Irish Invasion June 17

[PANDFAN]

June 17 — Irish Invasion

Five-star LB Baron Browning
Four-star DB/WR Isaiah Robertson (commit)
Four-star LB Pete Werner (commit)
Three-star DB Amari Carter
Three-star WR Michael Young
Three-star DE Jackson Perkins
Three-star DB Cedric Mitchell
Unranked QB Tommy Herion
Unranked DB Ben Mathiasmeier
Four-star RB Markese Stepp (2018 - offer)
Four-star CB Houston Griffith (2018 - offer)
Four-star LB/DE Malik Vann (2018 - offer)
Four-star WR Micah Jones (2018)
Four-star QB Arthur Sitkowski (2018)
Four-star QB Connor Noland (2018)
Unranked LB Daniel Bolden (2018)

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[zelezo vlk]

Do walk on candidates ever come to II and compete?

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[rtrn2glory]

Do walk on candidates ever come to II and compete?

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I think they come with the intention to earn a scholly.

 

[PANDFAN]

Do walk on candidates ever come to II and compete?

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no, this is invite only at the invasion

 

[zelezo vlk]

no, this is invite only at the invasion

Good to know. Thanks.

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[GreyWorm]

Do walk on candidates ever come to II and compete?

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Absolutely. The staff invites guys they see as PWO guys and guys that have a shot at earning an offer.

Now the PWO guys may or may not know where they stand, but it's a chance for ND to get eyes on them in a competitive environment.

 

[PANDFAN]

Absolutely. The staff invites guys they see as PWO guys and guys that have a shot at earning an offer.

Now the PWO guys may or may not know where they stand, but it's a chance for ND to get eyes on them in a competitive environment.

This summer will mark the third edition of the Irish Invasion, an invitation-only premier event that has been hosted on Notre Dame's campus on the third Friday of June. The date of the 2016 event has not been announced, but it is expected be in late June.

"Irish Invasion is a huge event. What makes it different from any other university is the fact that it's a national event," said Scott Booker, Notre Dame's special teams coordinator/tight ends coach. "You have things like (Rivals.com) ... you have things like that, and then you really have a thing like our Irish Invasion. We pull kids from all four time zones. We have 20, 30 states represented."

Other elite college football programs have been holding similar events, such as Urban Meyer's "Friday Night Lights" event that he introduced at Florida and brought to Ohio State, and Michigan's "BBQ at the Big House," which started under Rich Rodriguez.

Notre Dame's staff uses the Irish Invasion as a tool to get dozens of top-flight high school football players to converge with the idea of showing them what the campus and school is really about and so coaches can evaluate those prospects.

Notre Dame football's Irish Invasion national recruiting event picking up steam | MLive.com

 

[GreyWorm]

This summer will mark the third edition of the Irish Invasion, an invitation-only premier event that has been hosted on Notre Dame's campus on the third Friday of June. The date of the 2016 event has not been announced, but it is expected be in late June.

"Irish Invasion is a huge event. What makes it different from any other university is the fact that it's a national event," said Scott Booker, Notre Dame's special teams coordinator/tight ends coach. "You have things like (Rivals.com) ... you have things like that, and then you really have a thing like our Irish Invasion. We pull kids from all four time zones. We have 20, 30 states represented."

Other elite college football programs have been holding similar events, such as Urban Meyer's "Friday Night Lights" event that he introduced at Florida and brought to Ohio State, and Michigan's "BBQ at the Big House," which started under Rich Rodriguez.

Notre Dame's staff uses the Irish Invasion as a tool to get dozens of top-flight high school football players to converge with the idea of showing them what the campus and school is really about and so coaches can evaluate those prospects.

Notre Dame football's Irish Invasion national recruiting event picking up steam | MLive.com

Are you trying to say Notre Dame doesn't invite PWO guys or saying Notre Dame invites the top prospects in the country, which most of us that follow recruiting know already?

 

[PANDFAN]

Are you trying to say Notre Dame doesn't invite PWO guys or saying Notre Dame invites the top prospects in the country, which most of us that follow recruiting know already?

i don't know for 100% certainty however in everything i have read, the earlier camp dates are what those are intended to do in terms of offering a chance for top athletes to come but also having a much larger crowd of potential pwo guys...the invasion from what i have read is not for that purpose and is used much like friday night lights etc...to bring in the top tier guys but also guys they are very much interested in for an offer..not for pwo

 

[GreyWorm]

On your list there, Ben Mathiasmeier is a preferred walk-on guy most likely, if that, with him being 5'9 safety/LB.

Last summer, Notre Dame hosted Chris Schilling and Simeon Gatling, as well as several local prospects to fill out the camp.

I agree, the main focus is to get the big fish on campus, but it's also a chance to see how kids they see in PWO roles look against top flight competition.

 

[woolybug25]

On your list there, Ben Mathiasmeier is a preferred walk-on guy most likely, if that, with him being 5'9 safety/LB.

Last summer, Notre Dame hosted Chris Schilling and Simeon Gatling, as well as several local prospects to fill out the camp.

I agree, the main focus is to get the big fish on campus, but it's also a chance to see how kids they see in PWO roles look against top flight competition.

I would also argue that it's an opportunity to see guys in the 3-4 star range compete against each other. It allows the staff to prioritize certain players at specific positions. This event probably was the point where the staff prioritized Stepherson last year. Just my opinion though.

 

[dublinirish]

Bobby Regan attended II in the past also right

 

[GreyWorm]

I would also argue that it's an opportunity to see guys in the 3-4 star range compete against each other. It allows the staff to prioritize certain players at specific positions. This event probably was the point where the staff prioritized Stepherson last year. Just my opinion though.

I would also agree with that. The Michael Young kid is the name to watch I think this year. His highlights are ridiculous, so he could be in the mold of Stepherson. It just allows them to see size them up physically and competition wise.

I get the feeling pretty quick the staff can tell who is going to rise to the level of competition during the camp with the talent they bring in each year.

 

[koonja]

I think people need to settle down on Stepherson until we see how much he actually plays and produces.

 

[woolybug25]

I think people need to settle down on Stepherson until we see how much he actually plays and produces.

Give me a break. Nobody was calling him a star or anything. But it's clear that he has a lot of talent and is getting a lot of reps as a freshman, at a position in which we're stacked. I think it's pretty damn clear that they they did a great job evaluating his talent level.

That doesn't always equate to field on game day, but nobody was arguing that point.

 

[greyhammer90]

I think people need to settle down on Greg Bryant until we see how much he actually plays and produces.

 

[koonja]

Give me a break. Nobody was calling him a star or anything. But it's clear that he has a lot of talent and is getting a lot of reps as a freshman, at a position in which we're stacked. I think it's pretty damn clear that they they did a great job evaluating his talent level.

That doesn't always equate to field on game day, but nobody was arguing that point.

He's getting a lot of reps. Probably a lot to due with Corey being out and the two better WRs in his class not being on campus yet.

Just saying all of these 'could be the next Stepherson' comments will look silly in 5 years if he ends up with 31 career catches for 207 yards and 2 TDs.

 

[woolybug25]

He's getting a lot of reps. Probably a lot to due with Corey being out and the two better WRs in his class not being on campus yet.

Just saying all of these 'could be the next Stepherson' comments will look silly in 5 years if he ends up with 31 career catches for 207 yards and 2 TDs.

Again... Nobody said "we could find the next Stepherson", we said that the camp is a good tool for picking which guys are the ones they want to target. Like how they had a similar batch of WR's in last year, and they targeted Stepherson over the others.

 

[BobbyMac]

He's getting a lot of reps. Probably a lot to due with Corey being out and the two better WRs in his class not being on campus yet.

Just saying all of these 'could be the next Stepherson' comments will look silly in 5 years if he ends up with 31 career catches for 207 yards and 2 TDs.

You and Wolly are both right. II is where Stepherson was prioritized, he's obviously more talented than his rating and probably better than his offer list though Florida, Miami, LSU, UM, MSU ain't chump change. He's also benefited from being an EE when the WR numbers are down with CRob and CJS out.

The "next Stepherson" is finding the under-valued guy who shines at II and moving him to the top of the board. Then it's up to the staff to turn the "next Stepherson" but the "next Fuller"... who in his way was the "first Stepherson".

 

[Big23Head]

I think CB Latavious Brini (Offer) is on the II list too

 

[irishknight35]

You and Wolly are both right. II is where Stepherson was prioritized, he's obviously more talented than his rating and probably better than his offer list though Florida, Miami, LSU, UM, MSU ain't chump change. He's also benefited from being an EE when the WR numbers are down with CRob and CJS out.

The "next Stepherson" is finding the under-valued guy who shines at II and moving him to the top of the board. Then it's up to the staff to turn the "next Stepherson" but the "next Fuller"... who in his way was the "first Stepherson".

So what your saying is Stepherson is Fuller and Fuller is Einhorn? And we're gonna find the next Einhorn at II this year? And your Ron Burgundy?

 

[BobbyMac]

So what your saying is Stepherson is Fuller and Fuller is Einhorn? And we're gonna find the next Einhorn at II this year? And your Ron Burgundy?

You Castle guys are too smart for your own good... and much too smart for some Jimtown stock like me!

 

[koonja]

I think Stepherson is a slower Will Fuller, and a smaller than already small TJ Jones. But has really good hands and by all accounts is a hard worker, so maybe he can flourish. My comment on pumping the brakes doesn't have to do with just this thread, but threads throughout pointing at him being a major find. Maybe, but let's see how it works out on September and beyond.

He camped at FSU at least twice and didn't earn an offer. That doesn't mean he's not still a diamond in the rough, but it's not like other staffs didn't see him. He's going to have a lot of competition to get on the field at ND at WR. A position we recruit probably as well as anything besides QBs and OL.

 

[BobbyMac]

I think Stepherson is a slower Will Fuller, and a smaller than already small TJ Jones. .

Everyone is a slower Will Fuller. That is all.

 

[Irish#1]

I think people need to settle down on Stepherson until we see how much he actually plays and produces.

Sounds like Koon hasn't had a chance to do an "abs" evaluation yet!

 

[Luckylucci]

I think Stepherson is a slower Will Fuller, and a smaller than already small TJ Jones. But has really good hands and by all accounts is a hard worker, so maybe he can flourish. My comment on pumping the brakes doesn't have to do with just this thread, but threads throughout pointing at him being a major find. Maybe, but let's see how it works out on September and beyond.

He was rated the 95th best WR per the composite and the 128th best WR by 247, its all about perspective. Even if the kid is the 4th best WR on a good receiving corp, it will be a great find, considering he was rated where he was. The range he was rated in, would have him barely competing at this level, let alone taking reps from WR's ranked substantially higher than him in their respective classes. Ex. A sixth round pick doesn't need to make the pro bowl for it to be a very good draft pick.

 

[Irish#1]

I think people need to settle down on Stepherson until we see how much he actually plays and produces.

I think Stepherson is a slower Will Fuller, and a smaller than already small TJ Jones. But has really good hands and by all accounts is a hard worker, so maybe he can flourish.

Kind of contradicting yourself Mr. Koonja.

 

[koonja]

Kind of contradicting yourself Mr. Koonja.

That's not a contradiction.

 

[Luckylucci]

I think Stepherson is a slower Will Fuller, and a smaller than already small TJ Jones. But has really good hands and by all accounts is a hard worker, so maybe he can flourish. My comment on pumping the brakes doesn't have to do with just this thread, but threads throughout pointing at him being a major find. Maybe, but let's see how it works out on September and beyond.

He camped at FSU at least twice and didn't earn an offer. That doesn't mean he's not still a diamond in the rough, but it's not like other staffs didn't see him. He's going to have a lot of competition to get on the field at ND at WR. A position we recruit probably as well as anything besides QBs and OL.

This is exactly what would make it a great find. The point isn't that nobody else saw him. The point is, he was right in front of them and they couldn't see it. You're really struggling on this one.

Coaches evaluate talent differently, just like posters do. I think Kelly and staff, for the most part, do a good job at evaluating talent, especially at WR.

 

[koonja]

This is exactly what would make it a great find. The point isn't that nobody else saw him. The point is, he was right in front of them and they couldn't see it. You're really struggling on this one.

Coaches evaluate talent differently, just like posters do. I think Kelly and staff, for the most part, do a good job at evaluating talent, especially at WR.

If he actually turns out to be a player, yes. If not, no. We will see.