'24 IL DL Justin Scott (Miami [FL] Verbal)

[tko]

PAC replay officials took a forced turnover away from us in Stanford side of the 50. That was crucial. I still blame Kelly for that.

 

[Irishdrunk]

I can't imagine why this notion why ND losing to Marshall/Stanford was not at least partially on Kelly.

He recruited this roster. He decided that Drew Pyne was sufficient. He allowed Elston to continuously recruit undersized DT's and go low on numbers overall on the DL. He allowed Lea to completely ignore LB recruiting in 2020 and take all of 1 guy in 2021.

Freeman had to adjust his approach, but that's just how it is when you're a first time head coach. I'm willing to give him leeway for that. Kelly doesn't get that leeway. He's been at it for years, and yet, he falls for the same pitfalls every time, and it set us up for failure.

Freeman inherited the #5 team in the country and turned it into a Top 15 team. BK inherited an unranked LSU team and won the SEC West and was ranked higher than ND at the end of the year. Facts.

 

[irishff1014]

Freeman inherited the #5 team in the country and turned it into a Top 15 team. BK inherited an unranked LSU team and won the SEC West and was ranked higher than ND at the end of the year. Facts.

I think you and everyone else knew we were a little overrated. We had blah at WR and our QB situation smelled worse than a waste management trash truck.

 

[forkbeard3777]

The defense gave up 33 points combined in those games. Those loses were the result of failure recruiting offensively by the previous staff no matter how you try to spin it.

After Marshall, they rattle off three in a row, and then after Stanford, they rattle off five in a row — all against to superior competition than Marshall/Stanford.

But yeah, it was Kelly and the prior staff’s fault instead of an unproven coach (and his assembled staff) that failed to have the team ready to play and/or drum up a serviceable-at-best game plan.

 

[NDFAN2008]

I wish ND would do what Michigan is doing on the DL they are loading up with bodies in this class that’s exactly how you should recruit the DL

 

[forkbeard3777]

I wish ND would do what Michigan is doing on the DL they are loading up with bodies in this class that’s exactly how you should recruit the DL

No great football secret, but if you have great line play, chances are your offense and defense (and team, overall) are going to be really good.

 

[NDFAN2008]

No great football secret, but if you have great line play, chances are your offense and defense (and team, overall) are going to be really good.

I just feel like our recruiting strategy is horrible and we shoot ourselves in the foot. Why did we pass on Williams? Why do we cancel visits with guys possibly wanting to come here before we have anyone locked up? It makes zero sense

 

[PutuporShutup]

I think you and everyone else knew we were a little overrated. We had blah at WR and our QB situation smelled worse than a waste management trash truck.

But we had the easiest schedule in along while

 

[PutuporShutup]

No great football secret, but if you have great line play, chances are your offense and defense (and team, overall) are going to be really good.

Freeman knows this but our line recruiting both sides isn’t close to good enough

We’ve greatly improved the skill of the team

 

[forkbeard3777]

Freeman knows this but our line recruiting both sides isn’t close to good enough

We’ve greatly improved the skill of the team

Skill is certainly important. No denying that. You just can’t go all in on that. For example, Oregon is largely known as a team loaded with great skill players that play a certain scheme and average line play. It predominately works well for them, and they win a lot of games, but they typically have trouble when they play teams from the south with equivalent skill players and elite line play.

It doesn’t happen over night, and it’ll take time. Again, it isn’t the end of the world, but it’s such a position of need and importance. Having a big, physical bruiser at tackle really works wonders for a defense.I think that’s the frustrating part with Scott committing to Ohio State.

 

[Irishdrunk]

I think you and everyone else knew we were a little overrated. We had blah at WR and our QB situation smelled worse than a waste management trash truck.

Fair enough. LSU had the same problem and what did Kelly do? He got Jayden Daniels as a transfer. What did Freeman and Rees do about their smelly QB room???? Nothing.

 

[Terry Jillery]

This is why you hire a coach/coaches with a proven ability to build programs and develop talent and push far beyond what the talent level is. Notre Dame will always need that coach that moves the needle not in forcing some unrealistic recruiting expectation that is unsupported outside the Gug, but in getting the most out of the talent they are capable of getting. If the day comes where the entire program, school, and fan base supports recruiting at a higher level, then hire a great recruiter. Otherwise, you typically look for someone with a track record of winning when the odds are against you and turning around lesser programs. I don’t know about you but I’d take Brian Kelly over Davies, Willingham, and Weis. Does Freeman have said ability? I don’t want to change the topic, but Harbaugh is like Kelly. He can push the needle on the field with what he has and beat a far more talented Ohio State team. Took him a while to build that but we knew he could based on his past. As much as I like Freeman as a person, the odds of him improving upon BK’s on field success are likely insurmountable barring a massive overhaul in recruiting.

 

[Irishdrunk]

This is why you hire a coach/coaches with a proven ability to build programs and develop talent and push far beyond what the talent level is. Notre Dame will always need that coach that moves the needle not in recruiting but I’m getting the most out of the talent they are capable of getting. To do that, you typically look for someone with a track record of winning when the odds are against you and turning around lesser programs.

Or you hire Urban Meyer and call it a day.

 

[Terry Jillery]

Or you hire Urban Meyer and call it a day.

And get Ed O as your Dline coach. One can dream.

 

[Sea Turtle]

It didnt need to be Urban. It could have been Riley, Rhule, Brohm, Fickell or Campbell.

 

[irishff1014]

Or you hire Urban Meyer and call it a day.

That’ll never happen ever again. He is a grade a piece of shit.

 

[irishandy]

I don't think ND got out recruited for Scott, I don't think Scott ever wanted to be at ND.

Did Larry Johnson have to go to his mom's place of work? Johnson is one of the best DL coaches in the country when it comes to recruiting, if not the best.

There has been a lot of talk about Golden/Washington when it comes to recruiting, after this season 1 or both of those coaches will not be at ND.

Scott had opportunities to visit & didn't. Would he have been a nice addition to the class? Yes, but I think losing Canion is a bigger loss.

 

[Irishdrunk]

That’ll both happen ever again. He is a grade a piece of shit.

Forgiveness and redemption….

 

[Ndaccountant]

It didnt need to be Urban. It could have been Riley, Rhule, Brohm, Fickell or Campbell.

I would rather have the upside potential of Freeman than all of them with the exception of Fickell. But waiting for Fickell could have had multi year consequences. I don't the think the decision is anymore wrong or right today that it was 18 months ago. Let's see if a few years. Far too early at this point IMO.

 

[Irishdrunk]

I don't think ND got out recruited for Scott, I don't think Scott ever wanted to be at ND.

Did Larry Johnson have to go to his mom's place of work? Johnson is one of the best DL coaches in the country when it comes to recruiting, if not the best.

There has been a lot of talk about Golden/Washington when it comes to recruiting, after this season 1 or both of those coaches will not be at ND.

Scott had opportunities to visit & didn't. Would he have been a nice addition to the class? Yes, but I think losing Canion is a bigger loss.

No way losing Scott was much bigger loss. Our WR room is pretty good. The DLine is so important. You push off Wafle and now you lose Scott.

 

[TorontoGold]

It didnt need to be Urban. It could have been Riley, Rhule, Brohm, Fickell or Campbell.

Riley - No serious person would suggest this, but given some of the other suggestions this may be a serious question.
Rhule - NFL coach at that time???
Brohm - lol yes because the guy who made the lateral move to Louisville and when big opportunities have been open when he was at his "peak" curiously never got one of those jobs.
Fickell - No guarantee that waiting for him would have turned out well.
Campbell - We should send a wellness check for you. He went 4-8 last year. Best recruiting class was #48 in 2020.

 

[irishandy]

No way losing Scott was much bigger loss. Our WR room is pretty good. The DLine is so important. You push off Wafle and now you lose Scott.

I was more pissed that ND pushed out Wafle than losing out on Scott. I never got into the Scott hype and I would take Wafle over Scott any day.

Canion was a 1 time commit and completed a hell of a WR class. ND's chances of landing Scott have been fading. ND's problem with the DL is they put their eggs in the Scott basket.

 

[NDQuebec]

Not worth it man. Recruits that we don't land, we didn't want anyways. The admin is making Freeman's hires for him. He lost those games last year because of BK. And, he'll never be able to recruit at ND now because of NIL.

These are the important facts to know, accept, and repeat.

I can't imagine why this notion why ND losing to Marshall/Stanford was not at least partially on Kelly.

He recruited this roster. He decided that Drew Pyne was sufficient. He allowed Elston to continuously recruit undersized DT's and go low on numbers overall on the DL. He allowed Lea to completely ignore LB recruiting in 2020 and take all of 1 guy in 2021.

Freeman had to adjust his approach, but that's just how it is when you're a first time head coach. I'm willing to give him leeway for that. Kelly doesn't get that leeway. He's been at it for years, and yet, he falls for the same pitfalls every time, and it set us up for failure.

Oh please. When will you stop blaming Kelly? The Marshall and Stanford losses had nothing to do with Kelly. ND had much better talent than those teams. Kelly beat these kinds of teams systematically in his last 5 years. You even said yourself that Freeman had to adjust his approach. He was green and it showed, not only last year but in the NY6 bowl. And while I'm at it, give it a few years and you just might long for the Kelly days of 11-1, 10-2 and occasional playoff berths.

 

[NDFAN2008]

It didnt need to be Urban. It could have been Riley, Rhule, Brohm, Fickell or Campbell.

None of those guys woulda done a better job than Freeman with the stipulations ND puts on recruiting. Riley can’t recruit he has used the transfer portal his last two classes

 

[Terry Jillery]

I think Fickell was the upside, long term guy. I don’t see him failing as a HC. He may have lost a couple and not gotten Sneed. He’d likely have pulled in a few high upside Ohio kids though. Had Fickell failed and Freeman succeeded as HC at Cincy, then we could’ve swapped. Either way, I think ND needs a program guy as HC. What’s the purpose of hiring a recruiter as HC when you can hire assistants for that?

 

[NDQuebec]

None of those guys woulda done a better job than Freeman with the stipulations ND puts on recruiting. Riley can’t recruit he has used the transfer portal his last two classes

Watch Riley's recruiting class ranking at the end of this year and get back to us. The last I've seen, he is currently one spot above ND with 3 less recruits. He is an excellent recruiter, an excellent coach and knows how to get the job done. Didn't he beat ND last year? Ok, you might say that he had a stellar QB through the transfer portal. If I remember well, Williams was recruited by Riley at Oklahoma.

I have absolutely no doubt that Riley would have done a better job, even with the "stipulations" ND puts on recruiting.

 

[NDQuebec]

Guess what? He’s not our coach. Never will be our coach. So what the f are you talking about besides cheering on USC’s coach like a Trojan girl? If you didn’t want Freeman as our head coach, I don’t know what else to tell you but too friggin bad. Maybe if he loses you’ll get the satisfaction you’re craving. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I don't think you understand the context of my comment, smart ass. It was in response to a post stating that Riley, among others, wouldn't have done a better job than Freeman. I disagree. I never said I didn't want Freeman as head coach. And I surely don't get any satisfaction at seeing Notre Dame lose, whoever is the head coach.

As to your post as a whole, it lacks a certain amount of maturity and sounds like a 5 year old having a temper tantrum.

 

[NDFAN2008]

Watch Riley's recruiting class ranking at the end of this year and get back to us. The last I've seen, he is currently one spot above ND with 3 less recruits. He is an excellent recruiter, an excellent coach and knows how to get the job done. Didn't he beat ND last year? Ok, you might say that he had a stellar QB through the transfer portal. If I remember well, Williams was recruited by Riley at Oklahoma.

I have absolutely no doubt that Riley would have done a better job, even with the "stipulations" ND puts on recruiting.

It shouldn’t be hard to recruit when you are at USC you got 5 stars all over Cali, put Freeman at USC he probally kills it. Riley also got all his best players in the portal last year without Williams they suck

 

[NDQuebec]

It shouldn’t be hard to recruit when you are at USC you got 5 stars all over Cali, put Freeman at USC he probally kills it. Riley also got all his best players in the portal last year without Williams they suck

Check this article out :

College football's top coaches without a national championship: Who's next?

Could this be the year?

247sports.com

Riley is a top-notch coach, amongst the top 10 in the nation. There isn't much debate about that in the college football world. It's not his fault because he is just starting his career, but Freeman hasn't proven anything yet. Assuming that Riley wouldn't have done better than Freeman is a take that I don't buy.

Since you're reading the article, a little side note : when it mentions Kelly, he is described as one of the nation's top recruiters. Now that is some funny stuff!

 

[irishnd31]

Guess what? He’s not our coach. Never will be our coach. So what the f are you talking about besides cheering on USC’s coach like a Trojan girl? If you didn’t want Freeman as our head coach, I don’t know what else to tell you but too friggin bad. Maybe if he loses you’ll get the satisfaction you’re craving. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I adore you