2012 Official Notre Dame Football Thread

[spiker]

Yep

[Jayrock]

Gay

[FirstTimer]

Good story on Ethan Johnson and The Draft from Keith Arnold at NBC

The very best college football has to offer will gather tomorrow night in Radio City Music Hall, waiting to hear their names announced during the opening round of the NFL Draft. Meanwhile, former Irish defensive end Ethan Johnson will be a thousand miles away, hopefully making up for lost time.

For a player that spent the better part of four years in the Irish starting lineup, you’d think he’d feel up to speed. But a senior season derailed by an ankle injury, and some personal problems at home that kept him away from training for the draft, had many believing Johnson had played his final down of football.

Johnson sat and watched as NFL scouts put Irish seniors through their final audition before this weekend’s NFL Draft during Notre Dame’s Senior Day. What appeared to be the desire to walk away from the game was really a personal problem Johnson kept under wraps.

“I had a family medical issue that demanded my immediate attention,” Johnson said. “I was flying back to Portland almost every weekend trying to resolve it, and I wasn’t able to give my full attention to the pro day. Although I was staying in shape and I was working out as much as possible, there’s a huge difference between doing that and getting prepared for the NFL.”

The setback was just another pitfall in a career that was pock-marked with difficulty. A knee injury suffered in the first game of his senior season of high school kept him out of action until he arrived in South Bend. After a promising true freshman campaign where Johnson tied for the team lead in sacks, he moved to the interior of the line for his sophomore year, playing as an undersized defensive tackle for a defense that struggled to stop the run and fell apart down the stretch.

Brian Kelly’s hiring and the return to the 3-4 defense put Johnson back at his natural end position and he started all thirteen games during a rock solid junior campaign. After a disastrous stretch of football from a developmental standpoint — three different defensive coordinators, four different position coaches (Mike Elston’s illness kept him out of action for a stretch) — it seemed things were coming together for a promising senior season. Until an ankle injury against Purdue all but ended his senior season.

“The injury was frustrating. I started the season the way I wanted to, but four games wasn’t enough to make a huge impression,” Johnson said. “When I came back I wasn’t close to 100 percent but I could still help the team win, so I came back because we really needed help against the run, so I wanted to be out there.”

Johnson was out there, but no where near at his best, nullifying his ability to get to the passer and keeping him far from full strength when he returned to duty against Maryland.

“Trying to stop the run with a high ankle sprain isn’t the easiest thing to do,” Johnson said. “But I felt like I did an okay job.”

If there’s one thing that might be a bigger challenge than battling through an ankle injury, it’s getting on NFL Draft boards after jumping into the fray late. With things at home solved quicker than expected (Johnson at one point considered an attempt for the 2013 draft), he and his agent went about reminding teams about a certain 6-foot-4, 295-pound defensive end that can both play in the 3-4 and also get after the passer.

“When I first told my agent that I wanted to play, I was just hoping that I’d get a chance to go to camp and prove myself,” Johnson said. “But I’ve been contacted by almost every team, every team has my number to call. I’m completely healthy, my ankle is completely healthy, and I’m in my better shape than I was last season.”

It might be an uphill battle to hear his named called this weekend, but Johnson will stay in Florida training until it’s time to head to a team’s camp. Until then, he’ll keep his head down and wait for a team to give him a chance.

“I’ve had teams calling to say, ‘Look for our number on draft day,’” Johnson said. “I feel like teams are definitely interested.”

[Irish]

Well I watched the spring game about 5 times now so I will say some things.

QB
Rees-Sucks.
Hendrix-He has an arm, he can run, he is a great leader. Problem is he can't throw.
Golson-Has to be game 1 starter. He won't be because Kelly is afraid to rush him, but he is far and away the best QB for the talent around him and offense.
Kiel-I'll admit I was kind of shocked watching him during the spring practices. He has talent. And he is already built like an NFL QB. I don't know how he fits the offense, but he can be serious player if Golson doesn't go breaking records.

RB
Wood-Stud. Big season might mean 2nd-3rd round pick.
Riddick-I know he impressed in the SG, but I have been burned by him so much in the past, dropsies, fumbles, injuries.
Atkinson-Wow this game will be great for his confidence that he can play at this level. Confidence will make him play with his natural ability more and not thinking so much, which will be great.
Carlisle-Didn't play all spring. Still excited about him.
Roberson-Would've liked to see him play more but I know he is still injured.
(Still get to see Mahone/Russell)

WR/TE
Daniels-He is no Floyd, but not bad. Will have some big games. Will disappear in others.
Jones-When is he gonna step up and be a solid number 2 guy on the outside. He can only beat guys running a 10 yard out.
Toma-Probably gonna be really decent running drags.
Eifert-Gonna be the best player on offense.
Goodman-Sucks. No matter what Kelly tells me, I know Goodman isn't good enough.
Smith-Needs to step up now if he ever wants a chance for serious playing time.
Koyack-I like and think he will play well with Eifert.
Welch-Good to see him out running routes. Not bad for a 3rd TE.
Niklas-Will be crazy seeing what he can do.
(I will not be surprised if Neal, Brown, and Ferguson see serious playing time this year. I especially expect Brown and Neal to play this season.)

OL
Looked really good all spring. I would not be surprised if ND turn out some of the better OL talent in the coming years.

Defense I'll just do notes since I have things to do.
-Kendall Moore needs to play.
-Hopefully nobody tries to pass on the secondary.

[FirstTimer]

Mike Heuerman 4* TE from Florida is Irish

[FirstTimer]

Jonas Gray signs with Miami

Taylor Dever signs with Dallas

[padman59]

The Dolphins is an interesting choice for Jonas since it seems like there's a logjam at running back right now in Miami.

Also, Ethan Johnson has apparently signed with the Chiefs.

[spiker]

I always like Jonas Gray as a "pro style" RB. He's got the vision, size and quick feet to do something in the NFL. I hope he gets a real shot to play in Miami.

[padman59]

So the Atkinson brothers did well at the Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend.

[FirstTimer]

Cleats for the game in Dublin

[FirstTimer]

So the Atkinson brothers did well at the Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend.

They are fast:

From Keith Arnold

With their performances in the 100m over the weekend proof that George and Josh Atkinson are fast, I wanted to dig a little deeper into the question, “How fast are they?” The answer, as it turns out, is really, really fast.

From a Notre Dame perspective, the brothers Atkinson are historically fast. Since Irish Track & Field have been running the 100-meter dash, only one person has ever run a faster time than the sprints both brothers recorded: Raghib Ismail.*

That’s 5-foot-10, 175-pound, two-time first-team All-American, Rocket Ismail, who clocked a personal best 10.34 100m dash in a meet his junior year. One of the most explosive kick returners and wide receivers in Notre Dame (you can argue college football) history, clocking a time that’s only a blink of an eye faster than George or Josh. Two freshman that literally didn’t practice before picking up the outdoor season in progress, instead focusing on spring drills with the football team.

The US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association tracks the best times run by college football players in the country, and the Atkinson brothers clock in with the 5th and 6th fastest times in the country.

Top 100m Times for College Football Players

Jeff Demps, Sr. Florida — 10.01
Brent Lee, Jr. Jackson State — 10.25
Marquise Goodwin, Jr. Texas — 10.32
Isaiah Sweeney, Sr. Houston — 10.35
George Atkinson III, Fr. Notre Dame — 10.36
Josh Atkinson, Fr. Notre Dame — 10.39
Jeremy Tillman, Sr. Florida A&M — 10.39

To help put the speed into context, here are the heights, weights, and positions of the sprinters listed above.

Jeff Demps, RB: 5-foot-7, 190 lbs.
Brent Lee, RB: 5-foot-7, 185 lbs.
Isaiah Sweeney, WR: 5-foot-10, 175 lbs.
George Atkinson, RB: 6-foot-1, 215 lbs.
Josh Atkinson, CB: 5-foot-11, 185 lbs.
Jeremy Tillman, WR: 5-foot-11, 185 lbs.

It’s pretty clear that George (and to a certain extent, Josh as well) is an outlier in this group, with his powerful frame and size far from an asset in the sprint world. (He’s carrying at least 25 pounds more than the next guy.) Also working against the twins is the fact that they’re freshmen, still physically developing and learning the intricacies of collegiate sprinting. (There are only two other freshmen in the top 25 sprint times by college football players. Thurgood Dennis, a D-III reserve DB chipped in four tackles on defense while returning 13 kickoffs while focusing on track. Angelo Cabrera is a redshirt freshman that carried the ball only six times for 18 yards at Bethune-Cookman.)

With George and Josh both likely playing impact roles on the gridiron next season, we’ll likely never get a real read on what their track ceilings could be. But it’s rather astonishing to think that after 15 spring practices, and basically zero block work (one of the keys to running fast times in competition), both brothers went out and ran historic times, waking up the echoes of The Rocket, and dusting every other Irish football great in their first year sprinting.

*The top sprinter in Notre Dame history, All-American Bill Hurd, competed in the 100 yard dash. His 9.3 time would translate to a 10.2 100 meter run.

[FirstTimer]

Great article from Inside the Irish(Keith Arnold always does great work)

http://irish.nbcsports.com/2012/05/14/kelly-may-have-his-perfect-qb-recruit-in-malik-zaire/

If having two quarterbacks really means you have none, Irish fans must be wondering what having four quarterbacks does to a team. With the offseason headlines dominated by a four-headed quarterback race featuring Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson and Gunner Kiel, the search for the Irish’s offensive leader overshadowed the commitment of Ohio quarterback Malik Zaire to the Notre Dame 2013 recruiting class. While Zaire has flown under the radar for Irish fans already trying to make sense of the current depth chart, he might be the perfect quarterback recruit for Brian Kelly’s offense, and one of the nation’s most exciting prospects.

Zaire’s invitation last week to the Elite 11 quarterback camp finals in Redondo Beach, California gives you an idea of what the ceiling is for a quarterback that’s just starting to understand how good he can be. With offers from schools like Alabama and Ohio State, Zaire’s upside seems to be truly elite, and the 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior will spend a week this summer working working alongside the top quarterbacks in the country at the Elite 11 camp, competing for a mythical crown that usually means the future is bright.

To get a better grasp on Zaire’s abilities, I spent some time with Yogi Roth, who hosts ESPN’s Elite 11 showcase and knows quite a bit about quarterback play himself. Roth has seen a lot of Notre Dame football. While he’s most widely associated with Pete Carroll’s USC program, where he worked his way up to quarterback coach of guys like John David Booty and Mark Sanchez, he’s followed Irish quarterbacks all the way back to when he was competing with Matt LoVecchio, Carlyle Holiday, and Jared Clark as a wide receiver at Pitt. (Before you accuse Roth of bias, he grew up an Irish fan, with an autographed poster of Ron Powlus adorning his bedroom wall.)

Roth recruited Dayne Crist for USC when he was a top Southern California prospect, coached against Jimmy Clausen and Brady Quinn. He hosted Everett Golson and Gunner Kiel at Elite 11 camps over the past two summers. To say he’s had a close look at Irish quarterbacks is an understatement. Ask Roth who he’d want of that group quarterbacking his team, and he might shock you when he doesn’t hesitate to pick the least hyped prospect of them all: Malik Zaire.

“If you look at his skill-set and where football is at this day and age, he’s a great vision of what the QB position is right now,” Roth said of Zaire’s abilities. “Sixteen of the top 25 teams in the country run a spread offense. The game has changed and the quarterback position has changed from just being a big guy that can throw the football to a quarterback that’s one of the best athletes on the field. That’s Malik.”

With Zaire labeled as a run-first type quarterback, I wanted to get a feeling from Roth just how good of a passer Zaire could be. With height (Zaire’s listed at 6-foot-1 on his Elite 11 profile) not one of his best assets, throwing the ball accurately will be a key to any future success at the college level. And it’s one area where Roth thinks Zaire will thrive.

“If you look at his skill set, he’s such a dynamic thrower,” Roth said. “He’s a pure passer, he’s so smooth that you forget how mobile he is.”

After glowing about Zaire’s athleticism and arm, Roth also pointed to the intangibles Irish fans are seeing as Zaire has taken a leadership role in building his recruiting class. The skills that are toughest to measure might be Roth’s favorite aspect of Zaire’s game.

“The biggest thing we saw was his competitiveness with his talent,” Roth said, noting Zaire was learning many of the drills for the first time. “Of all the quarterbacks I’ve mentioned, especially the ones that I’ve been around, he’s got the best presence. They’re all talented, but he’s got that natural knack. He lights up a room. From the moment he walked in with his mom to the day he said goodbye, he was fully engaged.”

Zaire’s invitation to Redondo Beach for the Elite 11 finals is likely only the beginning of an offseason that’ll see Zaire blossom into an elite player as a senior. And while we’re two full seasons away from seeing Zaire done the blue-and-gold for Notre Dame, Roth thinks the future is bright for the Irish will Zaire behind center.

“He might not walk in and save the day, but he’ll be an elite performer for the Fighting Irish.”

[FirstTimer]

Darius Fleming tore his ACL in Niners camp

[FirstTimer]

Carlo formerly charged.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Prosecutors charged Notre Dame linebacker Carlo Calabrese with a misdemeanor count of intimidation Wednesday for allegedly making threatening remarks to a police officer after quarterback Tommy Rees was arrested near an off-campus party.

The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office announced its decision less than two weeks after police recommended May 3 that he be charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

According to a probable cause affidavit, South Bend police officer Dorian Finley said he arrived at the party after another officer had chased someone who fled the party and reported that he was in a fight. Finley said about 12 people began gathering on the street around officers and he told them to get on the sidewalk.

Calabrese became vocal and said Rees was his teammate, Finley said. Calabrese then walked toward the curb while talking on the phone, but remained on the street. Finley said he again asked Calabrese to get on the sidewalk. Finley said after a brief verbal exchange, Calabrese stepped on the sidewalk, but then walked back into the street. He then asked Finley if he was a Notre Dame football fan.

When Rees was taken away, Finley said Calabrese told him: "My people will get you." Finley asked Calabrese whether he was threatening him, and Finley said Calabrese repeated: "My people will get you."

Finley said people in the crowd grabbed Calabrese and walked him toward the house. Finley returned to his car. But when he saw a commotion, Finley walked back and saw people restraining Calabrese. Finley ordered Calabrese to come to him. Finley says Calabrese walked away and said "he was done." Finley said when he again ordered Calabrese to come to him, Calabrese started walking faster. So Finley ran after him and placed him under arrest.

Calabrese was released later on a $150 bond.

That all happened after Rees was pepper-sprayed and arrested after he allegedly ran from and knocked the wind out of a police officer who caught up to him, and he continued to resist even after being knocked down. Police said Rees was among about five people who jumped a backyard fence and ran after officers arrived to break up the party.

The 19-year-old Rees was charged with one count of battery, two counts of resisting law enforcement and one count of illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor. He was released on $250 bond.

Rees, who is from Lake Forest, Ill., started 12 of 13 games as the Irish went 8-5 last season after starting four games as a freshman. He is among four players competing for the starting quarterback position this coming season.

Calabrese, who is from Verona, N.J., was a backup linebacker who played in every game last season after starting eight games as a sophomore during the 2010 season.

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has acknowledged the incident and the school has said any discipline will be handled internally.

Both players were scheduled to make a court appearance Thursday.

Typical South Bend cop bitch move.

[FirstTimer]

Rees is in court this AM.

Davaris Daniels popped for underage drinking this past weekend