| Recruiting Prognosis |
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Written by Brian Smith
Monday, 01 February 2010 10:38 |
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| Here’s an overview of how Notre Dame recruited last year and how it currently sits two days away from National Signing Day. In addition, a look ahead to the needs for the class of 2011.
The good news stems from uncommitted recruits such as Kona Schwenke and Jeremy Ioane, both from Hawaii. Notre Dame appears to be in a good position to land each recruit. Neither player should be considered a slam dunk for the Irish, but gaining the last official visit does generally bode well.
From the offensive side of the ball, more good news should be on the way with offensive tackle Matt James will hopefully be joining the Irish. Notre Dame appears to his favorite.
A four uncommitted recruit, Danny Spond, could play offense or defense. He's another likely Notre Dame signee. His ability to play either side of the ball will be welcomed.
It would seem unlikely that Notre Dame will land any of Christian Jones, Ego Ferguson, or Seantrel Henderson, but any combination of the three would be a much needed injection of talent to the Notre Dame program. One can certainly hope.
With my personal projection of twenty-four recruits for the class of 2010, that brings the two-year total to forty-two recruits. Two areas of considerable concern continue to be offensive line and the defensive secondary. Even if Ioane signs with Notre Dame, a grand total of five defensive backs from two classes does not cut it. That's a catastrophe waiting to happen. At least five defensive backs will need to be added to the class of 2011.
Offensive line concerns would dwindle a bit with the signing of James. Good offensive tackles should always be coveted; assuming James does come to Notre Dame, he will certainly help the Irish down the line. Even with James, that would still only be a grand total of six offensive linemen for 2009 and 2010 combined. Look for Bruce Heggie to eventually move to offensive line, but that's still only seven. It's best to project at least five offensive linemen for the class of 2011.
Defensive line, specifically defensive end, will be a major need as well. The bonus is that two current Notre Dame defensive ends, juniors to be Sean Cwynar and Kapron Lewis-Moore, redshirted in 2008, providing them with NCAA eligibility through the 2012 season. No current commitment will likely be a defensive end (Justin Utupo will play rush linebacker), meaning two consecutive recruiting classes end with zero defensive ends. That's astounding. The Irish will need three or possibly four defensive ends for the class of 2011. Keep in mind, defensive end does not mean rush backer. With the 3-4 scheme going into place for the Irish defense, Notre Dame will need much bigger defensive linemen as a rule. Notre Dame will be looking for players that leave high school at least 6-4 and 240-pounds. That's not a huge pool to recruit from, especially from cold weather states. Recruiting the elite defensive linemen will be the most difficult recruiting task facing Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and his assistant coaching staff.
So, here's an early projection for what the Irish need to land next year, assuming Schwenke, Ioane, James, and Spond will be the final four recruits to join the class of 2010.
At quarterback, one signal caller per year should continue to be the norm. With three (or perhaps more) quarterbacks within this class, that might be a tall order. If at least one quarterback from the 2010 class redshirts, the need for a quarterback next year goes down.
Running back recruiting will be interesting due to Notre Dame losing both Armando Allen and Robert Hughes. One or possibly two running backs should be added.
Wide receiver appears to be in good shape from a numbers perspective, but an elite down the field threat will probably be needed because Michael Floyd will probably bolt to the NFL after next season. Two or possibly three wide receivers will be needed.
The spread needs one tight end per year. 2011 will be just that, the status quo of one tight end.
Signing Five offensive linemen should be the aim (two tackles and three interior players).
One pure nose guard that's capable of controlling the middle (ND will utilize a one-gap and two-gap scheme, not just one or the other) and making some plays. Look for Notre Dame to pursue taller nose guards as well, at least a legit 6-2 if not taller. Yes, size matters as well. An athletic 320-pound nose guard would be good for each Irish recruiting class, 2011 included.
Defensive end should equate to no less than three, if not four signees.
Notre Dame did do a good job recruiting inside linebackers the past few classes. Thus, two will be needed next year, and that will likely be the norm moving forward.
Outside linebacker should be similar to inside linebacker. Two recruits will fit in nicely. One of them needs to be a tremendous pass rusher, however, and preferably be in the 6-4, 240-pound range. Much like the defensive ends and nose guards needed for this defense, that type of physical frame will be hard to land.
Notre Dame needs two or more cornerbacks each year, but because zero cornerbacks were landed within the class of 2009 and only two for the class of 2010, look for three to be added to the Irish roster from the class of 2011.
Safety needs as much if not more help than cornerback, especially free safety. At least two free safeties will be needed. Perhaps one strong safety will be signed as well, but that's not as big of a need.
QB - 1
RB - 1 or 2
WR - 2 or 3
TE - 1
OL - 5
DL - 4 or 5
ILB - 2
OLB - 2
CB - 3
S - 2 or 3 |
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| Recruiting Decisions |
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Written by Brian Smith
Thursday, 28 January 2010 15:38 |
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Notre Dame currently resides over 17 verbal commitments with several official visitors heading to South Bend this weekend. Will the Irish be able to land players at a variety of positions? Does this recruiting classes show a trend for future recruiting success or failure? What's the word about current ND assistants hitting the recruiting trail? Which recruits will most likely make an impact right away?
Beyond my continual complaint that Notre Dame's defensive line recruiting stinks far more often than not, at least compared to other traditional power programs, my next biggest complaint lies with recruiting imbalance. One year no QB, the next year no cornerback, and so on and so forth. That's not a way to build a BCS-level program.
Say what one will about how well the Notre Dame recruiting class is to date, it's fairly balanced, albeit far from perfect (hello DL recruiting). Still, considering it's a coaching transition year, ND currently resides in a better position than I expected it to right before national signing day. Many ND fans probably do not want to hear it, but the most important word in recruiting is comfort, and the coaching transition provides just the opposite for recruits and their families. It is what it is.
From the remaining list of recruits, honestly, I'd be floored if Seantrel Henderson or JR Ferguson chose the Irish. Why? ND played catch up with Henderson and Ferguson (like the other recruits, frankly) and neither recruit publicly admitted that ND was his "leader" after an in-home visit with Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly. Many recruits are coached not to provide such public information, but still, I didn't receive the feeling that either recruit would head to South Bend based upon articles I read. I'm projecting Henderson to Ohio State and Ferguson to LSU. Just my two cents.
The more intriguing prospect is Christian Jones. This young man has every reason to pick Florida State. Both his father and brother played at FSU, and he could receive early playing time at a local school (Jones lives just outside Orlando, Fla.). So why did he not pick FSU already? Coaching transition, perhaps? Could be. Jones had an in-home visit with ND last night. It reportedly went well. Still, will it be enough to send Jones to South Bend instead of Tallahassee, Norman, or Tuscaloosa? Jones last official visit will be to FSU this weekend. I don't like that much in the way of helping ND.
From the remaining recruits visiting ND this weekend, the most important will be Matt James. Notre Dame needs offensive tackles, as we all should know. Several of the other recruits fall into the "athlete" category and could help the Irish in a variety of ways.
Regardless of how this recruiting class shakes out, it is not a measurement for future success or failure along the recruiting trail. A coaching staff needs a full year and half (the summer before a recruit's junior season begins) to recruit a player in the most effective manner. That's just modern day football recruiting. Thus, the 2012 class will be the first one that the current ND coaching staff will be able to follow that guideline. Still, the 2011 recruiting class will provide a more stable fact sheet of what to expect from the Irish coaching staff than the 2010 recruiting class. There's just too little time to recruit the elite players and expect fantastic results (see above).
Based upon early returns, the current assistant staff brings a much more balanced recruiting acumen than previous ND staffs. In general, this staff appears to be much more aggressive and will pursue other programs' committed recruits just like other programs pursue ND commitments (nature of the beast). That's a good sign for the future of ND football recruiting.
Let's face it, several past ND assistants were complete duds along the recruiting trail. None worse than Tenuta with his glowing personality (yes, much sarcasm). Hopefully each current ND assistant pulls his own weight along the recruiting trail moving forward. Because ND does not have an in-state recruiting advantage such as Alabama, Texas, Florida or Ohio State among others, each assistant truly needs to recruit at no lower than a moderate level, with several assistants being able to lure talented prospects from far away locations such as California, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.
There are four current ND commitments that I expect to play next year, and each could earn significant playing time:
Chris Badger (SS), Lo Wood (CB) and Spencer Boyd (CB), all three of which already enrolled at ND will enter a thin group of defensive backs. The head start via spring practice certainly helps as well.
The other player that I believe could play next year is Kendall Moore (ILB). Few inside linebackers enter ND with his physical size and strength. He's a good fit for the 3-4 defense ND will employ moving forward.
It would not shock me if Louis Nix made an impact along the defensive line next season either, but as a rule, a freshman defensive lineman redshirts his first season. I still believe Nix is a future NFL player regardless if he redshirts or not. Just cannot teach his size (315 pounds), strength and athleticism.
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| 2011 Recruiting: Looking Ahead |
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Written by Brian Smith
Wednesday, 13 January 2010 18:26 |
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As with every recruiting calendar, a new crop of recruits slowly begin to matriculate to the forefront of attention. Moving from 2010 to 2011, here's my opening list of recruits to watch.
Please consider, amongst other things, that it's virtually impossible to project which recruits will seriously consider Notre Dame and vice versa. It's still fun to take a look ahead. Thus, for the purpose of this article, at least one recruit that's more likely to end up at Notre Dame and at least one recruit that's not as likely to end up at Notre Dame per position.
Quarterback -- This is one position that seems to be quite difficult to project no matter the coach or the program. Quarterbacks often commit earlier because once the dominoes begin to fall, quarterback recruits lose valuable options.
The more likely candidate is Cole Stoudt, 6-4, 185, Dublin, Ohio, (Coffman). He received an offer from Cincinnati while now Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly resided over the Bearcats. Kevin Sousa, 6-4, 215, Orlando, Fla., (Lake Nona) kept in contact with Irish running backs coach Tony Alford until present day, and certainly possesses the physical tools to run Kelly's spread. Sousa camped at Notre Dame last summer.
The less likely, yet vastly talented Braxton Miller, 6-2, 185, Huber Heights, Ohio, (Wayne) appears to be a good bet for the home state Buckeyes. It's likely that Notre Dame and every other major program will challenge Ohio State for his services, however, as he's an incredible talent for the spread offense.
RB -- Two prominent names to remember include Jeremy Hill, 6-2, 220, Baton Rouge, La., (Redemptorist) and Aaron Green, 5-11, 185, San Antonio, Texas, (James Madison). Both appear to be unlikely to sign with Notre Dame from the outside looking in, but it's not out of the question. Hill committed to Louisiana State already, but is open to visiting Notre Dame despite his commitment. Green's brother is a member of the Nebraska football program, and holds offers from Oklahoma and Southern California. An offer from Texas should be forthcoming as well. Green also holds an offer from the Irish and Notre Dame could be a factor with his recruitment. Green might be the top running back in the class of 2011. Amongst some of the bigger names, two Floridians could end up in the Blue and Gold. Demetrius Hart, 5-8, 175, Orlando (Dr. Phillips) and Mike Bellamy, 5-10, 180, Punta Gorda (Charlotte) hold interest in Notre Dame, with Bellamy receiving an offer from Notre Dame's previous coaching staff.
WR -- Speed and shiftiness highlight DeAnthony Arnett, 6-0, 170, Saginaw, Mich. Cincinnati and Notre Dame began recruiting him long ago, so it would not be shocking if ended up at Notre Dame. A less likely recruit, albeit incredible talent, Kelvin Benjamin, 6-6, 210, Belle Glade, Fla., (Glades Central) will draw interest from every program in the country. He's probably the best wide receiver for the class of 2011.
TE -- Notre Dame will encounter great competition for the services of Troy Niklas, 6-5, 240, Anaheim, Calif., (Servite). Being that Niklas attended Notre Dame's camp and comes from an excellent academic high school, however, makes it plausible that he ends up at Notre Dame. Another outstanding tight end comes from the southern region of the Peach State. Jay Rome, 6-6, 230, Valdosta, Ga. received an offer from Notre Dame's prior coaching staff, but will be difficult to pry away from Florida State, Georgia, and Clemson among others. Rome's family ties lie with Clemson.
OL -- One of the best offensive lineman out West, Christian Westerman, 6-5, 280, Chandler, Ariz., (Hamilton) will be able to pick his school. Notre Dame recruited Westerman hard from the outset, but unfortunately it appears that the Trojans of Southern California top Westerman's list. A familiar name, and one that would certainly appear to be as close to a lock as any for the class of 2011, Conor Hanratty, 6-5, 300, New Canaan, Conn. Offered by the former Irish staff, Hanratty becomes the obvious legacy recruit for the upcoming recruiting campaign.
NG -- Indiana's top prospect for 2011 could be Chris Harley, 6-0, 270, Indianapolis, Ind., (Warren Central). Iowa and Stanford offered long ago, and Notre Dame recruited Harley during his junior season. Due to proximity and good grades, it would not be surprising if Harley ended up in South Bend. Perhaps the nation's top nose guard will be Tim Jernigan, 6-2, 270, Lake City, Fla., (Columbia). Prying top defensive tackle recruits from the Sunshine State does not prove easy, but it can be done as witnessed by current Notre Dame commitment Louis Nix of Jacksonville (Raines). Watch out for the Gators and 'Noles.
DE -- One Notre Dame's first offers to a member of the class of 2011 mailed to Brennan Scarlett, 6-5, 245, Portland, Ore., (Central Catholic). Hopefully Scarlett's interest towards Notre Dame did not wane since September. Another Peach State product who will be difficult to sign amongst all the offers he will obtain will be Ray Drew, 6-5, 235, Thomasville, Ga., (Thomas County Central). Already an ordained minister and wearing a size 18 shoe, Drew's physical talents will make him one of the top recruits for the class of 2011.
LB -- It's not often that an SEC school holds the favorite title for a recruit from Indiana, but Georgia fits that mold for Armonze Daniel, 6-5, 225, Avon, Ind. Why? His brother plays for the Bulldogs and Armonze originally hails from Alabama. Daniel's frame spells rush backer for the 3-4 defense that coach Kelly will install this next spring. A familiar program could send Notre Dame a talented player. Cody Kurz, 6-3, 240, Ventura, Calif., (St. Bonaventure) will hear from programs across the country, and Notre Dame already made contact. Kurz frame, like Daniel, fits the mold of a 3-4 linebacker.
CB -- Another Florida recruit to watch will be Wayne Lyons, 5-11, 190, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., (Dillard). He camped at Notre Dame last summer and he's one of the top students at Dillard. Notre Dame should be in the thick of the race for Lyons' signature until the very end. Notre Dame will also be in the race for Doran Grant, 5-10, 170, Akron, Ohio, (St. Vincent-St. Mary's), but will the Irish be able to overcome the Buckeyes? That's always a difficult challenge when recruiting Ohio talent.
As for the brother connection, Kyle Evans, 5-10, 160, Inglewood, Calif. fits the mold. Yes, he's the brother of Shaquelle Evans.
S -- Not only a good football but also a good student with a 4.1 GPA, Brian Randolph, 6-0, 180, Marietta, Ga., (Kell) fits the profile of a Notre Dame football player. He also already received offers from many of the top programs down South and Stanford. It's been a while since Notre Dame tapped into the Dallas area for top skill position talent. Perhaps 2011 will bring better results. Franklin Shannon, 6-2, 190, Dallas, Texas, (Skyline) received an offer from Kansas, Kansas State, and Nebraska already. Do not be surprised if Notre Dame becomes involved with his recruitment either, but it's still a difficult task to sign talented players from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. |
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| Coaching Matters |
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Written by Brian Smith
Friday, 08 January 2010 09:54 |
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| The age-old argument, talent verses coaching, stands before the Notre Damefootball program once again. Do the Irish possess the defensive talent necessary to contend for BCS bowl games and a national title? If measured properly, Notre Dame needs excellent coaching far more than it needs more talent.
Using the Crimson Tide and Iowa Hawkeyes as data points, and utilizing recruiting cohort as the primary function for the definition of talent available, here's a quick overview of the Alabama and Iowa defenses.
Last night, the Alabama defense controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the evening. It's not secret that Tay Cody caused many of the Longhorns issues. Cody signed with Alabama after playing at Gulf Coast Community College in Mississippi. He was certainly highly recruited, but he's such an unusual player it's hard to truly gauge his value to a team. Seriously, how does an opponent prepare for a player such as Cody? He's a one of a kind college player at 6-5 and a bucket of chicken short of 400-pounds. Even with the plethora of talent available to 'Bama, nobody with Cody's skill set will likely enter Alabama or any other program within the near future. He's the one player that Notre Dame will not be able to emulate through recruiting (by the way, I'd love to see how much Cody eats during the course of an average week).
Kareem Jackson, the talented cornerback from Macon, Ga. signed with 'Bama after receiving offers Ohio, Bowling Green, Connuceticut, and Akron. He's considering turning pro a year early despite his limited offers.
Rolando McClain, the signal caller for Tide's defense, coveted by many programs and committed to Alabama early during the recruiting process. Auburn, Kentucky, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State were other programs that offered McClain.
Much attention centered around McClain's ability direct the Alabama defensive players because of his ability to understand what the opposing offense will likely do based upon formation play tendencies. How did McClain become so good at it? Film study. Yes, he's talented, but the 'Bama coaching staff taught him what to look for and McClain worked at it.
ESPN did a special about McClain's film study work habits in large part because he's so dedicated. Hard work pays off, college football included. Notre Dame fans should hope that Manti Te'o works as hard at film study and being a leader as McClain. If so, other Notre Dame defenders will benefit. Imagine Te'o's physical prowess matched with McClain's dedication to learning opposing teams' play tendencies and being an on the field coach.
Javier Arenas, the ultra-talented cornerback and return man that intercepted two passes against Texas. He accepted an Alabama scholarship over....wait for it....Florida Atlantic. No Florida State offer. No offer from Miami. No offer from Florida. Arenas prepped at Tampa, Fla., (Robinson). Barring injury, Arenas will probably enjoy a lengthy NFL career.
Eryk Anders, the under-sized outside linebacker that sacked Gilbert to cause a fumble late in the game, he's 6-2, 227-pounds. How does such an undersized player do so well? It's not talent alone. It's coaching and talent. Most 3-4 linebackers weigh at least 240-pounds and frequently over 250-pounds. Note that three of the four starting linebackers for Alabama played at under 235-pounds.
There are many other examples of 'Bama defenders playing above their so-called talent level. Perhaps some of the players were not rated high enough by college coaches, and perhaps some of them did not do well academically coming out of high school leading some schools to offer other recruits instead. Regardless, 'Bama's coaching staff evaluated the players, signed the players, and most importantly coached the players that led the Crimson Tide to a national title.
Earlier this year, someone asked me how many ND defenders would start at Alabama or Florida? After thinking about it, it's impossible to know. Think about how much Darrin Walls regressed this past season, how Brian Smith would use poor technique when attempting to make basic tackles, how inept Harrison Smith played in pass coverage despite his obvious physical skills.
I am not saying Notre Dame possesses as much or more defensive talent than Alabama. That would be a fallacious argument, especially in terms of defensive depth (see Notre Dame's safety depth chart if you want a scare). The premise I present originates from Notre Dame's defensive starters completely underachieving last season.
Hopefully the likes of Te'o, Harrison Smith, Brian Smith, Ian Williams, Ethan Johnson, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Darius Fleming, Steve Filer, Darrin Walls, Gary Gray, R.J. Blanton, and Jamoris Slaughter, among other Irish defenders, receive a similar level of coaching as the Crimson Tide defenders. If so, the Irish should constitute a formidable defense next fall.
All of the aforementioned Irish players were highly recruited, most of them received an offer from at least one of if not a combination of Southern California, Texas, or a major SEC or Big 10 program. The lone exception from the aforementioned list above, Brian Smith, received offers from Nebraska and Iowa. Does anyone believe he would struggle to produce with the current defensive coaching staffs at either Iowa or Nebraska?
None of the starting Iowa linebackers received an offer from Notre Dame out of high school, and only Jeremiha Hunter became a coveted prospect during his recruitment. Hunter received offers from Penn State and Tennessee before selecting the Hawkeyes.
Notre Dame's rushing defense gave up 170.25 yards per game and its scoring defense allowed 25.92 points per game. Considering the level of talent available to the incoming Notre Dame coaching staff, it's reasonable to expect dramatic improvements from both areas, as well as several other areas. More evidence of how much coaching means to a defense: Iowa gave up 123.62 yards rushing per game and allowed 15.38 points per game. The Hawkeyes defensive players, as a whole, were not nearly as highly recruited as the Irish players.
Personal predictions for 2010: no more than 125 yards rushing per game (tough to gauge, however, because ND plays Navy), and no more than 21 points per game. Note: if Dayne Crist is playing injured or unable to play due to injury, all predictions are off. The Irish defense would likely be left out to dry.
Yes, Notre Dame must continue to climb the recruiting mountain to be a consistent BCS contender, but the more important issue moving forward, without a doubt, will be coaching. |
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| The Recruiting Path To Success |
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Written by Brian Smith
Thursday, 07 January 2010 14:32 |
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Each year Notre Dame football coaches embark upon a difficult quest: recruit against "State U." and sometimes worse, the local "city" powerhouse -- Southern California and Miami -- that make it hard for recruits to say no.
As you read this article, note that Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and his staff will be competing against those same schools for talented recruits. There is much to think about when tackling such a task with the majority of recruits.
It's not easy to overcome the local program, no matter it's history and style. Quite simply, just because it's the local school and that makes it "comfortable" for many recruits and their families. While Irish fans often consider Notre Dame the pinnacle of college football, I can tell you from interviewing numerous recruits that many did not know which state Notre Dame resides in at the beginning of their recruitment, let alone the Notre Dame history or tradition.
No joke.
Conversely, recruits will know about the local program due to proximity alone. It's an uphill battle, but one that Notre Dame can overcome with the use of good strategy.
So, how does coach Kelly and his assistants overcome such obstacles? There's no single plan that manifests Notre Dame recruiting greatness, but a few good ideas noted below.
1. Recruit the best players regardless of where the recruits live. Due to Notre Dame being located in Indiana, a state not known for a plethora of prep football talent, and Notre Dame's academic restrictions (sometimes overblown by the media, by the way), coach Kelly and his staff need to scour the the United States for the best players.
Based upon Kelly's press conference commentary, it's plain as day that Notre Dame will continue to recruit nationally. Wise decision.
2. Be mindful of balanced recruiting classes. This area became an albatross for coach Weis. His inability to land balanced recruiting classes hindered the Notre Dame program. Examine at linebacker and defensive line recruiting. It became a roller coaster from the outset.
A way to help ensure balanced recruiting classes stems from recruiting "athletes." For instance, a big tight end could end up along the defensive line or offensive line. A tailback could play wide receiver (Golden Tate) or defensive back (Jeff Burris).
3. Recruit elite defensive linemen. Yes, this proves difficult more often than not, but to win a national title, especially while implementing a 3-4 defense that requires size and talent (that means converting linebackers to defensive linemen will probably not work for the strong side DE or NG positions), the Irish must "consistently" land elite defensive linemen. No exceptions. That will likely be coach Kelly's biggest recruiting hurdle to overcome for Notre Dame to become a top 5 program again.
As Louis Nix proves, Notre Dame presents a unique situation that some recruits will embrace despite not being distinctly familiar with Notre Dame at the outset of their recruitment. Nix comes from inner city Jacksonville. He wants to better the life of his family members and himself. That's a major reason why he accepted a scholarship offer from Notre Dame. Nix provides an excellent example for the type of recruit to place Notre Dame back into the top 5 of the national polls. Very few schools can provide the combination of academic and athletic excellence that Notre Dame does. Nix realized that and jumped on the opportunity. With offers from the Miami, Florida, and Florida State, there's no questioning Nix's talent, but more importantly his desire to succeed on and of the gridiron makes him a special young man. Notre Dame needs more recruits that think like Louis Nix.
4. Take advantage of the recruiting network within Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. Hey, while Notre Dame does not equate to "State U." or " the "city" school for most recruits, Notre Dame is a Midwestern school. Coach Kelly and many of his assistants recruited the Midwest during their previous coaching stops. There's no reason for the Irish to not capitalize upon their recruiting connections and short travel distance to the Notre Dame campus.
In particular, recruiting the greater Cincinnati area should help future Irish recruiting classes. It's been too long since Notre Dame consistently recruited the top southwestern Ohio prospects with much success. Additionally, beyond the Catholic schools, Notre Dame must be able to land talented recruits from the talented Cincinnati public schools as well. Perhaps coach Kelly and his staff will turn that trend around.
5. Notre Dame is a "friendly" name back East. Take advantage. While coach Weis started out recruiting the greater New York and New Jersey area well, more New York and New Jersey recruits should probably be on the current Notre Dame roster. Further, Notre Dame struggled to recruit Pennsylvania. Even when Penn State does well, Notre Dame traditionally recruited the Keystone State well. That did not take place the past five years.
Beyond Darrin Walls, Notre Dame did not land another "elite" Pennsylvania prep prospect during Weis' tenure. Finding a way to land some Washington, D.C. prep talent makes sense as well. The number of parochial schools within the greater D.C. area provides an inroad for the Irish.
6. Recruit Texas, California, and Florida hard. This concept should not surprise anyone.
The number of private and Catholic high schools within Florida and California should help Notre Dame, but Texas will be a very difficult task because very few private schools provide elite football recruits. Tony Alford recruiting Texas and Florida for the Irish this past season should certainly help matters though. From these three states, the goal should be to land at least eight recruits per year, hardly a daunting number for the average 20-man recruiting class (a mere 40%). Still, just signing recruits because they play within a particular state does not make them capable of playing for the Irish. Notre Dame will need to fend off the likes of Oklahoma, Southern Californaia, Texas, Louisiana State, Alabama, and Florida for the best of the best recruits.
Recruiting the surrounding southern states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina will prove important as well. Leave no rock unturned!
Tony Rice hails from tiny Woodruff, S.C., a population of less than 5,000. That specific town does not exactly intersect with the mecca of football recruiting, but that's why coach Holtz and recruiting coordinator Vinny Cerrato found greatness at Notre Dame. They sought out the best recruits and signed them regardless of where they played their high school football.
Here's an overview of but a handful of the highly recruited Irish players that will be a part of the 2010 roster. After viewing it, just think about the programs that Notre Dame overcame to sign those players.
Louis Nix, DT, 6-3, 315, Jacksonvill, Fla., (Raines) -- He could pick his school, but he's sticking with the Irish and will be the foundation of Notre Dame's future 3-4 defense (I personally believe he could play some DE if he works at it -- very good athlete for his size).
Dayne Crist, QB, 6-4, 235, Sherman Oaks, Calif., (Notre Dame) -- Southern California and Louisiana State were the other finalists.
Manti Te'o, LB, 6-2, 245, Laie, Hawaii, (Punahou) -- UCLA and Southern California made Te'o a recruiting priority from the outset, as did Stanford and BYU. Yes, in case you did not know or forgot, Te'o is Mormon.
Michael Floyd, WR, 6-3, 220, St. Paul, Minn., (Cretin-Derham) -- Overcame Ohio State, Minnesota, and Florida, among others.
Shaquelle Evans, WR, 6-1, 203, Inglewood, Calif. -- Once a commitment to Southern California, Evans spurned the Trojans for the Irish.
Ethan Johnson, DT, 6-4, 280, Portland, Ore., (Lincoln) -- Pete Carroll's no. 1 West Coast recruit for 2008.
Gary Gray, CB, 5-11, 190, Columbia, S.C., (Richland Northeast) -- From the same town that the University of South Carolina calls home, Gray backed out of his commitment to the Gamecocks to sign with Notre Dame.
Darrin Walls, CB, 6-2, 190, Pittsburgh, Pa., (Woodland Hills) -- Pittsburgh, Penn State, Michigan, Florida, and Southern California wanted Walls' services.
Ian Williams, DT, 6-2, 295, Altamonte Springs, Fla., (Lyman) -- A life-long Gator fan, Williams turned down a last minute overture from Urban Meyer to sign with Notre Dame.
Armando Allen, TB, 5-10, 200, Opa Locka, Fla., (Hialeah-Miami Lakes) -- A Miami-area product that said no to Florida State, Florida, and several other southern programs to sign with the Irish.
It will absolutely astonish me, and it should astonish anyone reading this article as well, if coach Kelly and his assistants do not conquer the above recruiting tasks and many more. Notre Dame presents recruiting challenges, but challenges that can be overcome. |
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| Recruiting: The Race Began Yesterday |
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Written by Brian Smith
Wednesday, 06 January 2010 10:27 |
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| Ready for a sprint, recruiting style? Ready, set, go!
There's less than one month until national signing day. With Notre Dame assistant coaches being announced yesterday, at least some of them anyway, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly will begin to send out his assistants to do what every Division I school does this time of year.
Recruit.
With Notre Dame's assistants coming from various backgrounds and being familiar with different regions of the country, expect the unexpected.
When a new prospect appears on the Notre Dame radar, it's likely due to at least one of the new assistants already possessing a relationship with that recruit and/or the high school he attends.
Should Irish fans expect a NASA-sized launch of new names? No, but five to ten new names should not surprise anyone.
A few comments about what's about to unfold.
First, if a recruit's name does not ring a bell, that does not mean he cannot cut the mustard on the gridiron. It just means he's a new name. Do some of your own recruiting analytics if necessary. Trust me, you'll be intrigued with the results more often than not.
Second, phrases to the effect of, "Despite his commitment to...." or "Irish attempt to land previous (insert school name) commitment ...." or "Notre Dame steals (insert schools name) top recruit on national signing day...." will be common amongst various recruiting sites, newspaper web pages, and blogs. Any of those titles bode well for the Irish.
Recruiting is a dirty business. Those coaches who stay on the up and up generally stay close to the unemployment line as well. In short, poaching season officially opened with Brian Kelly's hiring, at least that's how I see it.
Personally, it will be disappointing to me if Notre Dame cannot land at least one or two commitments previously committed to another school, such as one time Cincinnati commitment Jibreel Black, a 6-2, 255-pound DL from the Wyoming High School in Cincinnati.
How about enticing a recruit from Michigan's commitment list? Well, just because it would be fun, I'm all for it, but I digress...
New names, previously committed recruits and, yep, perhaps a few recruits that previously spurned the Irish under the former coaching staff should be in play.
To be frank, it's anyone's guess as to whom coach Kelly will attempt to reconnect the Notre Dame football program with. How about a few good offensive linemen, a defensive end, and two safety prospects, yes? How about Seantrel Henderson, Matt James, JR Ferguson, Corey Cooper, and David Amerson? That would work.
All in all there's no question that Notre Dame fans should be ready to endure a good month of recruiting entertainment. There will be ups and downs, but that's par for the course. |
| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 06 January 2010 10:39 ) |
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| Overview of 2009 and 2010 Recruiting |
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Written by Brian Smith
Monday, 28 December 2009 13:12 |
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| Here's a look at the 2009 recruiting class and the current 2010 commitments to date with my projections for specific positions for some of the players:
QB -- Tommy Rees (enrolling next month?) and Andrew Hendrix.
RB -- Theo Riddick, Cierre Wood, Giovanni Bernard, and Cameron Roberson.
WR -- Shaquelle Evans (slot or outside), Robby Toma (slot), Tai-ler Jones (slot or maybe outside), Bennett Jackson (slot), Austin Collinsworth (slot), and Daniel Smith (outside).
TE -- Tyler Eifert (this kid fits in really well for the spread), Jake Golic (more of the blocking TE?), Alex Welch (another good fit for the spread, but has the frame to grow much larger).
OT -- Zach Martin (really like Martin's upside), Lombard (could play OG as well) -- Depth is a major concern.
OG/C -- Chris Watt and Alex Bullard -- both very good players, but as we all know, not enough bodies. Long Snapper -- Jordan Cowart.
DL -- Tyler Stockton (DE or NG), Blake Lueders (probably start out at rush end, but could end up at either DE position), Louis Nix (NG to start, with SDE also a possibility), and Justin Utupo (WDE).
LB -- Calabrese (SILB), Dan Fox (SOLB), Te'o (WILB), Kendall Moore (SILB), and Prince Shembo (WILB?).
CB -- Lo Wood and Spencer Boyd. Because so many teams use the spread as their base formation, the Irish fall woefully short at CB for the time being.
S -- Zeke Motta (could end up at LB), Chris Badger, and EJ Banks.
Overall, defensive back and offensive tackle need the most attention before national signing day arrives.
The biggest question for the remainder of the time to finish off the class of 2010: will Notre Dame land any recruits that can play right away?
Remaining recruits:
Seantrel Henderson, Dietrich Riley, Christian Jones, Sean Parker, Anthony Barr, or J.R. Ferguson could play quite a bit as a true freshman, and it's possible that any combination of them could actually be starting next fall. Those are the recruits that I will be most interested in seeing if coach Kelly can make an impact with via in-home visits.
Bruce Gaston and Matt James are two more good prospects, but will probably need a redshirt year before making an impact. Notre Dame appears to be in pretty good shape with Gaston and James.
There are other recruits that could end up taking a look at ND even though they committed to other institutions: David Amerson, Corey Cooper (I like ND's chances), T.J. Clemmings (allegedly began to look around a towards the end of the season), and maybe Kyle Prater (although I doubt this one -- early enrollment at USC?) all come to mind.
The New Names:
Danny Spond, ATH, 6-3, 230, Littleton, Col., (Columbine) -- Physical player that could end up playing offense or defense. His versatility certainly makes him an attractive recruit. Visiting TCU and Stanford next month before trekking to Notre Dame (Jan. 29). Originally committed to Colorado.
Dionte Ponder, CB, 5-10, 170, Ocala, Fla., (Trinity) -- Notre Dame's dire need of cornerbacks should help with Ponder. Consider the fact that the Irish did not sign a single cornerback last year. It appears Ponder would be a good bet if offered.
Tate Nichols, TE/OT, 6-7, 240, Union, Ky., (Larry Ryle) -- Allegedly gained a significant amount of weight, meaning that he'll likely become a college offensive tackle. Currently committed to Stanford.
Notre Dame will undoubtedly explore other committed recruits as well. Who they will be, hard to say. |
| Last Updated ( Monday, 28 December 2009 15:14 ) |
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| Urban Meyer: The Pressure of College Coaching |
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Written by Brian Smith
Sunday, 27 December 2009 10:58 |
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With Urban Meyer stepping down, Florida will be the most recent prominent college football program to be in the media spotlight of a head coaching search. While it's surprising to the majority of people I've communicated with since Meyer's plans became public, coach Meyer stepping down does not shock me.
Knowing coach Meyer while he mentored the Irish wide receivers and then during his head coaching stops at Bowling Green State and Utah, one thing was certain: Meyer hated to lose more than anyone I'd ever come across.
Because of Meyer's drive to win and his hands on approach to coaching (much like former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz), he stressed and agonized about the details of every facet of the program he represented.
The amount of time and effort that goes into coaching a major college football program cannot only be measured by the combined hours a coach spends at the office, on the practice field, and recruiting. Coaching rarely stops. Coach Meyer proved that fact once again.
My prediction was for Meyer to quit by his early 50s. More serious health concerns than just common anxiety and coaching burnout sped up coach Meyer's departure from Florida, and it should be a reminder to fans across college football that coaches truly do need time away from their jobs to keep them going for the long haul. The issue with Meyer is simple. His psychological makeup does not allow him to think or act that way. Thus, he is stepping down.
Beyond actual coaching and game preparation, fans should know that college head coaches constantly interact with fans and alumni, travel for speaking engagements, and must continuously represent the school with class no matter what they are doing or be on the wrong side of an ESPN report.
The taxing lifestyle impacts each college head coach differently, but it's not easy for any of them to maintain the type of frenetic pace that coach Meyer attempted to live. It's just not realistic.
Will Meyer coach again? Possibly. Time will tell.
The bigger question, at least for now, is who will be the next head coach of the Florida Gators? This will be interesting to watch. |
| Last Updated ( Sunday, 27 December 2009 11:04 ) |
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