GoldenIsThyFame
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We dropped a spot with UGA picking up a commit last night to #8 in the 247 rankings. If we don't add anyone else I think we end up between 12-15 depending on who other teams get.
ND's Current Class Ranking
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IrishSteelhead
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If tomorrow plays out as (hopefully) expected, this is a very good class IMO. You have immediate playmakers, and some real diamonds in the rough.
Losing Darby is a groin kick, but overall you have to like what has gone down:
-Elite QB
-Lockdown Corner
-Dominant Receiver
-Plug-Ugly DTs (always a luxury)
-Consistent Long Snapper
*I will be very pleased if the current commits put pen to paper tomorrow, and elated if there is a surprise from Poole. Ranked high or low, this class is solid.
Losing Darby is a groin kick, but overall you have to like what has gone down:
-Elite QB
-Lockdown Corner
-Dominant Receiver
-Plug-Ugly DTs (always a luxury)
-Consistent Long Snapper
*I will be very pleased if the current commits put pen to paper tomorrow, and elated if there is a surprise from Poole. Ranked high or low, this class is solid.
Redbar
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Yep!
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Grahambo
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Seems Poole's family is really pushing him towards ND. All of his father's comments get me excited. Pool + Neal =
anarin
They call me Chuck.
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koonja
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Can Notre Dame put the finishing touches on 2012 class?
The Fighting Irish already have a top-10 class, but they need to add a few more pieces, specifically on defense, to really make this class stand out. The Irish missed out on one of their top targets in ESPNU 150 prospect Arik Armstead (Elk Grove, Calif./Pleasant Grove), but they are not giving up on fellow ESPNU 150 recruit Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md./Potomac), who recently decommitted from the Irish. Four-star linebacker Ken Ekanem (Clifton, Va./Centreville) could sign with Notre Dame if the staff picks up interest and is comfortable with his knee after he tore an ACL during his senior season.
National signing day preview - ESPN
Espn just getting our hopes up.
The Fighting Irish already have a top-10 class, but they need to add a few more pieces, specifically on defense, to really make this class stand out. The Irish missed out on one of their top targets in ESPNU 150 prospect Arik Armstead (Elk Grove, Calif./Pleasant Grove), but they are not giving up on fellow ESPNU 150 recruit Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md./Potomac), who recently decommitted from the Irish. Four-star linebacker Ken Ekanem (Clifton, Va./Centreville) could sign with Notre Dame if the staff picks up interest and is comfortable with his knee after he tore an ACL during his senior season.
National signing day preview - ESPN
Espn just getting our hopes up.
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koonja
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For all of you that whine about how Tom and espn are bias against ND, he had some very favorable words regarding our recruiting.
Rhode Irish
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In a vacuum, this is a very good class. Its a top-10 class. It hit positions of need - DB, WR and QB - with ELITE talent. It added depth in other key areas - OL, DL, RB.
While I get that recruiting doesn't take place in a vacuum, I think some of the "meh" feeling I sense coming from this board regarding the 2012 class is a bit unjustified. Of course it sucks to have lost Darby and Decker late in the process. Of course it would have been nice to add Arik Armstead or Nelson Agholor, or another CB to replace Darby. Obviously, I would be thrilled if Poole or Neal ended up Irish after all is said and done.
But even without all of that, this class is nothing to hang our heads about. Imagine if we ended up with the exact same class, only Tee or Deontay or Jones or Gunner announced for us tonight or tomorrow - wouldn't the tone here be much more upbeat?
To give even further context to this year's class, it seems like if we widen our lens a bit we should be even happier. Like I said earlier, a top-10 class is nothing to sneeze at. But after the transfers of Amir and Prestwood, last year's class could be adjusted to be perhaps the best in the country. So this isn't just a top-10 class; its a top-10 class backing up a ~ top-3 class.
And these classes aren't just good on paper; in the last two recruiting cycles every position on the field has been infused with elite talent. If Kelly can implement the player development he was hired for, we have the makings of a championship-caliber club on our hands. Yes, next year could be scary, but it is also an opportunity to begin seeing the results we have seen in recruiting manifest themselves on the field.
Note: I posted this in another thread earlier, but that thread isn't getting any play. I hate to be annoying, posting the same thing twice, but I really want to make this point.
While I get that recruiting doesn't take place in a vacuum, I think some of the "meh" feeling I sense coming from this board regarding the 2012 class is a bit unjustified. Of course it sucks to have lost Darby and Decker late in the process. Of course it would have been nice to add Arik Armstead or Nelson Agholor, or another CB to replace Darby. Obviously, I would be thrilled if Poole or Neal ended up Irish after all is said and done.
But even without all of that, this class is nothing to hang our heads about. Imagine if we ended up with the exact same class, only Tee or Deontay or Jones or Gunner announced for us tonight or tomorrow - wouldn't the tone here be much more upbeat?
To give even further context to this year's class, it seems like if we widen our lens a bit we should be even happier. Like I said earlier, a top-10 class is nothing to sneeze at. But after the transfers of Amir and Prestwood, last year's class could be adjusted to be perhaps the best in the country. So this isn't just a top-10 class; its a top-10 class backing up a ~ top-3 class.
And these classes aren't just good on paper; in the last two recruiting cycles every position on the field has been infused with elite talent. If Kelly can implement the player development he was hired for, we have the makings of a championship-caliber club on our hands. Yes, next year could be scary, but it is also an opportunity to begin seeing the results we have seen in recruiting manifest themselves on the field.
Note: I posted this in another thread earlier, but that thread isn't getting any play. I hate to be annoying, posting the same thing twice, but I really want to make this point.
stlnd01
Was away. Now returned.
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Funny. For all of the ESPN-bashing that goes on around here, they're the only folks still rating us with a top 10 class.
College Football Class Rankings 2012 - ESPN
They've also got Neal ranked higher than anyone else, I believe. So if we land him, might climb a spot or two.
Meanwhile, we're a post-signing-day 16th on 247, 19th on Scout, and a brutal 22nd on Rivals. For what it's worth.
College Football Class Rankings 2012 - ESPN
They've also got Neal ranked higher than anyone else, I believe. So if we land him, might climb a spot or two.
Meanwhile, we're a post-signing-day 16th on 247, 19th on Scout, and a brutal 22nd on Rivals. For what it's worth.
It's mostly about quantity when it comes to recruiting rankings. USC has about as good of a 15-recruit class can be and doesn't crack the top 10. They were pushing away 4-star recruits. That's insane!
Meanwhile, Miami pulls in 33 recruits, 16 of which are 3-star recruits. They also have ~6 recruits below the 3-star level. That's far from a top 10 class, even with all of their 4-star recruits.
We roughly had the 10th best class. If we land Neal, then we're solidly a top 10 class. Either way, I'd rather us win 10 games for a change than continue to haul in top 10 recruiting classes.
Meanwhile, Miami pulls in 33 recruits, 16 of which are 3-star recruits. They also have ~6 recruits below the 3-star level. That's far from a top 10 class, even with all of their 4-star recruits.
We roughly had the 10th best class. If we land Neal, then we're solidly a top 10 class. Either way, I'd rather us win 10 games for a change than continue to haul in top 10 recruiting classes.
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koonja
Guest
That can't be up-to date. ESPN has us at 18 commits and we only have 16. We won't be in their top 10 once they figure their **** out, unless we get Neal.
If you click average stars per player, for 2 of the 3 sites mentioned we're still ahead of Michigan!
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johnnykillz
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I understand what you mean, LAX, but that's nearly impossible.
There are busts every year and a few hidden gems.
Let's hope more for hidden gems than a lack of busts.
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Yeah... well... you make good points... I'll still hold out hope though. More than anything, Tee Shephard cannot be a bust and one of Chris Brown and Justin Ferguson needs to be a gem. As long as that happens, we're going to be OK I think.
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koonja
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I no longer feel bad for Cal. Speaking sticky commits, Cal lost 5-star DL, 5-star Shaq, and 4-star Payton.
ND lost commitments from 4-star Perkins, 4-star Decker, 5-star DGB, and 5-star Darby.
This class is top 4 with those guys. We were so close to having an elite class. The staff did everything they could and I love their commitment to recruiting.
ND lost commitments from 4-star Perkins, 4-star Decker, 5-star DGB, and 5-star Darby.
This class is top 4 with those guys. We were so close to having an elite class. The staff did everything they could and I love their commitment to recruiting.
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Sherm Sticky
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It happens to all teams every year. Sometimes you win the battle some years you lose the battle. It's the nature of the beast this day in age.
Old Man Mike
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.... and remember gentlemen, in the big picture you are hoping to be able to count on about 9 players who will be starter quality position players in their junior and senior years. We have pretty high quality people in our "16", and in terms of true new-blood infusion into the roster, we actually will have 18 [Carlisle and Badger] for blood transfusion in the coming years.
Whether one insists on looking narrowly or with a [to me legitimately] wider perspective, these 16/18 guys look pretty darn good.
And also: if one says "but that guy won't start because 'X' is ahead of him", that makes no difference in the larger picture because you're saying that we have that position extremely well covered. Unless Staff Kelly was good at recruiting only certain positions [not true, he can recruit them all] it should all spread out just fine.
We have seven O players [plus Carlisle] and all of them have starter glitter by junior year if not sooner. We have eight D players [plus Badger] and the more commentary comes in on Turner and Prosise, the more glitter each of them shines --- and the other guys, wow, even the rating services seem to be awake on them --- or you have athletic freaks like Baratti and Okwara.
Given our depth I don't get the pessimism. Whiskey could get us an accurate range of what this means for available scholarships next round, but looking at six or five more opportunities, with a coming roster which is already very deep, sounds like a relief to me.
Regarding the four de-commits, Decker wasn't going to play next year anyway --- O-Linemen redshirt. Perkins probably wasn't going to be able to crack those supermen we have at Linebacker in his year one either --- so those guys do NOT affect the team play this coming year. So it boils down to how much Darby or Greenberry would be "essential" in their freshmen years, as to whether these happenings affect next season or not. Everybody will have their opinions on this. At a minimum we should probably say that whoever is in "their" spots is not likely to be some blundering fool. Greenberry is REAL good, that's a given. But I think that TJ, Daniels, Brown, and Ferguson are real good too. With a playmaker QB [and you will have to have one or it doesn't much matter who else is out there], the wides don't have to be Mike Floyd. As to Darby: almost everyone has said that he is raw. Does he then obviously beat out JBrown, Atkinson, Wood, Jackson, Prosise --- and almost surely not Tee [who may in fact be the only actual absolute necessity ready to play] ? And kick returning: uh... GAIII?
Darby probably is going to be a great one. He just might NOT, however, if his track ambitions get really sky-high. I'm not sure that if I thought I had a chance to be an Olympian, I might not let other things slide a little down my agenda.
It's a crapshoot out there. Anything regarding the future is. All you can do is give yourself "statistical" chances to succeed whether the Sun shines or not. Kelly has constructed a three-deep roster. He's done his job. That part of it anyway.
Whether one insists on looking narrowly or with a [to me legitimately] wider perspective, these 16/18 guys look pretty darn good.
And also: if one says "but that guy won't start because 'X' is ahead of him", that makes no difference in the larger picture because you're saying that we have that position extremely well covered. Unless Staff Kelly was good at recruiting only certain positions [not true, he can recruit them all] it should all spread out just fine.
We have seven O players [plus Carlisle] and all of them have starter glitter by junior year if not sooner. We have eight D players [plus Badger] and the more commentary comes in on Turner and Prosise, the more glitter each of them shines --- and the other guys, wow, even the rating services seem to be awake on them --- or you have athletic freaks like Baratti and Okwara.
Given our depth I don't get the pessimism. Whiskey could get us an accurate range of what this means for available scholarships next round, but looking at six or five more opportunities, with a coming roster which is already very deep, sounds like a relief to me.
Regarding the four de-commits, Decker wasn't going to play next year anyway --- O-Linemen redshirt. Perkins probably wasn't going to be able to crack those supermen we have at Linebacker in his year one either --- so those guys do NOT affect the team play this coming year. So it boils down to how much Darby or Greenberry would be "essential" in their freshmen years, as to whether these happenings affect next season or not. Everybody will have their opinions on this. At a minimum we should probably say that whoever is in "their" spots is not likely to be some blundering fool. Greenberry is REAL good, that's a given. But I think that TJ, Daniels, Brown, and Ferguson are real good too. With a playmaker QB [and you will have to have one or it doesn't much matter who else is out there], the wides don't have to be Mike Floyd. As to Darby: almost everyone has said that he is raw. Does he then obviously beat out JBrown, Atkinson, Wood, Jackson, Prosise --- and almost surely not Tee [who may in fact be the only actual absolute necessity ready to play] ? And kick returning: uh... GAIII?
Darby probably is going to be a great one. He just might NOT, however, if his track ambitions get really sky-high. I'm not sure that if I thought I had a chance to be an Olympian, I might not let other things slide a little down my agenda.
It's a crapshoot out there. Anything regarding the future is. All you can do is give yourself "statistical" chances to succeed whether the Sun shines or not. Kelly has constructed a three-deep roster. He's done his job. That part of it anyway.
GoldenIsThyFame
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Will finish 2012 with the #12 class on 247.
irishff1014
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5 spot jump with one player is awesome. Glad to have him on board even though i thought after this morning the tide had changed for us.
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koonja
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woolybug25
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We also did it with only 18 recruits. If we took our avg star ranking, and added it to 3-4 more guys, this would be a top 5 class.
irishff1014
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We already had a pretty good class Neal makes this class that much better.