It was stupid, completely stupid. Very bad decision. Look at all the qbs coming out of college now, he could be the top qb in the draft.
On one hand, Kizer properly used in this years offense would have made us legit contenders. On the other hand, we would have thrown the ball 60x per game and never would have developed the running game we did, so the final record would’ve likely been the same.
Exactly how I feel, I thought about this a few times this year. It’s incredible how Kelly seems to be bad when nd’s qb is good.
idk. So much of Adam's success came from Wimbush being a run threat. Obviously Kizer would have opened up the passing game a ton, but no one would fear Kizer like they did Wimbush so the ground game would suffer. Don't get me wrong, the O would have been better with Kizer, but I don't think it would be light years better. Also aside from Stepherson our Wr's and "best" TE have dicks for hands.
I like this new idea in this thread that the team would probably have been about the same quality with someone who can actually complete a forward pass
I've said it before. 9 wins with a QB who can't pass and receivers way I can't catch it either way is pretty damn good.
I am aware but this is just silly to think the team would not have been better off with a QB who starts for a sort of pro franchise versus a guy who can not throw a wide receiver screen consistently regardless of Kelly's history with QBs. Just a gross over-exaggeration for the sake of I am not sure what
I do not understand what point you are trying to make. I do not understand generally most of the points you try to make. You think Kizer is why ND went 4-8? Imagine that team with Wimbush.
It’s impossible to know, obviously Kizer is a better pro prospect than Wimbush but Wimbush opened up that offense when nd was rolling. No way nd rushes for 300 yds a game with Kizer. And like someone else mentioned, with nd’s wrs I don’t think slinging it around would’ve been a good idea. It’s pointless to argue anyway. And it wasn’t all on Kizer but Kelly tends to put too much on his qbs once they get some experience.
Last years team had cancer, I'm of the opinion that Kizer's rise may have been a part of that, sort of like the Adam's hype this year. I think Kelly struggles keeping a team completely together when it has one bright star. The scares in 2012 came after the Te'o hype began.
Do we land any of these guys? and if we could have 4-5 which would you choose WR Amon St. Brown WR Chase Cota WR Brenden Lenzy WR Lawrence Keys WR Tommy Bush TE Tommy Tremble OT Nick Petite-Frere OT Luke Jones DE Malik Langham LB Solomon Tuliaupupu CB Kyler Gordon CB Noah Boykin CB DJ Brown S Houston Griffith S Juilus Irivin
This is what I would guess, but add Tremble to the list of who we end up with. NPF is such an unknown, but I just think we needed to finish the season a little more strongly to pull a guy like that from Florida, regardless of how good of a fit he may be at ND.
LOL just watched the ndfootball insta. Our guys arent being told squatting above parallel is terrible apparently.
this article is probably the best recap - https://247sports.com/college/notre...-on-the-Notre-Dame-Top-Target-Board-112177810 it's free but has the latest
I want St. Brown maybe more than any other recruit simply so I can watch the militantly loyal Catholics (like my dad) cheer for the most pagan name ever.
Griffith is a huge pickup for ND. Fills a big need at CB. Top 100 player. Lots of size and athleticism. Need more of these. Nice rebound by the staff.
Big pickup. I like him at S more. But either way he adds talent to secondary. Top it off with Gordon, wonder if they would take Boykin as well and move Wilkens or Bracy to WR
Griffith is a monster pick up for us. Will fill a big need somehwere in the secondary i watched Bracy's film, he is an explosive athlete that has the traits to be a standout at CB down the road Add Gordon and we are set in the secondary for a long long time
Sinclair Spoiler Sinclair’s Mid-Week Recruiting Rundown Notre Dame is pushing for the best finish to its recruiting class in years. Irish Illustrated recruiting analyst Kevin Sinclair lays out what that finish would look like. Kevin Sinclair - 15 minutes ago VIP 1 Notre Dame has an opportunity to close its 2018 recruiting class with over a dozen four-star prospects and early contributors in several position groups. I’ve been saying that if the Irish can close on its top prospects, they would take their class from really good to great. On Tuesday evening, Top 100 cornerback Houston Griffith pushed Notre Dame’s 2018 class closer to that bar. With Griffith’s commitment, Notre Dame has impressive numbers in multiple recruiting categories. Per 247Sports Composite Rankings, the Irish have nine four-star commitments who rank in the Top 300, six in the Top 150, and four in the Top 75 (Griffith at No. 63, Phil Jurkovec at No. 66, Derrik Allen at No. 69, and Kevin Austinat No. 73). Many compare Brian Kelly era recruiting classes to the impressive haul of 2013. If the 2013 class is the measuring stick, it’s worth noting that year Notre Dame finished with one less Top 75 prospect than what the Irish currently possess, (Jaylon Smith at No. 2, Max Redfield at No. 29 and Greg Bryant at No. 45). Of course, the Irish coaching staff isn’t done yet. With plenty of “best guess” and “dream finish” conversations, I broke down what Notre Dame’s most reasonable dream finish would be. By ‘most reasonable,’ I mean wide receivers Amon-Ra-St-Brown and Chase Cota aren’t in the discussion. Also, as I see elite linebacker Solomon Tuliaupupu as a long shot for the Irish, I’ve left him out of this list. That said, the Irish are being considered and I wouldn’t count him out. Here is what I consider Notre Dame’s most feasible ‘dream finish’ Wide receiver/Tight end (Photo: 247Sports) Following the de-commitment of Geordon Porter, Notre Dame is down to two commitments at that position. A source told Irish Illustrated that Notre Dame is still aiming at closing with four wide receivers. I’m curious to see if the Irish coaching staff will extend offers to additional wide receivers to broaden their options. As things stand, four-star wide receivers Braden Lenzy, Lawrence Keys and Tommy Bush are the targets. Not only are Lenzy and Keys the two showing the most interest, I believe they would be the best combination for the Irish from a program fit standpoint. Lenzy would give the Irish elite speed on the perimeter while Keys would add a unique and electric element at slot receiver and a guy that Chip Long could get creative with. As Lenzy’s de-commitment came recently, his options are still developing. We can expect Notre Dame, Oregon and UCLA to fight hard for the Oregon blazer. But don’t be surprised if additional programs enter the equation. Houston and Notre Dame represent Keys’ top two. Last weekend, Keys was forced to cancel his official visit to Houston due to flight cancellations (weather) and on Sunday, Houston offensive coordinator Brian Johnson took the quarterbacks coach position at Florida. Auburn and LSU remain in close contact with Keys, while Ole Miss and Nebraska linger. It’s certainly possible that new programs could enter the picture and like any recruitment of a four-star prospect from Louisiana, the Irish coaching staff will be prepared for late pressure from SEC programs. The dynamic slot receiver will visit LSU on January 12 and Notre Dame on January 19. He’s also expected to re-schedule his trip to Houston. Tommy Tremble is clearly the only tight end target for Notre Dame, but he also rates as one of the top priority prospects. They want this guy in blue and gold. Recently, Michigan and UCLA have turned up the heat, giving the Irish a very strong fight. I do have some concerns, but my Crystal Ball pick remains on Notre Dame. Although Tremble visited UCLA on the weekend, Chip Long’s pair of trips to Georgia and Brian Kelly’s in-home visit this week could be what seals the deal on his commitment. The three-star Peach State product will announce his decision on Thursday. I still like the Irish. Best finish: Braden Lenzy, Lawrence Keys, Tommy Tremble Linemen (Photo: John Garcia, Jr., 247Sports) With this discussion being a ‘dream finish,’ although I like what Arkansas offensive tackle Luke Jones offers, the three-star recruit didn’t fit with six scholarships remaining. Five-star offensive tackle Nick Petit-Frere is the top offensive prospect on the board. There’s no question, Notre Dame wouldn’t only be adding a truly elite prospect to its class with Petit-Frere, it would significantly change the perception of the quality of the offensive class. With an elite quarterback in Phil Jurkovec, star power at wide receiver in Kevin Austin (and in this case, Lenzy and Keys), and an elite left tackle, the Irish would have plenty to brag about from an offensive standpoint. Where the Florida standout is leaning, which schools are pulling ahead, these questions remain unanswered. What we do know is that Notre Dame is clearly in the picture and fit what he’s looking for in a strong academic-athletic balance. On the defensive side of the line, the choice is clear. Grossly undervalued defensive end Malik Langham makes plenty of sense for the Irish who have struggled to add long, tall, big-bodied defensive ends. The Irish coaching staff looks at Langham as a guy who can help the Irish defensive front in year-one. With Alabama entering the fight shortly after Notre Dame had offered, the Irish have entered an intimidating dogfight. Adding to battle, Tennessee and Florida have both extended offers recently. In my opinion, the longer Langham drags on his recruitment (he’s currently planning to take an official visit to Ole Miss on Feb. 4), the less likely it will be that he ends up in Tuscaloosa. Alabama, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt are the biggest speed bumps. Langham stated recently that he hadn’t decided whether he will visit Tennessee or Florida. He also said that “Notre Dame felt like home,” and that Notre Dame was “one of the top schools, if not the top school,” on his list. It’s difficult to predict where Langham will end up. In my opinion, the Irish are in better shape than some suspect. Best finish: Nicholas-Petit-Frere and Malik Langham Defensive back (Photo: Scout.com) This one is also clear. Kyler Gordon is Notre Dame’s top defensive prospect on the board. With Houston Griffith and Tariq Bracy on board, missing on the Washington senior wouldn’t be a tragedy, but it certainly would be a disappointment for the Irish coaching staff. Gordon’s weekend unofficial visit during Echoes was certainly a very important opportunity for the Notre Dame coaching staff. But the four-star prospect’s official visit to Washington this weekend is a serious cause for concern. Still, my Crystal Ball pick remains on Notre Dame. We’ll see what scoop surfaces in the coming weeks, but I feel the Irish have given every effort possible to sway that explosive defensive back to South Bend. An important note concerning this recruitment is Notre Dame’s ‘plan B.’ Four-star Washington, D.C. cornerback Noah Boykin has a high-interest in Notre Dame and could flip his commitment from Maryland if the Irish push. Big-picture speaking, with Derrik Allen, Houston Griffith, Tariq Bracy, Paul Moala and Joe Wilkins on board, the Irish will close with a strong defensive back class. But adding Gordon would give the Irish its clear top defensive back haul of the Brian Kelly era. Best finish: Kyler Gordon Each of these recruitments carries challenges for the Irish staff, no doubt. At the same time, we know each prospect is strongly considering Notre Dame. Are the odds of completing this finish in Notre Dame’s favor? No, probably not. However, is this finish possible? Certainly.
Coach D's Film Room Spoiler All the hard work from the Notre Dame staff paid off, as the Irish secondary is landing a player that brings outstanding versatility and potential playmaking ability. The four-star defensive back had offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Florida, Michigan, USC, Penn State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Nebraska, NC State, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and UCLA among many others. SIZE/STRENGTH/RUN SUPPORT STRENGTHS AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Size plays well at both cornerback and safety Must continue reshaping his body Has plenty of room to add more size and strength to his frame Must continue adding lower body strength Physical football player in the run game and in coverage At times will take improper angles in the run game, but it's not often Shows excellent play recognition, diagnoses run-pass quickly Sound tackler that can also deliver big hits in the pass game Griffith projects as both a cornerback and safety at the next level. His size plays well at both positions, as does his physicality. During the summer he measured in at 6-1 and 192 pounds, which is elite size for a cornerback, but still impressive size for a safety. Griffith has really filled out since showing up at Notre Dame’s 2015 Irish Invasion as a skinny rising sophomore, but he’s not done. There is still plenty of room for Griffith to continue filling out his frame, which is one of the reasons I believe he will quickly outgrow the cornerback position. He must continue reshaping his body and adding strength to both his upper and lower body. Griffith is already built like a safety, and with his frame and game already playing well on the back end there is little doubt that safety is where he projects best in college. Griffith is a willing tackler that comes downhill aggressively in the run game and when diagnosing a pass play in front of him. He’s strong enough to deliver punishment, but also shows very good open field tackling ability. Griffith does a good job coming to balance in space, keeping his base, showing patience and then quickly striking when the ball carrier declares his direction. At times Griffith will take a poor angle, but overall he’s sound in this department. His discipline in the run game combines well with his other traits to make him a strong tackler right now, and as he fills out his frame it should become a significant strength of his game. During his senior season he played free safety, moving him much further away from the ball than he had ever played, but he quickly took to the position in the run game. Griffith is a smart football player that shows impressive run-pass recognition. He makes quick diagnoses between run and pass, which allows him to quickly get on the ball carrier from both the cornerback and safety positions. From a technique standpoint, Griffith knows how to effectively win in the run game. He does an excellent job using his length and strong hands to keep blockers off his body. When the ball carrier declares he is able to quickly disengage from the blocker in order to get to the football. ATHLETIC SKILLS STRENGTHS AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Above average speed that plays better at safety than it does cornerback Recovery speed is not ideal at this point Shows very good closing speed as a safety Runs faster downhill than he does when he has to backpedal, open and run Strong all-around athlete Lacks any elite athletic traits Stays light on his feet, always in position to quickly plant and change direction Fluid athlete for his size; good agility, good change of direction, makes easy movements Griffith isn’t an elite athlete and at this point he lacks any elite physical traits. If you are looking for a defensive back with top-notch speed, this isn’t your man. What makes Griffith such an effective football player, and such a highly-regarded recruit, is how well the athletic skills he has play up on the football field. The IMG Academy captain has a strong all-around athletic skill set. What he lacks in top end speed he more than makes up for in other areas. Griffith is a nimble athlete for his size; he is always light on his feet and rarely gets heavy-footed. This allows Griffith to always be in position to redirect or plant and drive on the ball or a receiver. By playing this way, Griffith is able to maximize the athletic skills he does possess. Griffith moves with ease on the football field. He showed far more fluidity and looser hips as a senior than he did as a junior. It seemed once he filled out his frame and hit his most recent growth sport that his explosiveness and agility improved. His skill set played very well at safety, and Griffith also displayed better downhill speed from the safety spot than he did when he opens and runs as a cornerback. During his senior season, Griffith showed very good closing speed. That wasn’t always evident in past years when he was a cornerback. Playing safety allowed him to keep everything in front of him, and his ability to quickly recognize the play, plant, and drive on the ball was really impressive. It helped him emerge as a playmaker in the run game and should lead to him becoming a playmaker in zone coverage as well. Griffith shows outstanding balance, which allows him to work through blockers and stay up as a tackler. When engaged he is able to keep his feet working and his balance allows him to stay up and in good position to run when he sees the ball coming in his direction. COVERAGE ABILITY STRENGTHS AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Plays with very sound technique, already a well-schooled football player Tends to get too grabby when playing against faster receivers in man coverage Uses hands well at the line of scrimmage, shows a strong punch in press situations Lacks ideal transition speed, which could hurt him in man coverage on the outside Reads schemes very well, allows him to make quick jumps on routes and the ball Will need more experience playing in zone coverage on the back end Does a good job finding the ball, has a chance to be a highly disruptive player on the ball Highly instinctive defender Griffith is one of the most fundamentally sound defensive backs in the entire country. He is a smart and instinctive player, and his strong technique helps him be a highly efficient defender. There is very little wasted motion with his footwork. That footwork and his efficient technique results in him being a very smooth player when he backpedals. Griffith uses short steps when he pedals, he keeps his feet underneath his shoulders and he keeps his base. This allows Griffith to make smooth transitions when he has to open and run. During his senior campaign this helped him quickly work off the hash in zone coverage and also allowed him to plant and drive on routes with ease. Griffith packs a powerful punch in press coverage, and he uses his hands very well at the line of scrimmage. When he can get hands on a receiver at the line he is very effective. If a receiver can get past him, Griffith shows a tendency to get a bit grabby with his hands as he works vertically, which can knock him off balance. His lack of recovery speed hinders his upside as a pure press cornerback on the outside. If Griffith can improve his hand play and once he gets even stronger, he should be able to handle coverage on the outside against top-end receivers as long as he can keep them engaged as long as possible. When playing cornerback, Griffith is a weapon in zone coverage thanks to his size, strength and high football IQ. He can keep things in front of him and eat up short routes by either breaking on the ball or making a strong tackle as soon as the ball is caught. When he can get his hands on a receiver he can effectively play in man coverage, but he will likely never be a top-level man cover player as a cornerback. His man skills are, however, an outstanding weapon as a safety. In time he could develop into an elite coverage player as a safety, and I do not use that word elite lightly. Outside of top-end speed, he has all the traits you want as a coverage cornerback. When you put him at safety, that lack of top-end speed is not nearly as big of a factor. Going against tight ends, backs and slot receivers would play right into Griffith’s overall strengths. Once he gets more experience playing the position, Griffith’s instincts and feel for the pass game as a safety will only improve. His intelligence and instincts helped him make a very fast transition to safety as a senior, and that’s only going to get better in time. PROSPECT SUMMARY The phrase “Notre Dame kid” is often thrown around with Notre Dame recruits, and it’s not always properly used or understood. When evaluating Griffith, that phrase comes into clear view, and it fits perfectly. Griffith is obviously a highly ranked recruit, which is good for Notre Dame from a perception standpoint. He is a talented football player that could fit into a number of positions in the secondary. Griffith could play either cornerback spot, he could play either safety spot and he could play the nickel position. When interviewed prior to his commitment, Griffith noted that he not only wanted to be an All-American on the field, he also wanted to be an Academic All-American in college. He said he wanted to play for championships. He was a team captain for IMG. That’s what always made him a player that seemed like an ideal fit for Notre Dame, and although the road was winding and took him in different directions at times, ultimately he ended up at the school where he truly fits the best on and off the field. Griffith brings a great deal of versatility to the Irish defense, and if he ends up at safety he could combine with fellow commit Derrik Allen of Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter to give Notre Dame its best pair of safety signees in a very long time. Notre Dame struggled to get production from the safety position in 2017, but Allen and Griffith give the Irish defense the opportunity to fix that problem at some point in the future. GRADES (Safety) Size/Frame: 88 Strength/Toughness: 85 Speed: 85 Athletic Skills: 87 Coverage: 85 Instincts: 87 Technique: 90 Tackling/Playmaking: 86 Intangibles: 90 Overall Grade: 4.0 Upside Grade: 5.0 (Safety) / 4.5 (Cornerback) GRADE KEY 90-100 – Elite 80-89 – Very Good to Outstanding 70-79 – Solid to Above Average 60-69 – Below Average to Average 50-59 – Poor OVERALL/UPSIDE GRADE KEY 5.0 – Elite (Top 25 Caliber Player) 4.5 – Outstanding (Top 50 Caliber Player) 4.0 – Very Good (Top 250 Caliber Player) 3.5 – Above Average (Top 350 Caliber Player) 3.0 – Solid (Top 500 Caliber Player or Lower) 2.5 – Below Average (Backup Caliber Player)
I really like Jurkovec but beyond that i like the defensive part of the class substantially more than the offensive part of it tbqh
i think the OLine class is underwhelming, not just by ND standards, at this point. Obviously losing stepp killed the rb class as well. Weird that the things that went best this season were recruited so mediocrely (unless NPF signs obviously)