‘27 FL LB Kaden Henderson (Texas A$M Verbal)

[Rocketman84]

As other said, you can get a reliable body in the portal. We’ve proven that’s not an issue. It makes sense to focus on high upside guys. Having a BK-esque high 3 star just to have another body doesn’t move me.

Which stud LBs have you liked from the portal since AND/OR after JJB?

 

[IrishInOntario]

Sounds like it's going to be A&M. We'll see if tomorrow changes anything.

If things remain status quo it's a tough loss, but you have to expect those to happen when you're shopping in the same "aisle" as the big boys. You're going to get a few surprises go your way (Olu Olobubola for example) and you're going to get some (Kaden Henderson it appears) that don't.

ND is still in position for a really good, top 5-6 class with 24-25 commits at the end of the day. Surely they'll continue to scour the country for LBs and DBs that would be worthy of joining the 2027 class. Then they'll turn to the Transfer Portal to augment where they might miss.

Here is to hoping that ND can win a battle for Albert Simien and not go 0/2 against Texas A&M down the home stretch.

The following is still a really solid foundation...

QB: Champ Monds
RB: Lathan Whisenton
RB: Isaiah Rogers
TE: Titus Hawk
WR: Julius Jones Jr
WR: Jackson Coleman
OL: Olu Olobubola
OL: James Halter
OL: Richie Flanigan
OL: Jackson Hill
DE: Abraham Sesay
DE: Aidan O'Neil
DE: Jackson Vaughn
DT: David Folorunsho
NG: Brayden Parks
LB: Roman Igwebuike
CB: Xavier Hasan
CB: Ace Alston
S: Zayden Gamble
S: John Gay III
LS: Sean Kraft

ND likely adds 3-4 more players to that 21 man group and grinds out a well balanced class that finishes as a respectable top 5 class nationally.

 

[PolishDomer]

 

[Dale]

As other said, you can get a reliable body in the portal. We’ve proven that’s not an issue. It makes sense to focus on high upside guys. Having a BK-esque high 3 star just to have another body doesn’t move me.

5 for 5 will also increase a ton of linebackers without clear NFL futures that played early at ACC level schools value

Narduzzi in shambles

 

[Irish#1]

I never wanted him.

 

[Dale]

Which stud LBs have you liked from the portal since AND/OR after JJB?View attachment 3063688

Huh?

 

[RudyVerse]

Long shots to add 2027 LB depth: Talich or Loghan Thomas move there? Thomas has no future at DE.

 

[JD Irish]

Long shots to add 2027 LB depth: Talich or Loghan Thomas move there? Thomas has no future at DE.

I find it hard to believe that Thomas will sick around for a fourth year after not playing for three years and then moving positions in this scenario.

 

[greyhammer90]

I never wanted him.

Take notes boys, this is a master at work.

 

[IRISHbluehen]

Which stud LBs have you liked from the portal since AND/OR after JJB?View attachment 3063688

Biles is a dude and was just in the portal 4 months ago. If ND needs to portal for a LB next year, they'll get someone impactful.

This moreso stings due to snipsnapsnipsnap nature of it. I didn't expect him in the class a week ago then it was a done deal on Sunday. Is what it is. Let's see what tomorrow brings

 

[RudyVerse]

I find it hard to believe that Thomas will sick around for a fourth year after not playing for three years and then moving positions in this scenario.

Don’t disagree but I also thought he’d leave this year. Maybe he just loves ND.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Long shots to add 2027 LB depth: Talich or Loghan Thomas move there? Thomas has no future at DE.

I'm going to say "no" on Thomas and I think if the 5-for-5 rule passes Talich starts at safety in 2027 opposite one of Ethan Long or Joey O'Brien.

ND plays 2 LBs about 75% of the time. I'm going to guess the LB depth chart is something like...

Ausberry / Faraimo
Kia / Transfer
Rezac / Davis Jr
Clapper / Kia
Addition / Igwebuike

 

[CoachB]

Elko is a good coach and has them on a positive trajectory. They also didn't crap the bed against ND.

Yeah, but ND crapped the bed. If Golden and Tae were in that game instead of Hobbs and Stroman we would have won by 20+. Don't get me wrong. Elko is a good coach, but I don't see them winning a title.

 

[Rocketman84]

Sounds like it's going to be A&M. We'll see if tomorrow changes anything.

If things remain status quo it's a tough loss, but you have to expect those to happen when you're shopping in the same "aisle" as the big boys. You're going to get a few surprises go your way (Olu Olobubola for example) and you're going to get some (Kaden Henderson it appears) that don't.

ND is still in position for a really good, top 5-6 class with 24-25 commits at the end of the day. Surely they'll continue to scour the country for LBs and DBs that would be worthy of joining the 2027 class. Then they'll turn to the Transfer Portal to augment where they might miss.

Here is to hoping that ND can win a battle for Albert Simien and not go 0/2 against Texas A&M down the home stretch.

The following is still a really solid foundation...

QB: Champ Monds
RB: Lathan Whisenton
RB: Isaiah Rogers
TE: Titus Hawk
WR: Julius Jones Jr
WR: Jackson Coleman
OL: Olu Olobubola
OL: James Halter
OL: Richie Flanigan
OL: Jackson Hill
DE: Abraham Sesay
DE: Aidan O'Neil
DE: Jackson Vaughn
DT: David Folorunsho
NG: Brayden Parks
LB: Roman Igwebuike
CB: Xavier Hasan
CB: Ace Alston
S: Zayden Gamble
S: John Gay III
LS: Sean Kraft

ND likely adds 3-4 more players to that 21 man group and grinds out a well balanced class that finishes as a respectable top 5 class nationally.

Very good class and a solid foundation but those "misses" on offense ring North Tower bells!

RB: Spell
WRx: Sales/Cooper,
WRz: Gayles/Caldwell
TE: Dollar/Driver, Howard
OL: LvB

 

[Rocketman84]

Biles is a dude and was just in the portal 4 months ago. If ND needs to portal for a LB next year, they'll get someone impactful.

This moreso stings due to snipsnapsnipsnap nature of it. I didn't expect him in the class a week ago then it was a done deal on Sunday. Is what it is. Let's see what tomorrow brings

I meant that we got or even were in the runnings for? We haven't done so well with LBs in the portal.

Biles was indeed a "stud" but he was looking at O$U, Miami, Texas and Michigan.

 

[NDPhilly]

We are tracking to sign our best back to back classes since the early 90s and this board is still dooming. Incredible lol.

 

[FWIrish4]

What a strange turn of events if you abide by the “actions speak louder than words” in the recruiting world.

He shrugs off Miami’s reported massive offer to commit immediately that makes Loy throw out they lead. Tends to make you believe money is not the sole or primary motivation in his recruitment.

OVs to Texas A&M and doesn’t commit. From the outside, this would make you think it didn’t blow him away and he’s not sold on A&M or there’s still a draw to ND to see first.

Silently accepts ND’s financial offer (allegedly) after seeing A&M and denying Miami’s huge offer. This would lead you to believe he wants to go to ND and their financial offer is in the ballpark.

Now all of the sudden, the school he visited over a week ago and didn’t feel strong enough to commit to is the pick 2 days before he heads to OV to his original choice?

 

[arndtjc]

Do you have any idea the physical toll back and forth nil offers have on a man?!

 

[Dale]

I meant that we got or even were in the runnings for? We haven't done so well with LBs in the portal.

Biles was indeed a "stud" but he was looking at O$U, Miami, Texas and Michigan.

We didn’t try to land any portal LBs before. That’s like saying we didn’t do well with portal QBs this cycle.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Very good class and a solid foundation but those "misses" on offense ring North Tower bells!

RB: Spell
WRx: Sales/Cooper,
WRz: Gayles/Caldwell
TE: Dollar/Driver, Howard
OL: LvB

- Spell is a definite miss. Not going to sugar coat that. Although I think Whisenton has the makings of a Jadarian Price level back.

- Taking 2 WR was more of a choice than anything. Sales was never going to ND. Cooper could have been had at one point, but ND chose to spend the money elsewhere. Like it, or not, ND decided that the 5 WRs they took in the 2026 class, coupled with Porter and Graham from the Portal, gives ND 7 WR out of one cycle. Following that up with 2 WR gives them 9 guys over two classes. That's plenty.

- TE was a miss. No sugar coating that. Hawk was probably their 4th option among guys they had serious traction with.

- Von Brandt is more of a paper loss than a real one. I jusy don't think he's an elite player. If ND can round out their class out with Simien they eill have crushed it on along the OL.

 

[DomeFieldAdvantage]

I'm going to say "no" on Thomas and I think if the 5-for-5 rule passes Talich starts at safety in 2027 opposite one of Ethan Long or Joey O'Brien.

ND plays 2 LBs about 75% of the time. I'm going to guess the LB depth chart is something like...

Ausberry / Faraimo
Kia / Transfer
Rezac / Davis Jr
Clapper / Kia
Addition / Igwebuike

Which isn't bad. Really, its 2028 and onward that is a question then.

And that makes me think, why not take Henderson's bag and throw it at Tahj Gray to reclassify? He is friends with Jackson Vaughn who already did it. Plus, I think Vaughn is actually age appropriate for the '27 class, so I wonder if Gray is too. I think its pretty common in NJ for athletes to be held back a year. If that is the case, he might be able to rotate in for the '27 season and take a much bigger role as a sophomore in '28.

 

[Rocketman84]

We didn’t try to land any portal LBs before. That’s like saying we didn’t do well with portal QBs this cycle.

Its nothing like that at all Confucius, we've also tried to land LBs a couple of times. We never tried before but we somehow ended up with JJB in the portal making it 1commitment and 9 defections from that group since '20.

Comparing QB to LB recruiting makes as much sense as having a glass hammer

 

[TorontoGold]

Its nothing like that at all Confucius, we've also tried to land LBs a couple of times. We never tried before but we somehow ended up with JJB in the portal making it 1commitment and 9 defections from that group since '20.

Comparing QB to LB recruiting makes as much sense as having a glass hammer

How many snaps do you think JJB took as an LB in his career?

 

[notredomer23]

lesson learned. Random “ND leads” or crystal balls prior to their visit for 5 stars is a way to drive up the price. Now hopes for Simien are low too

 

[Dale]

Its nothing like that at all Confucius, we've also tried to land LBs a couple of times. We never tried before but we somehow ended up with JJB in the portal making it 1commitment and 9 defections from that group since '20.

Comparing QB to LB recruiting makes as much sense as having a glass hammer

You hit your head recently man

 

[MeanGreenBeans]

lesson learned. Random “ND leads” or crystal balls prior to their visit for 5 stars is a way to drive up the price. Now hopes for Simien are low too

Actually not a bad strategy for agents to use when it’s down to ND and some NIL fat cat like A&M. If you know the fat cat will likely pay more than ND, why not use ND to drive up the price?

 

[LethalXander]

Idk why but he never seemed like an ND guy to me. Doesn’t mean I didn’t want him… really bad.

 

[MeanGreenBeans]

Idk why but he never seemed like an ND guy to me. Doesn’t mean I didn’t want him… really bad.

Why is that? I thought the opposite. Also, “ND guy” is becoming a looser term than it used to be.

 

[notredomer23]

Actually not a bad strategy for agents to use when it’s down to ND and some NIL fat cat like A&M. If you know the fat cat will likely pay more than ND, why not use ND to drive up the price?

Plenty of time for this to shift back to ND hopefully. We’ve seen plenty of these go back and forth.

 

[MeanGreenBeans]

Plenty of time for this to shift back to ND hopefully. We’ve seen plenty of these go back and forth.

Yeah I’m not worried about the time. I’m worried about the money. Hope I’m wrong, but this one is probably done.