 Commits)

ND Leader
.9026 3* WR Lawrence Keys III - 15/18 CB's (Final 3 of ND, Texas, SMU)
.8802 3* DB DJ Brown - 13/13 CB's (Final 3 of Cal, N'Western, ND)
.8464 3* DL Derrick Eason - 4/7 CB's - last 4 ND CB's (Final 2 of ND, NC St)
.8382 3* RB C'Bo Flemister - 6/7 CB's (Final 3 of ND, Tenn, GT)

ND Has a Chance
.9963 5* OL Nicholas Petit-Frere - 2/13 CB's - Loy/Wiltfong (Final 4 of Bama, UF, ND, OSU)
.9582 4* LB Solomon Tuliaupupu - 0/18 CB's (Final 3 of ND, USC, UCLA)
.8912 4* OL Jarrett Patterson - 0/16 CB's (Final 2 of ND, UCLA)

ND Has No Chance but still listed in Final List, Move on
.8916 4* DB Noah Boykin - 0/21 CB's (Final 4 of Maryland, ND, UF, UVA)
.8884 4* DL Moro Ojomo - 0/14 CB's (Final 6 of TA&M, ND, Texas, Okl, Oregon, TCU, UM)

We can take a max of 29 guys so every single guy on the top 2 lists can be a take if ND wants to fill out the maximum, but I don't think we land every single guy. Nice position to be in for ND. Hopefully we land a few guys from that second section!

I think most are confident in Brown, C'Bo, and Eason. To the point that it'd be extremely surprising if any of them were not part of this class.

I think people are split on Keys (who ND led for for months before UT OV), and Patterson despite UCLA consensus. People are surprisingly picking back up on the NPF train (which I think is false hope... if Bama/Florida have been convinced he's staying south for some time I would think they're correct). I think USC visit probably locked up Pupu for them.

Ojomo? Nope. Boykin? Don't even really get why ND is still trying here because he's waffled on us multiple times. IMO, he's gonna be a Gator.

 

[IrishLax]

https://247sports.com/college/notre-dame/Gallery/Loys-Confidence-Meter-2018-targets-and-Notre-Dame-Jan-31-114456692

Loy’s Confidence Meter: 2018 targets and Notre Dame (Jan. 31)
Here is a look at the Notre Dame Target Board. Who will the Irish wrap-up the 2018 class with? Here is the latest Confidence Meter from 247Sports insider Tom Loy.

EDIT: Not premium.

I'd re-order Patterson/NPF but that's basically it. Top three might as all be T1.

 

[beryirish]

EDIT: Can't copy and paste the entire thing.

But it's free and i posted the link? I for one appreciate this because when i'm at work it's nice to only open one window as opposed to multiple.

 

[IrishLax]

But it's free and i posted the link? I for one appreciate this because when i'm at work it's nice to only open one window as opposed to multiple.

Yeah you're good, see my edited post. It was showing up as premium for me at first.

 

[beryirish]

Yeah you're good, see my edited post. It was showing up as premium for me at first.

Gotcha - don't have to worry about me - i have zero subscriptions so anything i post is public.

 

[koonja]

Just a minor note, per ISD:

BK's in home with C'bo ended about an hour ago, and they're en route to FL to visit NPF.

 

[Rack Em]

Just a minor note, per ISD:

BK's in home with C'bo ended about an hour ago, and they're en route to FL to visit NPF.

https://247sports.com/Article/National-Signing-Day-2018-The-big-storylines-you-need-to-know-114459839

According to the 'Fong:

Several programs feel like they have a chance to land 247Sports No. 1 offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere. Following this weekend’s official to Ohio State he’ll decide between the Buckeyes, Alabama, Florida, Michigan and Notre Dame. I think it will be Notre Dame or the Gators unless this trip to Columbus changes things.

 

[Domina Nostra]

My confidence level (predictions)

Solomon Tuliaupupu - 10% (USC)
Noah Boykin - 40% (Florida)
Jarrett Patterson - 50% (UCLA)
Nicholas Petit-Frere - 50 % (ND)
C'Bo Flemister - 60% (ND)
Lawrence Keys - 67% (ND)
Derrick Eason - 80% (ND)
DJ Brown - 80% (ND)

I do think we land one of the OL and one of the CBs, which is key.
I would not be shocked if C'Bo stuck with GT. Which would stink for us.