NewEnglandGuy
Best of the Rest
- Messages
- 964
- Reaction score
- 196
Most will acknowledge Defensive Back as a current weakness on the roster in terms of talent, depth, and recruiting success. The Defensive Line was in a similar situation not too long ago, but recent success developing a rotation of personnel has it garnering a reputation of strength. How do these positions compare during the Brian Kelly era? Is it just bad recruiting beats or the Mike Elston factor?
Elston linked up with Kelly in 2004 at Central Michigan before moving with him to Cincinnati. He has been D Line coach from 2010-2014 and 2017-present at ND. Since the recruiting operation under Kelly has completed 10 full cycles of classes, 2011-2020, comparing recruiting hits and misses is a good place to start. Elston appears to have learned more effective ways in obtaining and developing the DL.
Besides when Diaco was running a 3-4 based defense or when opposing spread offenses dictate nickel as the standard base, the D Line and D Backs generally have a core of 4 primary starters each. Therefore, from a quantity standpoint, similar numbers of players recruited for both positions is expected.
italics for subjective misses - let the debate begin
DL
2011: Lynch, Tuitt, Williams, Springmann
2012: Day, Jones, Okwara
2013: Vanderdose, Rochelle, Matuska
2014: Trumbetti, Hayes, Blankenship, Cage, Bonner, Williams, Mokwuah
2015: Tillery, Tayler, Tiassum, MDT, Wallace
2016: Hayes, Kareem, Okwara, Jones, Ade Ogundeji
2017: MTA, Hinish, Wardlow, Ewell, MacCollister
2018: Jayson Ademilola, Justin Ademilola, Franklin, Oghoufo
2019: Lacey, Foskey, Nana, Cross, Spears
2020: Botelho, Mills, Keanaaina, Ehrensberger
Total recruits signed in 10 years: 45, hits 29, misses 16
One three year player in Tuitt
Impressions: The hit rate in the 2016 class as well as depth and talent brought in since is the best 5 year run since the Lou Holtz days. Recruiting the position didn’t capitalize on 2012 title appearance with a ton of misses besides a solid 2012 group the winter before. 4 NFL draft picks in first 5 years maybe doubled by the subsequent 5 classes. The 2016 class likely consisting of 4 picks alone. Evident how important a top recruit hit boosts and miss stings. A 5 star, 3rd round draft pick Vanderdose elevates depth across the board and likely team success in 2013-2016.
DB
2011: Hardy, Brown, Atkinson, Farley
2012: Shumate, Russell, Baratti, Turner, Shepard, Prosise
2013: Redfield, Luke, Butler, Kinlaw
2014: Watkins, Tranquill
2015: Crawford, Williams, White, Coleman, Fertitta
2016: Pride, Vaughn, Elliott, Love, Studstill, Perry, Morgan
2017: Robertson, JGH
2018: Griffith, Allen, Boykin, Bracy, Brown, Moala
2019: Hamilton, Rutherford, Ajavon, Wallace, Hart
2020: Offord, Henderson, Lewis, Bartleson
Transfer In: Riggs, Sebastian, Gilman, Pryor
Total recruits signed in 10 years: 45 + 4 transfers, hits 23, misses 22
One three year player in Love
Impressions: More position flexibility where skill can move successfully (Prosise). Thank God for the transfers to shore up the holes left in small classes and position movement. Unlike the 2016 DL class as a milestone for change, big misses thus far in 2018 class stands out for highly rated guys. Maybe more significant than DE to DT, the CB vs S transition/coverage isn't an exact plug in - ie Griffith struggles. Bracy as the only corner between 2017 and 2018 classes should make everyone thankful of ND's first 6th year player in Crawford (cautiously waiting to be corrected by acting historian Lou Somogyi).
Take away: If including the 3 hits in DB transfers (maybe premature in Pryor), the contributing total hits for each position are close at 29 and 26 respectively. However, I didn’t include Juniors and underclassmen remaining on the roster as misses. The DL is set up for success in years to come while the DB position could unravel with some untimely injuries like Hayes and Okwara in 2019.
Wrap up: The biggest recruit is the next recruit. I like Walters and hope the staff can add top of the board players next to him in 2021 to prevent future roster holes. Polian has the staff to do it, and I’m sure there are lessons to be learned from the recent success of DL. Recruiting prowess should be top of the skill requirement for open CB position coach. I love Kelly's stated goal of a top 5 class instead of yearly settling between 10-15. If they can turn another weakness into strength, the roster is one elite QB away from making a run.
Elston linked up with Kelly in 2004 at Central Michigan before moving with him to Cincinnati. He has been D Line coach from 2010-2014 and 2017-present at ND. Since the recruiting operation under Kelly has completed 10 full cycles of classes, 2011-2020, comparing recruiting hits and misses is a good place to start. Elston appears to have learned more effective ways in obtaining and developing the DL.
Besides when Diaco was running a 3-4 based defense or when opposing spread offenses dictate nickel as the standard base, the D Line and D Backs generally have a core of 4 primary starters each. Therefore, from a quantity standpoint, similar numbers of players recruited for both positions is expected.
italics for subjective misses - let the debate begin
DL
2011: Lynch, Tuitt, Williams, Springmann
2012: Day, Jones, Okwara
2013: Vanderdose, Rochelle, Matuska
2014: Trumbetti, Hayes, Blankenship, Cage, Bonner, Williams, Mokwuah
2015: Tillery, Tayler, Tiassum, MDT, Wallace
2016: Hayes, Kareem, Okwara, Jones, Ade Ogundeji
2017: MTA, Hinish, Wardlow, Ewell, MacCollister
2018: Jayson Ademilola, Justin Ademilola, Franklin, Oghoufo
2019: Lacey, Foskey, Nana, Cross, Spears
2020: Botelho, Mills, Keanaaina, Ehrensberger
Total recruits signed in 10 years: 45, hits 29, misses 16
One three year player in Tuitt
Impressions: The hit rate in the 2016 class as well as depth and talent brought in since is the best 5 year run since the Lou Holtz days. Recruiting the position didn’t capitalize on 2012 title appearance with a ton of misses besides a solid 2012 group the winter before. 4 NFL draft picks in first 5 years maybe doubled by the subsequent 5 classes. The 2016 class likely consisting of 4 picks alone. Evident how important a top recruit hit boosts and miss stings. A 5 star, 3rd round draft pick Vanderdose elevates depth across the board and likely team success in 2013-2016.
DB
2011: Hardy, Brown, Atkinson, Farley
2012: Shumate, Russell, Baratti, Turner, Shepard, Prosise
2013: Redfield, Luke, Butler, Kinlaw
2014: Watkins, Tranquill
2015: Crawford, Williams, White, Coleman, Fertitta
2016: Pride, Vaughn, Elliott, Love, Studstill, Perry, Morgan
2017: Robertson, JGH
2018: Griffith, Allen, Boykin, Bracy, Brown, Moala
2019: Hamilton, Rutherford, Ajavon, Wallace, Hart
2020: Offord, Henderson, Lewis, Bartleson
Transfer In: Riggs, Sebastian, Gilman, Pryor
Total recruits signed in 10 years: 45 + 4 transfers, hits 23, misses 22
One three year player in Love
Impressions: More position flexibility where skill can move successfully (Prosise). Thank God for the transfers to shore up the holes left in small classes and position movement. Unlike the 2016 DL class as a milestone for change, big misses thus far in 2018 class stands out for highly rated guys. Maybe more significant than DE to DT, the CB vs S transition/coverage isn't an exact plug in - ie Griffith struggles. Bracy as the only corner between 2017 and 2018 classes should make everyone thankful of ND's first 6th year player in Crawford (cautiously waiting to be corrected by acting historian Lou Somogyi).
Take away: If including the 3 hits in DB transfers (maybe premature in Pryor), the contributing total hits for each position are close at 29 and 26 respectively. However, I didn’t include Juniors and underclassmen remaining on the roster as misses. The DL is set up for success in years to come while the DB position could unravel with some untimely injuries like Hayes and Okwara in 2019.
Wrap up: The biggest recruit is the next recruit. I like Walters and hope the staff can add top of the board players next to him in 2021 to prevent future roster holes. Polian has the staff to do it, and I’m sure there are lessons to be learned from the recent success of DL. Recruiting prowess should be top of the skill requirement for open CB position coach. I love Kelly's stated goal of a top 5 class instead of yearly settling between 10-15. If they can turn another weakness into strength, the roster is one elite QB away from making a run.