'23 MA WR Ronan Hanafin (Clemson Verbal)

[317Irish]

I like that Claypool comp from Flammang.

Flamingo?

 

[Dale]

Clemson our main competition but this sounds like the type of commit that’d take Hanafin’s potential spot.

 

[Irish4life]

Hickey says that Hanafin to ND is "a matter of time". Also confirmed that Clemson badly wants him at WR. FWIW

 

[NDMatt91]

Hickey says that Hanafin to ND is "a matter of time". Also confirmed that Clemson badly wants him at WR. FWIW

They're having some tough luck with the WR's on their board. Hanafin appears ND bound and Tyler Williams and Christian Hamilton appear to be trending to UGA and UNC, respectively.

 

[Luckylucci]

Feels good to read that.

And, I realize that when the heavy hitters come calling, everybody takes notice. Though, I’ve never felt like we weren’t going to win this one. Just felt like a young man that was taking a reasonable approach to the process and would always come back to where it started.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Hickey says that Hanafin to ND is "a matter of time". Also confirmed that Clemson badly wants him at WR. FWIW

I want him badly at WR to ND.

 

[irish o'phile]

It’s crazy that ND is going against the top programs for these guys and getting them. It’s a big change from when Kelly was here. ND always lost to Clemson, Bama, etc. during those years.

 

[Irish#1]

It’s crazy that ND is going against the top programs for these guys and getting them. It’s a big change from when Kelly was here. ND always lost to Clemson, Bama, etc. during those years.

MF isn't afraid of these guys.

 

[AvesEvo]

Does he have a commitment date?

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

MF isn't afraid of these guys.

Right. Rees isn't either. Truthfully, the entire staff is all in and it's showing in the results early. Imagine what happens should results on the field yield positive results. Especially offensively.

Attitude regarding recruiting starts at the top and permeates down and around the program.

 

[Luckylucci]

It’s crazy that ND is going against the top programs for these guys and getting them. It’s a big change from when Kelly was here. ND always lost to Clemson, Bama, etc. during those years.

For posterity sake, no they didn't. Didn't win enough and weren't consistent enough but you don't win as much as we did without these types of players.

 

[arrowryan]

Freeman and Co deserve a lot of credit for what they’ve done with the 2023 and 2024 classes. Their endless, and sometimes cheesy, efforts have not gone unnoticed.

With that being said, Hanafin is someone they should land 100 times out of 100. He’s from the Northeast and goes to a academically rigorous school that costs $57k/year.

It doesn’t get much more Notre Dame than that.

 

[stlnd01]

To Lucci's point it may be worth noting here that Hanafin is not really your typical Bama/Clemson/Georgia recruit. He goes to an extremely rigorous private high school in Boston (at least 1/3 of his classmates will go to Ivy League or equally-selective schools for college). He was a three-star who blew up, not a five-star camp jockey. Fit-wise, he's the sort of player the prior regime specialized in and who absolutely should go to Notre Dame.

Which is not to say the prior regime necessarily would have reeled him once the big dogs joined the hunt. So good on Freeman & co. if they do indeed finish this off.

 

[T-Boone]

I don’t think of Clemson in the Alabama Ohio State Georgia group. They get maybe 2 top 50 players per year.

 

[Irish4life]

I don’t think of Clemson in the Alabama Ohio State Georgia group. They get maybe 2 top 50 players per year.

They've won multiple national titles in the last 5 years.....they're better than 2 of those 3 teams lol.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Clemson just went 10-3 and it was more of a disaster than a down year let alone anything to write home about.

They're at the top of the pile right now with those other three. In fact, I'd put them ahead of UGA at present in terms of recent body of work going back the last five years.

 

[House16]

Clemson just went 10-3 and it was more of a disaster than a down year let alone anything to write home about.

They're at the top of the pile right now with those other three. In fact, I'd put them ahead of UGA at present in terms of recent body of work going back the last five years.

I think T-Boone was saying from a recruiting point of view, and I agree. While Clemson has absolutely been on par or better than anyone over the last 6 years or so, they've been doing it by punching well above their recruiting weight and through outstanding quarterback play. Their team talent composite has been on par with ours most of the last six years.

 

[T-Boone]

I think T-Boone was saying from a recruiting point of view, and I agree. While Clemson has absolutely been on par or better than anyone over the last 6 years or so, they've been doing it by punching well above their recruiting weight and through outstanding quarterback play. Their team talent composite has been on par with ours most of the last six years.

Thank you.

 

[arahop]

It’s crazy that ND is going against the top programs for these guys and getting them. It’s a big change from when Kelly was here. ND always lost to Clemson, Bama, etc. during those years.

BK never walked up to a dime piece in his life and had a conversation

I think T-Boone was saying from a recruiting point of view, and I agree. While Clemson has absolutely been on par or better than anyone over the last 6 years or so, they've been doing it by punching well above their recruiting weight and through outstanding quarterback play. Their team talent composite has been on par with ours most of the last six years.

Just checked 247 composite overall team talent. They have 10 5 Stars. We have one.
I feel like Freeman will be good for 2 a year. I think ND has a real chance at finally storing some 5 stars.

Hanafin looks like a hell of WR to me. Hope he sticks there.

 

[Irish du Nord]

Clemson just went 10-3 and it was more of a disaster than a down year let alone anything to write home about.

They're at the top of the pile right now with those other three. In fact, I'd put them ahead of UGA at present in terms of recent body of work going back the last five years.

I’d put UGA ahead of Ohio State. What have they done to deserve the acclaim? UGA would win the little 10 pretty much every year too if they were in OSU’s shoes

 

[Reaper97]

I really, really want Marcus Freeman to be Lou Holtz (since my first year of following ND was Holtz’s in 1986), but people are acting like BK was Ty.
Charlie Weis recruited like Marcus Freeman is now & Charlie couldn’t coach.
Marcus didn’t impress in his debut. (F-)

So before we all get too excited, let’s watch Marcus coach. Winning games is the goal. Not winning recruiting battles. BK won a lot of games despite his negatives.

 

[WilliamWallace]

I really, really want Marcus Freeman to be Lou Holtz (since my first year of following ND was Holtz’s in 1986), but people are acting like BK was Ty.
Charlie Weis recruited like Marcus Freeman is now & Charlie couldn’t coach.
Marcus didn’t impress in his debut. (F-)

So before we all get too excited, let’s watch Marcus coach. Winning games is the goal. Not winning recruiting battles. BK won a lot of games despite his negatives.

BK managed his way into success at the expense of others. Cheers to him for avoiding the inevitable for soooo long, I guess? Too many negative records set by a top notch university.

But, I don’t disagree, I also want MF to be the one, we/they/us definitely deserve it. Time will tell, and I don’t hold the first game against him. We will soon see how game two plays out. And until then, I’ll enjoy the recruiting.

 

[irishtrooper]

I really, really want Marcus Freeman to be Lou Holtz (since my first year of following ND was Holtz’s in 1986), but people are acting like BK was Ty.
Charlie Weis recruited like Marcus Freeman is now & Charlie couldn’t coach.
Marcus didn’t impress in his debut. (F-)

So before we all get too excited, let’s watch Marcus coach. Winning games is the goal. Not winning recruiting battles. BK won a lot of games despite his negatives.

I feel like Weis recruited offensive talent extremely well and had some great defensive talent too. ProblEm seemed to be severe lack of depth. The bottom and lower bottom of the class seemed to lack good depth pieces. Also the assistant coaches and CW didn’t really develop the depth well. That being said I agree that MF is getting top players at a clip not seen since Weis. I’m excited and expect it to go better than with Weis because 1) Better talent and depth to start with thanks in large part to the BK consistency 2) Seems to connect better with the players, they like him. Not because he is flashing rings but because he has gotten results as DC and has the cool factor 3) MF has hired assistant coaches that are strong recruiters and doesn’t seem threatened by their previous work (Golden)

Just my thoughts, but there seems to be some steak with this sizzle

 

[T-Boone]

I really, really want Marcus Freeman to be Lou Holtz (since my first year of following ND was Holtz’s in 1986), but people are acting like BK was Ty.
Charlie Weis recruited like Marcus Freeman is now & Charlie couldn’t coach.
Marcus didn’t impress in his debut. (F-)

So before we all get too excited, let’s watch Marcus coach. Winning games is the goal. Not winning recruiting battles. BK won a lot of games despite his negatives.

Did Weiss have good assistants around him?

 

[DCDomer]

I really, really want Marcus Freeman to be Lou Holtz (since my first year of following ND was Holtz’s in 1986), but people are acting like BK was Ty.
Charlie Weis recruited like Marcus Freeman is now & Charlie couldn’t coach.
Marcus didn’t impress in his debut. (F-)

So before we all get too excited, let’s watch Marcus coach. Winning games is the goal. Not winning recruiting battles. BK won a lot of games despite his negatives.

F- lol... Why? Because Elston cant call a game?

 

[Sea Turtle]

F- lol... Why? Because Elston cant call a game?

Neither could Rees in the second half. Almost like only one staff made halftime adjustments.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Neither could Rees in the second half. Almost like only one staff made halftime adjustments.

Rees gave us a 3 possession lead with 1:16 left to go in the first half against the #2 defense in the nation. Freeman handed Elston a top-10 defense and the dude couldn't find a way to stop the 38th ranked offense from marching up and down the field for the entire 2nd half.

Those two things are not remotely comparable, and this argument doesn't get any more convincing each time you repeat it.

 

[BabyIrish]

Rees gave us a 3 possession lead with 1:16 left to go in the first half against the #2 defense in the nation. Freeman handed Elston a top-10 defense and the dude couldn't find a way to stop the 38th ranked offense from marching up and down the field for the entire 2nd half.

Those two things are not remotely comparable, and this argument doesn't get any more convincing each time you repeat it.

Not to mention that he set up the offense for a number of plays that would have lead to scoring in the second half but we’re missed by the players on the field. Tommy Rees had nothing to do with us losing that game.

 

[arahop]

I really, really want Marcus Freeman to be Lou Holtz (since my first year of following ND was Holtz’s in 1986), but people are acting like BK was Ty.
Charlie Weis recruited like Marcus Freeman is now & Charlie couldn’t coach.
Marcus didn’t impress in his debut. (F-)

So before we all get too excited, let’s watch Marcus coach. Winning games is the goal. Not winning recruiting battles. BK won a lot of games despite his negatives.

He's recruiting better than any coach since Lou. That is 90% of the battle in college football.
"It's about Jimmy's and Joe's, not X's and O's"

 

[HouseofPain]

I don’t think of Clemson in the Alabama Ohio State Georgia group. They get maybe 2 top 50 players per year.

Georgia had a roster stocked with NFL talent. That was a one year ordeal. You wont see it again for a good while.
Georgia is not an AL or OSU.