'22 IA S Xavier Nwankpa (Iowa Verbal)

zelezo vlk

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This is a really weird recruitment because I think the player loves the school but ND has no bragging rights when it comes to the secondary play. Its only Harrison Smith and Kyle Hamilton, everybody else was nowhere near that kind of play where CFB is very easy for them.

I would throw in Jim Thorpe finalist Julian Love too, but you're right.
 

NDFAN420

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If Alabama or LSU suddenly hired terrible DB coaches it wouldn't matter how many guys the schools had previously put into the NFL, recruits would start to look elsewhere, more or less.
 

andre784

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I would throw in Jim Thorpe finalist Julian Love too, but you're right.

Love got drafted 4th round still. My point is you have to have premier players at the pro level in certain positions for recruiting to get easier. I think we all hope Kyle Hamilton goes top 5 because that changes the narrative. The recruiting pitch is if you play DB at ND you won't get drafted into the NFL. Thats what all these prospects are told growing up and not having NFL draft success legitimizes the statement.
 

BrownerandFry

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Love got drafted 4th round still. My point is you have to have premier players at the pro level in certain positions for recruiting to get easier. I think we all hope Kyle Hamilton goes top 5 because that changes the narrative. The recruiting pitch is if you play DB at ND you won't get drafted into the NFL. Thats what all these prospects are told growing up and not having NFL draft success legitimizes the statement.

You seem dug in and in good faith on your position, but I respectfully, and completely disagree with you.

Teenagers' decision are vastly more complex and layered.

And recruiting is more about passion than data.

"when I believe I am believed."
 

andre784

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You seem dug in and in good faith on your position, but I respectfully, and completely disagree with you.

Teenagers' decision are vastly more complex and layered.

And recruiting is more about passion than data.

"when I believe I am believed."

The perception of ND having ultimate success with a DB is completely unheard of especially in Nwankpas age group. They didn't grow up seeing ND with superstar players in the secondary. Like I said, Kyle represents maybe the change in recruiting if he goes top 5.
 

BrownerandFry

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The perception of ND having ultimate success with a DB is completely unheard of especially in Nwankpas age group. They didn't grow up seeing ND with superstar players in the secondary. Like I said, Kyle represents maybe the change in recruiting if he goes top 5.

Welcome to Planet Earth.i hope upur trip fom Arakis went smoothly! Luther Bradley Todd Lyght Jeff Burris and Bobby Taylor sayBi!
 

Son of Kenmare

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Pride Jr., TroyCBRES - 1stRES20 04 113
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McCloud, NickCBCB - 2ndActive21 CFA
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Elliott, JalenSSSS - 4thActive20 CFA
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Gilman, AlohiSSS - 2ndActive20 06 186
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Smith, HarrisonFSSS - 1stActive12 01 029
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Russell, KeiVaraeCBPS - 3rdPS16 03 074
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Love, JulianCBSS - 1stActive19 04 108
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Farley, MatthiasSSS - 1stActive16 CFA


Don't think that we're horrible at developing players.
 

dad4aa

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Can we claim development on Gilman and McCloud?

I would Gilman since he only played one year at Navy and had 3 years with ND counting his redshirt year. Probably wouldn’t claim McCloud.
 

andre784

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For a major football program the list needs to be significantly better. You can't live in the past. Gilman was a freaking transfer for goodness sakes. Todd Lyght era I wasn't even born yet.
 

NDdomer2

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Your question is intriguing. Can LSu and Brady take credit for Burrow? Can Ohio State and Day take credit for Fields?

i suppose ill answer although I dont think they are comparable scenarios other than they all transferred.

Burrow had done nothing in college until his time at LSU/Brady.
OSU Career: 29-39 287 2 TD
LSU Career: 621-906 76

Justin Fields also had little action between his two schools
UGA: 12-27 4td
OSU: 396-579 63

I know where my votes are going for the development of those two.

Nick McCloud:
UNC: 105 tackles 3 int 20 pd's
ND: 33-1-8

I will concede on Gilman - I forgot he only played one year at Navy, i thought he was 2 at each. He was a known commodity when we got him though. IIRC he only transferred due to Navy denying some sort of early NFL draft entry request.

Regardless, a 6th round draft pick and an undrafted player aren't exactly argument winners here as far as it pertains to the conversation being had.
 

Cackalacky2.0

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i suppose ill answer although I dont think they are comparable scenarios other than they all transferred.

Burrow had done nothing in college until his time at LSU/Brady.
OSU Career: 29-39 287 2 TD
LSU Career: 621-906 76

Justin Fields also had little action between his two schools
UGA: 12-27 4td
OSU: 396-579 63

I know where my votes are going for the development of those two.

Nick McCloud:
UNC: 105 tackles 3 int 20 pd's
ND: 33-1-8

I will concede on Gilman - I forgot he only played one year at Navy, i thought he was 2 at each. He was a known commodity when we got him though. IIRC he only transferred due to Navy denying some sort of early NFL draft entry request.

Regardless, a 6th round draft pick and an undrafted player aren't exactly argument winners here as far as it pertains to the conversation being had.
Neither Burrows or Fields played at their former schools. Can we really say they weren’t developed by those teams because they lost their respective positional battles to the coach’s choice in starters?
 

ColinKSU

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Welcome to Planet Earth.i hope upur trip fom Arakis went smoothly! Luther Bradley Todd Lyght Jeff Burris and Bobby Taylor sayBi!

Respectfully, no one involved in their development in any possible way is still with the university. Not only that, but no one connected to anyone involved in their development is still with the university. Those players may as well never have existed for the purpose of this discussion.
 

NDdomer2

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Neither Burrows or Fields played at their former schools. Can we really say they weren’t developed by those teams because they lost their respective positional battles to the coach’s choice in starters?

well they played because they have stats, but I dont know the right answer to this. Why did they lose their position battles? What was the criteria? Would they have still lost it at the next team? Regardless, Burrow and Fields in relation to two DB transfers who are fringe NFLers all have nothing to do with Xavier and why he will or wont come to ND.
 

Cackalacky2.0

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well they played because they have stats, but I dont know the right answer to this. Why did they lose their position battles? What was the criteria? Would they have still lost it at the next team? Regardless, Burrow and Fields in relation to two DB transfers who are fringe NFLers all have nothing to do with Xavier and why he will or wont come to ND.

Yeah … I mean Drew Pyne has stats as well. I can’t say that TB has been “developed” at this point either. Burrow as good as he was or not was behind two other great qbs. Fields got picked over for SOME reason or reasons by Smart. Only thing I can say is that there were both upperclassmen and were given a chance to play and did well.

Ultimately I agree with you last statements.
 

BrownerandFry

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i suppose ill answer although I dont think they are comparable scenarios other than they all transferred.

Burrow had done nothing in college until his time at LSU/Brady.
OSU Career: 29-39 287 2 TD
LSU Career: 621-906 76

Justin Fields also had little action between his two schools
UGA: 12-27 4td
OSU: 396-579 63

I know where my votes are going for the development of those two.

Nick McCloud:
UNC: 105 tackles 3 int 20 pd's
ND: 33-1-8

I will concede on Gilman - I forgot he only played one year at Navy, i thought he was 2 at each. He was a known commodity when we got him though. IIRC he only transferred due to Navy denying some sort of early NFL draft entry request.

Regardless, a 6th round draft pick and an undrafted player aren't exactly argument winners here as far as it pertains to the conversation being had.

So, thanks for the outstanding response. this sort of dialogue is useful and too infrequent, so, again, THANKS!

Frankly, teenagers remind me of the saying "I used to have no kids and ten theories on the right way to raise them; now I have ten kids and no theories" I get a little annoyed when adults try to PROJECT dedcisional syllogisms onto teenagers. Their decisiions making processes are a riddle, wrapped inside a mystery shrouded in an enigma.:"

People are comlicated not linear.

But cool beans for throwing Nick McCloud in there.
 

Son of Kenmare

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I would state that Burrows and Fields had a large portion of their development prior to reporting to campus at LSU/OSU. You develop mentally and physically on the practice field/film room at OSU and Georgia. If they had not, they would not have been able to excel when they hit the field at LSU/OSU.
 

FWIrish4

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If you had to choose to win only one of the big Ohio St recruiting battles - Nwankpa, Styles or Carnell Tate - who are you choosing and why?

I think I have to go with Nwankpa just due to the fact of seeing the difference to our secondary with Hamilton out the last 3 weeks. Unique backend talent makes a huge difference especially with the more explosive offensives are becoming across CFB.
 

IrishLion

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If you had to choose to win only one of the big Ohio St recruiting battles - Nwankpa, Styles or Carnell Tate - who are you choosing and why?

I think I have to go with Nwankpa just due to the fact of seeing the difference to our secondary with Hamilton out the last 3 weeks. Unique backend talent makes a huge difference especially with the more explosive offensives are becoming across CFB.

Easy call, if only for the DMX memes.

Despite Whiskey's nearly flawless argument in favor of Nwankpa... I'm going with Styles.

Styles, like Hamilton, is an athletic unicorn.

It helps that Hamilton is playing on the back end, where he can use his freaky athleticism and insane instincts to eliminate 75% of the field, but he'd be wrecking games regardless of his position.

Plus, there are borderline 5-star safeties in nearly every class. I have more faith in Mickens/O'Leary/Freeman eventually landing one, than I do of the next Unicorn being as predisposed to ND as Styles might be.
 

Reaper97

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I’m going with Styles, no question.
I think he is the best player in the ‘23 class, regardless of position. I don’t think Xavier is in the same ballpark as Hamilton. When I saw Hamilton I immediately said “5 Star, top 10 player.” When I saw X I thought, “top 50 player.” When I see Styles I see top 3, if not the best player, in the country.
 

fightingirish26

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I like Tate and Styles more than X as prospects, but safety is the bigger need. LB recruiting is insane at the moment, and we've got four highly rated WRs in two classes. Safety recruiting on the other hand is average at best right now.

So, what's more important to ND closing the gap? Adding a guy like Styles who is a Jaylon/Hamilton level lock, adding another top option to the passing game, or getting a very good safety prospect in Nwankpa?

X is a great prospect, but so were Derrik Allen and Griffith. I think Nwankpa has a significantly higher chance of being a bust than Styles and Tate.

Still, I think I go Nwankpa because best case scenario, he does turn out to be the best safety in the class and helps us starting next year.
 
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