Irish Sports Daily

Notre Dame’s recruiting for the class of 2011 has momentarily taken a back seat to fall camp as the new Brian Kelly-led team prepares for the season. However, recruiting never really stops and the Notre Dame staff has been making inroads with a couple of prospects at significant positions of need in this recruiting class. Last week Irish Sports Daily’s Bryan Driskell spoke to two young men that the Irish would like to see in Blue and Gold next season. What have you been missing by not being a member of Irish Sports Daily?

George Atkinson, ATH, 6-2, 195, Granada High School, Livermore, CA visited a number of universities this summer but failed to make it to at least one that he had high on his list. However, he has made plans to remedy that when he takes an official visit to Notre Dame for the Michigan game.

“They (Notre Dame) were pushing me and my dad to just get out there before the officials start and we really wanted to,” related Atkinson. “But the way it worked out we just couldn’t, but we really wanted to. We have an official visit set up for the Michigan game.”

Despite not having been on campus, Atkinson still has a great deal of interest in the Irish.

“They are definitely high on my list,” said Atkinson of Notre Dame. “Everybody I talk to has good things to say about it, especially a couple of my dad’s teammates. Willie Brown said you can’t go wrong with a Notre Dame degree.”

Not only are George Atkinson, Sr.’s teammates high on the Irish, but he is also.

“My dad really likes the offense and what he (Kelly) did at Cincinnati,” said Atkinson. “The academics as well, it is really top notch.”

Despite Atkinson’s obvious attraction to Notre Dame, he’s far from making a decision. As of right now he plans to announce at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

“I am pretty open right now,” said the talented Californian. “I like Oregon, Alabama, Miami, USC and Notre Dame, of course. That’s my top but I am also pretty open to other schools like California, Washington, schools like that.”

The Irish have yet to earn the verbal commitment of a wide receiver in this class and clearly would like to sign at least one. Despite this, though currently being recruited as both a running back and a wide receiver by other programs, Notre Dame has simply said that they will decide where to play him once they get him on campus.

Quincy Aldridge, S, 6-2, 195, Whitehouse High School, Whitehouse, TX has flown somewhat under the radar thus far after missing his entire junior season with a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL). He has worked very hard on his rehabilitation and is ready to return to action.

“Right now I feel like I’m about 95 percent,” explained the Texas safety. “I’m running good, doing all my drills and moving around well. I just need to get back to being use to the full contact running. I am able to run full speed on it, but we weren’t in full pads so I still have a little bit of soreness.”

Aldridge will need to be ready because the Whitehouse coaching staff has big plans for him this season. In addition to playing safety, they plan to use him in a number of offensive roles.

“I started as a freshman at cornerback, but right now I’m playing safety,” said Aldridge. “I’m also going to play everywhere on offense; they just want to get me the ball so I can score some touchdowns.”

A healthy Aldridge could mean very good things for the Whitehouse football team. They hope to return to the playoffs after an injury-plagued season last year.

“We had a good team last year but we had a whole bunch of injuries,” explained Aldridge. “The team we have this year is more focused and more prepared. We have a good chance at going deep into the playoffs. I think we’re going to have a great year.”

Aldridge’s injury has caused many programs to wait and see how his knee holds up this season before offering a scholarship. Still, he currently has offers from Notre Dame, Illinois, New Mexico and New Mexico State. He is hearing from Baylor, Alabama, USC, Miami, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. Two programs particularly stand out to Aldridge.

“They (Notre Dame) are in my top two with Alabama,” he informed. “Everyone else is scattered from there.”

Alabama began recruiting Aldridge first and Notre Dame soon followed. However, the Irish made up considerable ground by offering him a scholarship.

“They (Notre Dame) had faith in me to play and they were the first to offer,” noted Aldridge. “They knew that I would bounce back and that is important to me. It (the early offer) is going to be a major factor because I was receiving letters from everybody, but when Notre Dame offered me I knew they were serious about recruiting me and it’s going to be a major factor when I decide to commit.”

Aldridge is also impressed with the excellent educational opportunities afforded by a Notre Dame education. He is especially interested in Notre Dame’s top-ranked school of business.

“I want to go to a school that fits my academic goals and that’s a big reason I am looking at Notre Dame,” said Aldridge. “It gets no better than Notre Dame.”

These two summaries represent just a sample of the Notre Dame football recruiting information available each week on Irish Sports Daily.

For the most part, I have been pleased with Brian Kelly’s recruiting results thus far. There is no doubt in my mind that Kelly and his staff are aware of the Irish’s current deficiencies and are putting forth the necessary recruiting effort to fill those voids.

To this point, Irish fans seem relatively pleased with the approach Brian Kelly is taking in recruiting; especially defensive recruiting. One of Kelly’s major priorities in the 2011 recruiting cycle has been to aggressively pursue big, tough and physical defensive lineman. So far he has succeeded in that task by landing players such as defensive end’s Aaron Lynch (Cape Coral, FL/ Island Coast), Brad Carrico (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman) and Tony Springmann (Fort Wayne, IN/Bishop Dwenger).

Despite the success that Kelly has had in securing commitments from front-seven players in the 2011 class, I am actually more excited about what he has done in actively pursuing players to man the Irish secondary.

Am I crazy?

The general consensus amongst most Notre Dame fans that I have communicated with, is that they are concerned about both the quality and quantity of the defensive backs currently verbally committed to Notre Dame in the 2011 class. While the departures of freshman Spencer Boyd (transfer), freshman Chris Badger (religious mission) and sophomore E.J. Banks (personal reasons), certainly magnifies the need for quantity in this class, I am actually in opposition to Irish fans who think this class lacks quality.

Notre Dame currently has three defensive back prospects verbally committed in their 2011 recruiting class; Eilar Hardy, Matthias Farley and Jalen Brown. The Irish staff likes all three of them at the corner position in Bob Diaco’s newly installed 3-4 defense.

Here is my case for each guy.

Eilar Hardy (Pickerington, OH/Pickerington)

Height: 6’1

Weigtht: 180 pounds

ESPN ranking: 21^st ranked safety in the 2011 class.

Rivals ranking: 12^th ranked safety in the 2011 class.

Scout ranking: 14^th ranked safety in the 2011 class.

Average ranking: 16^th ranked safety in the 2011 class.

Making a case

There is no question in my mind that Hardy is one of the most under-appreciated defensive backs in the entire 2011 class. From the film that I have watched, there are not sixteen (based on average) safety prospects, this year, better than Hardy.

The reason that the Pickerington High star does not get mentioned by the national media, as being one of the elite 2011 prospects, is because he is not a kid that is going to blow you away based on measurables or testing. At 6-foot-1, 180-pounds, he possesses good size, but his 4.55 forty time isn’t going to cause your jaw to hit the floor. What the future Irish defender does bring to the table however, is an ultra-competitive attitude, a fearless demeanor and a set of really solid defensive back skills.

On his film, Hardy shows a solid back-pedal, flexible hips and a very well timed jump when challenging passes. He’s aggressive and feisty, which, combined with his frame, should allow him to be an effective press-corner at the college level. Make no mistake, he is not a corner that you want turning down field and running with a wide receiver. Instead, he is guy that will be able to physically engage with a wide receiver at the line of scrimmage and in the process, will disrupt the timing between quarterback and receiver.

Hardy plays in a very competitive football region, in Ohio, where he faces tough competition on a weekly basis. If there were any further concerns regarding his ability to compete against top end players, those questions were answered this summer when he competed in the elite ESPN Rise Gridiron Kings tournament. He was one of ten players named to the tournament all-star team after he intercepted three passes (including one that he returned for a touchdown) and was a thorn in the side of wide receivers the entire event.

Projection

The recruiting services all rank Hardy as a safety prospect, but Notre Dame is recruiting him to play corner. On the perimeter, the talented Ohioan can use his size, ball skills and well-timed jumping ability, to aggressively challenge wide receivers. Hardy is a guy that will frustrate the opposition and his long arms are going to ensure that he gets his hands on a lot of passes. While his speed is nowhere near elite, he offsets that deficiency some by using his length and knack for timing, to his advantage. The Pickerington High stud has all the physical tools to be as good as he wants to be at the next level. He should contend for playing time early in his career at Notre Dame and it would not surprise me, at all, if he earns national accolades during his time in South Bend. Yes folks, he’s that good.

Matthias Farley (Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Christian School)

Height: 6’1

Weight: 190 pounds

ESPN ranking: 82^nd ranked athlete in the 2011 class.

Rivals ranking: Not ranked.

Scout ranking: 49^th ranked corner in the 2011 class.

Average ranking: 66^th ranked corner/athlete in the 2011 class.

Making a case

Farley is, in my opinion, the most naturally gifted athlete in Notre Dame’s 2011 recruiting class to this point. The only reason he isn’t rated much higher, is because he’s just learning how to play football. The North Carolina standout has only played football for one season, but he has plenty of upside. What I love about Farley is that he’s an athlete first, which means that if he can be taught the skills and techniques necessary to play football, he could end up being a weapon for the Irish.

Farley is also the North Carolina 3A 100 meter track champion, as well as a gifted soccer player. Obviously the sprinting will lend to his speed, but it’s the soccer, a sport that he has played since the first grade, that really gets me excited. Converted soccer players often make outstanding football players if they can adapt to the physicality of the game. Soccer has helped the Charlotte Christian School standout with his fluidity, especially in his hips, as well as his timing in the air. Soccer players usually have outstanding hand-eye coordination and Farley is certainly no exception to that rule.

Very few players that I have seen in this class, possess more room to learn, combined with more upside, than the 6-foot-1 defender. He has an excellent frame for a corner and like Eilar Hardy, will be plenty big and strong enough to press at the line of scrimmage.

Farley spent the entire off-season refining his corner skills and also had the opportunity, this summer, to work with Carolina Panther speed coach Jeremy Boone. I expect him to look quite a bit more like a corner this fall and less like an athlete in the early stages of learning technique.

Projection

There is no question that the future Irish defensive back is raw, but that isn’t always a negative. Farley is not a kid that is going to come in and play right away, but he also isn’t a kid that is going to come in with a bunch of bad habits either. Chuck Martin (ND secondary coach) is going to get a gifted athlete, with a nearly clean slate and therefore, Martin will be able to mould Farley’s skills to best fit the Irish defense. In terms of position, Farley will start out at corner, but it would not surprise me if the long, athletic, defender gets a look at free safety as well. If the 190-pound play-maker has the instincts to play the safety position, his range could be incredible.

With such a high ceiling athletically, there is no telling how good Farley could be. One thing that I am sure of however, is that he is going to be fun to watch play. The North Carolina product is going to be supremely confident in coverage, extremely competitive on 50/50 balls (thanks to his soccer pedigree) and expect him to be a player that takes chances. He is going to be a ball-hawk and don’t be surprised if he lives on the edge at times. Guys that take chances get beat deep once in a while, but they are also the most likely candidates to take an interception the other way, for a score.

If you are looking for a player to compare Matthias Farley too, think Shane Walton, only three inches taller and quite a bit faster.

Jalen Brown (Irving TX/MacArthur)

Height: 6’0

Weight: 180 pounds

ESPN ranking: 23^rd ranked corner in the 2011 class.

Rivals ranking: Not ranked

Scout ranking: 75^th ranked corner in the 2011 class.

Average ranking: 49^th ranked corner in the 2011 class.

Making a case

It’s about time that Notre Dame got back into Texas and landed a defensive back. If Eilar Hardy is underrated and Matthias Farley is raw, then the word I would use to describe Brown is smooth.

When you watch the Texas corner's tape, it’s hard to understand why the scouting services have him ranked so low. Not only does he have the ideal height and frame to play corner, but he also shows a very good back-pedal, above average speed and the willingness to hit after the catch. There is no question that he will have to bulk up quite bit in college, but in my opinion, Brown has all of the skills necessary to be a cover corner in Notre Dame’s 3-4 defense, including the ability to avoid pass-inteference by properly timing his attack. If you want to see a corner that has been properly taught to read-and-react and isn’t afraid to hit somebody, check out the talented Texan's film.

Above everything else that I love about the MacArthur High star, is the competition that he plays against in high school. Texas high school football is some of the most competitive football in the entire country and it’s played by some of the best athletes in the game. Sometimes when you evaluate a kid’s tape, it can be hard to tell if he’s a really good player, or if he is simply playing against weak competition. In Brown’s case, the competition that he plays against is top-notch, therefore, the fact that he stands out is impressive to me. Players from Texas can often end up being underrated because of the amount of top end players in the state, but it doesn’t surprise me, at all, when a three-star player from the Lone Star state, becomes an exceptional college player. There is simply far too much depth in Texas for the recruiting services to properly rate the skill level of all the players. In my opinion, Brown is a victim of that process.

Projection

There is no question that the 180-pound defensive back will benefit greatly from an off-season spent in a college weight room. He’s a tough kid, with all of the necessary skills to be a starting corner at Notre Dame down the road. He reminds me a lot of a more physical Raeshon McNeil coming out of high school, despite the disparity in rankings. Brown is built a lot like McNeil was at seventeen years old and while McNeil might have had better top end speed than Brown, I think that Brown is better schooled as a corner at this point in his career.

Overall, I really like the defensive backs in Notre Dame’s class. Next, it’s absolutely critical to land a safety prospect such as George Atkinson (Livermore, CA/Granada), Quincy Aldridge (Whitehouse, TX/Whitehouse), or Wayne Lyons (Oakland Park, FL/Dillard) to compliment the trio of corners already committed. If Brian Kelly is able to get a top-end safety to commit in the 2011 class, he will have successfully achieved the mix of quality and quantity at defensive back that Notre Dame needs to be successful going forward.

Every now and then you get the pleasure of interviewing a kid that blows you away. Sometimes it’s because that kid seems mature beyond his years. Sometimes it’s because of how impressed you are that a kid can be so selfless in a sports world obsessed with selfishness. And sometimes you are lucky enough to come across a kid that is so down to earth that you are left digging to find any hint of arrogance in him.

Rarely, however, do you find a high school football player that not only possesses all of those characteristics, but who is also one of the most coveted players in the country at his position.

Meet Kyle Brindza.

I recently had the pleasure or interviewing the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Brindza, a verbally committed member of the 2011 Notre Dame recruiting class.

Brindza said he's been pretty busy this summer.

“I’ve been attending kicking camps, and we’ve had several (team) camps this summer,” said the Michigan native. “We started two-a-days yesterday, and we’ll be on to fall camp soon.”

Those kicking camps appear to be paying dividends for the Canton High School star.

“I’ve hit a sixty-four yarder this summer,” proclaimed Brindza, referring to his longest made field goal. “My punts have also been right around sixty yards and my kick-offs have been going through the uprights.”

He hopes that his high powered leg will help carry his team through the playoffs.

“We want to get past the first round of the state playoffs this year, that’s one of our goals,” admitted the highly touted kicker. “Our school has never made it past the first round before.”

Winning isn’t the only thing that is important to Brindza and his Plymouth High teammates however.

“We want to become more of a family this year. We need to be more stable and trust each other more,” exclaimed Brindza, who will serve in a captaincy role this year for his team. “We want that to carry us into the playoffs so that we can trust the guy next to us.”

While team goals are important to the sharp-shooting kicker, he is also working towards several personal accomplishments.

“This year I want to be all-state in both punting and kicking,” suggested the Plymouth High star. “I also want to make an All-American bowl. I’m on the list for the Army All-American Bowl, but they don’t know what kickers they will take until around October.”

The class of 2011 specialist isn’t only an excellent football player however; he also might be one of Notre Dame’s top recruiters.

“I’ve been recruiting kids hard,” admitted Brindza. “Me and Jarrett (Grace) call each other ‘the middle-man of recruiting.’ I talk to everyone that I can. We are looking for the best teammates possible . “We want the RKG’s (Right Kind of Guys) that are going to help us win a championship.”

“We are a tightly-knit group, like a family,” he continued. “We’ll accept anyone and they’ll see that we are a family here at Notre Dame.”

It isn’t only the other members of his recruiting class that the multi-faceted kicker talks to however.

“I call Coach (Chuck) Martin every Monday,” said the Michigan product. “I talk to him about some recruits we need to jump on as committed kids. I also talk to special teams coach (Mike) Elston. I keep trying to build a relationship with him.”

While Brindza isn’t quite sure when he will take an official visit this fall, he is certain that he will not be visiting any other schools.

“No sir. I’m two-hundred-and-ten percent fully committed to Notre Dame,” proclaimed the senior kicker. “The soft verbal was a fluke. I just wanted to visit Michigan to make sure. It didn’t make sense to give my verbal to Notre Dame and then go visit other schools.”

At one point Brindza wanted to be an early enrolee at Notre Dame, but a little bit of mature perspective, combined with a lot of selflessness, helped him come to a conclusion.

“Notre Dame only takes about four or five early enrolees each year,” explained Brindza. “There are still some kids thinking of enrolling early. I’m giving up the chance to enrol early so that the skill players have a chance to get in early and get into their playbook. As a kicker and Punter I don’t need to get into the play book, I just need to kick the ball.”

Not only is the future Notre Dame specialist one of best kickers in the country, he’s also recruiting for Notre Dame, even if it means missing out on his chance to enrol early.

While Kyle Brindza continues to help the Notre Dame coaching staff in their efforts to find “RKG’s,” he need only look into the mirror if he wants to find exactly what Brian Kelly is looking for.

Long before Matthias Farley even considered playing football, he was a standout player on the soccer pitch.

“I played soccer my whole life, all the way through,” noted Farley. “I started in the first grade and played all the way up.”

So how did the gifted athlete from Charlotte, North Carolina end up committing to Notre Dame on a football scholarship?

“When I got into high school, the refs just said that I was too rough,” said Farley. “I played forward, I would be chasing fifty/fifty balls, and I would get yellow carded or red carded for being physical.”

“I got tired of playing high school soccer, where I couldn’t touch anybody without getting carded,” said the ESPN three-star defensive back prospect. “I wanted to play a sport where I was applauded for hitting somebody. Plus, our football team kept going to state where as our soccer team wasn’t overly good.”

And so began Matthias Farley’s venture into playing organized football.

“I loved it,” said the Carolina speedster “I could run and hit people at the same time.”

For the football coaching staff at Charlotte Christian School, Farley’s decision to switch from soccer to football was long overdue.

“They were always saying 'common Farley, play football, common just come try it,'” laughed the future Irish corner.

Farley’s frustration with the lack of physicality in soccer, combined with the insistence of the football coaches, finally caused him to make the leap.

“Last year was my first year (playing football). I had a lot to learn, but I think I played pretty well,” insisted Farley when asked about his lack of experience playing the game. “It came pretty naturally to me.”

With year one in the books, Farley is looking forward to the upcoming season.

“We are done conditioning now and two-a-days are over,” he said. “We got at it early this year; we were practicing by June, 1^st.”

“We lost in the state final last season, and we lost quite a few players to graduation, but this is a different team. We don’t have the big bodies that we had last year but we are faster. We have a bunch of fast, quick guys.”

Farley attributes the added quickness to some pro-coaching his team received this off-season.

“We worked out four days a week,” said Farley. “We got to work with Carolina Panther speed coach, Jeremy Boone.”

What was it like working with a professional?

“It was awesome,” said Farley, the reigning North Carolina high school100-meter track and field champion. “Not many kids get a chance to work with a guy like that. He worked with us on small stuff, like getting into a groove, and getting out of breaks."

The former soccer player also added some weight to his athletic frame this off season.

“I’m up to 6-foot-1, 195-pounds at this point,” noted Farley. “I’ve also been working on footwork and getting into a groove on the field, things like that”

Players that don’t have a lot of experience in a given sport often find it hard to emerge as a team leader, but Farley feels that there is room for multiple types of leadership on his team.

“I’m not the crazy loud kid or anything like that. I try to lead by example,' explained Farley. “I try to encourage people. I don’t scream and yell. I just do what I do.”

While Farley is committed to playing football, he also plans to continue working on his speed by competing in track and field.

“I’ll probably run track again this year,” said the multi-sport athlete. “Last year I ran 11.1 (seconds) in the 100 meters, and I won state. I would love to get under eleven seconds this year.”

Farley keeps in contact with the Notre Dame coaching staff, especially his regional recruiter.

“My primary recruiter is Coach (Mike) Elston, and he’s the man,” said Farley “I actually like the entire coaching staff. The coaches are the major reason that I committed to Notre Dame. They’re all good guys.”

The North Carolina product also keeps in contact with a North Carolinian already enrolled at Notre Dame.

“I talk to Prince Shembo a lot,” said Farley. “He told me that summer school is tough, but that if you work hard you can get through it. I talk to him probably once or twice a week.”

Farley plans to take an official visit to Notre Dame this fall.

“I hope to go up there when they play Standford. That’s our bye week,” noted Farley. “I don’t think I’m going to take any other visits.”