Let's talk recruiting
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:06 pm
It's come to that time of the year, there is nothing else to talk about and I'm bored as fuck. We've had the overrated/#1 threads, so here's the recruiting one.
Let's hear your teams' strengts and weaknesses.
Notre Dame:
QB:
Notre Dame did very well here. They took Zack Frazer and Demetrius Jones early and turned down Mitch Mustain. Mustain reopended his recruitment later on specifically to see if he could get an offer from ND, but Weis kept his word to Frazer and Jones. Solid group here, and they have a great shot at Jimmy Clausen next year.
RB:
Great group here. They got a stud in James Aldridge and got another solid back in Munir Prince. To give you an idea of what kind of players they are, Aldridge is more in the LenDale White mold, and Prince is more in the Bush mold. Will they play the same way? Probably not. But those are the types of players they are. Aldridge is enrolling early so he has a chance to be the #2 back by the time fall practice comes around.
FB:
Got a good player in Luke Schmidt who played TB for his high school team. He's a huge kid (6'4", 235) so he could play a couple of different positions. Good get.
TE:
Got one of the top TE's in Konrand Rueland. Great player. Also got a kid who is coming in on a LAX scholarship in Will Yeatman. Solid prospect who might play TE or OT for ND.
WR:
4 solid players, no real game breaker. The questionable offer was Barry Gallup, but he turned some heads during the practice for the AA game, even Ted Ginn Sr. was talking the kid up. Will Blackmon from BC went against the kid during the summer and said he's the real deal. He played in a small conference and played RB in high school. We'll see how he does. They got Richard Jackson out of FL who is a really good prospect, but Miami and FSU didn't go after him at first. Looks a lot like Derrick Mayes. Robbie Parris is a kid who looks a lot like Jeff Samardzija on film. He had a serious hip injury, but he's back playing basketball. George West is a player who could play WR or CB, but will start off on offense. He is said to be a good special teams player and he's enrolling early, also.
OL:
The greatest offensive line haul of anyone in the country, from top to bottom. Star wise and recruiting cohort wise, this group may be the best group in a long time. Many made a big deal out of Iowa's offensive line group last season, this group is better. They have 6 kids, 5 are 4 star or above (on both sites) and Bartley Webb is a 3 star on one service and 4 on the other. Sam Young, Matt Carufel, Dan Wenger, Chris Stewart, Eric Olsen and Bartley Webb are all very, very good players. This was an absolute homerun by Weis because of the lack of offensive lineman on the roster.
DE:
So-so. They got a WDE prospect in Kallen Wade, and a SDE prospect in John Ryan. They both have potential, but they are both a bit of a project. Wade is undersized for a WDE, and John Ryan is undersized for a SDE. Jurry still out.
DT:
Absolute swing and a miss by Weis and co. They needed an impact DT that could step into the two deep, and they went after Gerald McCoy hard, but missed out on him. Chasing McCoy also caused them to lose out on Butch Lewis. They did pass on players like Lawerence Marsh and Jason Kates. ND needs two impact kids in the next class or it will be a very, very big problem.
LB:
Decent class. They got an outside guy in Morrice Richardson and an inside guy in Toryan Smith. Richardson has never played LB in high school, but that's where he's projected for ND. They have a safety in Jashaad Gaines who may slid down to OLB. Smith may get some playing time as a freshman.
FS/SS:
Decent, but they struck out on Taylor Mayes and Steve Brown. They have some solid players in Gaines, Sergio Brown and Leonard Gordon. Too early to tell.
CB:
Great class. They got Darrin Walls, who was the #1 CB on rivals before the season, and Rasheon McNeil who played very well in the Army AA practices and game. He's making a late visit to UF, but not many are concerned with that. Walls and/or McNeil have a chance to come in and compete for the nickle spot right away.
K:
Went after Kai Forbath, told him he needed to make a choice by September, he didn't so they got Ryan Burkhart. He's a kicker, what else is there to say. Just don't fuck up and no one will ever know who you are, and that's the best you can hope for.
Overall, a very,very good class. ND will be in the top 5 this year. Walls, McNeil, Smith, Jackson, Young, Stewart, Aldridge and possibly Prince and West will play significant minutes next year.
The way things are going for next years class, I would be shocked if they weren't in the top 2, if not #1. They are going to get some scary offensive skill positon players next year.
Let's hear your teams' strengts and weaknesses.
Notre Dame:
QB:
Notre Dame did very well here. They took Zack Frazer and Demetrius Jones early and turned down Mitch Mustain. Mustain reopended his recruitment later on specifically to see if he could get an offer from ND, but Weis kept his word to Frazer and Jones. Solid group here, and they have a great shot at Jimmy Clausen next year.
RB:
Great group here. They got a stud in James Aldridge and got another solid back in Munir Prince. To give you an idea of what kind of players they are, Aldridge is more in the LenDale White mold, and Prince is more in the Bush mold. Will they play the same way? Probably not. But those are the types of players they are. Aldridge is enrolling early so he has a chance to be the #2 back by the time fall practice comes around.
FB:
Got a good player in Luke Schmidt who played TB for his high school team. He's a huge kid (6'4", 235) so he could play a couple of different positions. Good get.
TE:
Got one of the top TE's in Konrand Rueland. Great player. Also got a kid who is coming in on a LAX scholarship in Will Yeatman. Solid prospect who might play TE or OT for ND.
WR:
4 solid players, no real game breaker. The questionable offer was Barry Gallup, but he turned some heads during the practice for the AA game, even Ted Ginn Sr. was talking the kid up. Will Blackmon from BC went against the kid during the summer and said he's the real deal. He played in a small conference and played RB in high school. We'll see how he does. They got Richard Jackson out of FL who is a really good prospect, but Miami and FSU didn't go after him at first. Looks a lot like Derrick Mayes. Robbie Parris is a kid who looks a lot like Jeff Samardzija on film. He had a serious hip injury, but he's back playing basketball. George West is a player who could play WR or CB, but will start off on offense. He is said to be a good special teams player and he's enrolling early, also.
OL:
The greatest offensive line haul of anyone in the country, from top to bottom. Star wise and recruiting cohort wise, this group may be the best group in a long time. Many made a big deal out of Iowa's offensive line group last season, this group is better. They have 6 kids, 5 are 4 star or above (on both sites) and Bartley Webb is a 3 star on one service and 4 on the other. Sam Young, Matt Carufel, Dan Wenger, Chris Stewart, Eric Olsen and Bartley Webb are all very, very good players. This was an absolute homerun by Weis because of the lack of offensive lineman on the roster.
DE:
So-so. They got a WDE prospect in Kallen Wade, and a SDE prospect in John Ryan. They both have potential, but they are both a bit of a project. Wade is undersized for a WDE, and John Ryan is undersized for a SDE. Jurry still out.
DT:
Absolute swing and a miss by Weis and co. They needed an impact DT that could step into the two deep, and they went after Gerald McCoy hard, but missed out on him. Chasing McCoy also caused them to lose out on Butch Lewis. They did pass on players like Lawerence Marsh and Jason Kates. ND needs two impact kids in the next class or it will be a very, very big problem.
LB:
Decent class. They got an outside guy in Morrice Richardson and an inside guy in Toryan Smith. Richardson has never played LB in high school, but that's where he's projected for ND. They have a safety in Jashaad Gaines who may slid down to OLB. Smith may get some playing time as a freshman.
FS/SS:
Decent, but they struck out on Taylor Mayes and Steve Brown. They have some solid players in Gaines, Sergio Brown and Leonard Gordon. Too early to tell.
CB:
Great class. They got Darrin Walls, who was the #1 CB on rivals before the season, and Rasheon McNeil who played very well in the Army AA practices and game. He's making a late visit to UF, but not many are concerned with that. Walls and/or McNeil have a chance to come in and compete for the nickle spot right away.
K:
Went after Kai Forbath, told him he needed to make a choice by September, he didn't so they got Ryan Burkhart. He's a kicker, what else is there to say. Just don't fuck up and no one will ever know who you are, and that's the best you can hope for.
Overall, a very,very good class. ND will be in the top 5 this year. Walls, McNeil, Smith, Jackson, Young, Stewart, Aldridge and possibly Prince and West will play significant minutes next year.
The way things are going for next years class, I would be shocked if they weren't in the top 2, if not #1. They are going to get some scary offensive skill positon players next year.