'25 FL DB Ivan Taylor (Alabama Verbal)

[NDPhilly]

Elite commitments are going to use their officials. Ask OSU, UGA, and Bama fans.

 

[Ian77]

Freeman has been pretty firm in the no "official" visits as a public commit. Will be interesting if that changes, but I have a hunch that if Ivan takes the visit it will be an auto decommitment early next week.

I agree he's been *pretty* firm on that, but he's also smart enough to know that elite recruits will use their visits. Bowen and Keeley went on visits after they committed (and it didn't end up well for ND in either of those), but those guys were top rated nationally at their positions. He wasn't going to be able to get anything near as equivalent that late in the cycle. There wasn't much Freeman could do. Keeley wanted to put himself back on the market for an NIL auction, and Bowen had personal reasons for staying closer to home (and he was all kinds of a flake, TBH).

Ivan has been described on multiple sites as an "ND kinda guy" who has his head on straight. We have to hope that's enough.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Elite commitments are going to use their officials. Ask OSU, UGA, and Bama fans.

100%. That's life in the far left lanes.

 

[ND7983]

Can you tell us where you see this? I've looked around but haven't found anything. Thanks.

He is visiting next weekend.
Don’t know if it’s listed anywhere, I was told so.

 

[FU BK]

Exactly why I stopped following recruiting so closely. Anymore to me, it who cares, I want the guys that want to play for ND....that get what ND stands for and what it can do for them in their post football life.

 

[MacIrish75]

Exactly why I stopped following recruiting so closely. Anymore to me, it who cares, I want the guys that want to play for ND....that get what ND stands for and what it can do for them in their post football life. And that also happen to be really, really, really elite football players.

 

[allenm5333]

Rather be a summer ov than in season

 

[JD Irish]

He’s visiting next week per Singer

To be clear, Alabama this weekend and then Notre Dame next week?

 

[ND7983]

To be clear, Alabama this weekend and then Notre Dame next week?

Yep.

 

[BobbyMac]

When is he scheduled to come? I was not able to find it in the visitors list thread.

Smart of the staff to continue to recruit both Joseph and Blair in case Ivan decides to leave, but this would be quite the blow as well.

It’s under Jun 14 in the first post.

 

[Crazy Balki]

I'd be more concerned about this if Saban was still there.

But going up against Mickens for a DB recruit is a tall task, even for Alabama, especially since they can't really rely on the track record of the past, since the guy who developed all those players is no longer there.

 

[ND7983]

I'd be more concerned about this if Saban was still there.

But going up against Mickens for a DB recruit is a tall task, even for Alabama, especially since they can't really rely on the track record of the past, since the guy who developed all those players is no longer there.

Mickens is partly why this is happening in the first place. Taylor hasn’t gelled with Mickens like he did with OLeary.

 

[Rocketman84]

Just ELITE would be fine, can't dumb down are talent level/pool and expect to have an actual shot at a title.

 

[ColinKSU]

Mickens is partly why this is happening in the first place. Taylor hasn’t gelled with Mickens like he did with OLeary.

Literally the most O’Leary thing humanly possible to recruit the position like crap while he was here, then recruit it at an elite level before he leaves and cause ND to lose his best target because the kid liked how O’Leary recruited him.

 

[ND7983]

Literally the most O’Leary thing humanly possible to recruit the position like crap while he was here, then recruit it at an elite level before he leaves and cause ND to lose his best target because the kid liked how O’Leary recruited him.

Blair & Long both loved OLeary.

And you are on crack if you think he recruited the position like crap.

He got six 4 or 5 Star Safties. One was a headcase and flipped on NSD. One couldn’t get in to ND after admissions originally said he could.
Two others were 3 Stars when they committed, but finished 4 Stars. But for some reason message board experts don’t care about their final ranking as much as one after their Sophomore year of HS.
And one, Urlacher, has been getting rave reviews by everyone & many have admitted he is better than expected.

The narrative that OLeary didn’t recruit is the worst on here.

 

[PutuporShutup]

100%. That's life in the far left lanes.

Yes, other than the process should be and needs to be you take your OVs before committing. I know it's freeman's policy, so i would assume in NDs mind he's not committed

 

[ColinKSU]

Blair & Long both loved OLeary.

And you are on crack if you think he recruited the position like crap.

He got six 4 or 5 Star Safties. One was a headcase and flipped on NSD. One couldn’t get in to ND after admissions originally said he could.
Two others were 3 Stars when they committed, but finished 4 Stars. But for some reason message board experts don’t care about their final ranking as much as one after their Sophomore year of HS.
And one, Urlacher, has been getting rave reviews by everyone & many have admitted he is better than expected.

The narrative that OLeary didn’t recruit is the worst on here.

OK.

 

[laughingirish90]

He is visiting next weekend.
Don’t know if it’s listed anywhere, I was told so.

Ryan just said sometime after 1pm on an IB podcast that Taylor is visiting for his OV still and Ryan also said this isn't like the Keon situation where the staff saw the writing on the wall about him looking to go elsewhere and not wanting to be irish any longer or something along those lines

 

[stlnd01]

Ryan just said sometime after 1pm on an IB podcast that Taylor is visiting for his OV still and Ryan also said this isn't like the Keon situation where the staff saw the writing on the wall about him looking to go elsewhere and not wanting to be irish any longer or something along those lines

What does that mean? That they were taken by surprise? Or that this time we're not going to all pretend he's committed for months when he isn't really anymore?

 

[benneboy]

Taylor is really good and a legacy so this wouldn't feel great, but how much does this impact the program if he ends up not wanting to be here?

Our DB class falls from the #1 DB class in the country to still the #1 DB class in the country until we land Joseph or Blair and them we're back to the #1 DB class and our best in a couple decades.

 

[allenm5333]

Taylor is really good and a legacy so this wouldn't feel great, but how much does this impact the program if he ends up not wanting to be here?

Our DB class falls from the #1 DB class in the country to still the #1 DB class in the country until we land Joseph or Blair and them we're back to the #1 DB class and our best in a couple decades.

Ohio state has a great db class…but may lose a db…to bama lol

 

[laughingirish90]

What does that mean? That they were taken by surprise? Or that this time we're not going to all pretend he's committed for months when he isn't really anymore?

look i'm just telling you what Ryan said that the staff knew Keon was probably not staying and that the Taylor situation is different. go and rewatch the IB podcast on youtube because again just telling you what he said

 

[BobbyMac]

Taylor is really good and a legacy so this wouldn't feel great, but how much does this impact the program if he ends up not wanting to be here?

Our DB class falls from the #1 DB class in the country to still the #1 DB class in the country until we land Joseph or Blair and them we're back to the #1 DB class and our best in a couple decades.

We've got so many Steeler kids coming in that Pittsburgh fans are calling them legacies.

 

[T-Boone]

I’d take similar official visits. You’ve got to live it up.

 

[Rocketman84]

Blair & Long both loved OLeary.

And you are on crack if you think he recruited the position like crap.

He got six 4 or 5 Star Safties. One was a headcase and flipped on NSD. One couldn’t get in to ND after admissions originally said he could.
Two others were 3 Stars when they committed, but finished 4 Stars. But for some reason message board experts don’t care about their final ranking as much as one after their Sophomore year of HS.
And one, Urlacher, has been getting rave reviews by everyone & many have admitted he is better than expected.

The narrative that OLeary didn’t recruit is the worst on here.

O'Leary did better than average but he certainly didn't move the needle much towards championship level, the bar was low, I guess he it went from a 5 to a 6.5:

Ivan Taylor S 4.5*
Brauntae Johnson ATH 4*
Adon Shuler S 4*
Ben Minich S 4*
Leonard Moore CB 3*
Ethan Long S 3*
Tae Bennie-Powell S 3*
Kennedy Urlacher S 3*

 

[IA4irish]

Blair & Long both loved OLeary.

And you are on crack if you think he recruited the position like crap.

He got six 4 or 5 Star Safties. One was a headcase and flipped on NSD. One couldn’t get in to ND after admissions originally said he could.
Two others were 3 Stars when they committed, but finished 4 Stars. But for some reason message board experts don’t care about their final ranking as much as one after their Sophomore year of HS.
And one, Urlacher, has been getting rave reviews by everyone & many have admitted he is better than expected.

The narrative that OLeary didn’t recruit is the worst on here.

Ok, I’ll bite. O’Leary was clearly a talented coach. His recruiting started cool but had really picked up. I think you’re bending the truth about his recruiting.

2022 - He missed on X Nwankpa. They ended up not taking a single safety which made their numbers terrible. I’ll blame the entire coaching staff on that decision.
2023 - Bowen situation was just a mess. Doesn’t need to be repeated here. They get Shuler who is good. Minich too early to tell. Hillman they found early - all I’ve heard is Notre Dame told him everything he needed to do to get admitted and he flat out didn’t do it. I think the kid even said as much.
2024 - was best described by nd beat writers as a “cluster f***.” Initially it was they were going to have their pick of the litter and then it turned into a mess. Tae Johnson played mostly offense in high school. Bennie-Powell everyone was cool on initially but seemed to have a good senior season. Urlacher seems like an in the box safety. People had decent things to say about him in the spring but I wouldn’t say anyone is raving about him.
2025 He was clearly doing a great job recruiting with Taylor and in on multiple others

 

[IrishSpartan]

Ok, I’ll bite. O’Leary was clearly a talented coach. His recruiting started cool but had really picked up. I think you’re bending the truth about his recruiting.

2022 - He missed on X Nwankpa. They ended up not taking a single safety which made their numbers terrible. I’ll blame the entire coaching staff on that decision.
2023 - Bowen situation was just a mess. Doesn’t need to be repeated here. They get Shuler who is good. Minich too early to tell. Hillman they found early - all I’ve heard is Notre Dame told him everything he needed to do to get admitted and he flat out didn’t do it. I think the kid even said as much.
2024 - was best described by nd beat writers as a “cluster f***.” Initially it was they were going to have their pick of the litter and then it turned into a mess. Tae Johnson played mostly offense in high school. Bennie-Powell everyone was cool on initially but seemed to have a good senior season. Urlacher seems like an in the box safety. People had decent things to say about him in the spring but I wouldn’t say anyone is raving about him.
2025 He was clearly doing a great job recruiting with Taylor and in on multiple others

Kyle Hamilton ruined Nwankpa’s chance of coming to ND

 

[IA4irish]

Kyle Hamilton ruined Nwankpa’s chance of coming to ND

Yeah what was the deal there again? Seems weird our all-American, surefire 1st round draft pick hurt our chances with his replacement. By decision time for Nwankpa, we were a distant third.

 

[allenm5333]

Yeah what was the deal there again? Seems weird our all-American, surefire 1st round draft pick hurt our chances with his replacement. By decision time for Nwankpa, we were a distant third.

Think Hamilton took him to a bar or party. Then ditched him when X couldnt get in because he was underage

 

[irishandy]

If he didn't have an OV set up with ND I'd be more concerned.

The kid liked O’Leary and you can't fault him for that. O’Leary didn't move on to another college and Saban isn't at Alabama anymore, which think helps ND.

We know Mickens can recruit, Taylor is a kid that can come in and compete for PT early, does he still want to be a part of this class?

Next weekend is an opportunity for Mickens/Taylor to gel.