Spoiler SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A decade of Brian Kelly at Notre Dame is nearly complete, a surprise in the sense that Notre Dame rarely allows head coaches to stay that long for reasons of winning and sanity. Yet here Kelly is, his 10th training camp one week away. That’s an amazing thing for a head coach who arrived after back-to-back three-and-out stops at Central Michigan and Cincinnati, with Notre Dame almost falling into that category, too. In an effort to make sense of what we’ve witnessed since Kelly’s arrival here, The Athletic will take a stab at contextualizing the past decade of Notre Dame football under a head coach who’s grown into the job. Kelly was hired to fix a “broken” program, to use athletics director Jack Swarbrick’s word. It took longer than expected. Some of that is on Notre Dame, which had to be pulled into the modern age of college football. And some of that is on Kelly, who probably needed more trial-and-error than he’d have liked. Regardless, Notre Dame is in a good place. The program is coming off back-to-back seasons of 10-plus wins for the first time since 1992-93. The athletic department is secure in its independence and access to the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame believes it’s climbing the mountain toward a championship as fast as it’s climbed in two decades, even as Alabama and Clemson keep raising the summit. In the next three days The Athletic will run through the seminal moments and memorable players of the Kelly era while also posing a few “What If?” hypotheticals that could have created alternate history. Sometimes it’s worth taking a moment to savor what you’ve got while you’ve still got it. Things don’t always stay as good as they are right now. First up, Notre Dame’s All-Decade Team under Brian Kelly, with some forecasting about this season included. Quarterback: Ian Book If Notre Dame’s season hits the heights hoped for around campus, Book’s senior season will be the best by a quarterback under Kelly and almost certainly good enough to make his fifth year of eligibility a moot point. He set the program’s single-season completion percentage mark last season, and this fall could feature more glamorous statistics. If Book throws for 30 touchdowns, he’ll be just the second quarterback in school history to do it, after Brady Quinn did it as both a junior and senior. If Book can throw for 3,500 yards, he’d be just the third quarterback to do it, following the junior years of Quinn (3,919) and Jimmy Clausen (3,722). Putting Book on the All-Decade Team over DeShone Kizer requires this level of projection, although Kizer’s 12-11 record as a starter almost feels like a disqualification because of the nature of quarterback evaluation. Still, Kizer went in the second round of the NFL Draft after his junior year, which feels like a difficult standard for Book to match, whenever he comes out. If Book follows up a Playoff appearance in his starting debut with another efficient year, his case for inclusion over DeShone Kizer would only grow. (Photo: Tim Heitman / USA Today Sports) Running Back: Theo Riddick Yes, Josh Adams had a Heisman Trophy campaign (and merch) to go with a junior season that threatened the school’s single-season rushing record. So maybe it feels like a reach to put Riddick here considering his 190 carries went for just 917 yards and five touchdowns as a senior. But if you watched Notre Dame’s march to the BCS National Championship Game, you’d remember Riddick’s contribution as the guts of that operation. His performance at USC was a force of will, with his 146 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries putting Notre Dame into the national title game. And even against Alabama when nothing worked, Nick Saban said his defensive game plan was to focus almost exclusively on Riddick and tight end Tyler Eifert. Riddick was also Kelly’s first positional switch, moving from running back to receiver as a sophomore before returning to running back as a senior. Even if it was a weird way to get to where he belonged, the job share helped round out Riddick’s skills to the point that he’s still playing in the NFL. Wide Receivers: Michael Floyd, Will Fuller, TJ Jones Do we need to spend time on the first two selections? Probably not. Both Floyd and Fuller were first-round picks. Floyd smashed every notable career receiving record here, with 271 receptions for 3,686 yards and 37 touchdowns. To understand how dominant those marks are, Floyd is 90 catches, 979 yards and seven touchdowns above the second-place players on those lists, although Fuller and Golden Tate would have made a run at those marks with a senior season. Fuller is the best big-play receiver in school history, with 4.3 speed that made him almost impossible to overthrow. Whether it was tunnel screens or go routes, Fuller took your breath away, especially if you were a defensive coordinator. Jones rounds out this three-man group, his career largely overlooked. He capped it by winning Team MVP in 2013 as a captain. Few receivers were more reliable than Jones over their careers. His 181 career catches are second all-time at Notre Dame. Jones’ game-winning touchdown against Stanford in 2012 was an iconic moment lost in a game full of them. Tight End: Tyler Eifert Eifert is not without competition from Kyle Rudolph for this, considering Rudolph was good enough to turn pro after his junior season. Still, Eifert led the 2012 team in receiving (50 catches, 685 yards, four touchdowns) and took home the Mackey Award before going in the first round of the NFL Draft. There’s no telling what he could have done as a fifth-year senior, when he would have played exclusively with quarterback Tommy Rees within an offense that also included TJ Jones, DaVaris Daniels and Troy Niklas. Notre Dame has had many contributors to its Tight End U. reputation, but Eifert carries as much weight as any of them. Left Tackle: Zack Martin No program in America has a better left tackle lineage than Notre Dame. Until the start of last season, Notre Dame had had a first-round pick starting at left tackle in every game of Brian Kelly’s tenure save one. Martin gave way to Ronnie Stanley, who gave way to Mike McGlinchey and now Liam Eichenberg. Martin was a four-time lineman of the year at Notre Dame and MVP of the Pinstripe Bowl. He was criminally left off All-American teams as a fifth-year senior when he should have been a consensus pick. If you talked to Stanley and McGlinchey about the best offensive lineman to play at Notre Dame during their time here, it’s Martin. That he shifted to guard and immediately started making Pro Bowls as early as his rookie season was zero surprise. Some Notre Dame players are regarded more highly outside the program than inside it. Martin is the reverse of that. He’s viewed as the platonic ideal of a fundamentally sound college left tackle. He probably was ahead of his time, at least in terms of offensive line clips popping up on social media. Left Guard: Quenton Nelson The most dominant lineman in Notre Dame history? It’s hard to go there at a place that once produced a Heisman Trophy-winning lineman, but Nelson has a chance. He was a consensus All-American as a senior and went in the top 10 as an offensive guard, almost unheard of for the position. His pickup of a blitzing Georgia defensive back from two years ago should have won an Oscar. Nelson once took LSU linebacker Devin White and blocked him out of the end zone on a two-point conversion play. A year later, White went in the top 10 of the NFL Draft. Nelson made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and already feels like he’s on track to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. What Nelson lacks in interview engagement he makes up for in crushing the wills of defensive linemen and linebackers. Will Fuller is the best big-play threat in Notre Dame history, and Quenton Nelson has a case of his own to be the best lineman the Irish have ever produced. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports) Center: Nick Martin Somewhat lost as the fourth-best member of Notre Dame’s powerhouse 2015 offensive line that included Ronnie Stanley, Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey, Martin was a three-year starter and captain, a different character from his older brother Zack but talented in his own right. Martin went in the second round of the NFL Draft to the Houston Texans following his final season. The best compliment for that ’15 line was that the Irish lost their starting quarterback seven quarters into the season and didn’t miss a beat. When starting running back C.J. Prosise went down in November with a concussion, freshman Josh Adams had no problem churning out yards. At the heart of it all was Martin. Right Guard: Chris Watt Technically, Watt played left guard as a three-year starter before going in the third round of the NFL Draft. Still, he’s the second-best offensive guard to come through Notre Dame under Kelly, making him the pick at a position he never really played. Watt’s professional career was brief due to injuries, some of which dogged him at Notre Dame. But paired with left tackle Zack Martin on the BCS Championship Game team of 2012, he gave Notre Dame a dominated “left-handed” rushing attack, even with a redshirt freshman quarterback with a limited understanding of the offense. Being a go-to quote for reporters only made Watt more valuable, even if those reasons don’t exactly show up on Saturdays. Right Tackle: Ronnie Stanley Yep, we’re leaving a top-10 pick and all-time quote off our All-Decade Team because Notre Dame’s output at offensive tackle was just that good. Stanley edges Mike McGlinchey here, even though both played right tackle for just one season before shifting to the left. Stanley went slightly higher in the draft (No. 6 vs. No. 10), not that it matters much for this discussion. Stanley was the better athlete, McGlinchey the more imposing one. It’s hard to come to terms with McGlinchey not making the cut, but there’s only room for five offensive linemen on the team. Notre Dame doesn’t run the Stanford jumbo package. Defensive Ends: Julian Okwara, Stephon Tuitt Tuitt was a force of nature from the second he enrolled, a five-star prospect who played like one before declaring for the NFL Draft after three seasons. While his junior season was a step backward from his sophomore year, what a sophomore year it was. Tuitt posted 12 sacks as a sophomore, plus that terrifying fumble return touchdown against Navy in Ireland as Gulliver threw off the Lilliputians during a 77-yard run-back. There was the pick-six at Michigan as a junior, when Tuitt made a diving interception of Devin Gardner in the end zone that almost swung the game in Notre Dame’s favor. The fact Tuitt was well over 300 pounds at the time didn’t seem to matter at all. Tuitt would be a second-round pick of the Steelers the next year. He’s already on his second contract, a reported five-year, $60 million deal. Okwara’s selection requires some projection, but it feels like a safe bet to put him down for a double-digit sack season. Okwara has been public about wanting to post a record 18.5 sacks this fall, and Notre Dame’s coaching staff made a highlight tape for him last spring that showed more than a dozen missed sacks, even as he led Notre Dame with eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. Considering Khalid Kareem also returns at defensive end, Okwara should have a chance for a monster season. If that happens, he’ll be an easy pick for the All-Decade Team. Stephon Tuitt terrorized opposing fronts for three years in South Bend before going to the Steelers in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Michael Conroy / AP Defensive Tackles: Jerry Tillery, Louis Nix Two huge talents. Two huge personalities, even if Jerry Tillery and Louis Nix weren’t remotely similar when it gets down to it. Still, both are easy picks for the best nose guard and defensive tackle, respectively, during Kelly’s decade in charge. Both held down the point of attack during unbeaten regular seasons, six years apart. Nix was an immovable platform on which the Heisman Trophy campaign of Manti Te’o was built. Tillery could not be stopped from moving, even with a torn labrum suffered against Stanford that didn’t hinder his path to a first-round pick last spring. Both were also enigmas that required guidance during their careers. Nix enrolled at nearly 370 pounds, in no shape to do anything in a football uniform at Notre Dame. He was a challenge in terms of locker room culture and ultimately called it a career a few games early after a minor knee injury during his senior year. Tillery treated football like an extracurricular activity early in his career but locked in as a senior. He never lost his lust for life, but Tillery did find a better way to balance it with football. While Nix flamed out of the NFL almost immediately, Tillery won’t after going in the first round to the Chargers. Linebackers: Jaylon Smith, Manti Te’o, Drue Tranquill Wherever Notre Dame football goes during the remaining years of Kelly, it’s hard to imagine a more critical part of the program than Te’o, a four-year starter, Heisman Trophy runner-up, magazine cover regular and one-of-a-kind personality. The 437 tackles and Butkus Award were nice, too. Notre Dame has had better athletes and more productive players. It has not had a player with the gravitational pull of Te’o, who opened a pipeline for recruiting Hawaii and gave Notre Dame a cache it lacked for the better part of 20 years, save Brady Quinn’s junior and senior seasons. Te’o is not just an All-Decade Team shoo-in, he’s an All-Time Team selection. Those outside Notre Dame may point to the catfishing hoax that followed his career. Inside Notre Dame, that’s barely worth mentioning. Smith remains the biggest athletic marvel at Notre Dame not just this decade but perhaps dating back to Lou Holtz. He was a three-year player from the moment he arrived on campus and the highest-rated defensive prospect to choose Notre Dame in the Rivals.com era. It took him eight games to post an interception, fumble recovery and forced fumble. It took Te’o 39 games to get there. Smith’s devastating knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State remains one of the more depressing on-field moments in recent Notre Dame memory. Tranquill, who like Smith is a Fort Wayne product, enrolled as a safety before moving to linebacker and playing two positions. He was a two-time captain, and the grit he showed playing through a severely sprained ankle last November helped get Notre Dame into the College Football Playoff. Tranquill went in the fourth round of last spring’s NFL Draft and is now teammates with Jerry Tillery in Los Angeles. Cornerbacks: Julian Love, Troy Pride Love went out as a 34-game starter, All-American and Thorpe Award finalist. His 20 pass breakups during his sophomore year were a single-season record. His 15 PBUs last season were seen as a disappointment, but that figure would have also been the single-season record if not for that sophomore season. His fumble return touchdown at Virginia Tech last fall helped Notre Dame grab control in Blacksburg en route to an undefeated regular season. Love was also good enough to spot-start at safety against option teams because of his diagnostic and tackling acumen. And if all that wasn’t enough, Notre Dame’s complete defensive breakdown against Clemson in Love’s second-quarter absence underscored his value. Love’s replacement allowed two touchdown passes in barely two minutes that day. Love allowed one all season. Putting Pride on this team over Robert Blanton requires some projection, although maybe not much of it. Pride allowed just one touchdown all last season, and it was on USC’s final meaningful snap when the receiver jumped nearly 40 inches to get it. Now Pride is the unquestioned lead corner on this team, likely to rotate between boundary and field this season depending on the scenario. It won’t be a surprise at all if Pride goes higher in next year’s NFL Draft than Love did last spring. Julian Love set a single-season record for pass breakups and then came back as a junior to backstop the Irish defense to a Playoff berth. (Photo: Rich Barnes / USA TODAY Sports) Safeties: Harrison Smith, Alohi Gilman Smith was a four-star athlete out of Tennessee who was miscast at linebacker before moving to safety after Charlie Weis was fired. Gilman was a no-star prospect out of Hawaii who spent a year in prep school before a banner freshman season at Navy, a transfer to Notre Dame, a season spent ineligible and then finally last year’s breakout campaign. It’s now an assumption that Gilman will be a captain this fall and depart for the NFL after it, a heady rise for a player with almost no cache when he enrolled. It’s not clear where Gilman’s career will take him beyond Notre Dame, but Smith has been a regular Pro Bowl safety for the Minnesota Vikings. He’s already making more than $10 million per season and should see that figure rise with reports of a contract extension already in play. Smith was also part of the backbone Notre Dame needed during the Weis-to-Kelly transition when the Irish were short on outward-facing personalities to restart the program. He departed Notre Dame as the only player with 200 tackles, 15 TFLs and 15 PBUs in his career. (Top photo of Tyler Eifert and Theo Riddick: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
So I think he nailed the defense and probably the offensive line as well, although I think id pick bars over watt. QB and RB are where i have my issues. It could well become book after this year but thusfar I think Kiser has done more. Similarly I think you have to give RB to Josh Adams. If you put book in you are allowing for the current year and you also have to put in Claypool most likely
Sure but it’s not the same level at all. You have four guys who will or who have played in a all star game in the nfl on the oline. That is incredible
i think manti was a better college player than all of em but maybe Q. Nix also was shite in the pros but was an amazing college player
Manti was not a better college player than Zach Martin, Nelson and even Stanley. Manti had many fault and he really blew up his last season but he was always somewhat overrated because of how he was used. Jaylon was a lot better, manti was used perfectly to fit his skills. You put manti in a Bvg defense and good luck. Jaylon made that defense almost average which is incredible Same with nix
i think you are selling manti short there. He sure was used in a system that fit him perfectly, but he was great, until lennay
He was great especially his senior year, he was not on that level before that. He used to miss tackles and look foolish in coverage. He would still be easily the starting mlb with jaylon at buck and rover would be tranquill. Which is incredible if you only look at college, but it’s harder to quantify production for ols. I think you sell them short a little. But it’s understandable and I loved these guys at lb
whats nuts to me is that there isnt even a guy that close to those 3. Spond and Coney were probably next and they were big dropoffs
the only other backers even drafted were fleming, who was athletic but useless and shembo and fuck that guy
in a true blast from the past i ran into the name jalen guyton doing some fantasy football podcast listening
Gold Standard Spoiler Here is this week's edition. Scoop On DB Targets In Texas — Holland *** Oklahoma commit Ryan Watts is back from visiting family in Trinidad & Tobago. And that means his phone is buzzing with the dead period on a temporary lift. Yes, the Notre Dame staff did reach out to the four-star Little Elm (Texas) defensive back this weekend. The Irish are still looking to reel in a big fish this recruiting cycle, and Watts would certainly fit the bill. Remember, he had legitimate interest in the Irish before siding with the Sooners in the spring. *** So how did the exchanges between Watts and the Notre Dame staff go? Well, they were brief. The focus was simply on reengaging with Watts and telling him that he should make a trip back to South Bend. Watts has already used his official visit on Notre Dame, so this trip would have to be an unofficial visit. Right now, I’m not sure if Watts will make it to South Bend or not, but there is some intrigue. *** As I’ve reported in the past, Watts is still committed to Oklahoma, but he is keeping the lines of communication open with other schools. Watts visited a few programs in June — some were reported and some weren’t. No, Notre Dame wasn’t one of them. At the time, communication between Watts and the Irish was non-existent. Now that there is contact, it will be interesting to see how things unfold. - NATIONAL 50 STATE 29 POSITION RYAN WATTS RANK 5.8 6'3" | 186 LBS | CB LITTLE ELM LITTLE ELM, TX CLASS OF 2020 VERBAL COMMIT 4/21/2019 OKLAHOMA *** The big news coming out of the weekend was the fact that three-star Argyle Liberty Christian (Texas) defensive back Collin Gamble set an official visit to Notre Dame for Sept. 28. Gamble was previously looking at Oct. 12, so this trip will happen sooner than expected. Notre Dame is now making Gamble a priority this cycle and will look to wow him when he makes it to South Bend. *** Gamble and his father both spoke to Notre Dame assistant Brian Polian over the weekend. Polian obviously pitched Notre Dame, but the conversations were more about locking in an official visit. It’s clear Polian and the Irish took advantage of TCU deciding not to offer — at least not right now. Gamble’s mother okayed the trip, and the family is very much looking forward to getting to South Bend. *** Let’s circle back to TCU. Gamble camped with the Horned Frogs on Friday with the intention of picking up an offer. Had TCU extended a scholarship, it would have become the instantaneous favorite in this recruitment. I’m told Gamble ran between the required 4.54-4.59 but that the TCU staff had some concerns with his 1-on-1’s. TCU basically balked for now… *** That doesn’t mean that things between Gamble and TCU are over. In fact, I’m told that the TCU staff is meeting to discuss Gamble today (Monday morning). There is some pressure for the staff to offer Gamble for various reasons, and keep in mind that he is a TCU legacy. Even if TCU opts not to offer this week, it could down the line. The Horned Frogs would reemerge as a favorite due to connections and the preference to stay closer to home. - NATIONAL 83 STATE 48 POSITION COLLIN GAMBLE RANK 5.7 5'10" | 185 LBS | CB LIBERTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ARGYLE, TX CLASS OF 2020 UNDECIDED *** Things are over between Notre Dame and Christian Gonzalez. I’m throwing in the towel as a reporter because I give it a one percent chance of happening as of today. I’m told the four-star defensive back from The Colony (Texas) will likely stick with his decision timeline of Aug. 12 and that Notre Dame is the least likely of his finalists to land him. Some of that has to do with Gonzalez, and some of that has to do with Notre Dame. *** The other contenders on his list did a better job of finding personal connections to Gonzalez. Arizona State did some cool things in regards to his culture and heritage, Colorado had him room with defensive back Chris Miller, who also worked with Gonzalez's personal trainer, Ole Miss had him room with linebacker Mohamed Sanogo, who also worked with his personal trainer and Alabama sold his girlfriend being a soccer commit. Gonzalez and Notre Dame had a tough time clicking and as we reported on several occasions, the staff had a lot of concerns about his quiet personality. - NATIONAL 44 STATE 25 POSITION CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ RANK 5.8 6'1" | 180 LBS | CB THE COLONY THE COLONY, TX CLASS OF 2020 UNDECIDED *** Elite 2021 Denton Ryan (Texas) defensive back Billy Bowman announced last night that there would be big news on Wednesday. Now, this could very well be a top schools list. But there is some buzz that Bowman could make a shocking early commitment. I say shocking because Bowman was nowhere near a decision earlier this summer, and his family has taken a very methodical approach to the process, visiting and carefully evaluating a ton of schools. *** If Bowman does make a decision, I would expect it to be Texas. I actually put in a FutureCast pick in favor of the Longhorns. Bowman made an unexpected visit to UT over the weekend, and I’m told the Longhorns knocked it out of the park. The staff made a full court press as did the Texas commits. UT offers an opportunity close to home, and the Longhorns have pitched him on playing either side of the ball. 88 NATIONAL 13 STATE 6 POSITION BILLY BOWMAN RANK 5.9 5'10" | 170 LBS | ATH RYAN DENTON, TX CLASS OF 2021 UNDECIDED *** With that said, I did talk to Bowman’s father Billy Bowman Sr., who is the wide receivers coach at Denton Ryan. He had some really positive things to say about the Irish: “From a parent aspect, it’s a very special place. They have great tradition. It’s a prestigious school. The campus is small but yet big. It doesn’t tie in as much with football. It more so ties in with what kind of person you’re going to be after football. We were very impressed with Notre Dame on our visit.” *** Bowman Sr. also praised Notre Dame’s academics: “It’s unbelievable. Only 16 percent of kids get accepted into Notre Dame. That’s telling you that 84 percent of kids do not. That says a lot about the kids they are going after. They aren’t just good football players. They are smart kids. They take the classroom very seriously. I was very impressed with that as well.” *** Texas also played host to four-star Kennedale (Texas) defensive back JD Coffey over the weekend. I’m told the Longhorns are in the driver’s seat right now. Coffey had a blast during his time in Austin and really meshed with the UT staff. However, Coffey still wants to take his time with the process. Notre Dame remains an intriguing option for him. I will have more on Coffey later today. - NATIONAL 22 STATE 4 POSITION JD COFFEY RANK 5.8 6'0" | 175 LBS | S KENNEDALE KENNEDALE, TX CLASS OF 2021 UNDECIDED Nuggets On Weekend Visitors — Singer & Holland ** The nation's No. 1 offensive guard in the 2021 class, Drew Kendall from Boston, Mass., was on campus on Friday and had a good time in South Bend. It doesn't seem likely that Kendall ends up landing an offer from Notre Dame though. Notre Dame has Greg Crippen committed at center in 2021, and Blake Fisher could also play both tackle and guard. Plus, Notre Dame prefers more tackle bodies. This means that Kendall, who is also an interior offensive lineman, probably doesn't have a spot. Kendall did have a good sit down conversation with offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, who told Kendall that he'd like to see him add more weight as he weighs just 240 pounds right now (lost weight after an injury) and see Kendall's junior film. Who knows -- Notre Dame could end up wanting a guy like Kendall, so he could be someone who they could circle back to and will keep in touch moving forward. *** The Irish hosted another highly touted 2021 offensive lineman in Noah Josey from Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy. He is teammates with Eli Sutton, another highly regarded OL recruit, who camped at Notre Dame in June. Josey, who stands at 6-foot-5, 285-pounds, probably projects at guard at the next level as well and is in a similar situation as Kendall. Quinn was not on campus on Sunday when Josey visited so they did not get to speak, but this visit for Josey was all about getting to see Notre Dame and learn more about the school. - NATIONAL 8 STATE 8 POSITION NOAH JOSEY RANK 5.7 6'5" | 285 LBS | OG BRENTWOOD ACADEMY BRENTWOOD, TN CLASS OF 2021 UNDECIDED *** Notre Dame had three prospects in total visiting from Brentwood, Tenn. There was Josey, defensive back John Howse, and linebacker Damon Owens -- all 2021 recruits. For Owens, he was blown away by seeing Notre Dame for the first time. With Notre Dame likely not taking a linebacker in the 2020 class, Owens becomes an intriguing option for Notre Dame, and the Irish may like him as a rover if they are to offer. The likes of Louisville, Penn State, and Tennessee have already offered Owens. *** Howse is lengthy cornerback and has great size at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds. He's already picked up early offers from Kentucky and Penn State. Howse spent extended time with cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght, and Howse feels that he could earn an offer from the Irish. He plans to get back to Notre Dame this fall for a game visit. - NATIONAL 18 STATE - POSITION DAMON OWENS RANK 5.5 6'2" | 215 LBS | OLB RAVENWOOD BRENTWOOD, TN CLASS OF 2021 UNDECIDED *** Notre Dame hosted an absolute monster in 2021 RIvals100 defensive lineman Tywone Malone. The Bergen Catholic (N.J.) product got his first look at Notre Dame, and I'm told things went very well. Notre Dame is making Malone a top priority for next cycle, and he is building a relationship with defensive line coach Mike Elston. While Malon liked his Notre Dame visit, I still feel like Michigan is the favorite. His high school head coach has a brother on the Wolverines staff, and his teammate, Jordan Morant is committed there. *** Notre Dame has only offered two recruits in the 2022 class. One of them is Bergen Catholic (N.J.) defensive back Jaeden Gould, who also visited over the weekend. This was Gould's second trip to Notre Dame, and his best one yet. He really vibed with the staff and got an in-depth look at the campus and facilities. Notre Dame is squarely in the mix for him early on. - NATIONAL - STATE - POSITION JAEDEN GOULD RANK N/A 6'1" | 185 LBS | CB BERGEN CATHOLIC ORADELL, NJ CLASS OF 2022 UNDECIDED Irish Quick Hitters — Singer *** Alexandria (Va.) Episcopal cornerback Elijah Gaines spoke with Notre Dame earlier this summer and got back in contact with cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght last week. During their conversation, they discussed Gaines possibly taking an official visit to Notre Dame this fall. This is not a prospect who the Irish have been pushing for in recent months, but that could potentially change down the road if they miss on other guys or if Gaines has a really strong start to the 2019 season. *** With the dead period briefly lifting late last week, there were recruits visiting schools all over the country. There were some interesting visits from Notre Dame targets ... Elite 2021 offensive lineman Donovan Jackson made it all the way out to Stanford from Houston, which shows that he is very interested in academic schools and Notre Dame could be next on his visit docket ... 2021 running back target Will Shipley visited NC State, who is arguably the early leader in his recruitment. He has high interest in the Wolfpack and both of his parents went to school there .... Five-star defensive end Korey Foreman visited the Southeast all the way from California, checking out Alabama, Georgia, and Clemson ... 2021 safety target Derrick Davis visited Alabama and earned an offer from the Crimson Tide ... Important 2021 ND targets in running back Camar Wheaton and cornerback Jakailin Johnson both checked out Oklahoma. Notre Dame is the early favorite to land Johnson but the Sooners are making a strong push ... Speaking of 2021 defensive back recruits who Notre Dame is the early favorite for, in-state stud Daylan Carnell visited Iowa and landed an offer from the Hawkeyes. - NATIONAL 5 STATE 21 POSITION DAYLAN CARNELL RANK 5.7 6'1" | 185 LBS | ATH BEN DAVIS INDIANAPOLIS, IN CLASS OF 2021 UNDECIDED *** As expected, Delran (N.J.) safety RJ Moten committed to Michigan on Saturday. It was a given considering that he was visited the Wolverines the day of his announcement. We've heard from sources that Notre Dame plans to remain in touch with Moten despite his commitment to Michigan. Moten wanted to visit Notre Dame during the summer but was never able to work out scheduling the visit. Notre Dame hopes to get him on campus this fall. *** Lakeland Christian (Fla.) class of 2021 defensive end Cade Denhoff picked up offers from Alabama, Clemson, and Florida State this summer, along with Notre Dame, and Denhoff is very high on the Irish. Denhoff camped at Notre Dame in June and earned the offer from Notre Dame, and the athletic end is already scheduling when he can get back to Notre Dame this fall for a visit. The three Southern powers that offered this summer were huge offers for him, but Notre Dame is at the top of his list as well. *** Woodstock (Ga.) class of 2021 safety David Daniel is very intrigued with the Irish. I'm going to see him live this upcoming Sunday and will have more on him to report. Early vibes on Daniel are that he's very interested in Notre Dame and, like Denhoff, he's working on scheduling a visit to Notre Dame this fall. He's looking at the October 12 date against USC at the moment.
shamrock secrets Spoiler I'm hoping to have a few pre-camp updates on where guys stand heading into fall camp. I've talked to several sources and feel good about putting out some nuggets on offensive skill players. * Junior Jafar Armstrong and senior Tony Jones Jr. enter fall camp as the clear No. 1 and No. 2 backs on the depth chart. Both have impressed the Irish staff with their production in the spring and their hard work during the summer. When asking about leadership emerging, both players are mentioned. Behind them, however, there will be a battle. * Sophomore Jahmir Smith was the young standout during the spring, and Smith continues to thrive, but classmate C'Bo Flemister has made a hard charge this summer. I was told he had a great summer and has really attacked the weight room, which was a struggle for him early in his career. Always a bit thin, I'm told that Flemister has really filled out his frame, especially his upper body, and the work in the weight room has resulted in him being more explosive in drills and testing this summer. * I'm also told that a byproduct is Flemister being able to sustain that explosiveness longer, which means being able to not get fatigued so quickly. He showed toughness in the spring but still lacked the strength. His summer work and the extra size/strength will give him a chance to make a push during fall camp. What the staff likes is that Flemister, if he can continue this push, has a gear that they like at the position and brings a slashing style that complements Smith and Jones. * When Kyren Williams signed with Notre Dame my sources didn't think he would be able to make much of a charge up the depth chart in year one. Being an early enrollee gave him a head start, but Williams has really grinded, and that has caught the attention of the staff from what I'm told. The words mature, calm and tough are used frequently when talking about Williams. I was told "He wants to be great and he works at it." I'm told one thing the staff really likes is that Williams plays with confidence and has an edge. They love his ball skills, but right now they have only used him out of the backfield so that he can focus on just being a RB, with the thought that down the road he could do some damage outside in the slot, like Armstrong. * Much has been made of the rough start that Kevin Austin had at Notre Dame. His talent earned him a rotation spot last season, but his lack of maturity kept him from being in the rotation late in the year. In fact, Austin didn't even travel to some of the late season road games. We don't know if those decisions will impact his availability early in the 2019 season, but everything I'm hearing about Austin right now is nothing but rave reviews. * I asked one source about Austin and his tone immediately changed and you could sense the excitement. "He's crushing it, I mean he's dominating." I'm told that not only is Austin dominating in 1-on-1s, but his testing is blowing away anyone else at the position, including veterans. I'm told that Austin leads all the receivers and tight ends in points, which are accumulated after workouts. Combine that with him thriving in the classroom in the spring and there is growing optimism that the light has gone on and Austin is prepared to turn his immense talent into production this fall. Austin could be a wildcard on offense this season due to his combination of size (6-2, 210), athleticism and God-given talent. * I'm told that Braden Lenzy was really frustrated with how his spring went. He was playing really well and drawing a lot of praise for how hard he was getting after it, but then he had a couple of injuries that slowed him down. Much like Michael Young in his first two seasons, Lenzy has to show that he can play through pain a bit better. From talking to sources there is some encouragement in that regards. I'm told that Lenzy has really attacked the weight room this spring and his volume of work has increased dramatically. * Folks around ND love his mentality and focus, and the only young WR testing better than Lenzy is Austin. I was told Austin and Lenzy are constantly 1-2 in all the WR drills and testing. Lenzy is "way ahead of where he was last year." It should also be noted that only Troy Pride Jr. has run a faster 40-time on the current roster, and I'm told we are seeing Lenzy using that speed more and more when it comes to football. * One source I spoke gave me an impromptu update on Javon McKinley. Apparently the arrest and fallout he went through has resulted in a complete 180 from a personality standpoint. We heard back in the spring that McKinley was putting in hard work and trying to make his presence felt, but I'm told this summer was not just about that, but McKinley having a much better attitude. He's been more positive, more engaging and more confident. We will see if that results in him finally showing off the tremendous prep talent he displayed, but this is the first time in awhile that anyone has brought him up to me in a way that makes it seem like he could be a factor in fall camp. * I have had sources on both sides of the ball bring up freshman wide receiver Cam Hart. The first thing that stands out to people about Hart is his size. He's not only tall, but he's really, really long. He's a long strider and runs really, really well. Athletically I'm told his body control and speed have really jumped out, and this came from multiple sources. Right now the plan is to give him a chance at the W position, which means on, something b/c that's where they line up their "top dog" at wide receiver. We'll see what happens when the pads come on, but so far Hart has been an athletic standout. * I'm told that fellow freshman Kendall Abdur-Rahman has really struggled with the finer points of WR play, which is to be expected, but that hasn't kept him from really jumping out to folks at ND. Brian Kelly brought him up in a summer radio interview as a guy who is impressing, and my sources are saying the same thing. Even though he struggles with the finer points, I'm told his instincts have really stood out, especially with the ball in his hands. Abdur-Rahman has impressed folks iwth his quickness and speed. He's incredibly elusive in both drills and one-on-ones. They signed him hoping he could add after-the-catch ability, and so far he's show the physical tools needed to do that. He's a guy to keep an eye on in fall camp. * The only tight end that came up was Tommy Tremble, and it was much of the same. Great speed, explosive, hard worker, etc. The one thing I did hear was that his spring performance was so good and his summer has been so good that he isn't just relegated to No. 3 duties. If he continues putting in the work we've seen thus far there's a chance he could find himself in the game at times as the No. 2 tight end behind Cole Kmet. Passing up Brock Wright won't be easy and Wright is definitely going to play, but Tremble is making it very, very hard on the coaches not to find ways to get him snaps and touches. A strong fall camp will likely make him a regular this season. * Talking to multiple sources it sounds like QB Phil Jurkovec responded well to his poor finish to the spring. I'm told his mechanics have been cleaned up and he's throwing the ball with a great deal more confidence. I don't want to say much else because I want to see how he is throwing on Sunday from a mechanical standpoint, but so far all the right things are being said.
honestly a win between the hedges this fall would become the instant #1 on the list most likely edit: i also miss the win against sparty in 2013. Also known as the PI bowl
One other one that that stands out to me over the period - the drubbing of Miami at Soldier Field. Maybe it's just because I was in attendance, but there was such a good energy during that game. It's also when I really started feeling confident about that team. I was a senior at ND during that Utah win - the senior class rushed the field - was the first top 25 win in like 5 years. It's kind of a weird thing that now we're back to winning 3-4 of those matchups a year now considering how bad it was when I was a student.
by the way, yall might be interested to know that kevin stepherson will play fcs ball this season. curious if he still will be able to make a camp next year
That Miami game was fun as hell. Their fans were so excited and we just came out and crushed them. Tailgating was fun as hell as well.
Hmm, some odd choices on that list. I think both of the LSU ones are too high - I'd maybe put the 2017 game towards the back of the list because of the amazing Boykin TD, but I think the 2014 game was pretty forgettable and it being #4 is crazy to me. Besides that, other ones that stand out to me more than many of the ones on his list: 2012 Miami, 2015 Texas, 2017 MSU, 2018 Michigan, 2018 Virginia Tech
It really helped close out recruiting decently, Nd was on such a terrible slide at the end of 2014 that it was a huge win....but I can see your point.
so i forgot who miamis QB was but whoever it was missed dorsett twice early in the game, hit one of those and that game couldve been so much tighter
Nah, and it was the long neck dude Nd absolutely dominated them on the ground. It would have been 7 points tighter..so 41-10 instead of 41-3
Yards were 587 Nd , 285 for miami lol 34 first downs Nd to 13 for miami....it could’ve been worse. Nd missed some opportunities
was that stephen morris? either way, you could see the belief draining with every shot that they missed, Miami was walking a tight rope to stay in the game for sure, but the shots were there to be had
Yes Stephen Morris And maybe you got a point, it was 13-3 at half. It was still a solid ass kicking, no turnovers, no special teams big plays just plain domination
the lsu wins (especially 14) seem so out of place there. i guess the thought from sampson is both "kickstarted" good/great seasons the following year but...yeah, I wouldn't have included both, and definitely not that high.
The stadium was fun, second time some ass threw stuff at me, and I was being chill. The Miami fans lost all hope even before the kills came, they could see it plain as day that they were done. Without surprise the first was 2012 at MSU, dude threw a hot dog at "us" and it hit me, I turned around and just said "fucking really" He backed down very quickly. Miami did get us back though.
I was legit mind blown that my tv on only rabbit ears grabbed like 70 channels. "running the Chicago Marathon" the next day was also fun as hell.
I think that 2014 LSU Bowl win is too high. I'd put both the 31-0 Michigan game and the Stanford goal line stand over that one.
I think where he's going with the LSU games is the downside of a loss in both cases. Similar to some years it feels worse to get blown out in a better bowl than it going to a lesser bowl and performing better With Michigan, the payoff was a team that as constructed at the time struggled against crappy teams.
That is a robotic way to look at it, I can see where he is coming from. But that was also a good indicator of the quality of this team and the fight that they had
I remember that game, we had the in laws in for a lunch/brunch. Fuckers finally left at like 5. I had the game recorded but could not really wait. I saw a few post about it being a good night, fast forwarded to the wimbush toss to st-brown. And I was cruising