It was bound to happen. Players move positions every time there is a coaching change. We got a glimpse of this on Tuesday with a report that rising sophomore Theo Riddick will be moving to wide receiver and competing for playing time in the slot this spring. Riddick made his mark early in his freshman and established himself as the main kick returner and a viable option at halfback. Starting this spring, he will be looking to make his mark at a new position.
Rising soiphomore Theo Riddick will move to wide receiver this spring where he will fit for playing time as the slot receiver. (Photo - IconSMI)
The Chicago Tribune’s Brian Hamilton reported the story on his blog on Tuesday with quotes from head coach Brian Kelly citing the need to get more explosive players on the field as the reason for the move.
“We have to get more touches for the three dynamic players at running back,” Kelly said. “We got three really dynamic players that need to get on the field.
“So if you assume that the other guy we have to find room for is Cierre Wood, then if you have Cierre and Theo, somebody’s not going to get a chance to get touches. So somebody had to go to wide receiver. And Theo has the best overall skills. So he’s going to get a chance to compete for that inside slot receiver (spot) right away.”
The move makes a lot of sense. Riddick showed a lot of promise as a freshman tailback. He had a very nice burst and looked like he was about to break a long run at any time. Getting an athlete like that the ball in his hands in the open field in a spread offense makes a lot of sense.
The move could also give a clue as to what Kelly and the staff think of the crop of wide receivers if they are willing to take Riddick out of the backfield and insert him into the receiving corps.
Heading into the spring, the only wide receiver who has a starting spot locked down is Michael Floyd. The junior to be has a stranglehold on the #1 receiver spot at this point with senior Duval Kamara, juniors John Goodman and Deion Walker, and sophomores Shaquelle Evans and Roby Toma all fighting for playing time this spring. Evans, Goodman, and Kamara are likely to battle it out for the #2 spot with Toma and Riddick the more natural candidates for the slot position.
Working in Riddick’s favor here is that he will be coached by the same position coach he had as a frosh in 2009 with Tony Aflord making the move from running backs to wide receiver coach this off-season.
Working against Riddick in his move is his recovery from off-season shoulder surgery. How much he can participate in spring practice could determine how successful of a transition this is for the talented sophomore.
Cierre Wood didn’t record a snap as a freshman, but it seems like the new staff is pretty high on him based on Kelly’s comments. Coming out of high school, Wood was seen as the more highly regarded prospect by most recruiting services, but he got passed on the depth chart pretty early in camp by Riddick and didn’t see the field as a true freshman. It looks like that could change in a hurry under the new regime. This too makes sense since his game should fit in perfectly with the spread offense.
It is also interesting that Kelly mentioned Riddick, Wood, and undoubtedly Armando Allen (the report didn’t make mention of Allen by name). What this means for Robert Hughes and Jonas Gray remains to be seen. Hughes and Gray were the #2 and 3 backs for most of the season. Where they now fit into the plans of Kelly and the new staff is unclear at this point.
There’s going to be a lot of positions up for grabs this spring and the back up running back and slot receiver positions just got a little more interesting.
The Notre Dame video department produced a video last week showcasing the new strength and conditioning program under the guidance of Paul Longo. The video showcases some of the workouts the players are completing this off-season and has a quick Q&A with Lonog.
It’s tough to gain too much out of these clips, but its still February and we have some time to kill before spring ball kicks off next month.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Quarterback Dayne Crist (#10) is helped off the field after injuring his knee against Washington State at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Tx. (Photo - IconSMI)
Dayne Crist patiently waited for his turn as the starting quarterback at Notre Dame behind NFL bound Jimmy Clausen for the past two seasons. It looks like the former five start recruit is getting tired of waiting, however, as the junior to be is ahead of schedule in his recovery from an ACL injury suffered Halloween night in the Alamodome.
Brian Kelly told the South Bend Tribune on Thursday that junior quarterback Dayne Crist is ahead of schedule as he recovers from his ACL injury. Kelly even went so far as to say that Crist would be participating in everything except contact drills.
As far as Crist is concerned, Kelly said he is so far ahead of schedule, he’ll likely be cleared to do everything in spring practice except have contact.
“Nobody will get in his zip code,” Kelly said. “But you’re going to see a lot of him in the spring.”
Having Crist able to run the offense – albeit without being able to get hit – would be a huge boost to the offense for 2010. Learning a new offensive system in one off-season is tough enough for a quarterback, but it is even tougher if you miss spring practice as most speculated Crist would.
Notre Dame will also have freshman early enrollee Tommy Rees in spring practice learning the offense and could tap former high school quarterback and current Irish wide receiver John Goodman for some snaps if necessary. Considering how well Crist and Goodman looked working together in the Washington State game prior to Crist’s injury though, Kelly will most likely want to give Goodman as many reps at wide receiver as he can with Crist under center.
And just in case you have forgotten about the Crist to Goodman bomb in the Alamodome, here is a video of it – it’s a thing of beauty.
In other injury news, the same report stated that Theo Riddick and Brandon Walker were the only players currently unable to work out with the rest of the team due to injuries. Walker has had a lingering back injury since the season while Riddick has a shoulder injury keeping him out of work outs.
The ink is just barely dry on the letters of intent faxed into Notre Dame yesterday, but recruiting for 2011 is already well under way. With 23 recruits added to the Irish roster yesterday, Notre Dame is actually budding up next to the 85 scholarship max for the first time in years.
A lot will have to be sorted out with the 2010 roster before we have a clear view of how many scholarships Notre Dame has for the class of 2011. (Photo - IconSMI)
Here’s a quick rundown of how many scholarships could be available for the class of 2011.
Returning Players
As of now, Notre Dame will have 72 players with eligibility remaining at the end of the 2010 season meaning even if every potential fifth year player came back, no one left early for the draft, and no one transferred, Notre Dame would have a minimum of 13 scholarships for the Class of 2011. We’ll use this as our starting off point.
Seniors – 23
Juniors – 17
Sophomores – 24
Potential 5th Years - 8
Total - 72
Potential 5th year Players
Notre Dame will have 8 potential fifth year seniors for the 2011 season. Here is how they breakdown:
Offense – Steve Paskorz (FB), Mike Ragone (TE), Taylor Dever (OT), Matt Romine (OT), Andrew Nuss (OG)
Defense – Emeka Nwankwo (DE), Gary Gray (CB), Harrison Smith (S)
Considering there will be a new offensive and defensive system installed this year with the new staff, it’s almost impossible to determine who may or may not come back from this group. Still, it’s a good bet that not all eight will be back. Gray and Smith have played a lot and seem like no brainers for 5th years. Depending on how the open offensive line spots get filled, the three linemen eligible for the 5th years could be back too. Ragone is a wild card here. He hasn’t shown the promise he had coming out of high school yet after suffering two major knee injuries.
The problem with trying to predict who might be back here is that none of the potential fifth year seniors for 2011 have firmly established themselves as a starter heading into this season, but many of them could be starters by the season opener. The closest heading into the season is Gary Gray who was, in my opinion, the best corner on the roster for the Irish in 2009.
It’s probably safe to assume that not all 8 will be back, but I could easily see at least 4-5 of them coming back depending on how the depth chart shakes out this year. Assuming 4-5 return, that would open a potential 3-4 spots to bring us up to 16-17 spots.
Possible Early NFL Draft Entrants
Notre Dame lost Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate to the draft this year, and could find themselves in a position to lose two more players early next year. Both Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph have the raw talent and skills to leave for the NFL early. That isn’t to say that they will or are even thinking about. Both, however, have the talent to be able to make that jump next spring should they so choose. For argument’s sake, let’s say one leaves early for the NFL. That brings up to 17-18 spots.
Wildcards
There are almost always transfers whenever there is a coaching change – it just happens. It’s impossible to predict who will end up transferring, but it’s safe to assume that there will be at least a couple at some point between now and National Signing Day 2011. Again, for argument’s sake, we’ll factor in two transfers in coming up with the total number of scholarships available for next year. That would bring us up to 19-20 available scholarships.
Final Numbers
There are so many factors going into next year’s scholarship total that we likely won’t have a good understanding of just how many scholarships will be available until the season gets here and the roster starts to sort itself out a little. The absolute minimum will be 13, but I expect that number to be quite a bit higher before all is said and done.
Based on the comments from Kelly about having to restock the defense and needing to address some holes on that side of the ball with next year’s class, I would not be surprised if Kelly took as many as he could in 2011 even if it meant having to pass on a 5th year senior or two – especially if he can add some elite recruits in the process.
OT Matt James is one of the headliner recruits in Notre Dame's Class of 2010. (Photo - IconSMI)
Notre Dame officially signed 23 recruits on Wednesday including the five early enrollees that started their Notre Dame careers last month. Here is a quick review of each of the 23 along with their official heights and weights from the University release.
Offense
Austin Collinsworth – WR/DB (6-1, 195 – Fort Thomas, KY – Highlands HS)
The son of former NFL wide receiver and current NBC Sunday Night Football announcer Chris Collinsworth. He beings some versatility to the class as he could end up on defense down the road if wide receiver doesn’t work out. He should also be a very strong special teams player very early on.
Andrew Hendrix – QB - (6-3, 226 – Cincinnati, OH – Moeller HS)
The first of three QBs to commit to Notre Dame this year. Hendrix wavered a little bit in January and visited Florida, but ended up sticking with ND. He has the best arm of the three quarterbacks Notre Dame signed, but is probably the least familiar with the spread offense that Notre Dame will be using.
Bennett Jackson -WR (6-1, 170 – Hazlet, NJ – Raritan HS)
A quick wide receiver who is very good in the open field with the ball in his hands. He isn’t overly big, but he is a very good fit for the spread offense. Jackson was one of the early commitments in this class and stuck with ND during the coaching change.
Matt James – OT (6-6, 291 – Cincinnati, OH –St. Xavier HS)
Notre Dame’s biggest win on Signing Day outside of Manti Te’o in a couple years. James is a massive tackle prospect that moves around very well for a big man. He played a little guard in high school and has the ability to pull, but will play tackle at the college level. James was a four star recruit from both Rivals and Scout and was a First Team USA Today All American.
Tai-ler Jones – WR (6-0, 183 – Gainesville, GA – Gainesville HS)
One of the most exciting prospects in the Class of 2010 for Notre Dame. Jones has pretty good speed and excels in the open field. His game fits into the spread offense very well because he has the ability to take quick passes the distance with his ability in the open field. Jones was one Notre Dame’s 5 early enrollees and is also the son of former Notre Dame linebacker Andre Jones. Jones was at one time a Stanford commitment, but ended up selecting Notre Dame during the season.
Christian Lombard – OT (6-5, 293 – Inverness, IL –Fremd HS)
One of the first commitments of the class, Lombard was invited to the Army All American Bowl and opened up a lot of eyes down in San Antonio. Lombard projects as a guard at the college level and could team with James to give Notre Dame a hell of a tackle/guard combo on the left side of the line in the future. Lombard is a four star recruit on both Rivals and Scout and was a USA First Team All American.
Luke Massa –QB (6-5, 205 – Cincinnati, OH – St. Xavier HS)
Massa was the third QB to join this class. He originally committed to Brian Kelly while he was at Cincinnati, but ended up following Kelly to Notre Dame after a visit last weekend. Massa might have the most upside of the three quarterbacks in this class because he is still very raw.
Tate Nichols –OT (6-7, 291 – Walton, KY – Ryle HS)
Nichols played tight end in high school, but will be an offensive tackle in college because of his size. Having tight end athleticism in a tackle’s body though gives Nichols a lot of potential. A one time Stanford commit, Nichols switched his commitment to Notre Dame in January. He will need some time in the weight room and the practice field as he learns the offensive tackle position, but he has solid potential down the road. He is the exact type of recruit that Stanford and Boston College normally gets that ends up being a royal pain for Notre Dame 2-3 years down the road.
Tommy Rees – QB (6-3, 192 – Lake Forest, IL – Lake Forest HS)
The last quarterback in the class is actually the first to enroll. Rees is already enrolled at Notre Dame and will participate in spring ball. His familiarity with the offense and his head start in practice is going to give him a major edge for the backup quarterback position behind Dayne Crist heading into the fall, but he’ll end up battling with Massa and Hendrix down the road for position on the depth chart once they catch up.
Cameron Roberson – RB (6-1, 220 – Newburry Park, CA – Newburry HS)
A big running back that has some second level speed once in the open field. While he is a big back, he isn’t just a power runner - he has some moves and can make defenders miss. Kelly raved about Roberson during his Signing Day press conference Wednesday. He’s also shown he has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield - a must in the spread offense.
Daniel Smith – WR (6-4, 215 – South Bend, IN – Clay HS)
The local product is the biggest wide receiver in the class and will be one of the biggest on the team at 6-4 making him a prime red zone weapon at some point. He shows an ability to use his size to his advantage in shielding defenders from the ball already.
Alex Welch – TE (6-5, 225 – Cincinnati, OH – Elder HS)
A versatile tight end who lined up in the slot from time to time in high school. Welch hails from the same high school that produced current Notre Dame star tight end Kyle Rudolph. He has the ability to work the middle of the field.
Defense
Chris Badger – DB (6-1, 192 – Provo, UT – Timpview HS)
One of the five early enrollees, Badger is a rangy safety who can deliver the big hit. He also has good ball skills and can adjust to the ball well while it is in the air. Badger is the only pure safety in this class and like Nichols and Jones, he was originally a Stanford commitment before switching to Notre Dame over the summer.
Spencer Boyd – DB (5-10, 175 – Cape Coral, FL – Cape Coral HS)
Another early enrollee, Boyd projects as a cornerback on the college level. His high school film shows that he plays faster than his listed 40 time. He is also a very sure tackler for a cornerback - something that should be music to Notre Dame fans’ ears.
Bruce Heggie – DL (6-6, 240 – Sorrento, FL – Mount Dora HS)
One of the surprise recruits in this class since he didn’t have any Division 1A offers prior to Notre Dame offering, but Kelly was very excited about him Wednesday. On the limited tape of him that exists he looks to have a decent burst off the line and decent athleticism for a player his size. While he is listed as a defensive lineman for now, it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up on the offensive line before too long.
Kendal Moore – LB (6-3, 235 – Cary, NC – Southeast Raleigh HS)
A big linebacker would could play on the inside or the outside in Notre Dame’s 3-4 defense though he will most likely line up on the inside. He possess solid coverage skills and has the size to be able to hold up in the middle of a 3-4 defense - something Notre Dame was lacking while running the 3-4 under Corwin Brown.
Louis Nix – DL (6-3, 315 – Jacksonville, FL – Raines HS)
The most important recruit in the class of 2010 in my opinion. Nix is a future nose tackle for Notre Dame and has the ability to be a very good one. He is very quick off the line for a defensive tackle. He has the size to be able to compete for playing time right away and could end up playing a role similar to what Ian Williams did in 2007. For Notre Dame to be able to run an effective 3-4 defense, they will need to land a recruit like Nix every year. He will also forever be a fan favorite for committing while Notre Dame didn’t even have a head coach.
Kona Schwenke – DL (6-4, 227 – Hauula, HA – Kahuku HS)
The last addition to the class of 2010, Schwenke fills a big need as a potential defensive end. He will need to do some filling out before he is ready to play end in a 3-4 defense on the college level, but he has the same type of frame as rising junior Kapron Lewis-Moore. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him make similar gains in the weight room as KLM did early in his career. A one time BYU commitment, but ended up at Notre Dame after the Cougars withdrew his scholarship offer just for visiting Notre Dame.
Prince Shembo – LB (6-2, 232 –Charlotte, NC – Ardrey Kell HS)
Shembo could play either inside or outside at linebacker for Notre Dame, but might project more as an outside backer because of his pass rushing ability. He can come off the edge and get to the quarterback very well. He wavered a bit during the coaching transition, but ended up signing with Notre Dame. Shembo missed five games as a senior because of an ankle injury.
Justin Utupo – LB (6-3, 250 – Lakewood, CA – Lakewood HS)
Notre Dame got to Utupo right about the time he was really started to get noticed by other programs and luckily was able to to hold on to him. The official release listed him as a linebacker, but he will likely grow out of the linebacker position quickly and will most likely project as a defensive end. Was named Lineman of the Year by the LA Times in 2009. He’s a very strong recruit who should excel in Paul Longo’s conditioning program.
Lo Wood – DB (5-11, 176 – Apopka, FL – Apopka HS)
The last of the early enrollees for this year, Wood projects as a cornerback on the college level. He is a physical corner and has made some gains in the weight room already according to Brian Kelly.
Athletes
Derek Roback – ATH (6-3, 225 – Waverly, OH – Waverly HS)
One of later additions to this class, Roback could play a number of different positions. He played quarterback this past season, but he most likely projects as a linebacker at the next level. He has the type of speed that makes him a prime candidate for linebacker. He was committed to Toledo at one point but got some interest late in the game and ended up at Notre Dame.
Danny Spond – ATH (6-3, 232 – Littleton, CO – Columbine HS) Like Roback, Spond played a lot of quarterback in high school, but is most likely headed for the defensive side of the ball as an outside linebacker. He has good closing speed for a linebacker and has the size to be able to play on the outside on the college level. Spond originally committed to Colorado very early in the process but opened up his recruiting in December. Spond missed a lot of his senior year after suffering a major concussion, but is fully recovered now.
Here’s a quick recap of where the recruits that Notre Dame missed out on on Signing Day ended up.
Christian Jones (OLB) - Florida State - It looked like Notre Dame had a legit chance here, but Jones ended up going to his father’s alma mater. Jones was taking extra classes to qualify for Notre Dame, but unfortunately, he didn’t sign with the Irish in the end. Notre Dame could have really used Jones’s play making ability at the outside linebacker position.
JR (Ego) Ferguson (DL) - LSU - Again, it looked like Notre Dame had a legit chance, but Ferguson surprised a lot of people when he picked LSU. While Notre Dame landed two potential defensive ends in Kona Schwenke and Justin Utupo, Ferguson is much closer to being ready for playing time and would have been one of the best recruits in this class had Notre Dame landed him.
Seantrel Henderson (OT) - USC??? - Henderson announced for USC, but didn’t fax in his LOI yet and reports are that he won’t send it in until USC is in front of the NCAA Infraction Committee.
Jeremy Ioane (S) - Boise State - Most felt that Ioane would end up at Washington if he didn’t pick Notre Dame, but instead he ended up at Boise. Notre Dame could have really used another safety in this class and Ioane is the type of hard hitting safety the Irish defense has lacked.
Dietrich Riley (S) - UCLA - Riley was considered a long shot for Notre Dame heading into Signing Day, but at least he ended up at UCLA and not USC where Notre Dame would have to face him for the next four years.
Corey Cooper (S/WR) - Nebraksa - There wasn’t a whole lot of info linking Cooper to Notre Dame for weeks now, but he still had Notre Dame listed as one of his finalists.
I had been holding out some that Notre Dame land one of either Jones or Ferguson, but unfortunatley they could not. Losing Ioane to Boise State was surprising as well since it appeared to be a Notre Dame-Washington battle and Boise just lost their defensive coordinator today.
Missing out on the defensive recruits will shape next year’s priorities. I’ll have more on that later in the week as we look ahead to next year’s recruiting.
Offensive tackle was one of the biggest needs in the class of 2010 and on National Signing Day, Notre Dame landed one of the nation’s best when Matt James signed a letter of intent to play for the Irish. Notre Dame edged out Ohio State for James’s services to add one of the nation’s elite tackles to what was a thin offensive line haul.
Notre Dame picked up one of the nation's elite OT's on Wednesday in Matt James. (Photo - IconSMI)
Ever since Brian Kelly was named head coach for Notre Dame, the chances of James following him to South Bend looked good. James had been favoring Cincinnati, however, while Kelly was still the head coach of the Bearcats.
In James Notre Dame gets a top 100 national recruit at a major position of need in this class. Offensive tackle has been anything but a sure thing for Notre Dame in recent years.
Notre Dame received the final recruiting visit for James this past weekend and James’s signing now gives the Irish at least five signees from the first big recruiting weekend under Brian Kelly with more possible on Wednesday.
James fits the mold of an offensive lineman in the spread offense perfectly with a tall, lean frame. He is very athletic for such a big prospect and still has room to add weight on his 6’8” frame. As the scouting video shows below, he moves well in space and has the ability to pull in the running game. (There is an additional video at the end of this post as well).
James joins Christian Lombard and Tate Nichols as members of the offensive line in this class. A fourth member of the class of 2010, Bruce Heggie, could also end up along the offensive line before all is said and done as well.
The addition of James to this class also gives Notre Dame five signees from the state of Ohio this year with James joining quarterbacks Andrew Hendrix and Luke Massa, tight end Alex Welch, and athlete Derek Roback. Notre Dame’s success in Ohio suggests that the Irish will be major players in the state under Brian Kelly – especially since three of five committed to Notre Dame after Kelly was hired.
This was a great pickup for Notre Dame and the Irish could improve their offensive line haul even more if Brian Kelly can pull of a rabbit out of his hat and land Seantrel Henderson as well.
With less than 24 hours before National Signing Day, Notre Dame is still in on several top notch recruits and could see its class improve drastically if a few dominoes falls its way after all of the ink is dry on all of the letters of intent.
Adding a star outside linebacker like Christian Jones on Signing Day would be a major boost for Notre Dame and the new staff. (Photo - IconSMI)
Here’s a quick look at all of the remaining possibilities for Notre Dame as we entered the final stretch.
Matt James (OT) – James visited this past weekend and by all accounts the visit went very well for Notre Dame. His high school teammate Luke Massa visited with him and committed to Notre Dame during the trip. Notre Dame has a huge need along the OL in this class and James would fill that need very nicely. Of all of four star recruits still considering Notre Dame, James is the most likely to sign with the Irish on Wednesday.
Seantrel Henderson (OT) – Henderson has been right at the top of Notre Dame’s recruiting board for a long time now, but as Signing Day approaches, the chances he ends up in South Bend seem to be dwindling by the day. Most feel Ohio State or USC will end up with Henderson and right now it looks like it would be a bigger surprise for Henderson to land at ND than it was for Manti Te’o last year.
JR Ferguson (DE) – One of the more impressive recruiting jobs by the new staff has been keeping Notre Dame right in the race for Ferguson. The Irish are battling Miami, Florida State, LSU, Cal, and now Texas Tech after Ferguson’s defensive line coach from Hargrave Military Academy was hired by new Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville. Miami could be the team to beat here after Ferguson’s official visit this past weekend.
Christian Jones (OLB) – Keeping in the race for Christian Jones has also been a pretty impressive feat by the new Notre Dame staff. Tony Alford developed a great relationship with Jones throughout the process though and Notre Dame finds itself still in the race. Most have felt that it would be tough to pull Jones out of Florida, but Notre Dame has at least a fighting chance here. Florida State got the last say here with Jones making an unofficial visit to Tallahassee this past weekend.
Jeremy Ioane (S) – The high school team of current Irish sophomores to be Manti Te’o and Roby Toma visited Notre Dame this past weekend and it looks like Notre Dame has a good chance to land the hard hitting safety. Boise State and Washington are the other players in this race. Ioane would be an excellent addition to this class given the need at safety. He has also already become a fan favorite on the message boards thanks to his highlight video featuring a ton of devastating hits.
Dietrich Riley (S) – The Notre Dame staff visited Riley last week and by all accounts it was a good visit, but its looked like a two team race between UCLA and USC for a while for Riley. If Riley were to pick Notre Dame on Wednesday it would be considered a pretty big upset for the Irish.
Kona Schwenke (OLB/DE) – Schwenke was another visitor for Notre Dame this past weekend and could be another strong possibility for this class. After deciding to visit Notre Dame, the former BYU commitment had his scholarship offer revoked by the BYU staff. This puts Notre Dame is a great position, but Washington is also in the race even though Schwenke never visited there.
Corey Cooper (S/WR) – At one time Cooper was considered one of the top recruits on the Notre Dame board, but the news on Cooper has cooled over the last few weeks. Cooper, however, still lists Notre Dame as one of his top schools along with Nebraska, Illinois, and Arizona.
Adding a few playermakers like Jones and Ferguson on the defensive side of the ball would really elevate this class and put to rest some of the rumblings about this staff’s recruiting abilities. Landing an elite offensive lineman such as James or Henderson would also give this class a big boost.
If Notre Dame could close with James, Ioane, Schwenke, and then one of either Jones or Ferguson this class will have ended up about as good as anyone could have hoped for. If Notre Dame could catch lightning in a bottle two years in a row and land a recruit like Henderson and there will be Notre Dame fans all over the country grinning from ear to ear Wednesday night.
Notre Dame is still heavily recruiting 5-star linebacker Christian Jones, but is facing stiff competition from some of the nation's elite programs. (Photo - IconSMI)
As recruiting reaches the home stretch this year, one of the bigger names left on the Notre Dame recruiting board is five star linebacker Christian Jones. The Florida native who at one point was considered a long shot for the Irish could be more likely than most people felt based on recent reports.
5* OLB prospect Christian Jones has been working in a credit retrieval program to try to pull up some of his grades. He is doing it to try and meet the Notre Dame admission standards and is leaning that way. [Jones has called this a "college credit program]
While the report states that the author doesn’t think Jones will end up with Irish, it certainly bodes well for Notre Dame that Jones is working on his academics to pass Notre Dame admissions. If Jones wasn’t seriously considering Notre Dame this most likely wouldn’t be the case.
“The assistant Coach Afford is the coach that I’m closest out of all the coaches. He is very organized and has studied me . He knows my basketball schedule and my favorite food. He really wants me at Notre Dame, but I have to raise my grades because the standards are higher.”
Alford is one of the best recruiters on the Notre Dame staff and it appears that keeping Alford on staff is already paying off dividends on the recruiting trail for Brian Kelly.
The Caperstone Report feature on Jones also had another quote from Jones about what will factor into his decision that should give Notre Dame fans some hope.
“I’d like to play for a defensive system I’d fit in. We ran a 5-2 defense at Lake Howell and I played Outside Backer. Also academics will be huge in my decision. Football doesn’t last forever so I’m going to get my degree. Distance will not play a factor.”
Notre Dame has both excellent academics, and the 3-4 defensive system that Bob Diaco plans to install at Notre Dame perfectly suits Jones abilities perfectly. Jones projects as an outside linebacker/pass rusher in the new Irish defense.
While all of these quotes show that Notre Dame still has a great chance with Jones, the Irish will still face very stiff competition against the likes of Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Tennessee, USC, and Oklahoma.
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly will be making an in-home visit with standout safety prospect Dietrich Riley Wednesday. (Photo - IconSMI)
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly will be making one of his more important in-home recruiting visits of his early tenure at Notre Dame on Wednesday when he visits the La Canada, California home of standout safety prospect Dietrich Riley. Once considered a strong USC lean, Riley has opened up his recruiting some after the departure of Pete Carroll.
Prior to Carroll leaving for the Seattle Seahawks, most felt Riley was USC bound. Since Carroll’s departure, however, Riley has claimed that everyone is even again.
Brian Kelly will be making his pitch to Riley today according to Irish Sports Daily in what will be one of his more important in-home visits for this class considering Notre Dame’s need at safety. The Irish have a huge need at safety in this class and have only secured the verbal commitment of one safety thus far - early enrollee Chris Badger. Adding a safety of Riley’s caliber (a four star recruit on Rivals, Scout, and ESPN) would be a huge boast for Kelly and this year’s class. Riley would also compliment Badger very well with Badger being more of a strong safety and Riley being more of a free safety.
Even with a great in-home visit though, Notre Dame might need a little luck here since Riley will be visiting both LSU and USC in the coming weeks. Riley has already visited Notre Dame officially doing so during the season while Charlie Weis was still the head coach of the Irish.
Notre Dame has struggled a bit recruiting at the safety position with just four total recruits in the past three classes - Jamoris Slaughter and Dan McCarthy two years ago, Zeke Motta last year, and Badger this year. In fact, the lack of recruiting success at safety has left Notre Dame with very little returning experience and depth heading into 2010.
Adding Riley would be a great start to reversing Notre Dame’s fortunes at the position.
(7 votes, average: 4.71 out of 5)
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(17 votes, average: 3.65 out of 5)
