Spring Positional Battles - Offensive Skill Positions

Now that all of the hubbub and broohaha of the 2007 recruiting season is behind us, it is time to change gears and charge full speed ahead into Spring ball. There are numerous battles that will be fought throughout the spring, and I wouldn't be surprised to see several battles wage well into the summer, and possibly even into the season.

Here are the positional battles going on this spring, starting with the offensive skill positions.

Quarterback
Last year's starter: Brady Quinn
The void left by Brady Quinn is as big a hole as has ever been left by a Notre Dame quarterback; his shadow loms as large as the Heisman and Championship winning quarterbacks such as Hornung amd Montana. To fill this void, we have as little experience as I can ever recall waiting in the wings.
PROSPECTS:
Evan Sharpley Junior
Rivals - 3 star, Scout - 4 star
Sharpley served as the backup to Quinn this year, and s the only returning player with a pass in an actual game (he's actually thrown two). He was a decent recruit coming out of high school, but he doesn't have the arm of Frazer, the feet of Jones, or the delivery of Clausen. But, he is an accurate short-to-medium passer, he has the most experience in the system, and is the safest guy to hand the ball to gong into the spring. If he gets the starting nod, it will be an upset, as all three guys pushing from behind have better physical talents.
Zach Frazer Sophomore
Rivals - 4 star, Scout - 4 star
Zach is a traditional drop-back style of quarterback, without great mobility but a cannon of an arm. In Spring Ball last year, Frazer wasn't afraid to use his cannon and chuck the balll all over the field. He needs some work on his accuracy down the field, but he has confidence, poise and vision. His biggest downside, mobility, could cost him the job this year, as a re-tooled offensive line might not let the QB sit back and pick the defense apart. He also doesn't have the quickest release, which is a problem.
Demetrius Jones Sophomore
Rivals - 4 star, Scout - 4 star
DJ has the most upside of any of the quarterbacks vying for the position. Everyone has heard about his mobility, and Coach Weis has never had the chance to build an offense around a QB with some wheels. Demetrius Jones has excellent touch on his short passes, and con drill it in when needed. However, the biggest knock on him from what I've seen is a lack of confidence in his arm. During the days that I watched spring practice last year, I never saw him throw the ball downfield more than 10-15 yards. His mobility is the best fit behind the young O-line we have coming back, and between the three mentioned thus far, would be my pick for the starter this year. But these aren't the only three...
Jimmy Clausen Freshman
Rivals - 5 star #1 overall recruit, Scout - 5 star #4 overall recruit
Anyone that hasn't heard of Jimmy Clausen has made a concerted effort to block out anything to do with football recruiting. Clausen is the LeBron James of football, the best quarterback prospect since John Elway. He is the second coming of Joe Montana, and many have already christened him the opening day starter.
However, I'm not ready to place this program in his young hands just yet. I would be willing to wager any amount of money that he will be the starter next year, in 2008. His delivery and mechanics are pristine, by a huge margin the cleanest most consistent mechanics I have ever seen in a high school QB. He has the size, and the arm, to be a great quarterback. What he doesn't have: time and experience in the system.
We all watched Brady Quinn grow up seemingly overnight uder Weis' tutelage in his first year, and if Coach Weis can do the same with Clausen, he will be the starter. He is like a synthetic oil compared to the crude oil of the other prospects.
There are two other things to watch in spring ball. Clausen has bone spurs in his throwing elbow, and that could nag during spring practice. Also, Clausen's mobility could hamstring him in the same way that Frazer's does.
My Prediction:
Best case scenario: Demetrius Jones has the nod coming out of Spring, with Clausen running a close second.
Worst case scenario: None of the younger QBs step up, and Evan Sharpley is the #1 guy. If this happens, I'd toss out any shot at a BCS game this next season.

Running Back
Last year's starter: Darius Walker
Darius leaving for the NFL was a surprise for everyone, including Coach Weis. Darius was the first player under Weis to make this decision without discussing it with him first. Walker was a versatile back who was in many ways better as a receiver coming out of the backfield than as a pure running back. To replace him, we have the most raw talent that we've had since we almost won the 1993 Championship.
PROSPECTS:
Travis Thomas Senior
Rivals - 3 star, Scout - 4 star
Thomas started as linebacker last year, but also played quite a bit at running back. He is a stellar athlete, and depending upon the battle at linebacker, could be in the mix at both positions. If he gets moved full time back to running back, there is no guarantee he would start, but he does have the most experience (by far) of any returning back.
James Aldridge Sophomore
Rivals - 5 star, Scout - 5 star
Aldridge was recovering from a knee injury going into last season, and his lack of major production as a result has downgraded him in many people's eyes. With a full, healthy (knock on wood) offseason, Aldridge is the best combination of athleticism and experience in this group, with a full year in the system. He isn't the fastest guy, but he is a powerful, bruising back with great lateral moves. Physically, he looks a lot like superstar running back Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma.
Munir Prince Sophomore
Rivals - 3 star, Scout - 3 star
Prince impressed Weis with his speed in spring and summer practice last year, and as a result got a handful of carries and special teams opportunities last year. However, his impressive speed never materialized into on-the-field explosiveness. He will have a shot at the job, but probably doesn't have the combination of talents to become a starter.
Robert Hughes Freshman
Rivals - 4 star, Scout - 4 star
Another big bruiser from the blue-collar neighborhoods of Chicago, Robert Hughes is very similar to James Aldridge, if not as highly rated coming out of high school. I'd be willing to wager that he is the toughest of the lot here, and could have a huge impact this year as a short yardage tailback, if not as the starter.
Armando Allen Freshman
Rivals - 4 star, Scout - 4 star
This guy has got me excited. He has Reggie Bush size and speed, something that the Irish have never had at running back. Faster than Prince, Allen also has great balance. If there is anything he needs to work on, it is probably vision. However, his talent is unlike anything seen in a long while, and I would characterize him as the X factor in this battle.
My prediction:
I have to give the nod here to James Aldridge. Thomas' experience is still needed at the linebacking corps, and Prince will probably have to be a special teams standout to develop that toughness before getting another shot at the running back starting position (ala Travis Thomas). Hughes and Allen will not be benched, though. Hughes will probably be the short-distance back. Allen will probably be used as a utility player, much like Bush was used by USC. I would love to see Coach Weis put in some pro-style 2 back sets with Aldridge and Allen, which can really give defenses fits.

Fullback
Last Year's Starters: Ashley McConnell and Asaph Schwapp
Really, this isn't much of a battle this offseason - McConnell, who filled in admirably for Asaph after his injury, has graduated, and this is Schwapp's position to lose.
THE CHALLENGERS:
Luke Schmidt Sophomore
Recruited as a general running back, Schmidt is too big and slow to challenge effectively for a tailback position. However, he is big enough to get into the mix at fullback. I expect him to back up Schwapp going forward.
Robert Hughes Freshman
I listed him as a challenger at tailback above, but I could see Hughes growing into a Bettis-esque fullback/tailback hybrid.

Wide Receiver
Last Year's Starters: Jeff Samardzija, Rhema McKnight, and David Grimes
Jeff is now playing professional baseball, and Rhema is preparing for the NFL combine, leaving only David Grimes as a returning starter at receiver. There aren't many people that believe that Grimes could lose his starting position, and Weis' comments going into last season place Grimes (3 star recruit) head and shoulders above everyone else except...
D.J. Hord 3rd year Sophomore (Medical Redshirt)
Rivals - 4 stars Scout - 4 stars
Many people have forgotten that D.J. Hord and David Grimes were 3 and 3a in the receiver lineup before D.J. injured his achilles. If he is back and 100% going into this year, expect D.J. to grab a secure hold of the 2nd (or even 1st) receiver spot. He was a more sought-after recruit than Grimes was.
Chase Anastacio 5th year Senior
Rivals - 3 star, Scout - 3 star
Back for a 5th year, the speedy wideout has never turned track speed into success as a receiver or returner. This is his last chance to step up and develop as a threat. If he can make some strides, he may get a chance. However, I expect him to serve mostly as a speedster on the scout team.
Richard Jackson Sophomore
Rivals - 4 star, Scout - 3 star
In the fickle world of recruiting, Jackson has been shuffled into the dustbin by many people who are excited about the young freshmen coming in and the playing time that West got. However, Jackson was the best receiver in his class, and my observations of him in practice show that he has great speed and size. He needs some work on route running and adjusting to the ball, but he is coachable, and may surprise a lot of people this spring.
George West Sophomore
Rivals - 3 star, Scout - 3 star
West got some playing time last year, and even scored a touchdown in a game last year. As a result, he is penciled in by many as the third receiver in the lineup this year. He has great moves, and I'm hoping he develops more as a return specialist. His hands are a little suspect, and he doesn't have great speed.
Robby Parris Sophomore and Barry Gallup Sophomore
Rivals - 3 star, Scout - 3 star
I grouped these two together because I feel like they are both heavy underdogs in this race. They don't have the physical tools of the guys ahead of or behind them, and unless they have really worked their asses off in the offseason, I don't see either one breaking into the starting rotation. That said, many teams would trade their starters for these two guys who will likely be on our scout team. We are scary deep at receiver.
Duval Kamara Freshman
Rivals - 4 star, Scout - 4 star
The best talent we've recruited at receiver since D.J. Hord, he could get into the playing rotation right away. However, I expect it to take some time for him to learn the playbook and get playing time. He isn't one of those freakish 5-star all-everything recruits that you have to start from day one. But he will be our #1 guy before he leaves the university, and will climb the all-time receiving charts in this offense. It just may take some time to get there.
Golden Tate Freshman
Rivals - 4 star (athlete), Scout - 4 star
This kid is a freakishly good athlete, and I wasn't sure where to put him. He could push for playing time as running back, receiver, safety, cornerback, linebacker and even punter. I have no idea how Coach Weis is going to use him, but he will get playing time THIS YEAR. Somewhere. (everywhere?)
My prediction:
West gets relegated to special teams duty, as Richard Jackson passes him into that third spot behind Hord and Grimes. Also, I think Hord passes Grimes on the depth chart. In a 5-wide set, I'd expect to see Grimes, Hord, Jackson, Anastacio (for the deep threat) and West. Kamara and Tate will also see some spot action.

Tight End
Lasy Year's Starter: John Carlson
As the only offensive All-American returning, this is by far the most solid position going into spring. It is also (in my opinion) the deepest tight end group in terms of talent in the history of football. We have John Carlson, a returning All-American, followed by two straight #1 tight end prospects, in addition to depth that would start at most Big Ten universities. What we've done in tight end recruiting is borderline unfair to everyone else.
DEPTH:
Konrad Reuland Sophomore
Rivals - 5 star, Scout - 4 star
Will Yeatman Sophomore
Rivals - 3 star, Scout - 3 star
Mike Ragone Freshman
Rivals - 4 star, Scout - 4 star

Next up: The Defensive Backfield

And we're off...

On the heels of the close of last year's recruiting season, the new recruiting season is off to a strong start.

Mike Golic, Jr., son of former Notre Dame football player Mike Golic (and nephew of former players Greg and Bob Golic), is unsurprisingly the first to commit to the Irish. In fact, if the latest in the long line of Golics had considered anywhere else, I would have been surprised.

Golic Jr., listed at 6'4" 260 lbs., is slated right now as an offensive lineman. With his family history, however, I wouldn't be surprised to see him move to the other side of the ball and follow in the footsteps of the rest of his family. His father, one half of the ESPN radio and ESPN2 morning show Mike and Mike in the Morning (my personal favorite morning show when I get up that early), said that his son plays with a defensive mentality and a bit of a mean streak - much like his father and uncles before him.

Coach Weis and staff seem to be getting better and better at locking down the players that Notre Dame should get. I also believe that, while Golic Jr. was clearly the caliber of player Notre Dame looks for, Weis would have offered him regardless. He understands how much history and tradition means to this team, and the addition of another Golic keeps the tradition alive.

Golic has another son, Jake, who will be coming out next year. I expect that he will be offered and will likely be Irish as well.

Coming soon: Spring positional battles

Signing Day Betrayal

Going into today, we had an arguably top 5 recruiting class committed to sign with the Irish.

Coming out, we've got a top 10 class.

The drop was due to a couple of last minute defections. Greg Little, WR out of North Carolina, was telling people as recently as yesterday afternoon that he was signing with the Irish. Today he signed a letter of intent with the North Carolina Tarheels. Chris Little, offensive lineman out of Georgia, also had verbally committed to the Irish, but today changed his mind and signed a letter of intent with the Georgia Bulldogs.

Justin Trattou's defection a couple of weeks ago stung, but Coach Weis had time to go out and find another guy to take his spot - Brian Smith.

These kids that flip-flop on signing day don't understand how unethical and far-reaching their actions really are. If they had done this two weeks ago, the Irish could have recovered and signed another receiver and another O-lineman. Believe me, there are plenty chomping at the bit.

But because they waited until today to jump ship, without so much as a peep to the coaching staff that they were wavering, we were forced to sign a class that is far too small for our needs.

However, it isn't Greg Little that I am really pissed at. It is the irresponsible rumor-mongering of writers like Tim Prister at Rivals.com, who wrote an uninformed article just days ago speculating that Greg Little would be moved to linebacker and Chris Little to defensive line. He had no rational basis for these statements, but he published them regardless. The next day, rumors were circulating that both players might be considering their hometown schools. Then, today they both switch their commitments.

I am as big of a fan of recruiting as anyone, but the people who write for these recruiting sites aren't journalists. In fact, they are little more than bloggers with an expense account. For example, only a couple of years ago, Bob Lichtenfels was working at a steel mill. He posted to message boards, and suddenly got noticed by someone at rivals.com. Now he's a full time columnist. He has NO training in journalism or journalistic ethics. He has no formal training in evaluating talent. He has no real football experience to speak of.

But he writes a couple of words on a website, and suddenly these impressionable 18-year-olds get nervous. Add to the mix biased high school head coaches, arguable unethical recruiting practices by coaches (I'm talking to you, Urban), peer pressure from classmates, parents who often have their own agendas, and the anonymous message board poster, and you've got all the ingredients for uncertainty.

Which is why we need, as I've said before, an early signing day. Before the season, let a limited number of kids sign their LOIs for each school (say about 10), and they become off limits. Coaches can get a sense of where kids stand, and re-marshall their resources for the stretch run. If Greg Little had balked at signing a letter in August, then Coach Weis could have spent more time chasing down Aurelious Benn or any number of other interested wide receivers.

As it is, though, the sky is not falling. As I said, we come out of today with a top 10 class, and we'll have that a few more scholarships to hand out next year.

Our athleticism is on the rise, and although we'll have depth problems again next year, we will survive. And we'll win 10 games. Count on it.

Early Signing Date Debate

With the recent rush of last-minute commitment changes led by Urban Meyer, there is some talk going around of puching for an earlier signing date for college football.

Currently, the signing date is Feb. 2nd, and recruits aren't bound to their commitments until then. Verbals prior to that are worth the paper they are written on.

Notre Dame has become a player in this discussion on both sides of the recruit-poaching issue. After losing our top defensive recruit to Florida, we were left with a scholarship opening and a need to fill in our defense. As a result, Notre Dame offered Brian Smith, the son of a former Notre Dame player. Problem is, Brian committed to Iowa several months ago.

Now, lest I be accused of hypocrisy, I'm not a big fan of this move. However, this is a situation where Smith wanted to go to Notre Dame and follow in his father's footsteps, but didn't receive an offer from the Irish. so he committed to Iowa. Now that he has an offer from Notre Dame, he is wavering on his commitment to Iowa (who rumor has it pulled their scholarship offer).

Now, as I said before, I'm generally not a fan of poaching recruits. However, I've listened to Coach Weis long enough to know that Brian probably told Coach Weis to contact him if they changed their mind about offering him a scholarship.

Nobody has even suggested that Trattou contacted Florida. By all accounts, Florida sought him out, wooed him, and convinced him to change his commitment. Notre Dame, on the other hand, simply offered a guy who was seeking an offer all along.

However, I may be splitting hairs here. The fact of the matter is, that this has now become a big part of recruiting.

So, I propose we have a preliminary signing period just before the season, where a kid can sign a letter of intent if they so choose, and therefore be taken out of the recruiting pool. Then, only those kids that are seriously on the fence will still be available come December and January. This early signing period will give coaches a sense of how serious a particular recruit's commitment to the University is, and be able to fromulate alternate plans if it doesn't work out. Under the current system, when a big recruit like Trattou changes at the last minute, a coach is left scrambling at the last minute to fill the hole left by the defection.

I say bring on an early signing period. Put all of this controversy to rest.

Underhanded Urban

The South Bend Tribune is reporting that Notre Dame's top defensive commitment this year, New Jersey defensive end Justin Trattou, has decommitted from the Irish and committed to the Florida Gators.

Normally, I don't get too upset about kids changing their commitments from one school to another in close recruiting battles. In fact, this year we ahd that work in our favor in regards to offensive line prospect Chris Little. We also lost some recruiting battles to, of all places, Illinois. Which I don't understand, but I accept it.

But when a coach comes in late in the recruiting processs and uses negative recruiting tactics to change a kid's mind at the last second, I call foul.

Justin Trattou committed to the Irish in early June - over 7 months ago. He was a solid commitment, another Jersey guy coming to Notre Dame.

Then Coach Urban Meyer, fresh off of a national championship (and with a boatload of defensive line recruits already committed), decided FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR to try to poach a Notre Dame recruit in the end of the recruiting season.

And, for the first time, it actually worked. He got Justin to come down to Florida where he used some of the famous Florida recruiting bonuses to dazzle the kid, all the while filling his head with rumors that the Irish are switching to a 3-4 defense, and telling him how bad that would be for him. I'm sure he said "Look, I'm a Notre Dame guy, I used to coach tehre. I get it. But the weather and the mystique is not for guys like us. Florida gives you a better chance to win now. Can I introduce you to Bambi and Heather?"

Urban Liar did this the past three years, inviting committed Notre Dame guys down for a visit in January, and trying to get them to switch their commitment.

Weis doesn't engage in such unethical behavior. He recruits a kid until he commits, asks him if is commitment is solid or if he should continue recruiting him, and then cuts it off when the kid says "I'm done."

Urban Meyer has no such ethical compunctions. In fact, this is the 7th time THIS YEAR that Urban has poached a kid committed to another school. I know verbal commitments aren't binding agreements, but there has always been a certain amount of respect between coaches in regards to committed kids.

Even Tom Lemming, the recruiting guru, has called Urban out on this.

But I know Weis. Despite the fact that if this were me, my temper would cause me to spend a week down in Florida with the entire coaching staff testing the loyalty of EVERY Florida commitment, Weis won't. He won't come out and bash Urban Meyer for acting like the slimy, greasy, sleazy car salesman that he is. He won't get petty and start going after the guys we lost to Illinois or somewhere else.

Weis won't do any of these things because Weis has one thing that Urban never will.

Character.

Weis knows that if he works hard, accepts nothing but the best from his coaching staff and his players - and more importantly, himself - Notre Dame will return to their rightful place as the paragon of college football programs. Winning, more than anyone else. Graduating, more than anyone else. Building not just players, but young men that will go on long after their football careers to be men of integrity. Men like Alan Page, Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, who understands that there are far more important things in life than football.

Florida won a championship this year, and they earned it on the field.

But their success will be fleeting, as it always is for those who cut corners, take shortcuts, and look for the easy way, rather than the right way. A house built on a shaky foundation will not stand.

Long after Florida has been returned to the dustbin of history, Notre Dame will continue in excellence.

No other program has won more consistently over a longer period of time than the Irish.

The won their first national championship in 1924. Since then, the Irish have won at least one championship in every decade through the 1980s. Then, in the 90s, we struggled a little, falling just short in 1993 of our 12th championship.

And now we're back. And I guarantee that before this decade is out, Notre Dame will be back where they belong.

Many people mistake this attitude for hubris and arrogance, but it is not. We are not "holier than thou," because we don't care how you achieve your goals. All we care about is doing our best, and doing it in the best way.

Which is why Weis won't say a word. He'll remember the slight, but instead of retaliation, he will choose to work harder. He won't even blame Urban. He'll blame himself for not being as successful as he would like on the field.

I wish Justin Trattou and Urban Meyer nothing but the best, but I know far too well that Trattou has made a mistake. A 40-year mistake. When he leaves the University of Florida, there is about a 25% chance that he will not have a degree. At Notre Dame, there is almost no chance he would have left without one. When he leaves Florida, he'll have a chance to get in the NFL, but that's about it. Players leaving the University of Notre Dame not only have opportunities in the NFL, but they have one of the most dedicated alumni networks in the country.

Right now, it hurts to lose a talented player of the caliber of Justin Trattou. However, I wonder if he will regret his decision in 20 years.

Replumbing the Chicago Pipeline

With Corwin Brown having been on the staff only a few days, his impact on Chicago recruiting is already paying dividends.

Chicago's Public League, which used to send all of it's best athletes to Notre Dame, had fallen out of favor with the Irish under Davie and Willingham. Recently, Martez Wilson, the top defensive line product from the CPL, chose Illinois over Notre Dame in a heated recruiting battle. With Corwin Brown in the fold, suddenly Notre Dame is winning these battles, with the commitment of running back Robert Hughes, another recruit that came down to Notre Dame - Illinois.

And I expect that Coach Weis will make it Corwin Brown's responsibility to see to it that the days of ND losing Chicago recruiting battles with Illinois are over. I'm not sure what kind of wacky-tabacky Zook is selling over there in Illinois (and I'm not sure how Kyle McAlarney got his hands on it), but the recent recruiting surge by Illinois has kept Notre Dame's recruiting class this year from vaulting from top 5 to consensus #1.

Former Public League player Corwin Brown is already working on changing that. Only days into his tenure at Notre Dame, Rivals.com is crediting Rob Ianello AND Corwin Brown with the recruitment success of Robert Hughes.

I'm not a big fan of going after a kid that is committed to another school generally, but I hope that Corwin and Rob call MArtez again, just to see if he might change his mind after the new hire.

The Shark stays a Cub - forgoes NFL draft

I'm sure that puts a big grin on my buddy Brad's face, as the biggest Cubs fan I know, but I must say that I am a little disappointed that Jeff Samardzija is not going to play in the NFL.

I wanted the Shark to enter the NFL draft for mostly selfish reasons. I think he would have been one of the best receivers to come out of college in the last few years, and his presence near the top of the first round of the NFL draft would help recruiting.

However, I must begrudgingly admit that he probably made the safe choice. As a general rule, a baseball pitcher is going to be less injury prone than a receiver that gets hit almost every time he touches the ball. The money in baseball is potentially much greater than in the NFL, and he could have a much longer career.

My biggest concern is WHERE he signed on as a pitcher.

Now don't get me wrong, I am a huge Cubs fan. But I cringe when I hear the words "Kerry Wood" and "Mark Prior." The Cubs, famous for their curses, have been cursed of late when it comes to talented young pitchers. Hopefully, Jeff will be more Zambrano and less Prior.

Jeff, good luck in your career with the Cubs, and I wish you the best of luck.