Irish Sports Daily

Wednesday, Feb 22nd

Last update:09:11:00 PM GMT

Davonte Neal: Instant Impact

Wednesday, 22 February 2012 10:03 Brian Smith

Very few 2012 recruits made more big plays with the ball in their hands than Davonte Neal. Here are five ways Neal will make a major contribution to Notre Dame during his inaugural season in South Bend, IN.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly wanted more playmakers so he recruited more playmakers. Perhaps the biggest impact from the class of 2012 will come from the last recruit to sign his national letter of intent with Notre Dame, Davonte Neal. His style of play will help a special player from the class of 2011 and he also resembles a recent Notre Dame standout now in the NFL.

Special Teams

Go ahead. Kick it to him. We dare you! That's going to be the mantra from the Irish punt return and kickoff return units moving forward. Interestingly, combining Neal with George Atkinson III for kickoffs will be something to watch. Will teams squib-kick? Angle the kickoff towards the sideline and risk the football going out of bounds and being penalized? From the other perspective, most coaching staffs would be thrilled with just one return man like Atkinson III or Neal, but both? Hard to remember a more dangerous tandem in recent college football history. Why so much praise for a young man that's never played a down of college football? One cannot teach his physical skill. He has sprinter speed and the ability to stop, cut, and accelerate again at rapid pace. Neal will be difficult for opposing special teams units to contain. Neal will provide Notre Dame with an advantage. A huge advantage.

Versatility

It's one thing to be a very talented offensive tackle, pocket passer, pass rushing defensive end, and so on and so forth. College football is full of specialists. Few of those players can change a game from numerous positions. Neal can return punts, kickoffs, catch passes from the slot or out wide, play running back, and even be the Wildcat quarterback. He will be a big problem for opposing defensive coordinators. Some questions that defensive coordinators will seek to answer include "Where will Notre Dame use Neal against us? Will they give him more carries as a running back? Swing passes to get him one-on-one with a linebacker? Vertical routes from the slot to attack or safeties?" Defensive coordinators must prepare for myriad of different offenses as it is. Adding special playmakers like Neal applies extra pressure to guess correctly as to how a special talent like Neal will be utilized from week to week.

Wide Receiver

As a freshman, Neal will need to learn the nuances of blocking, route adjustments, route trees, etc. That's part of the matriculation to college football. What Neal can do regardless of his knowledge is make plays with his feet. It's as simple as pointing out that very few college football players possess Neal's speed. "Go deep young man!" Remember when Golden Tate could hardly run a route? He just ran past defensive backs. Neal possesses more wide receiver knowledge than Tate coming out of high school, and Neal is a step faster to boot. Anytime a defensive back decides to crowd Neal, a deep pass pattern could result in six points. Additionally, Notre Dame likes to run bubble screens and other versions of the wide receiver screen game. No reason to believe that Neal will not be a focal point of those plays in coach Kelly's system.

Running Back

Keeping with the theme comparing Neal to Tate, I wish that Tate would have lined up at tailback more often. Sure a few carries would not have been a bad idea, but it's the screen game and using him with play-action fakes that really intrigued me. The same can be said with Neal. Teams need to pay special attention to Neal because of his ability to score any time he touches the ball. Play-action fake, over the top to Davaris Daniels, Tyler Eifert, TJ Jones, Atkinson III, Chris Brown, Keivarae Russell, or other Notre Dame receiving target. Neal also displayed good vision as a running back. Allowing him five carries a game sounds reasonable enough.

Changing Defensive Calls

After Neal becomes an established commodity opposing defensive coordinators could literally play vanilla defense in hopes of Notre Dame making a mistake. This means the safeties lining up a couple of steps further back at the snap of the ball, fewer blitz calls, and less pressure from linebackers and defensive backs towards the underneath routes. This is the type of scenario many ACC teams found themselves in during the 1990s when Florida State steamrolled that conference year after year. Nobody had the athletes to compete with the 'Noles skill position talent. The Seminoles picked teams apart. Notre Dame's passing game will certainly go through a learning progression this year (I'm still convinced a quarterback change will take place) with some younger wide receivers earning playing time, but the speed factor from Neal will certainly help. Further, the rushing attack will be better off because very few teams possess the talent to place six in the box (or five) and slow down Notre Dame's rushing attack. If Cierre Wood goes against six men in the box each week he will rush for well over 1,000 yards.

Final Thoughts

Very few recruits exited me the way Neal did during the past decade. When a recruit with a similar skill set did catch my eye, that player rarely considered Notre Dame, let alone signed with Notre Dame. I grew tired of watching all of the so-called "burners" go to Texas, LSU, Miami, Ohio State and the like. It's finally Notre Dame's turn to have the home run threat again. Along with Atkinson III, Neal will provide a lethal one-two punch in the return game. Neal will drive opposing defensive coordinators crazy while attempting to prepare for where he will line up. He can make plays from the slot, out wide, as a running back, or even the wildcat.

Neal could be one of the most important recruits to sign with Notre Dame in a very long time. He's special talent that's a tremendous fit for coach Kelly's offense. He will make an impact for the Irish from the moment he steps on the practice field.

2013: Cornerback Recruiting

Thursday, 02 February 2012 09:03 Brian Smith

One of the priorities for the class of 2013 will cornerback. Several intriguing prospects will be a part of Notre Dame's search for cornerback talent.

Just like with the article discussing quarterback and running back recruiting, the following recruits may or may not end up being priorities for the Irish. It's early in the recruiting cycle; today marks one day, in fact, towards the next national signing day. With that said, here are a few interesting notes about the cornerbacks on the 2012 roster.

Cornerback: Signing Tee Shepard should not be discounted one bit. He's a very special talent. He's the rare skill position player that should honestly set his goal for leaving Notre Dame for the National Football League after year three. He should start next season at some point. The bigger question comes from the young players beyond Shepard. Most important will be Bennett Jackson. The New Jersey product provides the length at 6-0, 190-pounds to fit in well with the Irish defensive scheme, and he provides the physicality also needed to be a good run defender. Notre Dame needs two cornerbacks talented enough to turn loose the plethora of defensive line talent available. The best option appears to be Jackson. He will have competition, however, and that comes from two players that just finished their freshmen seasons at Notre Dame. Josh Atkinson and Jalen Brown also provide the height to play in the Notre Dame scheme at 6-0 and 6-1 respectively. Both players need to get stronger to be every down players, but height cannot be taught. At least one of the sophomores to be need to be ready for major minutes next fall. The other option will be Lo Wood. The junior needs to do well this spring and fall or be passed by the youngsters. Yes, only four cornerbacks on the roster for 2012. That's horrible depth. Six are needed, at least, to provide a normal cornerback depth chart.

It could be a challenge for the Irish coaching staff to land talented cornerbacks within the class of 2013 if a true freshman and a sophomore or redshirt freshman are the starters. Unfortunately, it appears to be a very bad year for top-notch cornerbacks in the Midwest. Notre Dame will once again fight the distance factor to land top talent. Should be interesting.

Need: 2-3.

John Marvin, 6-0, 185, Fort Walton Beach, FL
Chris Hawkins, 6-0, 170, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Blake McClain, 6-0, 185, Winter Park, FL
Tatum Taylor, 5-10, 165, Seattle, WA (O'Dea)
Tre Bell, 5-11, 165, Jersey City, NJ (St. Peter's Prep)
Kendall Fuller, 6-0, 185, Olney, MD (Our Lady of Good Counsel)
Mackenzie Alexander, 5-11, 175, Immokalee, FL
Brian Walker, 5-11, 185, Charlotte, NC (Mallard Creek)
Vernon Hargreaves, 5-10, 180, Tampa, FL (Wharton)
Eli Woodard, 6-0, 170, Voorhees, NJ (Eastern)

Final Thoughts: Notre Dame needs to get out of the gate fast by landing at least one cornerback by the end of summer. Scrambling at the end of the recruiting cycle would be too dicey. Additionally, look for a few names from Texas to pop up.

Evaluating Notre Dame's Recruiting Class

Tuesday, 31 January 2012 09:44 Brian Smith

Taking a generalized look at the 2012 recruiting class, Irish fans should look at two categories more than others. How did the Irish fill needs and what was the quality of each player signed?

Filling Needs

With several positions needing added depth and even recruits with the chance to play from game one, this category deserves special attention. Consider the following: few if any team complemented their 2011 quarterback recruiting better than Notre Dame. In my opinion, each recruiting class should be graded by various averages based on position importance, with the quarterback position being the landslide no. 1 (33% of a classes grade by my estimation). Thus, Notre Dame did quote well at quarterback with Gunner Kiel.

Kiel will be throwing to some outstanding wide receiver targets, led by Deontay Greenberry. I expect Greenberry to start for Notre Dame next fall. He makes play after play. No reason to believe his performance will not continue at the college level. Running back improved with Will Mahone joining the roster, and Amir Carlisle will be a great addition once 2013 arrives. KeiVarae Russell could be a spark at running back or receiver.

Blocking for the skill position players will come from Mark Harrell and Ronnie Stanley. Much like with quarterback, these two players add to the talents of the previous class. The one downside would be numbers. Only two offensive linemen in a recruiting class applies pressure to the Irish coaching staff to sign at least five high quality (no projects) offensive linemen next year. Due to the propensity for linemen to be busts, Notre Dame will need numbers next year. The quality is excellent for 2011 and now 2012. Let us not forget that Jordan Prestwood transferred in last summer. He certainly helps.

Defensively, Sheldon Day and Jarron Jones bring size and aggressiveness to Notre Dame. The Irish needed a defensive attitude adjustment and the transition began to takelace the past two seasons. To finalize that transition, more players that play with the heart of Day will be welcomed with open arms. To appreciate his effort, a person needs to watch him play live. His effort will be infectious. Jones makes plays with size and strength that cannot be caught by technique alone. He will be a great fit as strong side defensive end in the 3-4 (Saban really wanted Jones).

The biggest impact should be felt at cornerback with the addition of Tee Shepard. Like his cousin, he should start next fall. Beyond his talent, Shepard's swagger will help the Irish defense more than many people could ever comprehend. Notre Dame utilized the talents of too many nice guys during the past twenty years. Shepard brings an attitude of "Time to dominate" judged by his body language. He could start from game one. Shepard possesses the most physical skill of any Notre Dame defensive back recruit since Bobby Taylor (came to Notre Dame in 1992). Yes, truly he does. Of course it appears that Notre fell short with numbers at cornerback. That's the definitive failure from this class, barring a shocker tomorrow by Brian Poole announcing for Notre Dame over Florida (I would be shocked anyway).

Quality

Notre Dame did not sign a single player that I feel could not help the program in some way. Ten years ago there were always a few recruits that I just knew had no business signing with Notre Dame. No totally wasted scholarships! What a concept! Now, Notre Dame still needs a few more blue chippers to reach the pinnacle of college football, but this class provides a balance with the class of 2011, with excellent quarterback options, several talented skill position players, more size and athleticism along the offensive and defensive line, and much needed aggressiveness and swagger.

As a whole, this is pretty good recruiting class. Irish fans should be happy. Notre Dame needs a class similar to the 2011 class (talent along the lines and cornerback) to finalize its roster to be a continual BCS team.

2013: QB & RB Recruiting

Monday, 30 January 2012 08:07 Brian Smith

With the class of 2012 winding down the time to discuss the class of 2013 draws near. While not a full analysis like there will be after February 1, here's an overview of 2013 quarterback and running back needs with several likely prime recruiting targets included.

Barring something unforeseen, Notre Dame will finish the class of 2012 with seventeen to nineteen signees. Eighteen will be the barometer for this discussion, and that means keeping the current seventeen commitments and adding one more prospect (Anthony Standifer being the most likely). Overall, the projected number of recruits for the class of 2013 could vary from fifteen to twenty, largely depending on which fifth-year candidates decide to return to South Bend instead of entering the 2013 NFL Draft: Cierre Wood, Zach Martin, and Tyler Eifert. As a guess, Notre Dame should sign seventeen or eighteen prospects again next February (Irish fans should not expect any of the three aforementioned players to return for a fifth-year). Of course, the normal attrition will cause more roster spots to open up due to career ending injuries, transfers, etc.

Note: The prospects listed below may or may not hold an offer from Notre Dame today, and of course that could change; some of the recruits listed below fit the profile for what Notre Dame targeted during the past two recruiting cycles, but who knows, any number of the recruits may not receive any interest from Notre Dame, i.e. much speculation with regards to the class of 2013 targets. The order of recruits mentioned should be considered random and nothing more.

Quarterback: Notre Dame did a tremendous job over the course of the past two seasons with Everett Golson and Gunner Kiel joining the fold. Signing another signal caller will be tricky, at least from an initial expectation standpoint, because of the impending quarterback battle that will take place this upcoming March and April during spring practice. Depending on how Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly handles the situation, one or more of the current quarterbacks could transfer after spring practice if he/they feel that playing time/a starting position will not be realistic. Trying to predict this outcome proves foolish at this time. Thus, the projected number of quarterbacks that a class of 2013 quarterback prospect will be expected to compete with, for this report, will be the three current quarterbacks on the roster plus Kiel.

Need: 0-1.

Kohl Stewart, 6-3, 185, Houston, TX (St. Pius)

Asiantii Woulard, 6-4, 205, Winter Park, FL

Matt Alviti, 6-0, 180, Park Ridge, IL (Maine South)

Darryl Richardson, 6-5, 230, Seffner, FL (Armwood)

Tyrone Swoopes, 6-5, 220, Whitewright, TX

Aaron Bailey, 6-2, 200, Bolingbrook, IL

Cord Sandberg, 6-3, 205, Bradenton, FL (Manatee)

Riley Ferguston, 6-2, 190, Matthews, NC (Butler)

Running Back: The running back position will be hard to judge as well. Will any of the current running backs or KeiVarae Russell move to another position? Only the players and coaches know the answers to those questions, if anyone. The top target will be a particular Joliet (Catholic) phenom, and not just because he's a great player. If Notre Dame is not the college destination, Ann Arbor very well could be. That's no good. Several other intriguing 2013 prospects could find themselves in Blue & Gold as well.

Need: 1-2

A.J. Turman, 6-0, 200, Orlando, FL (Boone)

Greg Bryant, 5-11, 195, Delray Beach, FL (American Heritage)

Keith Ford, 5-11, 205, Cypress, TX (Cypress Ranch)
Lorenzo Woodley, 6-0, 210, Miami, FL (Columbus)
Ty Isaac, 6-2, 220, Joliet, IL (Catholic)

Tarean Folston, 5-11, 185, Cocoa, FL

Tyshon Dye, 6-0, 200, Elberton, GA (Elbert County)
Keyante Green, 5-9, 180, McDonough, GA (Eagle's Landing Christian)
Ryan Green, 5-10, 195, St. Petersburg, FL (Catholic)
David Williams, 6-0, 180, Philadelphia, PA (West Catholic)
Gerald Holmes, 6-0, 205, Flint, MI (Carman Ainsworth)

More position analysis over the course of the next few weeks.

Combining Classes: Where ND Stands

Wednesday, 18 January 2012 09:02 Brian Smith

If the national signing period began today, Notre Dame would bring in seventeen football players. Combined with last year's recruiting class and the transfers of a highly touted offensive tackle and tailback, plus the addition of a player coming off of a Mormon Mission, that would make a grand total of forty-three players for the classes of 2011 and 2012 combined.

So, would Notre Dame be where it needed to be to contend with the nation's elite? Let's take a look position by position.

Quarterback (2)

Hard to argue with the players already on campus -- Everett Golson and Gunner Kiel -- two players that bring quite a bit of experience from the high school ranks and highly touted to boot. Grade: A

Running Back (5)

Cam McDaniel and George Atkinson III earned game action as freshmen, and Southern California transfer Amir Carlisle will technically be a part of their class although he will not be able to participate in game action until 2013. These three players alone make a formidable group, but Notre Dame plucked another two talented running backs for the class of 2012. Will Mahone and KeiVarae Russell add to the versatility and athleticism at the running back position. The great thing about this group derives from all of them being capable pass receivers as well as runners. Each player can make a big impact for the Irish in a myriad of ways. Grade: A-

Wide Receiver (5)

Davaris Daniels and Matthias Farley signed in 2011, with Chris Brown, Justin Ferguson, and Deontay Greenberry in the fold for 2011. At least one more wide receiver should be added to this group for the class of 2012 to truly meet position needs, and of course Atkinson III could move to wide receiver and add an instant boost in big play ability. Grade: A-

Tight End (1)

Notre Dame signed the tight end it wanted for the class of 2011 with Ben Koyack coming to to South Bend. Notre Dame appears to be content with not signing a tight end for the class of 2012. Grade: B (Koyack should be a great player, but recent seasons proved that tight ends often incur injury problems. Depth should always be a concern.)

Offensive Line (8)

Irish fans should smile with the additions of Brad Carrico, Connor Hanratty, Matt Hegarty, Nick Martin and Florida State transfer Jordan Prestwood all being a part of the class of 2011. That's an athletic group of offensive linemen. Adding Mark Harrell and Ronnie Stanley to the two-class group provides Notre Dame will excellent options along the offensive line. Long snapper Scott Daly will also be a special teams contributor. Grade: A- (The only thing missing is a bona fide road grader at right tackle. That's being picky, however.)

Defensive Line (6)

Notre Dame signed one of the best four-man defensive line groups in school history with the addition of Chase Hounsehell, Aaron Lynch, Tony Springmann, and Stephon Tuitt. Size, strength, speed, and athleticism came to South Bend with that quartet. 2012 proved to be a good group as well, with Sheldon Day and Jarron Jones being added to the group. At least one more defensive lineman would be needed to balance the 2012 defensive line recruiting class, and hopefully that player comes from the greater Sacramento, CA area (an older brother would be nice, too). Grade: A- (Quality is fantastic, but need at least one more defensive lineman for much the same reason another tight end would help the program: injuries are very common with defensive lineman; never truly sign enough defensive linemen.)

Linebacker (6)

With the signatures of Ben Councell, Jarrett Grace, Troy Niklas, Anthony Rabasa, and Ishaq Williams, the linebacker class from 2011 rivals the defensive line class from 2011 in terms of talent. Notre Dame landed Romeo Okwara for the class of 2012. The numbers are light due to just one signee for the class of 2012. Talent, however, cannot be denied. Notre Dame did quite well. Grade: B+

Cornerback (3)

Josh Atkinson and Jalen Brown provided two long cornerbacks to the roster. Adding Tee Shepard for the class of 2012 brings even more length and athleticism. The problem stems from numbers. Honestly, Notre Dame could use at least another two cornerbacks from the two classes combined. If Notre Dame suffers injuries at cornerback, it could be a huge problem during years to come. Still, the talent is very good, especially when one considers that Shepard might be the most talented defensive back Notre Dame signed since Bobby Taylor signed with the Irish in February of 1992 from Longview, TX. Grade: B

Safety (6)

Eilar Hardy signed as the only safety recruit in the class of 2011. Thus, Notre Dame set out to add talent and numbers for the class of 2012. With the addition of Chris Badger (originally from the class of 2010) after a two-year Mormon Mission, Nick Baratti, CJ Prosise, Elijah Shumate, and John Turner, Notre Dame will bring in several players with size and length. Another truly elite safety recruit would be nice, however, and numbers alone do not guarantee success. Grade: B-

Kicker (1)

Kyle Brindza did a good job as a freshman after being one of the more highly touted kickers for the class of 2011. There's no reason to believe he will not be a very good player for the Irish. The only question to be answered is whether or not he will be a good place kicker? Time will tell. Grade: A-

Analysis

Notre Dame positioned itself to be a BCS contender each and every year from 2013 forward (too many concerns at quarterback for 2012 to be a BCS season), but being a true national title contender, at least on paper, that means finishing this recruiting class with a couple more dominant players. To finish off the 2012 recruiting class Notre Dame needs at least one more cornerback and/or safety and more help along the front seven to finalize the depth that helped Alabama and Louisiana State reach the national title game this season (both teams continually load up with front seven recruits each year). Each scenario seems possible. Adding another playmaker on offense would also be great, and certainly a realistic goal. Two weeks until national signing day, and several top-notch recruits could sign with Notre Dame that did not yet make their college selections. It should be a very interesting final two weeks...

Overall Grade: B+