Now that we've gotten through all of the glamour positions in football - QB, RB, WR, TE - we get down to the nitty gritty. The positions of players that don't get the glory and fame, just the quiet satisfaction that they are the foundation upon which the success of the rest of the team rests.
Most of the press this offseason, and the resultant negativity about Notre Dame's success, hinges on the losses of players from these glory positions - Brady, Darius, the Shark, and Rhema. And yes, we have some inexperience at those positions. But, we have talent at those positions.
Where we've upgraded in the offseason is at the other positions - those positions where statistics and accolades don't tell the whole story. We'll finish out the offense with the O-line here before movng on to the revamped defense late tonight or early tomorrow.
Starting Five
LT - Paul Duncan, Junior - 6'7" 308 lbs.
Duncan backed up Sam Young last year, logging 85 minutes of playing time, and played in 5 games the season before, logging another 24 minutes of playing time.
Although he hadn't previously started, he has really shown up this offense, especially in the spring, where he gave the Irish coaches enough confidence in him to put him at left tackle and leave phenom Sam Young over at right tackle where he played all last year.
I believe this move belies Weis' plan to run the ball more this year, by putting more experience and talent on the strong side of the line, rather than protecting his young quarterback's blind side.
LG - Mike Turkovich, Junior - 6'6" 301 lbs.
Turkovich battled through a neck injury last year, logging only 23 minutes of playing time as a reserve, the same kind of minutes he got as a true freshman. Probably the weakest link of the starting linemen, he still is very very good, and has plenty of size. However, I don't expect this to translate into a weakness for the line. If he doesn't perform on gameday, there is lots of depth here willing to take his spot - Olsen, in particular, is breathing down his neck.
C - John Sullivan, Senior (RS) - 6'4" 303 lbs.
The anchor of this line, the fifth year center nicknamed "Sully" is one of, if not the best, center in the country; certainly a candidate for All-American honors and the Rimington Award (nation's top center).
Sully has started 33 of the past 37 games at center, and in my opinion is the very best in the country at what he does. He will QB the offensive line, and like any good leader responsibility for mistakes will hit him first, before it lands on his fellow linemen. His return for a fifth year, much like John Carlson, is one of the biggest reasons why I have confidence in the Irish football team this year. Young is still too young (no pun intended) to step up into the veteran role, and without Sully, we wouldn't have enough experence to bring cohesion to this line.
Sullivan may be the most valuable player on the team this year, although he won't ever get credit for it.
RG - Dan Wenger, Sophomore - 6'4" 287 lbs.
Wenger is one of those players that you see each year that comes out of nowhere and elevates his game in the offseason. Last year he was hampered by injury and never got to show what he could do, and now that he's healthy he has impressed the coaching staff. Wenger is actually a natural center, and will move back inside once Sullivan moves on next year, which will bode well for next year's team, as he will have a full season to learn about the center position and running an offensive line from the country's best.
RT - Sam Young, Sophomore - 6'8" 310 lbs.
This beast of a man was First-team Freshman All-American last year, and the first ever Notre Dame freshman lineman to start the season opener of his freshman year. He is one of those phenoms that just takes to his position like a duck to water. He is an anchor at his position, and in just his sophomore year he may be able to play his way into some post-season award consideration this year (I'm thinking All-American Honorable Mention) as a true sophomore.
OFFENSIVE LINE ANALYSIS:
6'6" 302 lbs.
That's the average size of our offensive line. Coach Weis' recruiting acumen, and Coach Mendoza's weight training program, have combined to build an offensive line that deserves the old nickname "the big uglies."
By comparison, the D-lines (leaving out the academies, with all their restrictions) we'll face have the following average sizes:
Georgia Tech - 6'4" 268 lbs.
Penn State - 6'3" 290 lbs.
Michigan - 6'3" 284 lbs.
Michigan State - 6'4" 266 lbs.
Purdue - 6'4" 272 lbs.
UCLA - 6'3" 273 lbs.
Boston College - 6'3" 282 lbs.
Southern Cal - 6'4" 282 lbs.
Duke - 6'5" 269 lbs.
Stanford - 6'4" 274 lbs.
AVERAGE: 6'4" 276 lbs.
Even removing the academies, with their restrictions, our O-line has a significant advantage in sheer size, to the tune of 2 inches and 28 pounds. Of course, O-lines are generally bigger that D-lines, but this year's line has some big Hosses on it.
By way of comparing apples to apples, Michigan's vaunted All-American O-line:
6'5" 308 lbs
We're in pretty good company this year for size on the O-line, and full of highly touted talent. Sullivan's experience anchoring the middle of the line will be the difference maker for the new starters, as well as a relief for the young quarterback and running backs as far as blitz pickup and run blocking is concerned.
This year's offensive line, in my opinion, will be the best of the Weis era thus far, and will pick up the slack for the inexperience behind them. Last year's line, despite their experence, lacked the raw talent and size of this year's line. As a result, our offensive production will probably be smilar to last year's, although Coach Weis may choose to trade quick strike capability passing for ball control running this year.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
2007 Position Preview - Receivers and Tight Ends
Although I haven't been posting a lot lately, I haven't stopped talking about Notre Dame football in the interim. All offseason I've been telling whoever would listen not to count out D.J. Hord at receiver, where all of the "buzz" had been about freshman Duval Kamara. With the depth chart out, D.J is right back in the mix, and Kamara is buried down the list a bit.
However, Kamara's position that far down the list is a testament to the depth and talent Coach Weis and Co. have been stockpiling at receiver. Almost any team outside the top 10-15 would trade their top 4 receivers for Kamara, Gallup, Tate, and Jackson - this year's also-rans on the ND depth chart.
Now that rational minds have prevailed, here's a look at Notre Dame's 2007 receving squad.
Wide Receivers
This year's recevers are the greenest set of recevers I can recall going back, well. forever. Three receivers have at least one catch in a game - Grimes has 28, West has 2, and Parris has 1. That's a grand total of 31 catches in a game for the entire team. The only other experience is the 7 kickoff returns that D.J. Hord had in 2005.
Also, this year's receiving corps does not have the big, imposing receivers we've become used to over the past couple of years. We won't be seeing a lot of jump ball fade routes into the corner of the endzone. However, the smaller stature receivers are often faster, and we will see more wide receiver screens, quick slants and outs, and other routes that get the receivers the ball underneath with room to make a move after the catch.
Listening to Coach Weis during the offseason, however, I'm not as concerned about this receiving corps as I ought to be. Weis' vast experience as an offensive coordinator has had him work with big athletic receivers like KeyShawn Johnson in the NFL, as well as with groups of smaller receivers like Deion Branch, David Patten, and David Givens. In fact, his Super Bowls were won with smaller receivers. And his general optimism about the athleticism and depth of this group is encouraging.
Because of all of the different formations, these are what appear to be the top four receivers on the team, the receivers that would fill out a five-wide set (assuming that Carlson or Allen or some other non-receiver takes the 5th slot). Anyone else on the depth chart will likely only get spot action and mop-up time.
#1 Z receiver - David Grimes, Junior
The leading returning receiver from last year, Grimes was dependable, if not exciting. Played as a kick returner as well, but showed no real explosiveness.
However, despite his lackluster performance last year as the 3rd receiver, he has experience, speed, good hands, and is a great route runner. As the #1 option, he won't be in the mx for national awards or anything this year, but he will be a very efficient receiver. Carlson will be the guy with all of the hype and attention, but Grimes will quietly rack up decent numbers during the season - something lke 900 yards receiving with 7-10 touchdowns.
#1 X receiver - George West, Sophomore
With 2 catches last year, there is hardly enough game experience to consider West "experienced." However, he does have a touchdown, and has shown us flashes of shiftiness and speed that can make him very dangerous. The mere fact that he held off D.J. Hord and Robby Parris for this slot through all of the competition leads me to believe that he will be productive. Because he's flashy, he could get more attention than Grimes this season, while not putting up the same kind of raw numbers.
#2 X receiver - Robby Parris, Sophomore
At 6'4", Parris' height helped him out this offseason, as he is the only receiver on this list who can go up and get the fade route jump balls we have seen so much from Brady and the Shark.
Because of the limited practices and almost nonexistent game experience (1 catch) I haven't really gotten a feel for his athletic ablity. However, his position as, basically, the #3 receiver has me excited. From what I have seen, the drop-off from Grimes (a known quantity) to a healthy and productive D.J. Hord isn't that big. So for Parris to work his way into this rotation is very positive.
#2 Z receiver - D.J. Hord, Junior (RS)
D.J. Hord hasn't had a significant snap in far too long, having sat out last season with an injury to his achilles. When he went down, Grimes and Hord were basically 3A and 3B on the depth chart. There is going to be a natural dropoff with the lack of experience between Hord and Grimes, but on raw ability, there isn't much of a difference. During the spring, Hord still didn't trust his achilles, and wasn't moving up the depth chart.
Once the hitting started this fall, however, Hord learned that he can take a hit and not reinjure his heel. Thus, during the brief training camp he's been moving up the depth chart.
I expect his improvement to continue as the season progresses, and we may see him challenging for the #2 receiver spot by mid-season. He's a talented receiver that has been flying under the radar since his injury, and this is his season to prove himself as the threat that he can be.
Depth
Barry Gallup, Jr., Sophomore
Gallup is listed on the depth chart as the #3 Z receiver, and will probably get some spotty action in games this year, but the former Massachussets high school player of the year hasn't yet gotten separation from the rest of the small, speedy receivers.
Duval Kamara, Freshman
All of the hype about Kamara walking into Notre Dame and being an immediate answer in a depleted receiving corps was just that - hype and bluster. Kamara is clearly a talented receiver, but it takes time to learn the playbook and develop the fundamental techniques that make a starting receiver in what is basically an NFL offense.
Golden Tate, Freshman
Speedy and shifty, Tate's presence will be felt first from his role as a starting kick returner. A running back in high school, Tate has pure running ability to go with his speed that the other receivers simply don't have.
What he lacks (and what is keeping him down on the depth chart), is hands. He needs to spend some time with the JUGS machine to develop his catching skills.
Once he learns to catch the ball, Golden will be a superstar for the Irish.
If he doesn't learn to catch the ball, his natural athleticism will get him onto the field as a starter somewhere, and sooner rather than later.
Richard Jackson, Sophomore
Since I already boasted about predicting D.J. Hord's rise up the depth chart, I should take my lumps on Richard Jackson. As early as last spring, I was predicting that Richard Jackson would be ND's next great receiver.
In my defense, he stll may be. He's been spotted in practice with a soft cast on his arm, so an injury is hampering his progress (Coach Weis denied rumors that Jackson was done for the season). Apparently, he's been struggling catching passes (it's unknown whether this is related to his injury). He has the size and athletic ability to be a great receiver, but thus far hasn't panned out.
Jackson was not listed on the depth chart at receiver that was released this week.
Walk-Ons: Brandon Erickson, Jake Richardville, Nick Possley, Kris Patterson, Sam Vos
Tight Ends
Many times on this board I have commented how insane our tight end recruiting has been under Coach Weis. With all of the inexperience at wide receiver, I'm not too worried about our passing game. Heck, if the receivers don't pan out, we can just concoct a four tight end set that will get the job done. Our depth chart at tight end is like USC's running back depth chart - any of the players from top to bottom would START at almost EVERY other university in the country.
Starter
John Carlson, Senior (RS)
Carlson is, quite simply, the best tight end in the country. And by the end of the season, I'm certain that the voting for the Mackey Award won't be close (he's the lone returning Mackey Award finalist). He can catch better than most receivers, and block better than most offensive tackles. He has no fear, as he is usually the biggest, strongest, baddest motherf#@ker on the field. I can't find any flaws in his game, with the lone exception that he lacks truly elite speed. That said, I'm not sure that truly elite speed is physically possible when you are 6'6" tall and weigh almost 260 lbs. He is so good, in fact, that he was named to the Maxwell award (for most outstanding player of the year) watch list this year as a tight end. Hell, if I had a Heisman vote I'd probably spend it on him.
More importantly, Carlson has developed into the leader of this team on offense, and will provide an anchor for the yound receivers to rally around, as well as a dependable relief valve for the inexperienced QB. Without Carlson, even I would be writing off this season for the Irish - the intangibles he brings into the huddle are as important as his athletic ability.
Depth
Wll Yeatman, Sophomore
An All-American caliber lacrosse player, Yeatman is a freak athlete who appeared only as a blocking tight end last year, loggng about 30 minutes of playing time. However, expect him to have some balls thrown his way this year as well - his position above Reuland on the dpeth chart was a bit of surprise, as Reuland was more highly touted out of high school. This shakeup shows that ratings aren't everything - you have to show up in practice ready to play.
Konrad Reuland, Sophomore
The consensus #1 tight end in the country coming out of high school, Reuland is another freak athlete, who excelled in basketball as well as football. He has all of the physical tools that Carlson sports this year - size, speed, hands, strength. What I haven't yet seen from him is the drive - that internal motor that motivates players during practice. It's easy to get up for game day, I want to see him practicing with more intensity to develop his limitless potential.
Mike Ragone, Freshman
The word on Ragone that I keep hearing out of practice is that he runs like a receiver inside the body of a tight end. This kid, like most great tight ends, is another freak athlete. He was rated as the top heavyweight wrestler in the east coming out of high school. Heck, even taking his senior season off due to injury, he was rated as a top 3 tight end in the country by every major recruiting service. Before his injury, he was a consensus #1.
Ragone has more speed than hs counterparts, but has a way to go on his blocking skills. There is no rush to get him into the starting rotation right now - let him focus on learning the position and getting ready to compete next year.
However, Kamara's position that far down the list is a testament to the depth and talent Coach Weis and Co. have been stockpiling at receiver. Almost any team outside the top 10-15 would trade their top 4 receivers for Kamara, Gallup, Tate, and Jackson - this year's also-rans on the ND depth chart.
Now that rational minds have prevailed, here's a look at Notre Dame's 2007 receving squad.
Wide Receivers
This year's recevers are the greenest set of recevers I can recall going back, well. forever. Three receivers have at least one catch in a game - Grimes has 28, West has 2, and Parris has 1. That's a grand total of 31 catches in a game for the entire team. The only other experience is the 7 kickoff returns that D.J. Hord had in 2005.
Also, this year's receiving corps does not have the big, imposing receivers we've become used to over the past couple of years. We won't be seeing a lot of jump ball fade routes into the corner of the endzone. However, the smaller stature receivers are often faster, and we will see more wide receiver screens, quick slants and outs, and other routes that get the receivers the ball underneath with room to make a move after the catch.
Listening to Coach Weis during the offseason, however, I'm not as concerned about this receiving corps as I ought to be. Weis' vast experience as an offensive coordinator has had him work with big athletic receivers like KeyShawn Johnson in the NFL, as well as with groups of smaller receivers like Deion Branch, David Patten, and David Givens. In fact, his Super Bowls were won with smaller receivers. And his general optimism about the athleticism and depth of this group is encouraging.
Because of all of the different formations, these are what appear to be the top four receivers on the team, the receivers that would fill out a five-wide set (assuming that Carlson or Allen or some other non-receiver takes the 5th slot). Anyone else on the depth chart will likely only get spot action and mop-up time.
#1 Z receiver - David Grimes, Junior
The leading returning receiver from last year, Grimes was dependable, if not exciting. Played as a kick returner as well, but showed no real explosiveness.
However, despite his lackluster performance last year as the 3rd receiver, he has experience, speed, good hands, and is a great route runner. As the #1 option, he won't be in the mx for national awards or anything this year, but he will be a very efficient receiver. Carlson will be the guy with all of the hype and attention, but Grimes will quietly rack up decent numbers during the season - something lke 900 yards receiving with 7-10 touchdowns.
#1 X receiver - George West, Sophomore
With 2 catches last year, there is hardly enough game experience to consider West "experienced." However, he does have a touchdown, and has shown us flashes of shiftiness and speed that can make him very dangerous. The mere fact that he held off D.J. Hord and Robby Parris for this slot through all of the competition leads me to believe that he will be productive. Because he's flashy, he could get more attention than Grimes this season, while not putting up the same kind of raw numbers.
#2 X receiver - Robby Parris, Sophomore
At 6'4", Parris' height helped him out this offseason, as he is the only receiver on this list who can go up and get the fade route jump balls we have seen so much from Brady and the Shark.
Because of the limited practices and almost nonexistent game experience (1 catch) I haven't really gotten a feel for his athletic ablity. However, his position as, basically, the #3 receiver has me excited. From what I have seen, the drop-off from Grimes (a known quantity) to a healthy and productive D.J. Hord isn't that big. So for Parris to work his way into this rotation is very positive.
#2 Z receiver - D.J. Hord, Junior (RS)
D.J. Hord hasn't had a significant snap in far too long, having sat out last season with an injury to his achilles. When he went down, Grimes and Hord were basically 3A and 3B on the depth chart. There is going to be a natural dropoff with the lack of experience between Hord and Grimes, but on raw ability, there isn't much of a difference. During the spring, Hord still didn't trust his achilles, and wasn't moving up the depth chart.
Once the hitting started this fall, however, Hord learned that he can take a hit and not reinjure his heel. Thus, during the brief training camp he's been moving up the depth chart.
I expect his improvement to continue as the season progresses, and we may see him challenging for the #2 receiver spot by mid-season. He's a talented receiver that has been flying under the radar since his injury, and this is his season to prove himself as the threat that he can be.
Depth
Barry Gallup, Jr., Sophomore
Gallup is listed on the depth chart as the #3 Z receiver, and will probably get some spotty action in games this year, but the former Massachussets high school player of the year hasn't yet gotten separation from the rest of the small, speedy receivers.
Duval Kamara, Freshman
All of the hype about Kamara walking into Notre Dame and being an immediate answer in a depleted receiving corps was just that - hype and bluster. Kamara is clearly a talented receiver, but it takes time to learn the playbook and develop the fundamental techniques that make a starting receiver in what is basically an NFL offense.
Golden Tate, Freshman
Speedy and shifty, Tate's presence will be felt first from his role as a starting kick returner. A running back in high school, Tate has pure running ability to go with his speed that the other receivers simply don't have.
What he lacks (and what is keeping him down on the depth chart), is hands. He needs to spend some time with the JUGS machine to develop his catching skills.
Once he learns to catch the ball, Golden will be a superstar for the Irish.
If he doesn't learn to catch the ball, his natural athleticism will get him onto the field as a starter somewhere, and sooner rather than later.
Richard Jackson, Sophomore
Since I already boasted about predicting D.J. Hord's rise up the depth chart, I should take my lumps on Richard Jackson. As early as last spring, I was predicting that Richard Jackson would be ND's next great receiver.
In my defense, he stll may be. He's been spotted in practice with a soft cast on his arm, so an injury is hampering his progress (Coach Weis denied rumors that Jackson was done for the season). Apparently, he's been struggling catching passes (it's unknown whether this is related to his injury). He has the size and athletic ability to be a great receiver, but thus far hasn't panned out.
Jackson was not listed on the depth chart at receiver that was released this week.
Walk-Ons: Brandon Erickson, Jake Richardville, Nick Possley, Kris Patterson, Sam Vos
Tight Ends
Many times on this board I have commented how insane our tight end recruiting has been under Coach Weis. With all of the inexperience at wide receiver, I'm not too worried about our passing game. Heck, if the receivers don't pan out, we can just concoct a four tight end set that will get the job done. Our depth chart at tight end is like USC's running back depth chart - any of the players from top to bottom would START at almost EVERY other university in the country.
Starter
John Carlson, Senior (RS)
Carlson is, quite simply, the best tight end in the country. And by the end of the season, I'm certain that the voting for the Mackey Award won't be close (he's the lone returning Mackey Award finalist). He can catch better than most receivers, and block better than most offensive tackles. He has no fear, as he is usually the biggest, strongest, baddest motherf#@ker on the field. I can't find any flaws in his game, with the lone exception that he lacks truly elite speed. That said, I'm not sure that truly elite speed is physically possible when you are 6'6" tall and weigh almost 260 lbs. He is so good, in fact, that he was named to the Maxwell award (for most outstanding player of the year) watch list this year as a tight end. Hell, if I had a Heisman vote I'd probably spend it on him.
More importantly, Carlson has developed into the leader of this team on offense, and will provide an anchor for the yound receivers to rally around, as well as a dependable relief valve for the inexperienced QB. Without Carlson, even I would be writing off this season for the Irish - the intangibles he brings into the huddle are as important as his athletic ability.
Depth
Wll Yeatman, Sophomore
An All-American caliber lacrosse player, Yeatman is a freak athlete who appeared only as a blocking tight end last year, loggng about 30 minutes of playing time. However, expect him to have some balls thrown his way this year as well - his position above Reuland on the dpeth chart was a bit of surprise, as Reuland was more highly touted out of high school. This shakeup shows that ratings aren't everything - you have to show up in practice ready to play.
Konrad Reuland, Sophomore
The consensus #1 tight end in the country coming out of high school, Reuland is another freak athlete, who excelled in basketball as well as football. He has all of the physical tools that Carlson sports this year - size, speed, hands, strength. What I haven't yet seen from him is the drive - that internal motor that motivates players during practice. It's easy to get up for game day, I want to see him practicing with more intensity to develop his limitless potential.
Mike Ragone, Freshman
The word on Ragone that I keep hearing out of practice is that he runs like a receiver inside the body of a tight end. This kid, like most great tight ends, is another freak athlete. He was rated as the top heavyweight wrestler in the east coming out of high school. Heck, even taking his senior season off due to injury, he was rated as a top 3 tight end in the country by every major recruiting service. Before his injury, he was a consensus #1.
Ragone has more speed than hs counterparts, but has a way to go on his blocking skills. There is no rush to get him into the starting rotation right now - let him focus on learning the position and getting ready to compete next year.
2007 Position Preview - Running Backs
The running back position at Notre Dame has, in two short years, gone from basically a one-man band to as deep a stable of talented running backs as anywhere else in the country (excepting of course USC, where they have recruited running backs like we've recruited tight ends). Thomas is going to be the workhorse that makes this engine run, but he won't have to work himself to death, as we have three talented backs stuck in a logjam right behind him, each with a distinctive running style that will make it difficult for opposing coaches to gameplan us.
Unlike the last couple of years, we will have a power inside running game this year, so much so that we may actually become a run-first offense.
Starters
Running Back (Halfback)
Travis Thomas, Senior
Balance. Travis Thomas is one of those players that is just gifted with lots of natural athletic ability. He is also smart and disciplined. As a result, he's the only player I can recall that was able to pull of such a drastic position switch as the transition from starting running back to starting linebacker. And then back again. All while serving as special teams captain.
Thomas' rocky start as a running back three years ago has been long forgotten, and he provides a much more balanced running style than we got from Darius Walker. Darius was spectacular at outside zone running (i.e. stretch plays) and catching balls out of the backfield. However, Darius never was able to become proficient at the inside zone running - too much hesitation. This narrowed our play selection considerably last year.
Thomas, on the other hand, is a classic all-purpose back, the Swiss Army knife of the backfield. He may not be as good as Darius at the outside zone, but he is as good at inside zone runs as he is at outside. He may not have the soft hands of Darius, but he is a good receiver out of the backfield. He is excellent at reading defenses and picking up blitzes as well. And he opens up the playbook.
Although Thomas may not be the next great running back in history, he is the perfect backbone of this unit, being the workhorse that can do it all.
Fullback
Asaph Schwapp, Junior
The one word that comes to my mind with Asaph is power. This kid is a like a pile of bricks when he hits you. He's not a great runner, but as a lead blocker he is second to none. He abuses linebackers all day long. His skills were underutilized with Darius, but now that we can line up our running backs and pound the ball inside, Schwapp's value as a lead blocker increases.
The best compliment I've heard Coach Wes ever give a player was to Schwapp, when he pointed out that the players opposite Schwapp during practices hate being hit by him. During practice.
Backups
Running Back (Halfback)
These three backups are listed together on the depth chart after TT, and each player will see considerable carries this year, taking advantage of each player's individual strengths while keeping Thomas fresh.
James Aldridge, Sophomore
Power. Aldridge, to me, seems to be a bit of a throwback player - he reminds me most of Emmitt Smith and Thurman Thomas. A power back with enough moves and speed to hurt you if you don't put enough guys in the box to stop him before he gets a head of steam going. He's not pure power, though (for that, see Robert Hughes below). He's got great hip and foot movement and can make you miss as well. For my money, Aldridge is the prototypical running back for a traditional balanced offense.
Armando Allen, Freshman
Speed. Allen is the closest Notre Dame has ever had to a Reggie Bush like player at running back. This kid is so fast, he's one of our starting kick returners. He's got good hands, and will be a scat-back type of player in the mold of the aforementioned Bush and Marshall Faulk. Because Weis, given the choice, would not run the traditional balanced offense that would utilize Aldrdge so well, Allen is the star of the future in Weis' pass-heavy offense. Can line up and get you those inside yards, but also split out and burn his defender on passing plays, his speed creating coverage mismatches.
Junior Jabbie, Senior
Dependable. Jabbie came to the Irish as a defensive back out of prep school, so he's got some speed. However, his position switch from DB to running back wasn't completely unexpected. Fredo, for example, recruited Jabbie as a running back.
Junior hasn't done much of yet with his football career, spending most of his time toiling away in special teams. However, this year he finally got focused and hit the gym pretty hard, putting on some muscle to go with his speed. Now he's got speed and power, which allow him to make up for the fact that he doesn't have that natural running ability of players like Armando Allen and Golden Tate. However, the upside to the lack of "moves" is a straightforward running style that gains a lot of yards very quickly when there is a hole. His increased power allows him to shed some tacklers, which makes him a very dependable "3 yards and a cloud of dust" runner with the speed to take it to the house if he gets into the secondary. He needs to work a little on his vision.
Fullback
Luke Schmidt, Sophomore
It's a little difficult to talk too much about Luke Schmidt, as he has toiled away in Schwapp's shadow for most of his career thus far. Combine that with the lack of open practices this year, and it's difficult to get a read on exactly what kind of player Luke is.
However, from what I have been able to dig up, Schmidt is the yin to Schwapp's yang, so to speak. Where Schwapp is a blocker first who struggles with running the ball, Schmidt is a run-first type of fullback, who struggles sometimes with his blocking ability. Schmidt was in many ways Robert Hughes last year, the halfback with the size to play fullback. His full time position switch to fullback only has allowed him to bulk up, and he needs to get lots of reps this year as a blocking back.
If he can develop his blocking game, he could be a great weapon to have in the backfield, able to pound out yards in those short yardage situations where we have come to rely on the QB sneak. Also, his running ability opens up an element of surprise in the running game, gving us the ability to use our fullback in much the same way that Navy does in their option offense, adding another thing for the defense to worry about before the snap.
Depth
Robert Hughes, Freshman
Although Coach Weis could have left the depth chart alone after plugging in four backs as above, he chose to put Robert Hughes on the depth chart as well - at halfback. I'm guessing the reason for this is the unique set of tools Hughes brings to the table. Weis has talked all year long about position flexibility among the linemen and defensive positions. With Hughes, he has a player that can line up at either halfback or fullback. This flexiblity can give Coach Weis some interesting options - he can bring in Hughes and Allen in a traditional Power I formation, then shift them into a 4-wide, single back set with the same personnel and not lose any options as far as playcalling is concerned. Think of Hughes as the next Jerome Bettis.
Walk-ons: Dex Cure, FB; Nikolas Rodriguez, HB; Mike Narvaez, FB
Unlike the last couple of years, we will have a power inside running game this year, so much so that we may actually become a run-first offense.
Starters
Running Back (Halfback)
Travis Thomas, SeniorBalance. Travis Thomas is one of those players that is just gifted with lots of natural athletic ability. He is also smart and disciplined. As a result, he's the only player I can recall that was able to pull of such a drastic position switch as the transition from starting running back to starting linebacker. And then back again. All while serving as special teams captain.
Thomas' rocky start as a running back three years ago has been long forgotten, and he provides a much more balanced running style than we got from Darius Walker. Darius was spectacular at outside zone running (i.e. stretch plays) and catching balls out of the backfield. However, Darius never was able to become proficient at the inside zone running - too much hesitation. This narrowed our play selection considerably last year.
Thomas, on the other hand, is a classic all-purpose back, the Swiss Army knife of the backfield. He may not be as good as Darius at the outside zone, but he is as good at inside zone runs as he is at outside. He may not have the soft hands of Darius, but he is a good receiver out of the backfield. He is excellent at reading defenses and picking up blitzes as well. And he opens up the playbook.
Although Thomas may not be the next great running back in history, he is the perfect backbone of this unit, being the workhorse that can do it all.
FullbackAsaph Schwapp, Junior
The one word that comes to my mind with Asaph is power. This kid is a like a pile of bricks when he hits you. He's not a great runner, but as a lead blocker he is second to none. He abuses linebackers all day long. His skills were underutilized with Darius, but now that we can line up our running backs and pound the ball inside, Schwapp's value as a lead blocker increases.
The best compliment I've heard Coach Wes ever give a player was to Schwapp, when he pointed out that the players opposite Schwapp during practices hate being hit by him. During practice.
Backups
Running Back (Halfback)
These three backups are listed together on the depth chart after TT, and each player will see considerable carries this year, taking advantage of each player's individual strengths while keeping Thomas fresh.
James Aldridge, Sophomore
Power. Aldridge, to me, seems to be a bit of a throwback player - he reminds me most of Emmitt Smith and Thurman Thomas. A power back with enough moves and speed to hurt you if you don't put enough guys in the box to stop him before he gets a head of steam going. He's not pure power, though (for that, see Robert Hughes below). He's got great hip and foot movement and can make you miss as well. For my money, Aldridge is the prototypical running back for a traditional balanced offense.
Armando Allen, Freshman
Speed. Allen is the closest Notre Dame has ever had to a Reggie Bush like player at running back. This kid is so fast, he's one of our starting kick returners. He's got good hands, and will be a scat-back type of player in the mold of the aforementioned Bush and Marshall Faulk. Because Weis, given the choice, would not run the traditional balanced offense that would utilize Aldrdge so well, Allen is the star of the future in Weis' pass-heavy offense. Can line up and get you those inside yards, but also split out and burn his defender on passing plays, his speed creating coverage mismatches.
Junior Jabbie, Senior
Dependable. Jabbie came to the Irish as a defensive back out of prep school, so he's got some speed. However, his position switch from DB to running back wasn't completely unexpected. Fredo, for example, recruited Jabbie as a running back.
Junior hasn't done much of yet with his football career, spending most of his time toiling away in special teams. However, this year he finally got focused and hit the gym pretty hard, putting on some muscle to go with his speed. Now he's got speed and power, which allow him to make up for the fact that he doesn't have that natural running ability of players like Armando Allen and Golden Tate. However, the upside to the lack of "moves" is a straightforward running style that gains a lot of yards very quickly when there is a hole. His increased power allows him to shed some tacklers, which makes him a very dependable "3 yards and a cloud of dust" runner with the speed to take it to the house if he gets into the secondary. He needs to work a little on his vision.
Fullback
Luke Schmidt, Sophomore
It's a little difficult to talk too much about Luke Schmidt, as he has toiled away in Schwapp's shadow for most of his career thus far. Combine that with the lack of open practices this year, and it's difficult to get a read on exactly what kind of player Luke is.
However, from what I have been able to dig up, Schmidt is the yin to Schwapp's yang, so to speak. Where Schwapp is a blocker first who struggles with running the ball, Schmidt is a run-first type of fullback, who struggles sometimes with his blocking ability. Schmidt was in many ways Robert Hughes last year, the halfback with the size to play fullback. His full time position switch to fullback only has allowed him to bulk up, and he needs to get lots of reps this year as a blocking back.
If he can develop his blocking game, he could be a great weapon to have in the backfield, able to pound out yards in those short yardage situations where we have come to rely on the QB sneak. Also, his running ability opens up an element of surprise in the running game, gving us the ability to use our fullback in much the same way that Navy does in their option offense, adding another thing for the defense to worry about before the snap.
Depth
Robert Hughes, Freshman
Although Coach Weis could have left the depth chart alone after plugging in four backs as above, he chose to put Robert Hughes on the depth chart as well - at halfback. I'm guessing the reason for this is the unique set of tools Hughes brings to the table. Weis has talked all year long about position flexibility among the linemen and defensive positions. With Hughes, he has a player that can line up at either halfback or fullback. This flexiblity can give Coach Weis some interesting options - he can bring in Hughes and Allen in a traditional Power I formation, then shift them into a 4-wide, single back set with the same personnel and not lose any options as far as playcalling is concerned. Think of Hughes as the next Jerome Bettis.
Walk-ons: Dex Cure, FB; Nikolas Rodriguez, HB; Mike Narvaez, FB
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Depth Chart
I'm still trudging through my last minute position previews and Georgia Tech preview postings, but I thought I'd take a couple of minutes to discuss the release of the official depth chart.
A couple things worth noting:
(1) Darin Walls beat out returning starter Ambrose Wooden for the left cornerback slot. This bodes very well for our secondary, as it means that Walls has improved enough to beat out Wooden, a solid cover corner with tons of experience (despite the bad rap he often gets from fans). Walls is the real deal at corner, and has some experience of his own at nickel and dime from last year. The younger, higher rated athletes are starting to win some of these positional battles. This team has more raw athletic talent than any Irish team of the past decade.
(2) Duval Kumara, despite the hype many online pundits placed on him, is in fact a freshman receiver, and won't be seeing as much playing time as other people thought - he's buried at the bottom of the depth chart. In fact, all of the freshman are buried at the bottom of the depth chart on offense and defense (except Clausen, 'cause nobody knows what's going on with the QB's outside the locker room). But, they are ON the depth chart, a testament to the athletcsm they bring to the table. Freshman most likely to see considerable playing time: Ian Williams (DT), Matt Romine and Taylor Dever (OT), Armando Allen (RB), Kerry Neal and Brian Smith (OLB)
(3) At kick returner, we have two true freshman starting - Golden Tate and Armando Allen. We may be holding our breath every time we receive a kickoff, praying for no freshman mistakes, but this is the clearest example of how Coach Weis' recruiting is paying off in increased athletic ability. Kick returners, more than any other position, must have speed first and foremost - that two freshman are providing that speed bodes very well for the future of the program.
(4) We STILL don't have a kicker or kickoff specialist. Also, wth the rule change, not only will we have to hold our breath during field goals, but we'll have to hold it during kickoffs, as they will rarely make it to the endzone. I'm not sure how to remedy this problem - maybe we should go after the country's best kicking coach or something this offseason.
[As a side note, my r and i keys are slightly malfunctioning, so please forgive me if I make some typographical and spelling errors as a result]
A couple things worth noting:
(1) Darin Walls beat out returning starter Ambrose Wooden for the left cornerback slot. This bodes very well for our secondary, as it means that Walls has improved enough to beat out Wooden, a solid cover corner with tons of experience (despite the bad rap he often gets from fans). Walls is the real deal at corner, and has some experience of his own at nickel and dime from last year. The younger, higher rated athletes are starting to win some of these positional battles. This team has more raw athletic talent than any Irish team of the past decade.
(2) Duval Kumara, despite the hype many online pundits placed on him, is in fact a freshman receiver, and won't be seeing as much playing time as other people thought - he's buried at the bottom of the depth chart. In fact, all of the freshman are buried at the bottom of the depth chart on offense and defense (except Clausen, 'cause nobody knows what's going on with the QB's outside the locker room). But, they are ON the depth chart, a testament to the athletcsm they bring to the table. Freshman most likely to see considerable playing time: Ian Williams (DT), Matt Romine and Taylor Dever (OT), Armando Allen (RB), Kerry Neal and Brian Smith (OLB)
(3) At kick returner, we have two true freshman starting - Golden Tate and Armando Allen. We may be holding our breath every time we receive a kickoff, praying for no freshman mistakes, but this is the clearest example of how Coach Weis' recruiting is paying off in increased athletic ability. Kick returners, more than any other position, must have speed first and foremost - that two freshman are providing that speed bodes very well for the future of the program.
(4) We STILL don't have a kicker or kickoff specialist. Also, wth the rule change, not only will we have to hold our breath during field goals, but we'll have to hold it during kickoffs, as they will rarely make it to the endzone. I'm not sure how to remedy this problem - maybe we should go after the country's best kicking coach or something this offseason.
[As a side note, my r and i keys are slightly malfunctioning, so please forgive me if I make some typographical and spelling errors as a result]
Thursday, August 23, 2007
2007 Position Preview: Quarterbacks
Of course, I'm going to ease back into this blogging thing with the easiest positional preview of the season, as well as the most enigmatic: the quarterbacks.
Brady Quinn has left some pretty big shoes to fill. Name a passing statistic, and in his four years at Notre Dame, he probably holds the top spot (or in season and single game categories, multiple top spots). He never got a shot at the Heisman due to his porous defense, but I think it is safe to say that he is one of the best college quarterbacks, and by far the best passer, in Notre Dame's history.
2007 players
Evan Sharpley, Senior
The only player with a snap in a college football game is Sharpley, a two-sport player who also started for the baseball team. He backed up Quinn last year.
Pros: He has the most experience and best understanding of the offense, as the only player battling who was here when Coach Weis started. He can make the throws, and has enough athleticism to avoid most sacks. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes.
Cons: He was SO far behind Brady last year, and there has been no indication that he has stepped up his game enough to be a legitimate starter this year. He appears to be a decent quarterback, stuck somewhere between Jones' athletic ability and Clausen's passing ability. But decent appears to be his ceiling.
Prediction: If Sharpley is the starter this year, it means that Clausen and Jones aren't picking up the playbook quickly enough. Coach Weis' system places a lot on the quarterback, and Sharpley appears, at this point, to be the best at reading defenses and checking into and out of plays. But he isn't a gamebreaker, and if he starts, it will be Coach Weis tipping his hand in favor of a Clausen/Jones/Crist battle next spring.
Demetrius Jones, Sophomore
A lot of Notre Dame fans gravitate towards Jones, a tough nosed Chicago kid that reminds you a little bit of past ND players like Rice, Battle and Holiday - a great runner and good passer. However, memories of Battle and Holiday are why the ND fans that aren't embracing him are projecting a position move to receiver if he doesn't start.
Pros: This kid can move. He's a natural born playmaker in the mold of a Michael Vick (hopefully without the moral ineptitude of Vick), with a strong arm to go with his quick legs. He brings a dimension to the quarterback position that is very intriguing in Weis' offense. Weis hasn't run an offense where the QB was a legitimate running threat before, and that element could open up the passing game. Jones' ability combined with Weis' offensive mind could be very scary indeed for opposing defenses.
Cons: Where do I start? Weis has never coached a quarterback like this in a meaningful way. Jones' skill set doesn't mesh with what Coach Weis is used to doing in his offense for the past decade. Heck, it doesn't really mesh with the whole NFL style of offense - Michael Vick is just the most notorious example of how athleticism doesn't translate into success in the NFL's pass happy offenses.
Prediction: If I had any stones, I'd be predicting Jones as the starter right now. His athleticism can make up for the youth on the offensive line, and can open up running lanes for what looks to be a more rush-happy offense this year, as opposing defenses will have to respect the bootleg. Weis spent some time with Coach Rodriguez in West Virginia this year, looking for ways to tweak his offensive system for a running quarterback.
But I won't.
Ultimately, (and I have no special knowledge on this subject) I think that Jones is a smokescreen - a way to keep Georgia Tech on their toes until the first offensive snap. I think that Jones would be an excellent starter under Weis, but ultimately I don't think he will start at quarterback, barring an injury.
Jimmy Clausen, Freshman
The "LeBron James" of football, Clausen is the most polished quarterback to come out of high school since at least Elway. If not ever. With all that polish comes a heaping helping of hype as well - Clausen hasn't even taken a snap as a college QB and is already overrated.
Pros: This kid is all about the upside. He is better right now, as a true freshman, than 90% of the starting college quarterbacks when it comes to mechanics and ability. This kid can make every throw in the book and do so with excellent timing and accuracy. A lot of Notre Dame haters play down Clausen as nothing but hype, but they are just plain wrong. This kid IS that good. Better even.
Cons: If he's so good, why is there even a quarterback controversy? Simple - the phone book. The phone book is what Brady Quinn nicknamed Coach Weis' playbook when Weis got here. It is massive, and it is complex. While some college systems are better for young quarterbacks to pick up (such as Coach Carr's conservative running based system), Coach Weis' may be the most difficult in the country.
Then there's the elbow. Clausen had surgery on his throwing elbow this summer to remove some bone spurs. He's supposedly 100% physically and is throwing again, but with all of the secrecy surrounding this race, it is just as likely that Clausen is already being shut down for the season to come in next year as the prohibitive favorite to win the starting job.
Prediction: I'm hesitant to do so - for so many reasons - but I ultimately think that the starting job this season is Clausen's. There is too much upside and value in getting Clausen experience this year on the field to not make him the starter. Eventually.
Overall
There are three likely scenarios I see this season, and two of them end with Clausen as our starting QB:
(1) Sharpley starts the season, Clausen takes over a couple of games in
This is the most conservative prediction on my part, as it sort of hedges my bets. Coach Weis wants someone ready to run the offense right now, and if he's not yet confident enough in Jimmy's brain and/or elbow, Sharpley would make the most sense as a placeholder.
(2) Clausen marches onto the field for the first snap, starting his legacy as Notre Dame's next great quarterback
This is what many of the outsiders to Notre Dame football are predicting, in some cases with a certain amount of pomposity and even as if it were a foregone conclusion (yes, I'm talking about that jackass Dodd over on CBS). Many internet rumor mongers have gone so far as to suggest that Coach Weis promised Clausen the job to close out his recruitment (a dirty lie). It's the easy choice - the golden haired California boy All-everything quarterback comes in to put that final coat of luster back onto the golden dome. It's the best story for the sportswriters and the best PR-move for the football program.
And that's why it just doesn't feel right to me. I'm not sure Clausen is ready. I'm not sure that he is healthy. I'm just not sure of anything right now.
But if I had to pick a scenario - this would be it, hands down.
'Cause if he walks onto the field for that first snap, that means that he is the anointed one - the next Brady Quinn. And not in my eyes, or the fans eyes. In Coach Weis' eyes. And there is nobody else on the planet whose opinion on quarterbacks I would trust more.
(3) Jones starts this season as quarterback.
There is a little part of me, deep down in the sub-cockles of my heart, that wants Jones to win this battle. His recruitment at QB was immediately followed by a slew of rumors that he'd be transferred to WR, as that some recruiting class had yielded the more traditional passing quarterback type in Zach Frazer. He stayed the course at QB, however. This kid stayed through the recruitment of the next big thing at QB(JC), and kept battling for the quarterback position, despite renewed rumors of a position switch. Through the spring, he continued to battle and beat out the more traditional Frazer, who has since transferred.
Seeing him beat out the golden boy would have a certain justice to it. Not that I dislike Jimmy Clausen. Just read the previous scenario, and you know I want Clausen to be everything he's cracked up to be.
But Jones is the epitome of a Notre Dame man, and the prototypical Notre Dame story. A good kid from inner-city Chicago gets off the streets and earns a scholarship to Notre Dame - where he wins the starting job, gets the girl, and solves world hunger. It's movie stuff here, the kind of stuff that is perfect fodder for those cheesy inspriational stories they have on ESPN Gameday on Saturday mornings. The stuff that movies and dreams are made of.
Ultimately, however, this is all pure speculation. This race is the best kept secret since who shot Kennedy, and we'll all find out on Sept. 1. Whoever starts, however, will be better than many people expect.
A lot has been made of the losses of Quinn, Samardzija, Walker, and McKnight. Many are predicting losses in most of our first 8 games. The ND haters are licking their lips at the prospect of us falling flat on our face.
However, our depth and athletic ability on this year's team is far better than the past 2 years on offense. We may lack experience, but we should make up for it in ability.
I haven't been this fired up about a season in a long, long time. Put me in, coach!
Brady Quinn has left some pretty big shoes to fill. Name a passing statistic, and in his four years at Notre Dame, he probably holds the top spot (or in season and single game categories, multiple top spots). He never got a shot at the Heisman due to his porous defense, but I think it is safe to say that he is one of the best college quarterbacks, and by far the best passer, in Notre Dame's history.
2007 players
Evan Sharpley, Senior
The only player with a snap in a college football game is Sharpley, a two-sport player who also started for the baseball team. He backed up Quinn last year.
Pros: He has the most experience and best understanding of the offense, as the only player battling who was here when Coach Weis started. He can make the throws, and has enough athleticism to avoid most sacks. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes.
Cons: He was SO far behind Brady last year, and there has been no indication that he has stepped up his game enough to be a legitimate starter this year. He appears to be a decent quarterback, stuck somewhere between Jones' athletic ability and Clausen's passing ability. But decent appears to be his ceiling.
Prediction: If Sharpley is the starter this year, it means that Clausen and Jones aren't picking up the playbook quickly enough. Coach Weis' system places a lot on the quarterback, and Sharpley appears, at this point, to be the best at reading defenses and checking into and out of plays. But he isn't a gamebreaker, and if he starts, it will be Coach Weis tipping his hand in favor of a Clausen/Jones/Crist battle next spring.
Demetrius Jones, Sophomore
A lot of Notre Dame fans gravitate towards Jones, a tough nosed Chicago kid that reminds you a little bit of past ND players like Rice, Battle and Holiday - a great runner and good passer. However, memories of Battle and Holiday are why the ND fans that aren't embracing him are projecting a position move to receiver if he doesn't start.
Pros: This kid can move. He's a natural born playmaker in the mold of a Michael Vick (hopefully without the moral ineptitude of Vick), with a strong arm to go with his quick legs. He brings a dimension to the quarterback position that is very intriguing in Weis' offense. Weis hasn't run an offense where the QB was a legitimate running threat before, and that element could open up the passing game. Jones' ability combined with Weis' offensive mind could be very scary indeed for opposing defenses.
Cons: Where do I start? Weis has never coached a quarterback like this in a meaningful way. Jones' skill set doesn't mesh with what Coach Weis is used to doing in his offense for the past decade. Heck, it doesn't really mesh with the whole NFL style of offense - Michael Vick is just the most notorious example of how athleticism doesn't translate into success in the NFL's pass happy offenses.
Prediction: If I had any stones, I'd be predicting Jones as the starter right now. His athleticism can make up for the youth on the offensive line, and can open up running lanes for what looks to be a more rush-happy offense this year, as opposing defenses will have to respect the bootleg. Weis spent some time with Coach Rodriguez in West Virginia this year, looking for ways to tweak his offensive system for a running quarterback.
But I won't.
Ultimately, (and I have no special knowledge on this subject) I think that Jones is a smokescreen - a way to keep Georgia Tech on their toes until the first offensive snap. I think that Jones would be an excellent starter under Weis, but ultimately I don't think he will start at quarterback, barring an injury.
Jimmy Clausen, FreshmanThe "LeBron James" of football, Clausen is the most polished quarterback to come out of high school since at least Elway. If not ever. With all that polish comes a heaping helping of hype as well - Clausen hasn't even taken a snap as a college QB and is already overrated.
Pros: This kid is all about the upside. He is better right now, as a true freshman, than 90% of the starting college quarterbacks when it comes to mechanics and ability. This kid can make every throw in the book and do so with excellent timing and accuracy. A lot of Notre Dame haters play down Clausen as nothing but hype, but they are just plain wrong. This kid IS that good. Better even.
Cons: If he's so good, why is there even a quarterback controversy? Simple - the phone book. The phone book is what Brady Quinn nicknamed Coach Weis' playbook when Weis got here. It is massive, and it is complex. While some college systems are better for young quarterbacks to pick up (such as Coach Carr's conservative running based system), Coach Weis' may be the most difficult in the country.
Then there's the elbow. Clausen had surgery on his throwing elbow this summer to remove some bone spurs. He's supposedly 100% physically and is throwing again, but with all of the secrecy surrounding this race, it is just as likely that Clausen is already being shut down for the season to come in next year as the prohibitive favorite to win the starting job.
Prediction: I'm hesitant to do so - for so many reasons - but I ultimately think that the starting job this season is Clausen's. There is too much upside and value in getting Clausen experience this year on the field to not make him the starter. Eventually.
Overall
There are three likely scenarios I see this season, and two of them end with Clausen as our starting QB:
(1) Sharpley starts the season, Clausen takes over a couple of games in
This is the most conservative prediction on my part, as it sort of hedges my bets. Coach Weis wants someone ready to run the offense right now, and if he's not yet confident enough in Jimmy's brain and/or elbow, Sharpley would make the most sense as a placeholder.
(2) Clausen marches onto the field for the first snap, starting his legacy as Notre Dame's next great quarterback
This is what many of the outsiders to Notre Dame football are predicting, in some cases with a certain amount of pomposity and even as if it were a foregone conclusion (yes, I'm talking about that jackass Dodd over on CBS). Many internet rumor mongers have gone so far as to suggest that Coach Weis promised Clausen the job to close out his recruitment (a dirty lie). It's the easy choice - the golden haired California boy All-everything quarterback comes in to put that final coat of luster back onto the golden dome. It's the best story for the sportswriters and the best PR-move for the football program.
And that's why it just doesn't feel right to me. I'm not sure Clausen is ready. I'm not sure that he is healthy. I'm just not sure of anything right now.
But if I had to pick a scenario - this would be it, hands down.
'Cause if he walks onto the field for that first snap, that means that he is the anointed one - the next Brady Quinn. And not in my eyes, or the fans eyes. In Coach Weis' eyes. And there is nobody else on the planet whose opinion on quarterbacks I would trust more.
(3) Jones starts this season as quarterback.
There is a little part of me, deep down in the sub-cockles of my heart, that wants Jones to win this battle. His recruitment at QB was immediately followed by a slew of rumors that he'd be transferred to WR, as that some recruiting class had yielded the more traditional passing quarterback type in Zach Frazer. He stayed the course at QB, however. This kid stayed through the recruitment of the next big thing at QB(JC), and kept battling for the quarterback position, despite renewed rumors of a position switch. Through the spring, he continued to battle and beat out the more traditional Frazer, who has since transferred.
Seeing him beat out the golden boy would have a certain justice to it. Not that I dislike Jimmy Clausen. Just read the previous scenario, and you know I want Clausen to be everything he's cracked up to be.
But Jones is the epitome of a Notre Dame man, and the prototypical Notre Dame story. A good kid from inner-city Chicago gets off the streets and earns a scholarship to Notre Dame - where he wins the starting job, gets the girl, and solves world hunger. It's movie stuff here, the kind of stuff that is perfect fodder for those cheesy inspriational stories they have on ESPN Gameday on Saturday mornings. The stuff that movies and dreams are made of.
Ultimately, however, this is all pure speculation. This race is the best kept secret since who shot Kennedy, and we'll all find out on Sept. 1. Whoever starts, however, will be better than many people expect.
A lot has been made of the losses of Quinn, Samardzija, Walker, and McKnight. Many are predicting losses in most of our first 8 games. The ND haters are licking their lips at the prospect of us falling flat on our face.
However, our depth and athletic ability on this year's team is far better than the past 2 years on offense. We may lack experience, but we should make up for it in ability.
I haven't been this fired up about a season in a long, long time. Put me in, coach!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
A Sleeping Giant Awakens
No, not the Irish. I meant me.
My months long sabbatical is over, having completed the Indiana bar exam and the obligatory weeks of drunkenness that inevitably follow, as well as having signed my divorce papers and the obligatory weeks of drunkenness that inevitably follow that as well.
Now, I have nothing to do but apply for jobs and obsess about the Irish for the next couple of months, so expect me to get back to a more regular posting schedule now.
Since I last posted, not much has changed. We've added a couple of commits to the country's consensus #1 class at this point in the recruiting cycle, and have started summer practice. Coach Weis closed practices this year, so I wasn't able to get out to practice for my practice reports. In addition, I'm spending a couple of weeks in Colorado right now, so I missed the lone open practice as well.
But I'll still be providing the analysis both of my readers have come to count on me for, starting with my annual preseason positional previews (first edition will hopefully be tomorrow).
My months long sabbatical is over, having completed the Indiana bar exam and the obligatory weeks of drunkenness that inevitably follow, as well as having signed my divorce papers and the obligatory weeks of drunkenness that inevitably follow that as well.
Now, I have nothing to do but apply for jobs and obsess about the Irish for the next couple of months, so expect me to get back to a more regular posting schedule now.
Since I last posted, not much has changed. We've added a couple of commits to the country's consensus #1 class at this point in the recruiting cycle, and have started summer practice. Coach Weis closed practices this year, so I wasn't able to get out to practice for my practice reports. In addition, I'm spending a couple of weeks in Colorado right now, so I missed the lone open practice as well.
But I'll still be providing the analysis both of my readers have come to count on me for, starting with my annual preseason positional previews (first edition will hopefully be tomorrow).
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Recruiting Haul
UPDATE:
The commitment of Ethan Johnson is official. This places in a great position (along with the other committed recruits) for depth on the defensive line going forward. Let's just pray we can avoid the injury bug this year.
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This year's recruiting class has been really gaining momentum, and recent news has this class taking the next big step towards being the nation's top class. Oh, and it's only July - signing day is still 7 months away.
The official word is that the Irish received their 17th commitment in Georgia DB Jamoris Slaughter. He is another in a long list of 4-star recruits that are climbing onto the bandwagon.
The unofficial word is that Ethan Johnson, the nation's top defensive end prospect (5 stars) is also onboard. It's being reported on BlueandGold.com, and rumored over on Irish Illustrated as well.
Also rumored to be following suit in the next couple of days are 5 star receiver Michael Floyd and 4 star safety Dan McCarthy.
It seems to me like the Irish have already locked up the 4-star guys they wanted to get, and the few 3-stars that the coaching staff liked. We've filled our needs, and now we get to focus on closng the deal with the big boys.
The best way to do this? Just win, baby.
Every year there is a strong correlation between the performance on the field and the fnal push for the elite five-star recruits that wait to make their decision until after the season.
Last year's national champion, Florida, had the top 2007 class. The previous year's champ., Texas, was 2nd. And USC, two years removed from their championship run, finished 3rd. Winning on the field breeds success in recruiting.
Another factor which is weighing in Notre Dame's favor this year is an exciting new coach. In Urban Meyer and Coach Weis' frst year, they finished 2nd and 5th respectively in recruiting, reflecting the buzz surrounding the new coaches.
Notre Dame has a similar buzz going on with the hire of Coach Corwin Brown at DC. He's young, energetic, and knows how to get kids fired up. This has led to success in defensive recruiting even without Brown coaching a game. If he turns this defense around like I think he can, expect us to pick up a few more high profile defensive recruits before this cycle is over.
I don't expect the Irish to win a title this year, but I do think that 10 wins will be enough to turn this into a top class. You see, there are only a handful of seniors on this year's team, and therefore we are setting up this year for a run at a title in 2008.
This year's team can get 10 wins. We will struggle with USC because of the lingering talent gap, and Michigan because of their experience. However, despite our youth, we should be clearly more talented than everyone else on the schedule. If we can avoid making too many rookie mistakes, 10 wins is absolutely achievable.
Even if the team doesn't come together this year and we struggle through a 7-5 or 8-4 type season, nobody at Notre Dame will be jumping off the bandwagon. 'Cause the cupboards are full, and there is too much talent assembled here not to win, and soon.
The commitment of Ethan Johnson is official. This places in a great position (along with the other committed recruits) for depth on the defensive line going forward. Let's just pray we can avoid the injury bug this year.
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This year's recruiting class has been really gaining momentum, and recent news has this class taking the next big step towards being the nation's top class. Oh, and it's only July - signing day is still 7 months away.
The official word is that the Irish received their 17th commitment in Georgia DB Jamoris Slaughter. He is another in a long list of 4-star recruits that are climbing onto the bandwagon.
The unofficial word is that Ethan Johnson, the nation's top defensive end prospect (5 stars) is also onboard. It's being reported on BlueandGold.com, and rumored over on Irish Illustrated as well.
Also rumored to be following suit in the next couple of days are 5 star receiver Michael Floyd and 4 star safety Dan McCarthy.
It seems to me like the Irish have already locked up the 4-star guys they wanted to get, and the few 3-stars that the coaching staff liked. We've filled our needs, and now we get to focus on closng the deal with the big boys.
The best way to do this? Just win, baby.
Every year there is a strong correlation between the performance on the field and the fnal push for the elite five-star recruits that wait to make their decision until after the season.
Last year's national champion, Florida, had the top 2007 class. The previous year's champ., Texas, was 2nd. And USC, two years removed from their championship run, finished 3rd. Winning on the field breeds success in recruiting.
Another factor which is weighing in Notre Dame's favor this year is an exciting new coach. In Urban Meyer and Coach Weis' frst year, they finished 2nd and 5th respectively in recruiting, reflecting the buzz surrounding the new coaches.
Notre Dame has a similar buzz going on with the hire of Coach Corwin Brown at DC. He's young, energetic, and knows how to get kids fired up. This has led to success in defensive recruiting even without Brown coaching a game. If he turns this defense around like I think he can, expect us to pick up a few more high profile defensive recruits before this cycle is over.
I don't expect the Irish to win a title this year, but I do think that 10 wins will be enough to turn this into a top class. You see, there are only a handful of seniors on this year's team, and therefore we are setting up this year for a run at a title in 2008.
This year's team can get 10 wins. We will struggle with USC because of the lingering talent gap, and Michigan because of their experience. However, despite our youth, we should be clearly more talented than everyone else on the schedule. If we can avoid making too many rookie mistakes, 10 wins is absolutely achievable.
Even if the team doesn't come together this year and we struggle through a 7-5 or 8-4 type season, nobody at Notre Dame will be jumping off the bandwagon. 'Cause the cupboards are full, and there is too much talent assembled here not to win, and soon.
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