*Notre Dame* - On Vacation

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Thoros of Beer, Feb 3, 2016.

  1. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    we're going to have the biggest, fastest, strongest team ever
     
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  2. Voodoo

    Voodoo Fan of: Notre Dame
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  3. Rise

    Rise Well-Known Member
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    Anyone have any info on what happened with the other s&c giy kelly brought with him? He got sick or something? I definitely remember thinking before that Oklahoma game that we looked massive. Not so much the last couple years
     
  4. Robdog_5

    Robdog_5 Well-Known Member

    ND Offered a ton of new kids last night. I love Lenzy's speed, but ND offered Michael Schwartz from Florida last night, that is one of the fastest prep kids in America. Like crazy fast. 10.26 last year. That's track fast, not just football fast. Only a 3*, haven't watched film but that's one I'll eventually watch just to see if he plays anywhere close to it.
     
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  5. theregionsitter

    theregionsitter Well-Known Member
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    Its pretty clear they are looking for some damn burners at WR- they are heavily emphasizing track speed
     
  6. Wicket

    Wicket Fan: ND, PSV, Pool FC, Cricket, Urquel, Dog Crew
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    is it me or is the layout of TMB messed up today?
     
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  7. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    How so?
     
  8. Wicket

    Wicket Fan: ND, PSV, Pool FC, Cricket, Urquel, Dog Crew
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  9. a1ND

    a1ND Bold & Spicy
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    sampson's article on matt balis

    How Matt Balis taught toughness at Mississippi State could be a revelation at Notre Dame. Almost a decade removed from the weight room under Balis, former Bulldogs still swear by the new Irish strength coach.

    Chad Bumphis spotted Dan Mullen at the AFCA convention last month in Nashville. So the former Mississippi State receiver walked the lobby with his old head coach. Then Bumphis spotted some nostalgic news on his phone.

    Matt Balis, the man behind the men at Mississippi State for Mullen’s first five years in Starkville, was headed to Notre Dame as its new Director of Football Performance. Bumphis and Mullen knew what that meant for Brian Kelly’s program.

    “They immediately got better,” Mullen and Bumphis said to each other. “They just got better.”

    Follow enough Notre Dame players on Twitter and it’s clear what Balis has meant to the program’s strength regimen. It shows in hashtags and tweets. It shows more in the shirtless pictures players post. Two months in, there’s enough anecdotal evidence to believe something good is happening inside the Gug.

    Bumphis can tell you about it. He was a four-star recruit who exited Mississippi State as its career leader in receiving yardage and touchdowns. So could Tobias Smith, an overweight offensive lineman who dropped 30 pounds and cut his body fat in half. The same goes for running back Nick Griffin, who overcame two ACL tears to become backfield regular on a team that hit No. 1. Charles Bailey can attest too, a lightweight back-up receiver who believed he could knock out linebackers and tight ends on kickoff coverage.

    The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, The Pit and the Cardio Club all helped define Balis at Mississippi State. So did running stairs in January, doing the entire stadium for each home loss. So did a Saturday morning obstacle course at a Starkville park followed by a team hike and canoe race. No, not every player could canoe.

    “Oh God, we had people falling out,” Bumphis said. “It was bad.”

    That was all input. And the output was worth it.

    There was the No. 1 ranking during the 2014 season, a few months after Balis had left for Connecticut. There were the seven straight bowl games. There was the winning record in the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss.

    There was also the NFL Draft production. Mississippi State produced four total picks in the six years before Mullen and Balis arrived. The Bulldogs have produced 21 in the seven drafts since, including a couple first rounders.

    “We were never that talented,” Griffin said. “We didn’t have a bunch of four- and five-star players. We didn’t have any 4.2’s. Our edge was that we out-worked everybody. We honestly believed that.

    “Matt Balis is the man. That’s as simple as I can put it.”

    ‘He talked the talk and walked the walk’
    Charles Bailey arrived in Starkville to play for Sylvester Croom without much of a reputation. The under-sized receiver struggled to get to 170 pounds and took a red-shirt as a freshman, Croom’s final season.

    Bailey returned home to Florida that Christmas break after Mississippi State hired Dan Mullen. Then stories of Matt Balis started to come from the local players who stuck in Starkville between semesters.

    “The rumor mill generated about this guy, Matt Balis, who is absolutely insane,” Bailey said. “He was right in here doing the workouts with us. It’s 100 miles per hour the whole time.

    “I’m thinking, God, I have to go back to this. What’s going to happen when I get back to this and get a taste of it?”

    For everything Balis brought to that weight room at Mississippi State, his ability to do the workouts he demanded ranked among his best imports. It created a credibility on the roster that needed some, similar to what’s happening at Notre Dame now.

    During one workout Balis paired off the players. One had to drive the other the width of the field on a blocking sled. That meant one offensive lineman drew tackle Derek Sherrod, a future first-round pick. And that anonymous lineman quit the drill halfway through because pushing a 6-foot-5, 321-pound man across a football field is really hard.

    So Balis did it instead. Wearing tennis shoes.

    “Did it to demonstrate leverage and pretty much to show that he was a badass,” Bailey said. “Every workout we did, he and his staff would do everyday before the day started so he talked the talk and walked the walk.”

    That Saturday morning obstacle course, hike and canoe race? The Mississippi State strength staff did it on Friday. In the 6 a.m. lift group? Be prepared to see Balis doing his workout when you approach the facility. In the noon Cardio Club? Balis will be just finishing his sweat as you arrive.

    Even off days were on for Balis. He could be found in the weight room on weekends researching new techniques and scientific training, the kind of stuff that should pair with Notre Dame’s sports science department under Duncan French. Balis would even organize trips to a jujitsu studio or sign players up for yoga if they wanted it.

    “His thing was if you’re only working when I’m with you, you’re not doing enough,” Bumphis said. “Saturday morning was an off day, but if you wanted to come in, do cardio, stretch, do footwork, the door was always open and he was always there.”

    That helped sell workouts like the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, which Notre Dame did earlier this month with plenty of social media advertisement afterward. The massacre was an annual event, a notorious leg workout designed to create muscle failure. Then it demanded a few more reps.

    “That’s what made you become a man,” Griffin said. “I thought I’d do 20 reps and stop. I started to rack the weight. Then he’s jumping on the rack. ‘What are you doing? You got more.’ I did 20 more.”

    “He completely changed me,” Bumphis said. “He made me grow up. That’s the best way to put it.”

    Bumphis later changed his Twitter handle to @Imso_BalisMade1.

    Welcome to The Pit
    Before Tobias Smith got married he wanted to call Matt Balis.

    So from the car on the way to the church last April, the former offensive lineman dialed. Smith wasn’t the kind of player who would make Balis’ first draft resume considering he started just 13 games in five seasons during a career that included a total knee blowout, a torn rotator cuff and a broken ankle.

    “Coach Balis was a great father figure to me,” Smith said. “To call him on my wedding day, that’s just how much love and I have for coach Balis.”

    It took time to built that rapport. Much of the assembly was done in The Pit. It’s where Balis taught players the difference between being hurt and being injured. For Smith, knee rehab was being injured. Nearly everything else was being hurt.

    Players who tapped out of practice were sent to The Pit, a patch of grass away from the fields that Balis cordoned off with yellow police tape. Inside he placed weights, kettle bells, stationary bikes, battle ropes and whatever else he could fit.

    “The Pit is crazy,” Smith said. “The Pit is just unexplainable. If you’re hurt, you want to practice. I promise you, you’d much rather be in between the lines than in The Pit.”

    Bumphis went to The Pit because of a broken collarbone late in his sophomore year. He missed the Egg Bowl that November and got stuck there during Gator Bowl prep too. When Mississippi State arrived in Jacksonville for practices at a local high school, Bumphis passed the time running stadium stairs. He was the only player sidelined.

    “So Balis ran with me,” Bumphis said. “I couldn’t use my right arm, but I did a ridiculous leg workout.”

    While it’s happening, the Balis approach can feel like he’s breaking players down. When it’s over, based on interviews with former Mississippi State players, the entire process feels more like a construction project.

    Some of those builds turned into NFL contracts like Dak Prescott, Darius Slay, James Banks, Fletcher Cox and Derek Sherrod. Then there were ones like Tobias Smith, who said he went from 335 pounds to 305 while also cutting his body fat from 36 percent to 19 percent. Smith never sniffed the NFL. Balis shaped him just the same.

    “I told him that I appreciated him giving me toughness,” Smith said. “Coach Balis told me I had to have it in me already. He just helped me to fine tune it.”
     
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  10. Wicket

    Wicket Fan: ND, PSV, Pool FC, Cricket, Urquel, Dog Crew
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    cant properly post anymore, just looks super weird, see attachment
     

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  11. beist

    beist Hyperbolist
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    Yeah the format of the board is jacked up on my phone and iPad. Looks fine on laptop. The actual threads seem normal. Just the board is weird.
     
  12. IHHH

    IHHH Well-Known Member
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    Freaking s&c coaches....they are the problem and solution to every football program in America.
     
  13. Beeds07

    Beeds07 Bitch, it's Saturday
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    Pretty cool

     
  14. theregionsitter

    theregionsitter Well-Known Member
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    Kerry Neal recruiting legend
     
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  15. theregionsitter

    theregionsitter Well-Known Member
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    Damn man ND is really on pace to win this off season championship! I'm following recruiting again and listening to blogs

    Man if that Pagano kid transfers in I'll be ready to buy season tickets and name my first born Tommy

    Its a sickness
     
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  16. IHHH

    IHHH Well-Known Member
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    *mister Tom
     
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  17. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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  18. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    Who's vann?

     
  19. Druce

    Druce Fuck football.
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    Our best shot at an edge rusher
     
  20. Thoros of Beer

    Thoros of Beer Academy Award-Winning Actor, Tim Allen
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    We are going to win the shit out of that spring game
     
  21. theregionsitter

    theregionsitter Well-Known Member
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    Crushing the offseason
     
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  22. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
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    When does Wimbush get suspended?
     
  23. Thoros of Beer

    Thoros of Beer Academy Award-Winning Actor, Tim Allen
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    The day after Jurkovec decommits
     
  24. R2d2

    R2d2 I been told a big-legged woman ain't got no soul
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    Things that will happen before opening day

    Wimbush suspended for academic reasons
    Adams arrested for possession and is dismissed from the program
    Dexter injuries himself in a DUI accident
    Anyone on defense worth a shit caught in a south bend police sting of some kind
     
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  25. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
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    I smell a fight at Corby's claiming a body or two.
     
  26. IrishLAX2

    IrishLAX2 So you’re telling me there’s a chance
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    Kelly's offense is predicated on being able to take the top off a defense with a speed threat.

    The second safeties are able to cheat down to the LOS, we can't run the football.
     
  27. IHHH

    IHHH Well-Known Member
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    Fuck you guys

    That's how I feel
    [​IMG]
     
  28. theregionsitter

    theregionsitter Well-Known Member
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    February Playoff team no doubt right now

    Not sure how the last 6 weeks could've gone better
     
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  29. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    UNC winning tonight essentially clinches the ACC for them. We're tied for 2nd though so...
     
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  30. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
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    Looking like the Louisville game will be for a top 4 spot.

    In other news Pete is doing a great job at the dnc debate.
     
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  31. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
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    Hahaha "I spent thanksgiving morning in a deer blind with my boyfriends father, how's that for 2017 values" Pete the man.
     
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  32. Bert Handsome

    Bert Handsome I'm sorry, the card says Moops
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    Fucking Polian. I don't know if he learned to coach but damn can he recruit.
     
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  33. SD_Irish

    SD_Irish El Mas Chingon
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    Watched Lenzy's highlights. Damn, that kid is fast.

    ND recruiting has been on fire. This staff has delivered some very promising early returns. We've got a hell of class right now in the works. Gotta give credit where credit is due; excellent work.
     
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  34. beist

    beist Hyperbolist
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    We have zero five stars fire kelly
     
  35. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
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    Lenzy is fast af. His change of direction is crazy. Hope all these guys stick.
     
  36. a1ND

    a1ND Bold & Spicy
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    The will fuller comparison happens way too often but it's the right one for Lenzy...lenzy is probably a touch slower but it looks like he has much better hands - i think i would take that trade
     
  37. a1ND

    a1ND Bold & Spicy
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    Prister's Film review of Lenzy

    Adding numbers to a recruiting class 11 months before signing day is no longer uncommon.

    Getting a verbal commitment from a talent like Braden Lenzy in February is no ordinary day in Notre Dame football recruiting.

    Lenzy, a 6-foot-1, 160-pounder out of Tigard, Oregon, pulled the trigger Wednesday on what seemed like a too-good-to-be-true lean toward Notre Dame before becoming Irish verbal commitment No. 11 in the Class of 2018.

    “(Notre Dame) made it clear they want me to do kickoff return and use me as a deep threat, across the field,” Lenzy told Irish Illustrated. “Just being an athlete, similar to what I’ve been doing already in high school, just on a bigger scale with a quarterback that can throw it a lot farther.”

    Lenzy, a wide receiver/cornerback, is expected to join Notre Dame verbal commitment No. 10 – 6-foot-5, 195-pound Micah Jones (Gurnee, Ill.) – on the offensive side of the football.

    Irish offensive coordinator Chip Long and receiver coach DelVaughn Alexander appear to have won the battle within the Notre Dame program to utilize his skills on the offensive side of the football.

    Whereas Jones trends more toward big-wideout/long-term tight end prospect, Lenzy is an ultra-athletic, take-the-top-off X receiver. He’s built strikingly similar to a guy named Will Fuller, who caught 138 passes for 2,352 yards and 29 touchdowns during his sophomore/junior seasons with the Irish in 2014-15 before leaving early for the NFL as a first-round draft choice.

    Disclaimer: Not saying he’s going to be the next Will Fuller. When Fuller left Notre Dame, he qualified as a once-in-a-generation type performer.

    What we are saying, however, is that there are a ton of similarities between these two thoroughbreds, and on high school film, the one difference is the hands.

    Lenzy’s are better.

    In fact, one of the stand-out characteristics of Lenzy’s game is his soft hands, whether he’s elevating to make a catch at receiver or making a jump-ball play as a defensive back.

    The shared characteristics with Fuller are the top-level athleticism, speed and an uncanny grace that makes leaping and contorting to make a catch look easy. At a listed 6-foot-1, 160 pounds, his build is strikingly similar to Fuller’s when he arrived out of Philadelphia in 2013.

    Listed as a four-star prospect, only the slight build and perhaps the Oregon prep competition prevent him from a five-star designation at this stage of the process.

    Lenzy, who caught 43 passes for 840 yards and five touchdowns as a junior, had his head turned by Notre Dame from the outset. By the time he completed his Junior Day visit the weekend of Feb. 11-12, it was only a matter of time before Lenzy – who also plans to run track at Notre Dame (a la current Irish CB Troy Pride Jr.) – landed in the Irish stockpile.

    This kid has flat-out gazelle-like athleticism. He is explosive out of his two-point stance and possesses a beautiful, free-and-easy running motion with a gracefulness to his game.

    On some of his best receptions/interceptions from the 2016 season, his hands are like pillows as he football softly adheres to his grasp. His ability to effortlessly twist and turn to make catches is, quite frankly, abnormal.

    Lenzy is an equally-talented cornerback prospect with exceptional hip turn in pursuit of a receiver and that nonchalant closing speed. He shows his football instincts on the defensive side of the football with a high degree of anticipation and physicality.

    Lenzy’s arsenal is filled with five-star qualities. Route-running for speedsters usually is the last asset that develops, as it was with Fuller. Such is the case with Lenzy as well, but his athleticism and attention to detail should bridge that gap quickly.

    At the very least, he’ll arrive at Notre Dame – after another year of physical development – with immediate deep-ball capabilities.

    Fuller was a relatively weak athlete when he arrived at Notre Dame; Lenzy is more of a wiry, spring-loaded athlete, which especially shows itself on defense.

    The worst thing about Lenzy? He’s not in the Class of 2017, although that extra year of physical development before he arrives should be greatly beneficial.

    Although predominately a West Coast phenomenon at this stage of the recruiting process – USC, Stanford, Oregon, UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, Cal and Washington offered scholarships – Lenzy had caught the attention of Utah and Colorado heading west while picking up offers from Michigan State, Illinois and Purdue.

    It was only a matter of time before offers cascaded toward Lenzy from all parts of the country.

    After landing four verbal commitments last week – two from defensive backs (Kalon Gervin and Derrik Allen), one from an offensive tackle (Cole Mabry) and one from a receiver (Jones) – Lenzy adds to the jet-propelled momentum the Irish have generated on the recruiting trail.

    Previously, we listed Allen as the top prospect among the Notre Dame verbal commitments in the Class of 2018. There’s a new co-No. 1, one on each side of the football.
     
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  38. a1ND

    a1ND Bold & Spicy
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    and if you really have a lot of time on your hands, here is Coach D's film breakdown

    Notre Dame continued its strong 2018 recruiting with the commitment of Portland (Ore.) Tigard athlete Braden Lenzy. The Irish beat out USC, Oregon, Stanford, Utah, UCLA, Michigan State, California and Washington State for Lenzy’s services.

    Notre Dame’s coaching staff made clear on National Signing Day that adding more speed and playmaking ability to its offense was of the utmost importance in this recruiting cycle. Adding Lenzy to the class gives Notre Dame just that, because he is one of the most explosive players in the entire country.


    [​IMG]


    Lenzy is a big-play wide receiver that can stretch the field just as effectively as he can make plays after the catch. He’s also a dynamic return man and a pretty darn good cornerback as well, so much so that should he decide to play that position at the next level his upside and grade would remain unchanged.

    Should he end up signing with Notre Dame, Lenzy would become the first Oregon native to head to Notre Dame since Ethan Johnson did so in 2008.

    SIZE, STRENGTH AND ATHLETICISM
    Strengths Areas For Improvement
    Truly elite speed, has game-breaker ability

    Average size

    Has a rare ability to accelerate; elite second gear with the ball and on vertical routes

    Needs to add more strength and some mass to his thin frame

    Stays light on his feet and shows good balance

    Could work to improve his agility

    Shows good flexibility

    Strong for his size and plays football on defense



    If there is a knock on Lenzy, it’s his lack of ideal size. He’s around 6-0 — maybe slightly taller — and he’s pretty thin. Lenzy will never be a thick player and his thin frame will always keep him on the smaller side, much like former Notre Dame standout Will Fuller.

    What I like about Lenzy is he doesn’t play small; he’s a physical kid that can break tackles and is a willing hitter on defense. He’s strong for his size, although continuing to add more strength is important, as it is for all high school players who transition to the college game.

    Of course, the name of Lenzy’s game is speed. He is without question one of the fastest players in the country. He was timed at a Nike Football The Opening Regional at a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash prior to his junior season. He shows elite testing speed and his track times are impressive, but more important is the fact that Lenzy plays fast on the football field. His speed is going to continue improving as he physically matures and adds more strength.

    There are some technical issues that will be addressed below that keep Lenzy from getting a great burst off the line as a route runner, but once he gets going he is special. His second gear is truly elite; he can run away from defenders with ease whether he has the ball in his hands or when running a vertical route. His long speed is further evidenced by the fact he won the Oregon 6A state championship in the 400-meter dash (48.38).

    The Tigard star can run just as fast with the ball as he does without it, which isn’t a given. The reason is he’s a smooth athlete and is an efficient runner. He’s not a high exertion runner, which is why his track speed translates so well to the football field.

    His burst off the snap isn’t great — yet — but he really knows how to turn on the jets once he gets the ball in his hands. Lenzy smashes teams with his ability to beat the defense to the perimeter on jet sweeps and in the screen game, which is perfect for what Notre Dame wants and needs in its offense.

    Lenzy isn’t an overly sudden player and he could certainly work to improve his agility, but he does a good job using his speed to set up defenders for secondary moves. He’s so fast that opponents often overrun him, which allows him to easily cut inside for extra yards.

    Lenzy shows good balance, which combined with his strength and toughness allows him to bounce off arm tackles and quickly accelerate. Combined with his other athletic traits, it makes him a dynamic after the catch player.

    ROUTE RUNNING
    Strengths Areas For Improvement
    Route running potential is enormous

    Lacks refinement as a route runner

    Short strider off the ball, which sets up routes well

    Needs to adjust pre-snap stance

    Elite acceleration out of breaks makes up for lack of advanced route techniques

    Must learn to use leverage and angles on his stem

    Uses double moves well; top ends on vertical routes are hard to defend

    Rolls out of out cuts, needs to learn to use hips on stop/breaking routes

    Natural feel for finding soft spots against zone defenses



    Lenzy is impossible to defend at the high school level thanks to his speed and quickness, and he’s almost impossible to press without immediate deep help. He’s not a refined right runner at this point, but the scary thing for defenders is he has the tools to become an exceptional route runner.

    To begin with, Lenzy needs to improve his pre-snap stance. Right now his stance is quite balanced, which forces him to reset his feet and then put weight on his lead foot in order to drive off the line. That keeps him from really exploding off the line. What he needs to do is adapt his track stance a bit. If he had the inefficiency out of the blocks that he has at the snap on the football field he’s had noticeably slower times.

    If he can learn to put more weight on his lead foot and get in a runner’s stance with his chest over his knees and his knees over his toes, Lenzy will start exploding off the line. At that point, he would be a complete nightmare at the line no matter who he is matched up against. It would allow him to better use his speed to set up all his routes, which would make him just a major pain to defend.

    Right now, Lenzy is too inconsistent with his release speed. It doesn’t impact him at the prep level because he is so fast, but in order to beat the best of the best — something he’s more than capable of doing — learning to really explode off the line and get defenders into an immediate stress mode would allow him to create major separation, much like Fuller did at Notre Dame.

    Once he gets going though, Lenzy is special. His acceleration allows him to quickly eat up the defender’s cushion and he quickly gets on top of and past cornerbacks. Once he gets on top, he does a good job closing cornerbacks off, which gives the quarterback an outside window to drop the ball. He also shows elite acceleration out of his breaks, especially on vertical routes.

    Lenzy needs work on other parts of his route technique. He must learn to do a better job attacking the leverage of defenders, which puts him in position to either square them up or get them to flip their hips, and either works to his benefit. He is too choppy on his stop routes because he uses his feet too much to break; he must learn to slam his hips when he gets to his top end, which would allow him to be more efficient with his feet on his top ends.

    When working on out cuts, Lenzy tends to roll his cuts instead of really ripping off the route to the outside. He’ll often take three steps to get to the outside. What he needs to do is explode off the line and then quickly burst outside on whatever foot his position coach teaches him to use. If he can be more efficient with his footwork on out cuts it will give him significant separation.

    Lenzy is really good with vertical top ends; he is quick on deep double moves like post-corners or stutter posts, and with his acceleration ability defenders have to just keep pedaling if they want to have a chance to run with him deep. This will allow him to become highly effective at getting open on deep in-breaking routes or level out cuts, much like Fuller did in college. Teams would have to play so far off Fuller on vertical releases that he would often find himself wide open on deep in routes, even in third-and-long situations.

    Part of being a good route runner is having a natural feel for the position and how to work against a defense, and Lenzy shows that. He works well against the zone, he can find soft spots and he knows when to throttle down. He also knows how to squeeze defenders down in order to gain separation on vertical routes.

    This might seem like a lot of criticism, but it is actually pretty exciting. A good receivers coach is going to see the fact that Lenzy has elite physical tools, but not elite technique. That means once his technique catches up to his raw tools, he will be a major, major force no matter who he is matched up against.

    BALL SKILLS
    Strengths Areas For Improvement
    Confident and fast hands, catches the ball away from his body

    Needs to learn to flip his hands on out throws above his chest

    Attacks the ball wait, doesn't wait on it to get to him

    Doesn’t always go up for the ball on deep throws

    Shows top-level focus and concentration when the ball is in the air; tracks the deep ball well

    Not afraid to work over the middle of the field in traffic

    Good body control



    Lenzy’s natural feel for the position is most evident as a pass catcher. He’s a natural with the ball. He has obvious confidence in his pass catching ability. He also shows fast hands and strong hands; he rarely bobbles the ball when it hits his hands.

    He is quite impressive when it comes to using his hands to catch the ball, even when he “body catches.” What this means is even when he has to let the ball get into his body — which is appropriate at times — he does so where his hands still absorb the ball, not his chest. This is not only good technique, it shows the confidence he has in his pass catching ability.

    What I also really like is the fact Lenzy doesn’t wait on the football; he’ll step to the ball and when he’s working back towards the quarterback he never just sits there. There are multiple clips on his highlight reel where he steps to the football in such a way that he actually beats a defender who was in good position to the football.

    Concentration and focus are vital traits for a top-level pass catcher, and Lenzy shows these traits in spades. He is able to drown out what is going on around him when the ball is in the air, even when he’s working in traffic.

    Despite his lack of size, the 165-pound Lenzy will work over the middle of the field and shows toughness when catching in traffic. Although he does have a tendency to slow down instead of going up for the ball on under-thrown deep passes, his ability to see the ball and focus on it when defenders are between him and the ball is quite impressive.

    Lenzy tracks the deep ball well and does a solid job of adjusting his body to make sure the ball goes over his outside shoulder as much as possible. His ability to shield defenders from the ball makes him effective catching deep balls even when he doesn’t have multiple steps on his defender.

    There isn’t much film of Lenzy going up and out-playing defenders for the ball, but his concentration and ability to focus on the ball in traffic makes me think it will be something he can do.

    One technical correction Lenzy needs to make is how he catches throws that are away from his body and at chest level or above. Right now his lead arm is low, which creates tension and keeps receivers from really snatching the ball as cleanly. I’d like to see him get his lead arm up top, which not only increases his range, it allows him to attack the ball faster on these types of throws, and gives him a softer catching surface.

    PROSPECT SUMMARY
    A lot of the talk about Lenzy will rightfully be about his speed, but make no mistake, he’s not just a fast athlete. He is a fast football player. He knows how to play the game, and he’s extremely versatile.

    If he wanted to play cornerback, he’d grade out as a four-star player. He has the size, speed, route running potential and ball skills to be an every down outside receiver at the X position, which is what Fuller played. His shiftiness and after-the-catch ability combines with his toughness to make him an effective player over the middle, which is perfectly suited for the slot position in Notre Dame’s offense.

    That position flexibility means Lenzy can work himself onto the field in a number of ways. No matter where he plays, the key for Notre Dame will be finding ways to get him the ball as often as possible. His ability with the ball in his hands means the staff can even call handoffs or easy screens to get him the ball against defenses that are trying to keep on him.

    Lenzy is also a dynamic return man. He is a legitimate home run threat every time the ball is kicked in his direction. Not only does he have game-breaking speed, he has good vision and he has the toughness to make players miss.

    He’ll need refinement — which is the case with all high school juniors — but Lenzy has the skills to be a truly special player at the college level if he is willing to put in the work.

    GRADES

    Size/Frame: 74
    Strength: 83
    Speed: 96
    Athletic Skills: 88
    Route Running: 79
    Ball Skills: 86
    RAC: 92
    Intangibles: 90
    Overall Grade: 4.0
    Upside Grade: 5.0

    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 player)
    4.5 — Outstanding (top-50 player)
    4.0 — Very Good (top-200 player)
    3.5 — Above Average (top-350 player)
    3.0 — Solid (top-500 player or lower)
    2.5 — Below Average (backup player)
     
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  39. a1ND

    a1ND Bold & Spicy
    Donor

    what's really crazy is how difficult it is to rank this class...i can't decide if Jurkovec, Derrick Allen, or Lenzy is the best prospect based solely on talent...heck even from a need perspective, all 3 of those guys are critical to the future of ND football and so are the Twins
     
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  40. theregionsitter

    theregionsitter Well-Known Member
    TMB OG
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishChicago White SoxIndianapolis ColtsColumbus Blue JacketsColumbus Crew

    Can someone post pristers Thursday thoughts?
     
  41. a1ND

    a1ND Bold & Spicy
    Donor

    Prister’s Thursday Thoughts
    [​IMG]
    TIM PRISTER
    1:51 PM

    By landing Braden Lenzy, the Irish now have two premier recruits – one on each side of the ball – with safety Derrik Allen a true standout as well.

    THE ASTONISHMENT CONTINUES
    A 4-8 season. The swirling winds of discontent, both within the program and certainly outside it parameters. A major overhaul of the staff. An apparent failure on the recruiting trail two weeks before signing day.

    Notre Dame football under Brian Kelly had the makings of a disastrous conclusion to a six-year stint that went from good-to-very good (2010-15) to awful in 2016.

    But it’s pretty remarkable, astonishing really, that Notre Dame was able to close with bang on the Feb. 1 signing date and now, a mere three weeks later, are in the process of signing what could be a pretty special Class of 2018.

    Derrik Allen is the headliner on defense, and for me, Braden Lenzy is his equal on the offensive side of the ball.


    [​IMG]
    In The Film Room . . . Braden Lenzy

    Built along the same lines as former Irish standout Will Fuller, Lenzy can – like Fuller – make the spectacular look easy.



    by Tim Prister
    IrishIllustrated.com
    7:35 AM



    The comparisons to Will Fuller are inevitable – and warranted – although the transition to the next level, after another year of high school football, is never a given.

    The Irish are on fire. It’s not as significant as a 10-victory season in 2017, but the time to fully compensate for the ’16 season has not arrived.

    Kelly and his energetic young staff have somehow turned the heads of recruits away from 4-8 by promoting the opportunity to contribute early and creating an enticing environment for top talent.

    Any way you slice it, it’s impressive and commendable.

    I wrote something last week about this in Thursday Thoughts. It is applicable once again with the Lenzy commitment.

    PATIENCE REQUIRED
    Earlier this week, I wrote a story about the issues young quarterbacks face as first-time, full-time starters, as well as some of the advantages and disadvantages red-shirt sophomore Brandon Wimbush will face this fall.


    [​IMG]
    Young QBs: Feet To The Fire
    There are many factors that determine the success of a first-time starting QB, several of which are beyond a young signalcaller’s control.


    by Tim Prister
    IrishIllustrated.com
    Tuesday at 8:37 AM



    Beginning with Rick Mirer as a sophomore in 1990, I went over all the performances/statistics of Notre Dame’s first-time starters at quarterback the last two-and-a-half decades.

    There were way more average-to-bad than good performances. Ron Powlus in 1994 and DeShone Kizer in 2015 highlight the best.

    Kevin McDougal, who was a senior when he took over in 1993, helped lead the Irish to the brink of a national-title tilt, but he had the luxury of throwing just 14.4 times per game.

    Matt LoVecchio (2000) threw just 125 passes for less than 1,000 yards, but his touchdown-to-interception ratio was 11-to-1.

    Some of the worst statistics…

    • Brady Quinn (2003) – 47.3 percent, 9-to-15 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
    • Rick Mirer (1990) – Eight touchdowns, six interceptions.
    • Carlyle Holiday (2001) – 50.6 percent, three touchdowns, seven interceptions.
    • Jarious Jackson (1999) – In Jackson’s second year as a starter, he had 17 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions.
    • Jimmy Clausen (2007) – Seven touchdowns, six interceptions.
    • Tommy Rees (2010-11) – Although Rees completed a high percentage (65.5 in ’11), his touchdown-to-interception ratio was 32-to-22 his first two seasons.

    As you can see, there are some pretty good Notre Dame quarterbacks – including the most productive of all-time, Brady Quinn – that struggled out of the gate.

    The message: Be patient with Wimbush.

    THINKING LIKE BREY
    While I won’t pretend to know exactly how Mike Brey will respond to these questions, which I will ask Thursday afternoon, I’m pretty confident I know which way he’ll go.

    Recent stories within the national media have pointed out that coaches like Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Roy Williams (North Carolina), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and Rick Pitino (Louisville) are approaching the end of the line of their brilliant coaching careers.

    • Question No. 1: Would Brey leave Notre Dame for one of those higher-profile jobs?
    • Brey’s Projected Answer: I don’t think so, even the Duke job, where he coached under Krzyzewski for eight seasons before landing his first head-coaching job at Delaware.

    Brey is acutely aware of the pitfalls of following legends, and each of the above-mentioned four falls into that category. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen. Who knows if Brey would be a perceived fit for any of those four, even Duke.

    But Brey has never been a guy that seeks the spotlight or adulation, although he did give consideration to Maryland a few years back, which was a childhood favorite of his.

    Every coach wants to win a national title. Odds of reaching that destination at Notre Dame are relatively slim. But Brey is more of a niche guy who operates best in a comfort zone, which he’s certainly achieved with the Irish.

    • Question No. 2: Do you recruit differently now that you have reached the Elite Eight each of the past two years and are once again a frontrunner in the ACC?
    • Brey’s Projected Answer: Nope. He’s still looking for program fits more than he is five-star players. If Notre Dame’s success opens up avenues to a higher skill-level, he’s certainly open to pursuing better talent, but not at the expense of system fits.

    He’s gone down that road before – think Cameron Biedscheid – and it was a disaster.

    If anything, Brey’s recent success emboldens him even further to continue to recruit the way he has in the past. An elite big man certainly would be nice. He recruited Caleb Swanigan (Purdue) a couple of years ago. The Irish are one elite big man away this year from being a contender to go beyond the Elite Eight.

    But why recruit a higher-caliber of player that potentially damages the chemistry of his team and the relative harmony with which he coaches the Notre Dame players? Those characteristics are more essential to his success than more pure basketball talent.

    Plus, regardless how much success Notre Dame has under Brey, there’s still a cap on the type of player he can bring in.

    I’ll be the first to admit when I’m wrong regarding these two questions, but I don’t think I am.

    WEIS JR. TO FALCONS
    I first got to know Charlie Weis Jr. on the baseball field, and it wasn’t pretty.

    Weis was a kid with his father’s genes trying to become a high school baseball player. He hadn’t grown into his body yet. But he worked hard, transferred from my Mishawaka Marian High School baseball program to another local Catholic school (St. Joseph’s), and developed a pretty darn good left-handed swing.

    The next time I saw Weis Jr. after his father’s dismissal from Notre Dame was in Lawrence, Kansas in the summer of 2014, the year Weis Sr. was ultimately dismissed after four games.

    Weis Jr. had grown, shed a bunch of pounds and had become a young man.

    His dad always spoke of Charlie Jr. as a football savant, back from his awkward years as the head coach’s son wearing a headset along the sideline.

    One often has to allow for a parent’s bias, but he insisted that his son had a gift and a vision of offensive football, not unlike his father, who had great success as an NFL coordinator.

    Weis Jr. held the position of offensive quality control at Florida during his father’s one-year stint as offensive coordinator of the Gators. He then served as a manager for the Kansas football team when Weis Sr. landed the head-coaching role.

    Nepotism has its benefits.

    It wasn’t until Nick Saban hired Weis Jr. at Alabama, where he served two years (2015-16) as an offensive analyst, before it became noteworthy. There are no mercy hires in the Saban regime. (Note: Troubled Steve Sarkisian wouldn’t have been hired if he didn’t offer Saban true football value.)

    After Lane Kiffin departed Alabama in between the playoff victory and the national championship game, he ultimately tabbed Weis Jr. as tight ends coach at Florida Atlantic.

    Now Weis Jr. has been hired by the Atlanta Falcons as an offensive assistant under head coach Dan Quinn and new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who left Alabama following the national championship game loss.

    This goes well beyond nepotism. NFL jobs, even minor ones, aren’t gift-wrapped. An NFL team that recently lost in the Super Bowl doesn’t just pluck an inexperienced tight ends coach from Florida Atlantic as a favor to a retired football coach.

    Just 24-years-old, Charlie Weis Jr. is becoming his own man in the NFL. You’ll be hearing from him again.
     
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  42. Beeds07

    Beeds07 Bitch, it's Saturday
    Donor
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishSt. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Blues

    I got this
     
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  43. Thoros of Beer

    Thoros of Beer Academy Award-Winning Actor, Tim Allen
    Donor

    Alize Jones changed his last name to Mack
     
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  44. NDfanPSUgrad

    NDfanPSUgrad Well-Known Member
    Penn State Nittany LionsNotre Dame Fighting Irish

    I saw this on twitter but didn't realize he actually changed his name.
     
  45. Beeds07

    Beeds07 Bitch, it's Saturday
    Donor
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishSt. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Blues

    It worked for Juju, but if he doesn't have someone named Mack in his family, that's awesome.
     
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  46. beist

    beist Hyperbolist
    Donor

    Of all the positive developments that have taken place this offseason somehow I think this is the best.
     
  47. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
    Donor TMB OG
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishChicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksDemocrat

    If we don't use our new fancy speakers and screen to play return of the Mack after his first catch we've failed as a university.
     
  48. ZeroPointZero

    ZeroPointZero RIP #24
    TMB OG
    Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles LakersLos Angeles RamsTiger WoodsSouthern California Trojans

    given the average age in the crowd, you'd probably be more likely to hear "Mack the Knife"
     
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  49. a1ND

    a1ND Bold & Spicy
    Donor

    ZMAN can we have some Intel please?
     
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  50. ZMAN

    ZMAN Well-Known Member
    Minnesota TimberwolvesNotre Dame Fighting IrishMinnesota Vikings

    National Signing Day was over three weeks ago, but the Irish aren't finished recruiting players who could help them this fall.

    A couple weeks ago, Notre Dame landed wide receiver transfer Freddy Canteen from Michigan and is now in the running for an impact defensive lineman in Scott Pagano, who is transferring from Clemson after graduating.

    As we reported earlier in the week, Pagano has already scheduled an official visit to Notre Dame for next month before stops at Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Oregon.

    We caught up with Pagano's former coach at Moanalua High School in Hawaii, Arnold Martinez, who offered some insight into Pagano's decision to leave a program that just won a national championship.

    "He's like a son to me," Martinez said of Pagano. "I love him. He's a great guy, a great kid. It's one of those deals where he wants to expand his experiences. There's no bad blood between him and Clemson. I'm excited for him to get an opportunity to experience something new. As a coach, part of me sees the value in staying where you started.

    "You want guys to stretch their learning, experiences and go outside their comfort zones. He's not afraid to do that. I think whatever choice he makes, he can't go wrong. Even if he was going to stay he wouldn't go wrong. He wants to experience something else and grow from it. You want kids to be able to adapt, be versatile, grow in different situations, so he's definitely showing some maturity."

    Martinez, who is now the head coach at Kaiser High School, said Pagano has already accomplished more than he could have dreamed of in college.

    "He's always going to be a Clemson Tiger in his heart," the coach said. "He felt like he accomplished everything he wanted to and got a national championship. The guys in that recruiting class at Clemson had a phenomenal run. Every kid in his same class played in BCS bowl games, two national championship games and won one. There aren't a lot of guys who can say that other than kids who maybe came through Alabama."

    The 6-foot-3, 295-pounder from Honolulu was an Army All-American coming out of high school, but knew he needed to step up his game for the college level.

    "In high school, being one of the biggest guys around, there are times when you're going to dominate because of your physical size," Martinez explained. "He wanted to get better at technique. He had a desire to not just rely on his size and I think that's what separated him. One of the things we talked about when he first left high school, was pad level, leverage and playing low because you're going to be up against guys the same size.

    "I think Dan Brooks and Dabo (Swinney) did a heckuva job of getting him to habitually play with leverage and power down inside. You could see his job was really to plug the middle up and push that line back. I thought he definitely made great improvement from leaving high school to doing that. Almost by necessity you have to, but he did take time out to get better at technique."

    Once a starter, Pagano remained a key part of the Tigers' defensive line rotation and shared the award given to the unit's 12th man this past season. Still, he has more room to improve.

    "He's mature enough to know that he's still got some things to work on," Martinez said. "He's not the kid to feel like he's satisfied and has reached the mountaintop. He's a kid who is constantly thinking, 'OK, how can I get better? What can I get better at?' Those qualities are what you want in a player."

    Notre Dame did offer him a scholarship in high school and Pagano showed some legitimate interest, but he never visited. He'll finally make that trip in a month.

    "I think tradition obviously," Martinez said of why Notre Dame has Pagano's attention. "He was aware of the tradition and I think he still is now and I think that intrigues him."

    Martinez isn't expecting a snap decision.

    "He's going to take these trips," the coach said. "I know he's going to be thorough about it. He won't make an off-the-cuff decision or a knee-jerk decision. He's going to think it through and weigh out the pros and cons and pick something where he feels like he can perform the best and help a team too. That's the other thing with Scott. He cares about helping other people too and helping a team. I don't believe he's just looking at what he can get out of it."

    And that decision won't come down to a single factor.

    "He hasn't really said it's one thing or another. It's not playing time, it's not one specific area. It's more of the general experience, what the school has to offer. Obviously, he has to think about what his future looks like after college football. I think he's looking for a situation that will benefit him in that sense."

    WHAT WOULD PAGANO MEAN FOR THE 2017 IRISH?: Not many fifth-year transfers generate as much interest as Pagano. Then again, there aren't many defensive tackles on the transfer market who can come in and immediately help your team like he can. Notre Dame could certainly use his help at one-technique if Daniel Cage's status becomes uncertain.

    The 6-3 nose tackle is very strong at the point of attack. When he is at his best, he can be great player versus the run in the middle of a defense. His strongest position is at one-technique or nose guard. He did some really good things against Nick Martin in the game at Death Valley last season, when he got underneath Martin's pads and forced CJ Prosise to bounce outside.

    Pagano is most effective at plays run at him inside. He is strong, but not a massive presence in the middle. He needs to rely on a good get-off and play with great leverage to be an effective player against the double and struggles when he is late reacting at the snap of the ball. In a lot of ways, he is similar to Cage. He shows flashes of being disruptive versus the run, but is not great at finding the football when having to move laterally against outside zone plays. He also isn't the kind of player who is going to be an outstanding pass rusher, although he does have an effective bull rush.

    This past season, he lost playing time to five-star freshman Dexter Lawrence. That's says less about Pagano and more about how exceptionally gifted Lawrence is. There aren't many who are as big and freakishly athletic as Lawrence. He should end up being a top five pick in the NFL Draft in 2019.

    Pagano was still solid as a third tackle on the team and played at nose as well as at three-technique when asked. Clemson would stem their linemen and move the shades pre-snap as well and he could handle the transition to any interior spot on the line. That was nice to see because Mike Elko will mix up his alignments at times.

    If he was to choose Notre Dame, he could step in and be a one-two with Cage at one-technique immediately. If Jerry Tillery or another player do not step up at three-technique, he could pick up snaps there as well. And if Cage is not healthy enough to play this season, Pagano would play a crucial role in filling in that spot with no one else with experience behind him.

    One thing the coaching staff can offer him that he didn't get much of a chance to have at Clemson is more of an opportunity on third down. In his last season of eligibility, he would love to show pro scouts he has something more to offer in that area. We'll see if he is open to the pitch that Notre Dame gives him because they should be show him plenty of opportunities to showcase his talent.

    COACHING CHANGES CATCH DAX'S EYE: Notre Dame has always been a dream school of sorts for Dax Hollifield, so the 2018 North Carolina linebacker was pretty fired up to receive an offer from the Irish a couple weeks ago, but it was a move actually moves made a couple months that helped Notre Dame secure a spot in Hollifield's top nine schools, which he released yesterday.

    "I'd been talking to them since my sophomore year anyway, but the fact that Coach (Mike) Elko and Coach (Clark) Lea got jobs there as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach was a big factor in them being included," Hollifield said.

    "I was in contact with them at Wake Forest the whole time."

    In addition to the Irish, Wake Forest did make the cut along with North Carolina, Alabama, LSU, Florida State, Virginia Tech, South Carolina and Stanford.

    Hollifield called both Elko and Lea "very sharp."

    "Coach Elko graduated from Penn," he continued. "He proved it this year at Wake Forest how he can coach. He had one of the best defenses in the country with players who weren't necessarily big-time players. He's a great guy.

    "Coach Lea is a young guy, but I feel like he's going to be one of the hottest coaches in the country in a few years. He gets down to the fundamentals of stuff and I really like that about him. I think he's a really good coach."

    Hollifield is going to try to visit each of his favorites over the next several months and hopes to have his list trimmed to five by the start of the fall.

    RISING DE EXCITED BY ND OFFER: Notre Dame needs pass rushers and 2018 California defensive end Abdul-Malik McClain is one the Irish have more than a fair shot at landing land. The three-star prospect from Santa Margarita was fired up to learn he had an offer from Notre Dame last week.

    "I was very happy about it," McClain told Irish Sports Daily. "Notre Dame is one of those schools I really like and I was really excited to get the offer."

    UCLA, Virginia and Washington join Notre Dame in offering the California native and all want him coming off the edge.

    "It's really exciting for me," he said. "They see me as a rush end but kind of like a linebacker too."

    Notre Dame should have a chance to impress McClain this summer as he is already trying to get a trip worked out to South Bend.

    "I think I will be coming out to South Bend for a camp this summer," said McClain.

    ND OFFER SENTIMENTAL ONE FOR WILLIAMS: 2018 California wide receiver Chase Williams has some pretty big-time offers already with schools like USC, Washington, Cal and UCLA among others.

    But the offer he received from Notre Dame had an added layer of significance for the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder from Corona, Calif.

    "I was really excited," Williams said. "It was a bigger one for me because it has a lot to do with my family. It was really meaningful.

    "It's very meaningful to me and my family because one of the members of my family who had passed away, it was his favorite school. There was just more meaning to the offer, not that the other ones aren't. I'm just saying it was more sentimental."

    Williams plans to visit South Bend at some point to get a feel for the school, program and the surrounding area, but doesn't have a date locked in yet. He's already been to USC, UCLA, Cal and Washington and will be back at UCLA this weekend. In addition, Arizona and Georgia have also made strong pushes.

    Williams isn't in a rush to make a decision, but would like to have one before the start of his senior season.

    COULD IRISH GO AFTER ANOTHER HOOPS PROJECT?: Just a couple years ago, Kofi Wardlow considered himself a basketball player and now the 2017 Washington, D.C. defensive end is headed to Notre Dame as a football player after signing with the Irish earlier this month.

    Jayson Oweh is looking to take a similar path as the 6-foot-6, 240-pounder from New Jersey's Blair Academy has also made football his primary sport over hoops. Like Wardlow, Oweh could play defensive end, but he's hoping to play tight end at the next level.

    Oweh could be in the midst of one of those stages where a prospect goes from unknown to well-known in a flash.

    After picking up his first offer, from Rutgers, back on Feb. 8th, Oweh has grabbed offers from Boston College, Louisville, Temple, Central Florida and Dartmouth this week alone with Pitt potentially coming in next.

    He's received some preliminary contact from Notre Dame and is hoping that continues. Oweh said he would "definitely" be interested in the Irish and would love the opportunity to visit South Bend.

    He's also receiving varying degrees of interest from schools like Syracuse, Penn State, Wisconsin and Indiana.

    Obviously, college coaches like the athletic gifts Oweh possesses along with his ceiling since he's only played football for a single year.

    For his part, Oweh, who wants to study Engineering, is going to be looking at academics seriously.

    But for now, he's just enjoying the beginning of the process.

    "It's a blessing. It's overwhelming, but it's a blessing. It's my first year playing, so I'm extremely blessed to have this."


    Additional Analysis From Uyeyama: When I watched Oweh's film from his first year playing football, I couldn't help but think of Wardlow. If Notre Dame took a chance on Wardlow with how raw he is, they could do the same with someone like Oweh, who has more impressive physical traits than Wardlow.

    He absolutely looks the part of a future NFL player with his wingspan and the way he moves for someone 6-6 and 240 pounds. I'm sure he is going to be get much bigger as well and be a scary individual.

    There are so many things like hand use and snap anticipation where he is clearly taking baby steps. For that reason, I can understand why most of the big boys would want to see him during the May evaluation period, in camp, or on video competing at other camps this spring or summer before pulling the trigger. That is what I assume Notre Dame would do with a prospect like him at this time. It's likely that they would wait to see him doing that, much like they did with Ade Ogundeji before offering him a couple of years ago.

    Oweh is someone who should definitely be on their board as someone to watch closely, though. He is the prototype physically and if he shows enough of the other traits that can be molded at the next level, he could very well be in line for an offer down in the next few months.

    GARNER WANTS ND OFFER: Stanley Garner already has an impressive offer sheet, but the 2018 Florida cornerback wants more.

    In fact, the 6-foot-3, 180-pounder from Fort Lauderdale recently sent out a tweet listing the schools he was still waiting on offers from and Notre Dame was on it.


    "I just see that they have a large fan base and their fan base shows a lot of love," Garner said of the Irish. "They also send me a lot of mail, so I know I'm on their watch list, I just haven't gotten an offer yet."

    Garner already has offers from schools like Clemson, South Carolina, Auburn, Miami, Central Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky among others.

    He says an offer from Notre Dame would vault the Irish into contenders and would likely result in him taking a visit to South Bend.

    Garner said colleges like the frame, athleticism and physicality he brings to the position.

    Comfort will be a major factor when it comes time for him to choose one school over the rest.

    ON THE HOOPS TRAIL: With a week off between games, Mike Brey dispatched his assistant coaches around the country to check on recruits in the Class of 2018 and beyond.

    Nate Laszewski was one of the first 2018 prospects the Irish checked on. The 6-foot-7 swingman from Northfield Mount Herman in Massachusetts has offers from schools like Villanova, Texas, Texas A&M, Miami, Baylor and Wake Forest. Despite having not offered Laszewski yet, the Irish remain firmly in the race and he visited back in November. In the coming months, he could see his stock soar the nation's biggest programs are already poking around but academics will really be the key here. Wake Forest and Danny Manning are coming at him hard right now, but we're told Laszewski has a good understanding of where he stands with the Irish as well. If Notre Dame decides to offer, it would be a real contender.

    Brock Cunningham is another top target who is waiting on an offer from the Irish. The 2018 Texas forward tells us he was honored to have Notre Dame at his playoff game earlier in the week and will now wait to hear back on whether the Irish believe he's good enough for them. If Notre Dame decides to offer, the 6-foot-7, 205-pounder would likely jump at the chance to visit South Bend. His grandfather worked at Notre Dame and his mother grew up nearby, so Cunningham's family has seriously strong ties to the University.

    2018 New Jersey guard Luther Muhammad also received a visit. One of the top players on the East Coast, Notre Dame remains in the mix and he continues to talk about getting out to South Bend. The Irish will need to get him on campus if they're going to stay in the race against schools like St. John's, Syracuse and Seton Hall among others.

    Texas' Gerald Liddell Jr. may have been the highest-rated target the Irish saw during their travels. The 6-foot-7, 180-pounder from Cibilo, Texas is considered a five-star prospect by multiple outlets. It'll be interesting to see if the Irish are able to establish any type of traction.

    Notre Dame also made it up to Chicago to check on 2018 guard Ayo Dosunmu and 2018 swingman Talen Horton-Tucker, both of whom have made trips down to South Bend in recent months.

    The Irish made sure to swing by and see 2017 signee DJ Harvey and watched his game against Virginia's Paul VI, which features 2018 guard Brandon Slater and 2020 guard Jeremy Roach.

    Other targets who the Irish checked in on included 2018 Washington, D.C. guard Prentiss Hubb, 2018 Wisconsin forward Joey Hauser and 2018 Texas forward Matthew Mayer along with 2019 Minnesota forward Matthew Hurt.

    SHOOTING THE GAPS: 2018 Ohio running back Jaelen Gill has a decision date set for Wednesday. If you didn't notice, we removed Gill from our Target List last week. The Irish are no longer pursuing Gill, who is expected to pick Ohio State.

    The flurry of offers the Irish sent out on Tuesday included four to players who could play receiver. Notre Dame scored a receiver commitment last week from Micah Jones and one this week from Braden Lenzy, but apparently, the staff is far from done at the position. "They're taking five receivers this year in the Class of 2018 because they need guys who can make plays," one of the prospects who was offered this week told ISD. One thing that is clear is the Irish are definitely prioritizing speed at the position. They saw what the offense looked liked with Will Fuller in it as a deep threat and what it looked like without him last season. Adding Lenzy as a speedy option on the outside is a terrific start, but new offers to Lawrence Keys III, Anthony Schwartz, and Mike Wilson signal that they aren't done looking for burners to create big-chunk plays. Expect them to continue to look for more players with similar speed at receiver this spring. Five may be pushing it a bit, but Notre Dame is clearly making the position a priority this cycle.

    CJ Holmes has enjoyed his first several weeks on campus after enrolling early last month. The Connecticut native will be seeing some faces this weekend as his father and sister, Lexe, are making the trip to South Bend. Lexe is a standout track sprinter with state records in the 100 and 200 while reaching All-American status in the 200 and 400. She's is taking an unofficial visit to Notre Dame with the hosting the ACC Indoor Championships. Lexe visited Clemson last weekend and expects to hit Maryland, South Carolina, UConn and Vanderbilt among others in the weeks to come. Meanwhile, CJ seems to be making the transition to college just fine. He's liking his teammates, classmates and the workouts. He might be liking the workouts most of all as he feels he's already in the best shape of his life and appears to have caught the eye of the new strength staff.

    We didn't see the Irish almost sweeping commits from Junior Day visitors scoring pledges from four of the five uncommitted targets who were on campus a couple weeks ago at least not this fast. But we had a source who did. He didn't only know who was going to fall to Notre Dame, but he predicted when as well, so kudos to him. "Just getting started," the source said after Lenzy announcement this week. Asked if there were more to come in the immediate future, he said he wasn't as sure as the previous ones, but that he knew the members of the current class were working particularly hard on one more. Could it be Ohio linebacker Dallas Gant to complete a perfect Junior Day sweep? We'll see.