'23 FL DE Keon Keeley (Prodigal Son)

[Rizzophil]

I want to think this young man is different than all the other laps we have had with this kind of recruit. I’ll wait and see.

However, I do believe that Freeman is being unrealistic thinking that he can just be a nice guy and recruit them hard and play at ND and good recruits will come to ND.

Agreed.

That's one of the reasons why BK quit chasing the big fish

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

Agreed.

That's one of the reasons why BK quit chasing the big fish

And also the reason he was never going to win a natty at ND.

 

[NDdomer2]

That's good to know and glad it's the plan, but I think a plan that far out you can throw out the window considering this kid's 1) Heavy interest in other visits 2) the fact he's a top 10 player.

and the fact that if it comes down to NIL being last visit isnt gonna change those factors.

 

[stlnd01]

Keeley and Rhett have been up front about there visits with ND. They act like ND commits doing their due diligence and being 100% sure.

I don't have the same impression from Peyton Bowen who has been secretive about his visits, and a flirtatious on social media with some of his high school teammates trying to recruit him to different school(s).

Keeley acts like a ND commit making sure he goes through the process. Bowen acts like he's dating Notre Dame till something better comes along, if nothing better comes along he'll stay with ND.

Yep. Obvs you don't love all the visits. But, long-term, honestly I'd rather a big-time recruit look around and be sure he's making the right choice than, like feel pressured to stick with an early commit and later regret it.

 

[irishandy]

I agree with post #284 that I think Keeley sticks.

Some posters act like once a kid commits schools should stop recruiting a kid.

ND goes after kids that are committed, MF is going after elite/talented kids, it comes with the territory.

I'd like to know who was around for the 2011 recruiting class...that was a headache.

 

[Luckylucci]

Schools continuing to recruit our guys and our guys actively looking for other schools are completely different. Bama recruited Jayson A and Michael Mayer up until the very end. They just never went on visits. Mattison recruited Jaylon Smith up until the end. Blake Fisher played video games with recruiters from various schools. Last cycle, we had several committed prospects with schools trying to flip them in the eleventh hour with the coaching change. And the list goes on. None went on visits. There is a huge difference in schools recruiting kids and kids maintaining relationships. Than kids paying to visit these schools after they’ve already committed.

 

[NorthDakota]

I want to think this young man is different than all the other laps we have had with this kind of recruit. I’ll wait and see.

However, I do believe that Freeman is being unrealistic thinking that he can just be a nice guy and recruit them hard and play at ND and good recruits will come to ND.

ND aint gonna recruit great without recruiting the best kids. So Freeman is trying to do what he's getting paid to do. This is a great time to try and land a stupid good recruiting class. There is a ton of energy around ND right now. Some other premier programs are in flux right now too. He will get good kids to come to Notre Dame for at least the next couple years. The only way that stops is if he isn't effective on the field. Anyone who has listened to him talk can see the charisma.

Anyone who thinks his recruiting is going to be a problem should probably just quit being a fan. Question the X's and O's.....that's fine. He has a small track record there. But he's a young charismatic guy. He is going to do a nice job recruiting. He's ND's chance at becoming cool to an entire generation of kids.

 

[irishandy]

ND aint gonna recruit great without recruiting the best kids. So Freeman is trying to do what he's getting paid to do. This is a great time to try and land a stupid good recruiting class. There is a ton of energy around ND right now. Some other premier programs are in flux right now too. He will get good kids to come to Notre Dame for at least the next couple years. The only way that stops is if he isn't effective on the field. Anyone who has listened to him talk can see the charisma.

Anyone who thinks his recruiting is going to be a problem should probably just quit being a fan. Question the X's and O's.....that's fine. He has a small track record there. But he's a young charismatic guy. He is going to do a nice job recruiting. He's ND's chance at becoming cool to an entire generation of kids.

Or stop following recruiting if people have a problem with Freeman's recruiting plans. I am one that doesn't have a problem with committed kids visiting elsewhere. When a kids recruitment becomes a roller coaster that is when I feel it gets sour.

Not every kid is going to be like Jaylon or Blake as Lucky mentioned above. Recruiting changes every year.

We were all 16, 17 years old at one point.

I think in the end this big fish signs with ND.

 

[BobbyMac]

And don't think some of this isn't Covid Hangover. These kids who are gonna be Seniors missed two years of visiting. I think it'll settle down a bit with the '24 class and get back closer to what we knew with the '25 kids...

BUT

There's a good chance that this becomes somewhat of a new normal for the elite-elite kids.

 

[Dale]

Don’t let Ryan Montgomery back on campus. Italics?

 

[Irishnuke]

I wish I had never started following recruiting.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

What I tell myself now with regard to recruiting: don’t get invested in the lives of young people I’m not directly working with, but certainly allow them the respect to be invested in their own lives. It’s the coaches who are paid to make all the other stuff happen. I think age has taught me to relax. Of course young people are going to maximize their fun.

Truest post I've read in a while. Wish we could audibly play this every time there was a recruit update.

 

[T-Boone]

Agreed. It is unreasonable to expect a kid to not go check these places out. I’d go check them all out.

 

[stpeteirish]

I wish I had never started following recruiting.

You just can’t on every thing people,including the recruit, say.

Follow with a bit of detachment. Sanity is more important than every kernel of “news”

 

[IrishBoognish]

Apparently one of the OSU beat guys reported Keeley's visit went well, but he would be a tough flip.

 

[Irish4life]

Apparently one of the OSU beat guys reported Keeley's visit went well, but he would be a tough flip.

Yeah, Bill Kuerlic.

 

[irishff1014]

ND aint gonna recruit great without recruiting the best kids. So Freeman is trying to do what he's getting paid to do. This is a great time to try and land a stupid good recruiting class. There is a ton of energy around ND right now. Some other premier programs are in flux right now too. He will get good kids to come to Notre Dame for at least the next couple years. The only way that stops is if he isn't effective on the field. Anyone who has listened to him talk can see the charisma.

Anyone who thinks his recruiting is going to be a problem should probably just quit being a fan. Question the X's and O's.....that's fine. He has a small track record there. But he's a young charismatic guy. He is going to do a nice job recruiting. He's ND's chance at becoming cool to an entire generation of kids.

I 100% agree that he is going to have to recruit the best kids available to win some battles. The only thing he has shown is that he can recruit. He and his staff got embarrassed in the bowl game so like you said he is gonna have to prove he can win.

I think its great that he is trying to establish another level of recruiting but you are naïve if you don't think the NIL and his possible coaching performance doesn't hinder this some.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

I 100% agree that he is going to have to recruit the best kids available to win some battles. The only thing he has shown is that he can recruit. He and his staff got embarrassed in the bowl game so like you said he is gonna have to prove he can win.

I think its great that he is trying to establish another level of recruiting but you are naïve if you don't think the NIL and his possible coaching performance doesn't hinder this some.

I wouldn't say MF got embarrassed in the bowl game. If ND had gotten blown out and looked unprepared in the Fiesta Bowl then I would agree with that statement. More importantly that was not MF's staff that was in place for the bowl game, it was the remanence of BK's staff. Look at how different the coaching staff looks today compared to January 1st, 2022.

 

[DONTH8]

I wouldn't say MF got embarrassed in the bowl game. If ND had gotten blown out and looked unprepared in the Fiesta Bowl then I would agree with that statement. More importantly that was not MF's staff that was in place for the bowl game, it was the remanence of BK's staff. Look at how different the coaching staff looks today compared to January 1st, 2022.

I agree. I think the idea was all those guys, save maybe Quinn and alexander, would be coming back. Come to find out they were all gone within a month after the game. People who think that those moves happen suddenly are wrong. They were all thinking about the future. Makes the game in hindsight seem less of an indictment on Freeman and more of an indictment on the whole staff.

That being said, Freeman should have called the defense from the start.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

I agree. I think the idea was all those guys, save maybe Quinn and Taylor, would be coming back. Come to find out they were all gone within a month after the game. People who think that those moves happen suddenly are wrong. They were all thinking about the future. Makes the game in hindsight seem less of an indictment on Freeman and more of an indictment on the whole staff.

That being said, Freeman should have called the defense from the start.

I think you hit the nail on the head with the bolded comment.

 

[Islandboi]

I agree. I think the idea was all those guys, save maybe Quinn and Taylor, would be coming back. Come to find out they were all gone within a month after the game. People who think that those moves happen suddenly are wrong. They were all thinking about the future. Makes the game in hindsight seem less of an indictment on Freeman and more of an indictment on the whole staff.

That being said, Freeman should have called the defense from the start.

I may be crazy for thinking this. But if MF had called the D from the start. It potentially could've been a blow out for ND.

 

[Reaper97]

People know it’s a myth that Freeman took over the defense down the stretch, right?

Freeman needed to use his timeouts earlier to stop momentum in critical situations. On the multiple 3rd & long or 4th downs OSU converted, a timeout to get things settled and a stop, or on ND 3rd and shorts ND did not convert, would have stopped the momentum early and ND wins going away.
Freeman missed multiple chances to dictate the game as the HC.

 

[stlnd01]

People know it’s a myth that Freeman took over the defense down the stretch, right?

Freeman needed to use his timeouts earlier to stop momentum in critical situations. On the multiple 3rd & long or 4th downs OSU converted, a timeout to get things settled and a stop, or on ND 3rd and shorts ND did not convert, would have stopped the momentum early and ND wins going away.
Freeman missed multiple chances to dictate the game as the HC.

It was not a well-coached game. At least in the second half. We all know this. Blame whoever you want. Point is, it shouldn’t be an indictment of the entire Marcus Freeman experience nor will the coaching of one game ultimately matter to someone like Keeley.

 

[NDdomer2]

Might not be an indictment but could be foreshadowing

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Might not be an indictment but could be foreshadowing

You shut your dirty mouth…you don’t put that evil on this program


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Irish4life]

Might not be an indictment but could be foreshadowing

Freeman's going to make mistakes, there's going to be growing pains. Especially in year 1. I think it's a great sign that Freeman brought in a DC with college HC experience, and I like that he appears to be willing to lean on his assistants in areas that he doesn't have much experience (QBs for example).

 

[jprue24]

People know it’s a myth that Freeman took over the defense down the stretch, right?

Freeman needed to use his timeouts earlier to stop momentum in critical situations. On the multiple 3rd & long or 4th downs OSU converted, a timeout to get things settled and a stop, or on ND 3rd and shorts ND did not convert, would have stopped the momentum early and ND wins going away.
Freeman missed multiple chances to dictate the game as the HC.

ND needed to have planned for zero personnel. That's a formation Okie St used enough (above 20%) during the season where it shouldn't have made the defense look clueless for an entire half

 

[Junkhead]

You just can’t on every thing people,including the recruit, say.

Follow with a bit of detachment. Sanity is more important than every kernel of “news”

I agree. I watch, kind of knowing that I can't get too invested in it. In the end, we can't control it, so just watch and see what happens.

 

[FWIrish4]

Apparently one of the OSU beat guys reported Keeley's visit went well, but he would be a tough flip.

I don’t think we’re making a big enough deal out of this. One of the biggest threats’ insider telling us exactly what we want to hear despite a “really good” visit by his home team.

 

[IrishBoognish]

I don’t think we’re making a big enough deal out of this. One of the biggest threats’ insider telling us exactly what we want to hear despite a “really good” visit by his home team.

I took it to be a pretty positive thing for us.

I dont remember too many reports of recruits taking a visit where it wasn't said "they had a really good visit".

Seems to me, an elite athlete taking a visit to an elite school is almost always gonna say they had a good time. Like... Of course, right?

I also don't remember too many times when a beat reporter would say "tough flip" if that wasn't the case.

I dont know... I took it as a positive thing.