Junior day

[Champion10]

Looks like ND had a successful junior day with guests like

Jimmy Clausen
Marc Tyler
Darren Evans
Arrelious Benn
John Elliott
Josh Oglesby
Miles Stroter
Ben Martin
Myles Wade
Chris Galippo
Andrew Dailey
Ronald Johnson
Jordan Mabin
Donnie Evege

 

[iloveirish_12]

I hope we can land all of those guys.

 

[Champion10]

me to

 

[Óglaigh_na_hÉireann]

While I'm interested in Marc Tyler at RB, I'm more interested in the guy from Minnesota or Wisconsin... what's his name again?

 

[Champion10]

John Clay?

 

[Irish1225]

Are you talking about RB John Clay or OL Josh Oglesby. Both are from Wisconsin and are supposed to be beasts. We have a good shot at both of them I believe, especially Oglesby.

 

[Óglaigh_na_hÉireann]

Yep, John Clay. Rivals says he hasn't gotten any offers yet, so that comes as a surprise.

But speaking of Oglesby, besides Clausen and maybe Arrelious Benn, he's the guy I want to see most at ND in the next class. What impresses me most about Oglesby is his character, even more than his size.

 

[Champion10]

If we get Clausen expect Tyler to follow along with Benn. If we were to get an early verbal from Clausen, Benn, Oglesby, Martin etc.... it would help get the 2007 class off with a bang.

 

[Óglaigh_na_hÉireann]

I wonder whether Clausen will be making his commitment sooner rather than later. Hopefully he'll choose his school in the summer for the very reason you mentioned if we do get him.

 

[Champion10]

Maybe he will decide the day after signing day(2006).

 

[BGIF]

Looks like ND had a successful junior day with guests like

Jimmy Clausen
Marc Tyler
Darren Evans
Arrelious Benn
John Elliott
Josh Oglesby
Miles Stroter
Ben Martin
Myles Wade
Chris Galippo
Andrew Dailey
Ronald Johnson
Jordan Mabin
Donnie Evege

Are those all confirmed attendees or a list of who was supposed to be coming?

 

[Champion10]

people who were assumed but rivals has som articles of what there experience was like so it sounds like most showed up.

 

[BGIF]

people who were assumed but rivals has som articles of what there experience was like so it sounds like most showed up.

I was trying to determine if there were more confirmed than those in the recruiting articles.

 

[jiggafini19]

Top RB Visits ND
Steve Hare

Top 100 running back Marc Tyler made another unofficial visit to Notre Dame this weekend when he attended the Irish's junior day event on Saturday.

Tyler, a 6-foot, 215-pounder from Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, Calif., used this visit to learn more about the school and the coaching staff.

"It was a good visit," he said. "We went through a lot of stuff and I talked to a lot of coaches. I got to learn a lot about the school."

During this visit Tyler was able to spend some time with head coach Charlie Weis.

"Probably the highlight of the trip is that I had a one-on-one with Charlie Weis," he said. "He talked about how I feel with the school and how I fit in. He just wanted to know if I had any questions."

Tyler didn't have many questions but he did find out how important he is to the Irish.

"So far I'm the only running back that they've offered," he said. "They said they might offer one more this week."

After the junior day activities Tyler and the rest of the visitors attended the Notre Dame men's basketball game where he spent some time getting to know several of the Irish's other recruiting targets.

"I talked to Arrelious (Benn) a lot," he said. "He's a really cool guy. He's supposed to be the best wide receiver in the nation. He's a big guy. He said he liked the school and Jimmy (Clausen); but he already knew about him."

Tyler didn't have to get to know Jimmy Clausen since the two are teammates and have traveled together to several colleges.

"Jimmy said he liked the visit and he likes what Charlie Weis does with his quarterbacks," Tyler said.

 

[jiggafini19]

Tyler lives with Jimmy Clausen and his family. Expect this to probably be a package deal. Tyler has already said that Clausen could decide as early as spring, but wherever he goes will be in Tyler's top 3. It sounds like Tyler is expecting Clausen to decide before he does.

 

[jiggafini19]

Junior Day Features Top Offensive Linemen
Steve Hare

On Saturday Notre Dame hosted 35-40 of the nations top juniors when the Irish held its first junior recruiting day of 2006. Included in that group were two Top 100 offensive linemen, Miles Stroter and John Elliott.

Stroter, a 6-foot-4, 309-pound guard from Chicago, Ill., had already visited campus several times but this visit was the first that allowed him to tour campus.

"It was pretty nice, but I've been there three times before," he said. "But this time was the first time I took a tour of campus. We also had the opportunity to spend more time with the coaches but it was probably more insightful for the juniors making their first visit to Notre Dame."

One highlight for Stroter was meeting with offensive line coach John Latina and learning more about how the Irish like to do things up front.

"I talked to coach Latina about what their blocking schemes are and how diverse their playbook is," he said. "They run the same plays as the New England Patriots so he said you have to be smart."

Despite his recent visits Stroter still came away impressed with the Irish, especially since he had the chance to get to know some of the other prospects.

"Every time I go to Notre Dame I'm impressed," he said. "They have great facilities and the new athletic center is pretty impressive. I also got to see some of the other guys they are recruiting and who could be my future teammates or my competition."

Stroter currently holds an offer from Illinois.

For Elliott, a 6-foot-4, 285-pound tackle from East Meadow, N.Y., his first visit to South Bend did enough to add the Irish to his list of early favorites.

"They are definitely up there," he said. "I enjoyed everything I saw today but now I just need to take it all in. There was a lot in a short time."

The quick visit gave him the opportunity to see campus and meet his recruiting coach as well as Charlie Weis and offensive line coach, John Latina.

"I got to meet with Peter Vaas, my recruiting coordinator, and John Latina and Charlie Weis," he said. "They seem like straight-forward guys. I think they have a great staff there and their tradition is excellent."

Elliott currently holds offers from Maryland, North Carolina, Rutgers, Temple, Virginia and West Virginia.

 

[jiggafini19]

Stroter's coach has already said he is in love with ND. Other schools are calling with interest. When they ask who Stroter is interested in, the coach says ND and some schools do not call back.

He has already been to ND four or five times, which bodes well.

 

[jiggafini19]

Galippo Impressed at Irish Junior Day
Steve Hare

Typically, when a college football program hosts a junior recruiting day it focuses on prospects within driving distance to the school. That wasn't the case with Notre Dame's first event of 2006 when the Irish saw prospects from coast-to-coast converge on South Bend, Ind.

Chris Galippo was one player that traveled a great distance to learn more about what Notre Dame had to offer. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker from Anaheim, Calif., was impressed with his first impression of the Notre Dame football program, campus and even the weather.

"It was great," he said. "I had a really fun time. We toured the campus, met the coaches and got to know everyone. The campus was great; they spend hundreds of millions of dollars because they expect the best. It's very family oriented and I can't wait to see it in the summer. I expected it to be a lot colder but it wasn't so bad. I could get used to it."

Galippo made the trip because the Irish were already one of his favorite schools. After the trip he knows that Notre Dame will remain on his list throughout the recruiting process.

"ND will always be on the list," he said. "USC and UCLA will definitely be there too. I have to keep the local schools there because I've grown up with them. Things are pretty wide open right now but I had just had a great visit to ND and I'm looking forward to the junior days at USC and UCLA."

Currently Galippo holds an offer from Boston College, but after meeting with the Notre Dame coaches he's confident that he could be adding an Irish offer soon.

"(The coaches) talked about it," he said. "They have one of my game films from when we played Long Beach Poly in the playoffs. They were a spread team so every play I made was really sideline-to-sideline, which is my strength, but they want to see me against the traditional I-back team."

Fortunately Galippo brought an additional highlight tape with him and the coaching staff is expected to view it soon.

"I have another tape with me and they are going to pick it up (Sunday) before I leave," he said. "It's a pretty good tape. I'm really satisfied with it and think they'll like it."

As a junior he recorded 101 solo tackles, 60 assists, three sacks and eight tackles for loss. He also blocked three field goals and three punts, returning one for a touchdown.

 

[jiggafini19]

Ah, a linebacker. Someone on defense. Refreshing.

I like Galippo better than any junior linebacker I've seen to this point. His offer should be coming soon.

Looks like they'll have to battle Spoiled Children and bRUINS for him.

 

[jiggafini19]

Benn Impressed with Irish
By Mike Frank
Jan 16, 2006

Washington D.C. standout Arrelious Benn thought he’d end up liking his unofficial visit to South Bend this past weekend, but he wasn’t sure he’d like it as much as he did. Where do the Irish stand for Benn after his first trek to Notre Dame?

Wide receiver prospect Arrelious Benn said the Irish made a strong case this past weekend when the 6-1, 200-pound visited Notre Dame for the very first time.

”It was great. I really liked it a lot,” Benn said of his visit. “I really liked everything about Notre Dame.”

We asked Benn what stood out to him on his visit.

”I just really liked the environment there,” he said. “It’s not really a big school, which is a good thing. I really liked the coaches there. Their new facility is unbelievable. Their academics stand out above everyone, and I like the fact that they expect you to be a student before you’re an athlete there….that really impressed me.”

The Dunbar high school star said he also enjoyed his time spent with Irish head coach Charlie Weis.

”I was really excited to meet him,” Benn said of Weis. “You know that he’s a really good coach, but you don’t know what he’s going to be like. He’s everything I thought he’d be. He’s a real nice guy. He’s really down-to-earth and I felt real comfortable with him. You know he’s going to make you a better player.”

Benn also found a new friend while he was visiting Notre Dame.

”I spent a lot of time with Jimmy Clausen,” Benn said. “We exchanged numbers and we talked about going to the same school together. He’s a real cool guy. I think we’ll get along real well.

”We talked about some of the schools we were interested in. I think he’s pretty high on Notre Dame like me. We’re going to stay in contact with each other.”

Like Clausen, Benn might make his decision sometime in the near future.

”I’ll probably make an early decision, but I don’t think it will be until spring,” Benn said. “I want to look at a few schools before I decide what I want to do. I might end up enrolling in January so I’ll have to make an early decision. I’m just not sure exactly when I’ll decide.”

So where do the Irish stand on Benn’s list right now?

”They’re very high on my list,” Benn said. “I’m not ready to commit anywhere, but they’re very high on my list.”

 

[jiggafini19]

Landing the Clausen-Tyler-Benn trio could be absolutely huge....and highly possible.

Would have like to have seen more defensive linemen mentioned. At this point, ND seems to be on track with Myles Wade.

If they land guys like Clausen, Tyler and Benn defense could become an afterthought at Notre Dame. Couple them with the 2006 class, the points will be flying on the board.

 

[BGIF]

"cause the times they are a changin''

 

[Champion10]

did Ronald Johnson, Ben Martin and Andrew Dailey make it?

 

[nayers]

i love you jigga, thanks for the info

 

[iloveirish_12]

If we can get that trio and the Johnson, Martin,and Dailey trio this could be a very,very, good class.

 

[jiggafini19]

Looking Out At Number One
Pete Sampson
IrishIllustrated.com Editor

Arrelious Benn knows where he stands with Notre Dame.

Charlie Weis made sure of that when the receiver from Washington, D.C. made a junior day visit to South Bend over the weekend. Benn said the Notre Dame head coach told him that he's the No. 1 receiver prospect on the Irish recruiting board for 2007 and that the 6-foot-1, 208-pound wide out could challenge for a starting spot from Day One.

"He sees me in the slot and told me who's coming in and where I stand at my position," Benn said. "I'd probably have a starting position but I'd have to work for it."

It would have been a surprise if Weis didn't talk to Benn about a starting position considering the wide out already holds nearly 30 offers. Notre Dame isn't the only college football program that's told Benn he's their No. 1 wide out target, however Weis has some advantages that other schools don't, starting with the other prospects that attended the Irish junior day.

Benn, after taking a campus tour and learning about the academic side of Notre Dame, watched the Irish men's basketball team down Providence at the Joyce Center while he chatted with top quarterback prospect Jimmy Clausen. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Clausen figures to rank as the nation's top junior quarterback if not the class's top prospect overall. By the end of the day Clausen and Benn were exchanging numbers and planning to keep in touch.

"We're looking to go to the same school," Benn said. "He's a cool guy."

Benn had the same to say about Weis, although he wasn't sure exactly how to describe his meeting with the Irish coach.

"[Talking to Coach Weis] was exciting. I don't even know what to say," Benn said. "We talked about how I would have academic support and how he'd make sure to see that I graduated."

Before Benn's junior season began Notre Dame was more of an afterthought for the receiver who had more interest in Miami and Florida State. But the more Benn watched the Irish offense, which finished the year as the nation's most improved, the more he took a liking to Notre Dame.

When Weis, quarterbacks coach Peter Vaas and receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Rob Ianello made contact with Benn, the receiver was happy to listen.

"I had never really thought about Notre Dame like that," Benn said. "Their offense, I like their style and how it fits me as a receiver, plus I like the quarterback situation there. They're very high. I like Notre Dame."

In addition to Notre Dame's NFL-style offense and quarterback depth chart, Benn likes the fact he doesn't see a receiver with his skill set on the Irish roster. At the Nike Camp at State College, Pa., last spring, Benn posted a 4.45 time in the 40-yard dash. His 19 bench press reps tied for first among receivers in the junior and senior class.

"I really didn't see any physical receivers," Benn said of the Irish roster. "They had great receivers, don't get me wrong, but they were finesse-type receivers. I'm not a finesse-type receiver that catches the ball and runs out-of-bounds. I'm going to catch the ball and try to get some yards."

Benn plans to trim his list to a Top 10 sometime in the coming months with another cut down to five to follow. He said the Irish are assured a spot in that quintet of programs.

"I know Notre Dame is going to be in that five," Benn said.

As a junior Benn caught 49 passes for 1,130 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also returned punts and kicks plus played defensive back for Dunbar High School.

Benn said that for now he has no plans to attend other junior days.

 

[jiggafini19]

Clausen will be the key.

If Weis lands Clausen, Tyler and Benn are going to follow.

 

[jiggafini19]

did Ronald Johnson, Ben Martin and Andrew Dailey make it?

Dailey Returns to South Bend
Steve Hare

For Andrew Dailey, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker prospect from Massillon, Ohio, his junior day visit to Notre Dame turned into a shopping excursion.

"We got there around 1:15 and went right to the bookstore," he said. "I got a few tee shirts."

Dailey, one of Rivals.com's Top 100 to watch in the Class of 2007, had already made a couple of unofficial visits to Notre Dame so he was more excited about spending quality time with the coaches than he was with seeing the campus again.

Head coach Charlie Weis kicked off the event when he talked to the group of juniors about the academic offerings of Notre Dame.

"He stressed academics," Dailey said. "He said that if we go to college to remember that we all aren't going to see the (NFL)."

Athletic Director Kevin White followed Weis and the players had the chance to meet with their recruiting coach and position coach.

""I got to meet with coach (Rick) Minter," he said. "He said they really need more speed at linebacker because that's what they missed this year. They want me to bulk up but to keep my speed."

After the meetings the group was loaded onto a bus for a campus tour and then they attended the Notre Dame men's basketball team's 92-77 Big East victory over Providence. Dailey sat near one of Notre Dame's top prospects for 2007, California quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

"I sat next to Jimmy Clausen at the basketball game," he said. "He said that Notre Dame is one of his top schools and so is South Carolina."

 

[jiggafini19]

So he will be seen wearing ND gear. Thus, don't get excited just yet.

South Carolina? Weis or Spurrier? Hmmmm.

"Top Jimmy. He's the King."

 

[Óglaigh_na_hÉireann]

One thing that I havn't heard about for a while are the 'silent verbals' for the class of '07 that we supposedly have. I think Lemming and the 'main guy' at Rivals suggested that we have several silents.

So, I'm wondering if that's true, and secondly, if so, who are they?