Wow so if PSU wins they play ND in the Frozen Four. I'll be cheering for.... Spoiler Neither...fuck hockey
Coach D Defense practice report Spoiler I spent most of the day yesterday trying to focus on the offense. There were some defensive players that I was able to focus on at times, and I wanted to write some notes on those players. This will replace a more full story, because I didn’t really feel like I had quite enough on the defense to turn it into a full story. Overall, it was a rough day for the defense, which gave up far too many big plays, especially its second unit. There were a number of plays that were made on that side of the ball as well, and the unit showed the ability to get its hands on a number of passes in situations it did not in the past. DEFENSIVE LINE The one guy I tried to focus the most on yesterday up front was junior defensive tackle Jerry Tillery. There were some good things and not so good things with Tillery. From a negative standpoint, he still really needs to work hard at using his hands to get off blocks. If he doesn’t beat an OL into the gap he is going to stay engaged. That can and must be improved upon. The positive with Tillery was how hard he competed. Tillery really got after it during team periods, often matched up against either Quenton Nelson or Alex Bars as part of a combination block with Mustipher at center. Tillery fought hard snap after snap, showing consistency with his effort, and he didn’t stop working if his initial charge got stopped. He also showed some quickness off the ball and he appears to be in pretty good shape. Senior defensive tackle Jonathan Bonner did some good things during practice. He showed some good quickness off the ball and got into the backfield on multiple occasions. Bonner has to be more consistent, but he showed some positive signs. The backup interior guys had a pretty rough day. Senior nose tackle Daniel Cage got moved off the ball far too easily, although that is partly due to how good the second team OL is at this point. On one snap RT Liam Eichenberg and RG Trevor Ruhland drove Cage to the left side of the line, which opened up a huge cutback lane for RB Tony Jones Jr. Junior DT Micah Dew-Treadway competed, but far too often he stops his feet at the point of contact and he’s still in the VanGorder mentality of absorbing blocks and getting a heavy piece of the blocker, which makes him easier to square up. Sophomore Daelin Hayes is obviously not where the staff wants him to be from an execution standpoint, as Hayes gets corrected with greater frequency than the rest of the first-team defenders. But Hayes also makes a lot of plays. His burst off the line is impressive, and at times LT Mike McGlinchey has a hard time getting to his outside rush. Hayes has gotten to the quarterback or forced the quarterback to step into the pocket on a high number of occasions, although sometimes he gets caught between moves and gets beat. Hayes shows good effort and strength on the edge in the run game, and he anchors well. Going against McGlinchey so much is really good for him, as it forces him to learn how to hold up against a bigger and more powerful player. McGlinchey gets the best of Hayes more than not, but Hayes competes and is learning to adjust. His backup – classmate Julian Okwara – isn’t overly comfortable at the drop spot yet. He shows good speed off the edge, but he’s not overly comfortable with his other tasks, and he doesn’t hold up as well on the edge as does Hayes. Okwara will have to continue getting stronger if he wants to be a full-time player. Senior strongside end Andrew Trumbetti had an up-and-down practice. He’s good with his outside speed rush but his power moves need work. He had some issues getting around freshman LT Robert Hainsey. Trumbetti was more effective in the run game by staying low and using his hands well to get off blocks and to get to the back. Trumbetti got his hands on a few passes during different drills, which shows that he has taken well to what Elko and Elston are teaching the DL in regards to getting their hands up when they can’t get a rush. LINEBACKERS I didn’t spend much time watching the linebackers, but was able to watch the Buck at times. Senior linebacker Greer Martini is quite comfortable at the Buck spot. He’s slimmed down a bit and is showing a bit more quickness and speed. Martini covers the flats well and is comfortable with his decision making, but he’ll need to get a bit stronger. His main competitor – Te’von Coney – had some good moments against the run but was out of position on multiple occasions in the pass game and missed the back on several routes. SECONDARY One thing I noticed this weekend was how many passes the Notre Dame defensive backs got their hands on. During Friday’s Coaches Clinic, DC Mike Elko spent an hour talking about the various drills he does to teach defenders on how to make plays. He spent a good deal of time talking about making ball disruptions, and he showed drills he does that helps his players – especially his DB’s – get their hands on more passes. You could see that manifesting in practice, where the Irish DB’s were able to make a number of plays on the ball that in the past they weren’t making. It’s right up Todd Lyght’s alley as well. There were too many blown coverages in practice, which obviously needs to be addressed moving forward, but there were plenty of positives as well. The most impressive defensive player I saw this weekend was senior cornerback Nick Watkins, who is practicing at a very high level. Watkins had a couple of missed assignments on switch routes, but overall his performance was quite good. When asked to play off coverage, Watkins makes quick reads and either drives on the route – taking it away or getting his hands on the ball – or he arrives at the receiver when the ball does, securing the tackle for minimal gains. Watkins has shown impressive quickness with his transitions, which helps him stay hip-to-hip with the Notre Dame receivers. He stays in good position and reads the receivers well when they go to play the ball, which allows him to shoot his hands in order to break up the pass. On three occasions during a red zone period a receiver went up for the ball and as soon as their hands touched the ball, Watkins followed with his hands to knock the ball out. The one time I saw him get beat it required a tremendous throw from QB Brandon Wimbush on WR Miles Boykin’s back shoulder. Junior safety Nick Coleman has adapted to the free safety position much faster than I anticipated. I assumed he was running with the first team because hew as a veteran, and while I think that is true, he is staying with that group at this point because he is making a lot of plays. Coleman is comfortable coming down into the box and wrapping up against the run. Coleman looks far more comfortable in coverage in the slot than he ever did as an outside cornerback. Keeping things in front of him is more natural for him, and he flies downhill and by my count he had at least five PBU’s in practice. Coleman plays the deep ball well and the one team he got beat by Equanimeous St. Brown (by a step), as St. Brown was going down with the catch, Coleman punched through the ball and knocked it to the ground before St. Brown had the catch secured.
Lou's Scrimmage Report Spoiler Notre Dame Scrimmage Report Lou Somogyi | Senior Editor Sophomore running back Tony Jones Jr. was the standout in outdoor scrimmage work the final 20 minutes. Photo By Bill Panzica Get a FREE 30-day trial using promo code BGI30 Notre Dame divided Saturday's practice into two segments. Individual work was done inside Loftus Center on Meyo Field the first one-third of the session, while the second two-thirds were held outdoors in the elements in decent but sometimes windy conditions. While there was some tempo and 7-and-7 on work earlier during Saturday’s two-hour-plus practice led by head coach Brian Kelly, the hitting and 11-on-11 was saved for the final four periods, or roughly 20 minutes. Here’s how the matchups went: Series One: No. 1 Offense Vs. No. 1 Defense From his own 30, quarterback Brandon Wimbush fired a too-hot-to-hand bullet to junior classmate Equanimeous St. Brown that went through his fingertips in good coverage. On second down, though, sophomore Tony Jones Jr. burst through a hole in the middle and navigated his way to the defense’s 20-yard line — a 50-yard gain — before getting caught by junior safety Nick Coleman. On the next play, Wimbush threaded the need between cornerback Nick Watkins and safety Devin Studstill for a 20-yard scoring pass to sophomore Chase Claypool. That pass also had plenty of velocity, and needed it to fit a tight window in coverage. Series Two: No. 2 Offense Vs. No. 2 Defense Sophomore quarterback Ian Book scrambled back to the line of scrimmage on the first play before getting tagged (QBs wore red jerseys, meaning no tackling of them), and then junior Dexter Williams picked up nine hard-earned yards through the middle. He followed with six more yards on third-and-1. Under duress the next two plays, Book found senior tight end Nic Weishar as a safety valve for a four-yard gain on the first play, but underthrew a diving senior Tyler Luatua the next to make it third-and-6. Just like in the first series, Jones made a game-breaking play, snaring a short pass along the sideline, a sort of mini-wheel route, and then, just when it appeared junior linebacker Te’von Coney had the angle on him and pinned against the sideline, Jones shifted into an extra gear and outran the defense before getting knocked out-of-bounds inside the five for a 40-plus yard pass play. For whatever reason, the coaching staff then began the next series without going into goal-line situation on both sides. Series Three: No. 1 Offense Vs. No. 1 Defense Wimbush went for broke on first down with a deep post to St. Brown that was underthrown — mainly because of tossing into a pretty strong wind — that the receiver was unable to adjust to as the ball began to die in the air. Wimbush then lost three yards on a zone read, and a third-and-13 pass to junior slot Chris Finke fell incomplete when sophomore cornerback Julian Love provided good coverage. Series Four: No. 2 Offense Vs. No. 2 Defense With senior Montgomery VanGorder at the throttle this time in place of Book, he opened with a roll-out completion to Weishar for 10 yards. A holding call on the next play resulted in second-and-20. A nine-yard slant to CJ Sanders and an incomplete pass to a diving Kevin Stepherson made it third-and-11. The series ended when a pass across the middle to freshman tight end Brock Wright sailed too high. Series Five: No. 2 Offense Vs. No. 2 Defense Jones opened with three- and six-yard gains on zone reads, and then Book kept himself for two yards on third-and-1. Once again, Jones then barreled through what at first looked like a clogged middle and romped down to the defense’s 12-yard for a 47-yard gain, before sophomore speedster Troy Pride at cornerback was able to come across the field and get the angle to bring him down. On the next play, Book rolled out and found tight end Alize Jones for a touchdown, finding him just past the goal line. Series Six: No. 1 Offense Vs. No. 1 Defense Adams swept right for seven yards, and then Jones tore through the middle again for 15 yards — putting him at 121 yards rushing unofficially on five carries. A diving Alize Jones caught a Wimbush pass for four yards, and on the next play Wimbush fired a well-placed back-shoulder laser to junior Miles Boykin for a 30-yard gain to the 14. Watkins was in pretty good coverage, but Wimbush delivered the ball at an ideal spot to Boykin. Now in the red zone, Wimbush ran for six yards off the zone read on first down, and then Jones was stopped for a one-yard gain to make it third-and-3. With a blitz coming from the edge, Wimbush had to hurry a weak throw to Alize Jones, and Coleman was able to break it up. On fourth-and-3 from the seven, after the defense called out a time out, the offense was able to “chip” safety/Rover Drue Tranquill just enough to give Tony Jones an opening near the end zone pylon, and Wimbush delivered the pass to his outside shoulder for the score to end the scrimmage. Views & Reviews • Prior to the spring, a message board inquiry asked which player who saw little to no action in 2016 — other than Wimbush — could be a breakout figure in 2017. The first person who came to mind was Tony Jones Jr., whose footwork, maneuverability in traffic and downhill running reminded me quite a bit of 1986-89 fullback Anthony Johnson, who began his career at tailback. Jones was the standout of Saturday’s practice, and his opportunities for extensive playing time are enhanced by being assignment conscious and quite competent in pass pro, either as a blocker or receiver, per Kelly. • There were no kickoff coverage drills, but some punt coverage and fielding work. Junior wideouts Finke, Sanders and St. Brown were the first three in line fielding punts, with sophomore Stepherson also added. Finke looks the most natural of the group. St. Brown misjudged a couple of punts, fumbling one, although a penalty against the coverage team was called on that one. • Working as the top gunners in punt coverage were Coleman and Pride, with wideout Claypool also inserted in the role. The second group included running back Dexter Williams and senior walk-on captain/receiver Austin Webster. • With freshman running back C.J. Holmes out the rest of the spring because of a separated shoulder, sophomore Deon McIntosh was working with Autry Denson’s running back group during individual drills the first eight periods. McIntosh still lined up at receiver during scrimmage situations, but he is another contingency option in the backfield. • The receiving group most consistently working with the first group was Finke, St. Brown, Claypool and Alize Jones. Boykin also was quite active and effective in red-zone passing drills. • During one four-play red-zone sequence with the twos working against each other, three well-placed Book passes resulted in touchdowns to Weishar, Alize Jones and Boykin — and a quick slant to Jones was mishandled. • On back-to-back plays in red-zone passing, Wimbush challenged senior corner Watkins, sidelined last year with an arm injury, on fades to St. Brown. Both times Watkins was in position to force the incompletion. A six-to seven-inch scar on the back of Watkins’ arm was conspicuous, but he has responded with a good spring to start opposite Love at corner. His 6-1 height and range has been an asset against the tall corps of Irish receivers. • The one turnover in red-zone play occurred when Wimbush forced a pass into coverage that resulted in a tip-drill, which a diving junior Rover Asmar Bilal picked off in the end zone.
Coach D's offense report Spoiler Notre Dame Practice Report: Offense Bryan Driskell | Football Analyst Bill Panzica Notre Dame’s offense had an up-and-down practice on Saturday, but there was significantly more up than down. It was the first practice in which the media was allowed to view the entire session, so there was plenty to see. Notre Dame moved the ball consistency during the session and executed well in the run game. The run game was especially effective, and while the pass protection was a bit spotty, it came through late during the team period. QUARTERBACK Junior Brandon Wimbush had a solid outing during today’s practice. As is the case with any practice, there were some misreads and off-target throws, but overall it was a good performance. When Wimbush got into trouble during today’s practice it was mainly due to him not quite getting through his progressions quickly enough. Wimbush did a good job working down to his check down if he didn’t find an open receiver or didn’t like what he was seeing. Wimbush threw the deep ball well and he continues to show the arm strength and timing to get the ball up the sideline in the whole between the cornerback and safety when facing Cover 2 defenses. During the red zone and goal line periods, Wimbush rushed a couple of throws over the middle that got tipped, but he also showed the ability to hit the fade throws and to get the ball outside. His comfort level and accuracy in this part of the field was impressive. During team periods, Wimbush showed the ability to move the offense with ease, making good decisions in the read/zone concepts, getting the ball out to open receivers, getting the ball to the check down to minimize losses and when the defense made a mistake, Wimbush was quick to get the ball out to the open receiver for big plays. Wimbush tried to rush a few balls on the outside in the quick game, and it caused him to be off target when that happened. Sophomore Ian Book lacks the ability to make some of the tougher throws that Wimbush can make, but he had a solid performance during today’s practice. His decision-making was good and he showed the ability to move around the pocket and make plays with his legs. RUNNING BACK Notre Dame was without freshman running back C.J. Holmes, who was injured the previous day after ripping off an impressively long catch and run. Holmes is likely out for the remainder of the spring. Junior running back Josh Adams has quickly picked up offensive coordinator Chip Long’s run game. It’s more of a downhill scheme for the backs, which fits what Adams likes to do. Adams ran with authority during practice, but he also showed good open field speed. On two occasions Adams was able to crease the defense and quickly get to the second level for big runs. His top run of the day wasn’t a very long run, but it showed off an improvement Adams has made to his game. He broke through the line and had senior linebacker Nyles Morgan and a safety collapsing on him to either side. There was nowhere for Adams to go, so he dipped his shoulder and exploded his hips through contact with a good leg drive. The power move allowed Adams to bounce off the tackles, and he was able to pick up a few extra yards. Sophomore running back Tony Jones Jr. had a number of long runs during Saturday's practice. Bill Panzica Sophomore Tony Jones Jr. had an outstanding practice for the Irish. Jones showed off a number of skills as a runner and pass catcher. Throughout the early portion of the spring Jones has shown a great deal of comfort in the offense. Today, that resulted in him ripping off several long plays. All afternoon Jones showed good timing and patience as a runner, and his decision-making and anticipation were outstanding. His ability to make cuts and get through the hole at full speed allowed him to maximize his speed and quickly get into the second level. Jones caught the ball extremely well, hauling in at least three wheel routes during team periods, including one late in practice that went for at least 30 yards. Junior Dexter Williams had a good run early in practice, breaking through a big hole on the inside and getting up to the safeties, but he twisted his ankle and was not at full speed the rest of practice. WIDE RECEIVER Junior Equanimeous St. Brown had a quality day of work, showing consistency and the ability to work himself open. Sophomore wideout Chase Claypool is an interesting player. Throughout the day I had a number of media folks and coaches in town for the Notre Dame Coaches Clinic come up to me and tell me how athletic they feel Claypool is. He certainly is that, showing unique speed and agility for a player who looks more like a tight end than he does a wide receiver. Claypool showed off his speed on a number of plays, stretching the field vertically and out-running the defense across the field on a deep cross for a big play. Claypool can catch screen passes and make defenders miss. The issue is he’s still quite raw as a technical player, and that can get him in trouble at times. His route technique today was a bit sloppy, which is why he has trouble working himself open on routes like comebacks and curls. His lack of sharp route technique allowed him to get covered too easily during one-on-one’s, forcing him to rely too much on his elite skills He also can have issues getting off the line against press coverage, often reverting to just driving the corner off the line, which resulted in him getting a penalty called on him during a red zone one-on-one period. If Claypool can improve his feel for the game and technique he could be special. Junior Miles Boykin was a tough handle for the cornerbacks today. They were locked in on him, but his length and ability to go catch high balls and quickly work his body to the ball made him hard to guard. Boykin was especially effective in the red zone, where he caught several jump balls and showed the ability to find the sideline. His most impressive catch of the day came against senior cornerback Nick Watkins, who has been outstanding for the Irish defense. Boykin ran a vertical route and Watkins had him covered very well. Wimbush put the back high and on Boykin's back shoulder, and the 6-4 wide out flipped his hips and high-pointed the ball for the big gain. There was nothing Watkins could do. Fellow sophomore Kevin Stepherson had a rough practice. He showed off his speed on a few plays, but he made far too many mental mistakes. From not being on the field when he was supposed to be to not executing his assignments. During one drill the offense was working on screens, and the same screen was run on three straight plays. When Stepherson’s turn came, he can ran the wrong route. Sophomore Javon McKinley is catching the ball more consistently than he did in the fall, and he continues to show off a good feel for getting open. McKinley still limps a lot and is clearly nowhere close to full speed. TIGHT END Senior tight end Durham Smythe is already comfortable in the new offense, which has him moving all over the field. Smythe caught the ball well today on quick out throws and up the seams. He handled himself well on the edge in the run game as well. Head coach Brian Kelly called junior tight end Aliz’e Jones unguardable today, and that was evident throughout practice. Jones has gotten faster since the last time we saw him and he’s much more physical in the run game. Jones ran good routes today, using his size and athleticism to work himself open. OFFENSIVE LINE Notre Dame’s offensive line had a strong overall performance, opening up run lanes all afternoon. The protection was good for the most part, although there were a few miscommunications that resulted in negative plays. Even when the line wasn't able to move the defensive linemen, they were able to stay engaged, which allowed the backs to find creases. Seniors Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson were steady and effective in the limited reps where I actually paid attention to them. Senior center Sam Mustipher snapped well and played with very good pad level in the run game. Mustipher competed hard all practice, showing a much greater comfort level with his assignments than we saw last year. He and senior right guard Alex Bars are showing a good comfort level working together in the run game and good communication when the defense tried to run stunts and twists in their direction. Sophomore Tommy Kraemer continues to push for the starting spot at right tackle. Bill Panzica The competitors for the right tackle spot – sophomores Tommy Kraemer and LiamEichenberg – both had solid practices, although consistency is needed for both. Both are physical blockers. Kraemer played with good pad level and got very good movement in the run game. He competes hard and he limited his assignment mistakes. Kraemer needs to be more consistent with his technique, and he had some issues when pass rushers perform double moves that cause him to change direction, but overall Kraemer was effective. Eichenberg played out of control at times, which caused him to whiff on a couple of plays, but he also combined with right guard Trevor Ruhland for a few of the most impressive blocks of the day. Twice Eichenberg and Ruhland were able to take a defensive tackle – including a rep against senior nose guar Daniel Cage – and drive them all the way to the backside. Three of Jones’ long runs were cuts right behind Eichenberg on the backside of the zone where he completely wiped out the backside. Eichenberg was quite comfortable in pass protection and when he played under control his perimeter drive blocks were quite impressive. Freshman left tackle Robert Hainsey continued his impressive spring. It’s way early, but so far Hainsey has been much better than I gave him credit for in high school. If he continues to progress like he has, I will certainly admit that I didn’t give him a high enough grade on my rankings. Hainsey is very comfortable at left tackle, the position he played the last two seasons at powerful Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, but what has been impressive is the physicality he shows. Hainsey is ultra-competitive and strong, which has allowed him to get good movement in the run game. Classmate Aaron Banks isn’t as advanced as Hainsey from a technical standpoint, but he played hard during today’s practice and got a strong push against the second team defensive line. Banks is very, very strong for a freshman.
Reading those practice reports takes so much mental gymnastics to draw any conclusions. On the one hand it sucks reading that about the 2nd team DL. On the other, we should expect to have one of the best 2nd team OL in the country so if they weren't winning that would be discouraging.
Derrick Allen Interview notes Spoiler Spent the morning at Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter meeting with four-star Irish safety commit Derrik Allen. I'll have a video up soon, but here are a few quick notes. ***Allen is solid on his commitment. He liked Notre Dame for a long time leading up to his decision, and told me that he actually had his mind made up in December that South Bend was the place for him. He waited to commit for a few months and had meetings with his family during that time to make sure he was ready. ***Allen said he is going to try and make it up to South Bend for the Blue-Gold game next month. He talks with his fellow 2018 commits daily, and said he's looking forward to the opportunity to meet them soon. ***It's easy to tell that Allen is an extremely bright kid who put plenty of thought and research into his decision. Notre Dame had everything he was looking for. ***Other schools are still coming after Allen, and he's respectful enough to answer the phone, but Notre Dame is definitely where he wants to be. That is clear. ***I also spent some time with Lassiter DB coach Cedric Dickerson who said Allen is truly the type of player who comes around once a decade. He never let recruiting get too big, and has remained focused on being the best player he can be while still at Lassiter.
Spoiler Notre Dame Recruiting Scoop Tom Loy - Mar 26, 1:59 PM VIP 43 Notre Dame hosted some major talent from the 2018 and 2019 classes this weekend in South Bend. (Photo: Ja'Mion Franklin, 247Sports) Irish247 brings you some tidbits we’ve picked up and where things stand with a few targets that made it to campus. Notre Dame landed a commitment from four-star offensive lineman John Dirksen on Saturday. The talented recruit pledged to the staff before leaving campus. Irish247 has learned that he measured in at 6-5, 305 while on campus and after seeing him in person, that looks to be accurate. Dirksen looks outstanding physically and will likely be ready to compete once he steps foot on campus. This commitment shouldn’t come as a big surprised to Irish247 subscribers, as this was expected. He has been high on the Irish since first picking up the offer, which is why the quick 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions came in. With visits to Michigan and Michigan State occurring in the next 24 hours, Irish247 is confident in the belief that Notre Dame leads for four-star offensive tackle Ryan Hayes following this trip to South Bend. Notre Dame made a big move, as Harry Hiestand and Chip Longmaking quite the impression. Will things change? Who knows. It’s recruiting. Anything is possible. However, as things stand today, I like my Crystal Ball pick for the Irish. I’ll also add that having a guy on campus like Zack Martin, an All-Pro and former Notre Dame standout, is only going to help the Irish that much more. Needless to say that helped things with Hayes. Notre Dame was able to get four-star offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and his mother on campus this weekend as well. The “athletic freak”, as some people call him, spent the majority of practice watching Hiestand work with his offensive linemen. Petit-Frere was hanging out with 2017 offensive line signees Joshua Lugg and Dillan Gibbons. We’re told Petit-Frere is a “perfect fit” at Notre Dame and he and his mother greatly enjoyed the visit. The Irish made a move and are hoping to get him back again, both in June for the Irish Invasion, which may be too soon at this point, and then again in the fall for an official visit. We’ll see what happens moving forward. Things couldn’t have gone better with three-star defensive tackle Ja'Mion Franklin. As we told our readers it would happen well before the visit, Franklin indeed landed the offer from the Fighting Irish, which he coveted a great deal. Notre Dame leads today. In all honesty, the only thing that prevented a commitment from occurring was the fact that he didn’t have any family, especially mother, on campus with him. He visited with his high school coach, who just so happens to be a huge Notre Dame fan. Look for Franklin to return this summer for the Irish Invasion and in all reality, a commitment is expected at that time. Three-star cornerback Greg Newsome “loved” his time in South Bend. Despite not getting a Noter Dame offer, the trip went “perfect” according to Newsome, who was on campus with his mother. Northwestern led heading into the trip, but in all reality, the Irish are the team to beat right now. Up next, Newsome is contemplating a workout next weekend at The Opening. If he works out and performs at a high level, an offer could be extended by the Irish. If not, look for him to return to campus this summer in an attempt to earn one from defensive coordinator Mike Elko and defensive backs coach Todd Lyght. PHOTOS: Notre Dame takes the field for Saturday's practiceSTART SLIDESHOW Notre Dame also hosted 2019 four-star defensive tackle Jacob Lacey and his father for yet another trip to South Bend. White there are a few others schools in the mix — Louisville, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan State and Penn State — we’re confident in the belief that Notre Dame holds the edge. Lacey, the nation’s No. 37 overall recruit in the 2019 class, will return to campus this summer for the Irish Invasion. Don’t be surprised if he leaves town committed tot he Fighting Irish. Things went really well this weekend. Author Tom Loy @TomLoy247 Discuss
when do your season tickets usually get mailed out? wanting to get an idea for when the options on the secondary market will increase (I realize prices will likely not drop)
Coach D's analysis of Dirksen based on seeing him in person over the weekend and soph film (Dirksen was injured early his Jr season, could also explain why he has so few offers reported) Spoiler Right now the only film I have of John Dirksen is sophomore film. I'm working on getting some junior game film on him from coaches in the area who I know, so hopefully I'll be able to get that soon. When I do get junior film I will do a full evaluation of Dirksen. In the meantime, I wanted to give a smaller/quick eval of Dirksen based on his sophomore film and seeing him in person this weekend. STRENGTHS: - Dirksen is a massive young man. He'll be well over 300 pounds when it is all said and done, but like current ND OL Mike McGlinchey and Liam Eichenberg, Dirksen is just naturally big. He's not pudgy and doesn't have a gut. He's just a large young man. Broad shoulders, long arms, thick frame. Just massive. - Shows good natural strength for a sophomore. When I see junior film I'll be curious to see how powerful he is. He was physical as a sophomore but wasn't anywhere near the 290 pounds he's listed at currently. - Has pretty quick hands and shows some pop when he actually uses them. - Comes off the ball well, despite not playing with good pad level. Obviously has quick feet and he plays with a good motor. Works well to the second level and gets into his pass set with ease. Uses short, choppy steps, which allows him to keep his base at all times and allows him to change direction with ease. - Explodes off the ball in the run game. Good leg drive and shows some country toughness when engaging. Once his lower body strength develops he'll be quite the run blocker. - Shows a natural feel in protection. Plays with good angles for such a young player, stays inside-out to stop double moves or hard inside charges. Once a defender commits outside he can then accelerate and use his long arms and quickness to get to and stone the defender. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: - Needs to work on bending better. Tends to lean over at the waste and lunges more than I'd like to see. Has to work on bending his knees and sinking his backside a bit in his stance and at the snap. - Tends to give forearm blows when engaged and doesn't often use his hands the way he needs to. Once his hand play improves he should be quite effective with this part of his game. - Based on sophomore film obviously he'll need to get stronger and had I not seen him in person this weekend I would have said he really needs to fill out his frame. But after seeing him in person that has obviously already started to happen. GRADE: 4.0 (Grade of 85.0 was a touch higher than Aaron Banks from last season, who had 84.8) UPSIDE GRADE: 4.5
Mailed in mid August, but pepole will buy season Tix by May, and then the lottery is around that time as well. So hopefully you'd see some inventory increase around then. They will not be cheap. Don't know if you've heard, but we've win the offseason national championship this year
Does anything think this ends with anything other than him saying ND was close, but I chose school X?
Wowwwww canceled Oklahoma who I thought was supposed to be our biggest competition. Canceled Arkansas too. Only visit he will take besides ND is Oregon on 4/21
and it looks like we could go 0-6 on the obvious projects in Bonner, Dew Treadway, Tiassum, Taylor, Mokwuah and Ogundeji. Bonner and Ogundeji might still product something but that are just bad scholarships and we said so at the time
which is why i put him alongside bonner as the outside shot but you rarely even see his name on a practice report
Of the projects I think he had the furthest to go, but also maybe had the highest upside. I think he was always going to be a guy who wouldn't contribute until year three.
true but with the raw tools he supposedly has you should see the flashes. who knows, he might work out but even if both bonner and he work out it still is a huge commitment to have the 24 DLinemen on the roster you need to be able to have a 1/3 hit rate
I'll reserve judgement on the DL until I see them actually coached in a scheme with a real DC before I criticize too much; going from a guy who is currently an analyst at Oklahoma State to someone with a pulse should hopefully allow significant improvements. Also, looking at the depth chart on BGI ND has 18 linemen and 12 are fresh-sophs in terms of eligibility so reading into them too much is pretty hard. The 6 junior-seniors are: Trumbetti, Cage, Hayes, Mokwuah, Bonner, Tillery. I think it is fair to say pretty much all of them have underachieved aside from a guy like Mokwuah who I do not think anyone expected anything from but maybe those other players will blossom with some actual direction which I hope will be provided.
it probably won't matter against denver, but we should have a pretty good crowd advantage in chicago next week
You are being way too humble, you said it and many(me included) argued that we should take numbers on the dl
I didn't see anything. Interestingly, I think UNC got a transfer from someone (maybe LSU). I wonder how that changes his decision.