Updated Recruiting List 2011

[aubeirish]

I think you need to hold a spot for Davaris Daniels as well. The kid is working really hard to get admitted to Notre Dame. That spells RKG to me.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Yep. If we win 10 games like Mark May said, I think Kasen is ours. DaVaris will be ours under the condition that he qualifies academically.

We should be set at LB now (Rabasa, Councell, Burton, and Grace). We will still go after DBs (Aldridge if we can't get Lyons). I may be in the minority, but I want to try French out at WR. His size and speed is such a mismatch, especially in the end zone.

I completely agree...With all the LBs recruits we have might as well give French a shot at WR or H-back type player.

I would love to see Lyons at safety if not him I'd prefer Townsend.

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

Do you guys think that Kasen and DaVaris would both be able to commit?

Or is ND going to save room for more DBs and LBs?

I personally think ND should get those two receivers (if possible) and get one more solid DB.

What do you guys think?

Just my opinion, but if you were to see both guys come to ND, the commitments would not be close to one another. Senario: Williams commits end of August, we wiff on a few guys that see their position almost full, but have a great year on the field. By the winter, the staff never stopped recruiting Daniels but now turns the heat on and he thinks back to going through all the academic stuff to qualify and commits...something like that.

Otherwise, I would be surprised with LBs. I am at a loss what to do with French...hate to walk away from a kid like that, but if Williams decides this month to come...he is probably Brendon Austin/Chris Rock dead.

It is a safe bet to go with BKs skill, big skill, and power positions at this point. Safe bets in order are S, WR, DL, OL, S, WR.

 

[TerryTate]

Just my opinion, but if you were to see both guys come to ND, the commitments would not be close to one another. Senario: Williams commits end of August, we wiff on a few guys that see their position almost full, but have a great year on the field. By the winter, the staff never stopped recruiting Daniels but now turns the heat on and he thinks back to going through all the academic stuff to qualify and commits...something like that.

Otherwise, I would be surprised with LBs. I am at a loss what to do with French...hate to walk away from a kid like that, but if Williams decides this month to come...he is probably Brendon Austin/Chris Rock dead.

It is a safe bet to go with BKs skill, big skill, and power positions at this point. Safe bets in order are S, WR, DL, OL, S, WR.

Williams is a long shot. French and Daniels are probably the two that we have the best shot with in terms of Top 100 recruits remaining. Daniels, for now, is a wait and see game. French will take some more work, and he needs to decide if he wants to play offense or defense. I agree that we still need a S, then WR, then DL or French who could play WR, S, or OLB. Flexibility of Carrico and Springmann make OL less important at this stage.

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

Williams is a long shot. French and Daniels are probably the two that we have the best shot with in terms of Top 100 recruits remaining. Daniels, for now, is a wait and see game. French will take some more work, and he needs to decide if he wants to play offense or defense. I agree that we still need a S, then WR, then DL or French who could play WR, S, or OLB. Flexibility of Carrico and Springmann make OL less important at this stage.

We made the his top 5 and soon after his visit he announced a decision date. I would not call it a as much a long shot as we have a shot. Without an insider info I assume we are in the first part of the 5 remaining but I digress....

I agree with you on the OL, there will be some tough decisions ahead. Some I am sure we will not hear about. I assume the staff has a board like NFL teams construct for their drafts. There is obviously positions of need that affect it but also best available. Mine would be:

Wayne Lyons (or any S...#1 position of need)
quick thought, what about Flowers for Safety? Any possibility?
Kasen Williams (then Atkinson, Daniels, French, Shuler for the WR)
another thought, Rodgers at WR or S?
Ray Drew (then Tuitt, Niklas, Newberry for the DL)
does iShaq, Scarlett, Chickillo belong here now? I feel we are DONE at OLB
Cyrus Kouandjio
Marcus Roberson
Savon Huggins
Antonio Richardson
Josh Atkinson

probably it for guys we are/could still be recruiting, thoughts?

 

[TerryTate]

We made the his top 5 and soon after his visit he announced a decision date. I would not call it a as much a long shot as we have a shot. Without an insider info I assume we are in the first part of the 5 remaining but I digress....

I agree with you on the OL, there will be some tough decisions ahead. Some I am sure we will not hear about. I assume the staff has a board like NFL teams construct for their drafts. There is obviously positions of need that affect it but also best available. Mine would be:

Wayne Lyons (or any S...#1 position of need)
quick thought, what about Flowers for Safety? Any possibility?
Kasen Williams (then Atkinson, Daniels, French, Shuler for the WR)
another thought, Rodgers at WR or S?
Ray Drew (then Tuitt, Niklas, Newberry for the DL)
does iShaq, Scarlett, Chickillo belong here now? I feel we are DONE at OLB
Cyrus Kouandjio
Marcus Roberson
Savon Huggins
Antonio Richardson
Josh Atkinson
Xzavier Ward
Jay Whitmire

probably it for guys we are/could still be recruiting, thoughts?

I'd say we're #3 right now for Kasen - Wash & Cal being 1 & 2. Kelly can close well though. Mendoza is a hot selling point.

People have been saying that Lyons is leaning towards UF with his sister attending the school, but their Depth Chart at S is unreal.

Ray Drew hasn't cut his list yet, and I haven't heard much about him, I think it's safer to say Tuitt / Scarlett / Niklas are better shots at DE.

Xzavier Ward is out - not in his top 10. Jay Whitmire, I didn't even know about, but he's got some nice offers - but I think if we go another OL, the staff will go for one of the big fish (Richardson)

A lot of these guys you listed haven't trimmed their hefty offer lists yet. Once they start doing that as the season gets closer, we'll have a better idea of who is realistically a target.

 

[SoInIrishFan]

I think we have a better shot at K. Williams than most people believe. With that said....

Williams
Tuitt
Atkinson x2 (getting both creates DB depth)
Daniels (Lord I hope he gets his ACT score. If so, move him to the top)
IShaq (he will gain weight, and with a 6'6" frame.... wheeeeee! )
Huggins
French (as much as I love the upside, no room for a project now)

I really believe the verbals from Lynch and Hayes, are going to pay major dividends on the recruiting trail.

Just my 2-cents worth, your mileage may vary.

 

[IrishInFl]

I think we have a better shot at K. Williams than most people believe. With that said....

Williams
Tuitt
Atkinson x2 (getting both creates DB depth)
Daniels (Lord I hope he gets his ACT score. If so, move him to the top)
IShaq (he will gain weight, and with a 6'6" frame.... wheeeeee! )
Huggins
French (as much as I love the upside, no room for a project now)

I really believe the verbals from Lynch and Hayes, are going to pay major dividends on the recruiting trail.

Just my 2-cents worth, your mileage may vary.

You would seriously pass on a guy who's 6'6" and runs a 4.3 40? I want him badly because of his athleticism alone.

 

[SoInIrishFan]

You would seriously pass on a guy who's 6'6" and runs a 4.3 40? I want him badly because of his athleticism alone.

I think ND is in an enviable position. One that we haven't seen in quite a long time. The coaches are in a position to pick and choose. BK is tasked with winning right now, and with the scholly numbers he has, I don't see a "project" as a priority. I fully agree with you in regards to his athleticism. I think they have bigger fish to fry, with the goal being immediate results. I will appreciate others opinion on this, including yours IIF!

JMO, your mileage may vary.

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

I think ND is in an enviable position. One that we haven't seen in quite a long time. The coaches are in a position to pick and choose. BK is tasked with winning right now, and with the scholly numbers he has, I don't see a "project" as a priority. I fully agree with you in regards to his athleticism. I think they have bigger fish to fry, with the goal being immediate results. I will appreciate others opinion on this, including yours IIF!

JMO, your mileage may vary.

I am thinking along the same line. What a great problem to have. My list was also just something to mimic what BK and his staff probably have up in an office somewhere. Whether the kids have trimmed their list or not, ND needs their own list now with only 4 +/- spots left. We cannot just take anyone regardless of talent. So if 4 guys all called at the same time wanting to know if they still had a spot or if someone wonder who the staff is recruiting the hardest...refer to the list (though it may be wrong).

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Just the feeling I'm getting is Kasen is staying out West. If we win and with the depth at safety for Florida (although Will Hill is gone after this year) we have a good shot with Lyons. Lyons in my opinion is the biggest need. If not Lyons go after Townsend hard, who is underrated. Also, I think we all know Cyrus is going to Alabama with his brother.
Daniels, Lyons, Richardson, French, Huggins and either Townsend or Ishaq would be great.

 

[jason_h537]

Updated:
ATH George Atkinson
CB Josh Atkinson
-ND needs help at Secondary and would gladly take both. George can play multiple need positions for ND.

RB/WR Amir Carlisle
WR Kasen Williams
- looks like its down to Cal/UW

OLB Ishaq Williams

 

[Irish Man3]

If Daniels can get his academics together than I think he is next. Kasen is not out of the question but I think we're sitting third on his most recent list.
I think at WR:
Daniels and Shuler
Then we still need to attack our needs. I hope that the Atkinson brothers trip to South Bend sits well and we make some headway there. Secondary is not doubt a priority for the staff.
Defensive Needs:
Josh Atkinson
Wayne Lyons
Christian French

 

[weasel]

Best Recruit Based on Need

Best Recruit Based on Need

Of the recruits listed I believe the one that can add the best value to this class is Shuler.
As a high school junior he had the second fastest high school electronic times in both the indoor 55 yd and outdoor 100m. His 100m time (as A HS junior) is about .2 seconds off world class speed and he could be the fastest player on the field for every game he plays for ND; and yes this includes USC and Miami. While I suspect that many very low high school 40 times may be the result of a friendly stopwatch, this kid's time is legit. For ND he could return kicks play DB, WR, or even be a a combo WR/RB in which if given the ball with space he could be amazing. If the opposing DBs try to compensate for his speed by an early commitment to the run remember he is a high school QB,

 

[TerryTate]

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[Old Man Mike]

Very weakly-derived personal opinion coming: if you look at our three-deep depth chart for the year after this one, we are still in a state of instability in the deep secondary, and this seems the priority. But currently at least, we aren't that deep in high-quality receiving threats either unless several people really step up [our two-deep seems fine even without Floyd]. So, my itchy intuition wouldn't mind us signing Shuler if we don't get both Daniels and Williams. Shuler feels like one of those rare freak athletes that would be worth risking a few chips on. What if he's Percy Harvin Mark-Two? How often are we going to see this combination of elite speed and athleticism?

 

[TerryTate]

Very weakly-derived personal opinion coming: if you look at our three-deep depth chart for the year after this one, we are still in a state of instability in the deep secondary, and this seems the priority. But currently at least, we aren't that deep in high-quality receiving threats either unless several people really step up [our two-deep seems fine even without Floyd]. So, my itchy intuition wouldn't mind us signing Shuler if we don't get both Daniels and Williams. Shuler feels like one of those rare freak athletes that would be worth risking a few chips on. What if he's Percy Harvin Mark-Two? How often are we going to see this combination of elite speed and athleticism?

I think we're beyond deep at WR talent-wise (Game time experience is a different story). However, Shuler provides real speed (2nd in the state in 100M) and the agility to play slot. Mike, you're right, he is a rare breed that deserves to be heavily recruited. I hope an OV sells him. Plus, he's from JERSEY

 

[Old Man Mike]

Terry, with you on this as always. I just have a little concern about next year's depth game-quality-wise if the hoped-for guys like Bennett and Smith don't turn out to be what we hope them to be [or Collingsworth, Toma, et al]. Another real terrorizer coming down field would be welcome. And I'm especially with you on the Jersey aspect --- we need to get back to dominating both the Jersey and Massachusetts areas like it seems we once did.

 

[Big23Head]

ISD Freebie on Atkinson and Aldridge

Recruiting Week in Review

 

[TerryTate]

Good article on ISD about our Secondary recruiting (if already posted, please delete):

Backend Strength

 

[Irish Man3]

Not to mention Shuler is good friends with Huggins. I f we could land Shuler before the years end, he could talk to his boy and serve as our middle man much like Brindza.

 

[jason_h537]

Removed
WR Kasen Williams
OT Cyrus Kuandjio
CB Dominique Noble

Update
DE Stephan Tuitt
S Wayne Lyons
CB Josh Atkinson
ATH George Atkinson

 

[jason_h537]

Updated:
ATH: George ATkinson III Verbal
CB: Josh Atkinson Verbal
DE: Stephen Tuitt
WR: Amir Carlisle
OT: Antonio Richardson
DE: Brennan Scarlett
DR/TE: Troy Niklas

Removed:
Anthony Chickillo

 

[jason_h537]

re post

As of right now all spots are pretty much wait for the best option.

Lyons will likely get the full court press
Daniels is just wait for his scores

That leaves
Huggins
IShaq
Tuitt
French
Richardson

and maybe
Scarlett/Niklas

Other names are list are still on there in case of decommits and whatnot but this is pretty much the list of remaining targets

 

[mgriff]

re post

As of right now all spots are pretty much wait for the best option.

Lyons will likely get the full court press
Daniels is just wait for his scores

That leaves
Huggins
IShaq
Tuitt
French
Richardson

and maybe
Scarlett/Niklas

Other names are list are still on there in case of decommits and whatnot but this is pretty much the list of remaining targets

Wasn't Davaris supposed to get his ACT scores yesterday? Or was he supposed to take it again?

 

[jason_h537]

Wasn't Davaris supposed to get his ACT scores yesterday? Or was he supposed to take it again?

im not sure. I heard soething like that but either way his scores would likely take a couple weeks to come back

 

[TerryTate]

He took the test this weekend

 

[jason_h537]

Committed:
DE Stephen Tuitt

This now leaves 3-4 more slots

Guys with high interest are:
WR Davaris Daniels
ATH Christian French
DE/TE Troy Niklas

Players the staff wil likely hold for are:
RB Savon Huggins
OLB IShaq Williams
S Wayne Lyons

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Would love two from both of those lists you made.

 

[Zibby32]

What is the deal with Troy Niklas? It seems like we really do not have a spot for him. Not as good defensively as some of the other prospects we are bringing in, and I dont see them bringing in more than one TE per cycle. He has a very impressive offer list. I just haven't heard much info about him.