Official Notre Dame Football Thread

[FirstTimer]

Really nice pickups for the Irish.

Love to see us still hammering away in the secondary.

 

[Irish]

Don't think this has been said in here but the Irish are looking at George Atkinson III to RB instead of WR.

Also Farley, who was thought to play either WR or CB, looks to be headed over to WR. He is listed at 6'0, probably 5'11, and runs a 4.5 forty. Said in an interview he has only been playing organized football for two years. I would assume he will swap out with TJ Jones once he gets up to speed at that position. Maybe a slot guy but Toma and Riddick are ahead of him at that position.

As for the GAIII move this is what I told FT in the chatbox days ago. In the short term it is probably a necessary move, Cierre gets those tweaking injuries where he sits for a couple of plays and Jonas really hasn't shown me anything yet. Besides that there is Cam McDaniel but obviously GAIII will be an upgrade athletically over him. GAIII played more of a RB in high school.

But overall I do not like this move at all. GAIII is one of the better athletic talents we got on the offensive side of the ball besides Davaris Daniels, probably a toss up right now really. And I expect a huge pull in recruiting this year at the RB position. Weak depth chart, ND making news, and the spread offense are huge reasons why I predict success at that position. My issue is once those new RBs come in, will they jump ahead of GAIII? Keep in mind Cierre still has 3 years eligibility. So either ND runs multiple RBs getting 7 carries a game, or some of these guys are gonna get lost in the shuffle and I would bet GAIII is one of them.

I also think we need some talent out wide because right now with Floyd not being able to contribute much, the wide receiver talent is very thin.

 

[FirstTimer]

They can always shift GAIII back and I'm not crazy about the Farley switch to WR. In the end though a lot depends what this class shapes up like and where the holes are. You do have to love Kelly bringing in versatile guys.

 

[Irish]

Kelly's class this year looks incredible so far, and probably will reach some levels that has not been seen in South Bend for a while. All of course depending on the success of this season.

And my issue with shifting GAIII is he did not really play WR in high school, and then he jumps into college, learns RB for a year, then has to try to adjust with some new guys coming in that have the same if not more experience at the position then him. The RB to WR switch worked for Riddick because he really had no competition. I mean was Toma ever a threat to win the slot position? I just believe this move will hurt GAIII at the end of the day and will need some breaks(injuries, transfers) to jump in the depth chart.

 

[FirstTimer]

And my issue with shifting GAIII is he did not really play WR in high school, and then he jumps into college, learns RB for a year, then has to try to adjust with some new guys coming in that have the same if not more experience at the position then him. The RB to WR switch worked for Riddick because he really had no competition. I mean was Toma ever a threat to win the slot position? I just believe this move will hurt GAIII at the end of the day and will need some breaks(injuries, transfers) to jump in the depth chart.

It could, or he might explode and turn into a tremendous runner and we'll look back in a few years and say "thank God" we made the move. On the flip side I don't see anyone right now that will run away with a WR position in 2012 so I'm sure GAIII will be fine.

 

[FirstTimer]

Jordan Prestwood is trasnferring to ND after one semester at F$U

:smug:

Another OL.

 

[FirstTimer]

Notre Dame adds another

SOUTH BEND — South Bend Washington High School athlete David Perkins announced Tuesday morning that he will play football at Notre Dame.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior-to-be received a scholarship offer last week from Irish coach Brian Kelly, and had narrowed his list of finalists to ND, Syracuse, Mississippi State, Iowa and Tennessee. Perkins made his announcement during a press conference at the Washington library.

Perkins is the 10th player to verbally commit to Notre Dame’s recruiting class of 2012. He also is the second South Bend high school player in the last three years to pick Notre Dame.

Clay’s Daniel Smith signed with the Irish in 2010 and enters his sophomore season looking to make an impact at wide receiver after playing mainly on special teams as a freshman last fall.

"You can never, ever, if you’re Notre Dame, pass up a guy locally with that kind of ability," CBS College Sports recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said of Perkins.

Perkins could play a number of positions for the Irish. He was used as a running back and wide receiver last season at Washington. He ran for 765 yards on 82 carries, scoring three rushing touchdowns. He also caught 12 passes for 176 yards and four TDs.

Perkins also registered 13 sacks playing defensive end and outside linebacker for the Panthers. He played his first two seasons at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central High before transferring to Washington prior to his junior season.

Lemming projects Perkins as an outside linebacker at ND, in large part because of 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash, and that he stands 6-2.

"He’s tall and he can run," Lemming said, "and that’s two qualities Notre Dame looks for.

"He’s not yet a super player, but he has the potential to be that."

 

[FirstTimer]

-Floyd has been cleared for summer drills.

In the doldrums of summer, any news on wide receiver Michael Floyd is big news, and yesterday Notre Dame football’s director of football media relations Brian Hardin supplied some headlines when he tweeted head coach Brian Kelly’s most recent comments on his suspended star receiver:

“Michael has made steady progress towards modifying his behavior and he may participate in the voluntary workouts being conducted by his teammates as well as the summer strength and conditioning program, if he so chooses,” Kelly said in a statement.

“However, Michael still has steps to take before he can be considered for reinstatement to our football team. If he meets the conditions I have outlined to him and he demonstrates improved decision-making skills, Michael will have the opportunity to rejoin the team for practices and games this fall. If he doesn’t meet every criteria given to him, Michael will not play for Notre Dame in 2011.”

And with that, a brouhaha begins.

For those looking to claim Notre Dame and Brian Kelly are short-shrifting the Golden Dome by adding some context to Notre Dame’s previously draconian disciplinary system, they’re given another clip of ammo. But for those that are looking for some common sense logic behind the announcement, here goes:

The idea of voluntary, players-only workouts is something that’s very hard for Notre Dame and the coaching staff to police by NCAA law. (Just ask Michigan.) Even if he wanted to, Kelly or the Irish athletic department couldn’t really keep someone out of those workouts, so the fact that they’ve said it’s okay, “if he so chooses” to participate, should tell you enough. Floyd working out with the team isn’t anybody’s call but Floyd, Harrison Smith, Dayne Crist and the rest of the leadership unit on the football team.

That said, if there’s one place where Kelly is making a statement, it’s that he’s allowed Floyd to join the team in the summer strength and conditioning program. Again, Floyd is still a scholarship athlete, and every scholarship athlete that’s on campus in the summer is expected to workout with the strength and conditioning team. But not every scholarship athlete is Notre Dame’s career leader in receiving touchdowns, so this is a another step toward reinstatement for Floyd.

But the bigger step is the legal hurdle that’s still in front of Floyd. According to the South Bend Tribune, Floyd’s attorney was in court today, requesting the case to be continued until June 29th, giving him time to work out a plea agreement on behalf of his client.

Kelly’s “all in or all out” edict for Floyd seems to have raised a few eyebrows and even given some people reason to believe Floyd’s return is all but a foregone conclusion. That assumption holds little water, especially when you do even the slightest bit of digging into the work Michael’s done since March.

If No. 3 is in uniform and on the field against South Florida on September 3rd, it’s because he’s done everything that’s been asked of him by his head coach, one of the only opinions that matter on the subject. Whether fans or writers feel that five months in purgatory is enough — that’s hardly the point. For Notre Dame, maintaining integrity will never come down to fan surveys or public opinion, and in taking the wait-and-see approach with one of the university’s most high-profile student-athletes, they’re making a decision on their own terms.

As the Irish football team begins to put in the offseason work that makes championship teams possible, they’ll have one of their leaders back in the fold. While it sounds like a broken record, whether Floyd stays with the team isn’t up to Brian Kelly, it’s up to No. 3 himself.

 

[Irish]

My thoughts...

...On Prestwood, for those that didn't realize Prestwood was a former commit to ND. Then he decommitted around the same time Lynch first decommitted. Then went to FSU, probably realized FSU signed about 10 linemen ahead of him, and was ready to leave. Having to sit out this year is probably for the best. Will start his eligibility with Decker and Harrell at competition as true freshman. Real good get, really improves depth.

...On Perkins, kid looks like a stud but hasn't really dominated the high school level. If he dominates this year, he could be a 4 star, but more than likely this guy will 3 star for most websites. I haven't watched any of his videos to see how his ball skills are, but if they want him on defense, he looks to be an ok fit on size alone. Probably be a nice fit into the linebacker cycle with Rabasa, Shembo, Ishaq, and the others.

...On Floyd, it is good for him to start getting back into the swing of things. Even better for the team as a whole to have the best player on the team out on the field. They can start to move past his situation and start getting hyped for this year.

Anyone know when the new recruits join in the summer? I thought it was mid June.

 

[padman59]

Andre Jones has passed away from a brain aneurysm today. RIP.

http://www.wndu.com/sports/headlines/Former_ND_football_player_Andre_Jones_dies_124362304.html

 

[FirstTimer]

Irish pick up another recruit:

Cathedral (Ind.) senior defensive back John Turner has committed to Notre Dame, according to ESPN Recruiting.

Turner, who is 6 foot and 194 pounds, also had offers from Indiana, Minnesota and a number of MAC schools.

According to ESPN Recruiting’s evaluation, “Overall, Turner has the range, ball skills and reliable pursuit habits you want in a free safety and could be falling under the BCS radar. Could be sharper in footwork and a bit more explosive but has a lot of physical development left and best football is ahead of him.”

Turner is ranked No. 43 at his position by ESPN.

Notre Dame has 11 Class of 2012 commitments. Turner is the Irish’s second in-state recruit.

Defensive back was considered one of the main areas of target in the 2012 recruiting cycle for Notre Dame, and the Irish continue to stock the position.

The Indianapolis Star reported Sunday that Indianapolis Cathedral safety John Turner verbally committed to Notre Dame.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Turner, according to the Star, received his ND offer just three days before committing.

"I went up to Notre Dame twice on visits, but they said they wanted to see me in person," Turner told the paper. "I went up to their camp (on Thursday) and did really well. I ran a 4.5 (40-yard dash) and shut people down in one-on-ones."

Turner becomes the 11th player to verbally commit to Notre Dame's recruiting class of 2012, a group that does not become official until the Feb. 1 national signing day.

Turner told the Star that Indiana and Northwestern were also in his top three.
AdvertisementCaptain Harrison Smith will be a fifth-year senior for the Irish this fall while Zeke Motta and Jamoris Slaughter, who are battling for the starting spot opposite Smith, will exhaust their eligibility with the 2012 season.

Turner is the fifth defensive back to verbally commit to the class currently being assembled. Nicky Baratti is projected as a safety although it's not out of the question that he could land at quarterback, his high school position, and the Irish staff last month landed safety CJ Prosise.

ND's biggest success story of the current cycle has been at cornerback, where Tee Shepard and Ronald Darby, both top 100 recruits, have offered verbal pledges.

NCAA recruiting rules prohibit Irish coach Brian Kelly or members of his staff from publicly commenting on a recruit until national signing day.

The third time was the charm for Indianapolis (Ind.) safety John Turner. After unofficially visiting Notre Dame twice without picking up a scholarship offer, Turner came back one more time to prove he had what it took this week for the Irish's summer camp. He ended up performing well enough to pick up an offer and shortly thereafter he came the programs' newest commitment.

“I just loved the school and the tradition,” Turner told IrishIllustrated.com. “I’m a big tradition person. It just seemed like if I ever got the opportunity I would go there.”

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound defensive back also held offers from schools such as Minnesota, Indiana and Western Michigan. He came back to Notre Dame's campus to deliver the good news of his commitment to the coaching staff in person on Sunday. Turner is obviously pretty familiar with the Irish at this point and had no problems drawing a few comparisons between his current high school and his future college.

“They’re both known for academics and the football team," he said. "Both have great football traditions and football teams. They’re always winning championships. Those are the main reasons why.”

Cathedral High School wears similar uniforms to Notre Dame and are also called the Irish, so the adjustment to the next level won't be too tough for Turner. He snagged four interceptions and had 55 tackles last season as a junior.

Turner gives Brian Kelly and staff 11 commitments in 2012, five of whom are defensive backs.

Good story from Inside the Irish

As the recruiting cycle gets earlier and earlier, the summer football camp has turned from an evaluation tool to a last chance for rising senior recruits. With Notre Dame already out to almost 100 prospects, you can’t help but pull for guys like Indianapolis safety John Turner, who came to Notre Dame’s summer camp with the intent of earning a scholarship offer.

Turner did it. Wowing the coaching staff with his athleticism, Turner ran a 4.5 forty-yard dash, showing the speed needed to play in the secondary at the major college level.

IrishIllustrated.com has the comment of record from Turner, who earned a Notre Dame offer to go along with mid-major options like Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio), Temple, Toledo, and Western Michigan, as well as Big Ten offers from Indiana and Minnesota. Recruiting Mike Elston broke the good news to Turner.

“He was telling me they want me at Notre Dame,” Turned told IrishIllustrated.com. “They have an offer for me. I was like, ‘Really? Is this really happening? Is this for real?’ I was very excited.”

According to IrishSportsDaily.com, Turner’s offer was largely contingent on his ability to show enough speed to succeed at the D-I level. When he clocked a forty time that was good enough for the Irish coaching staff, Notre Dame pulled the trigger on Turner.

“I thought I really did well at camp and I ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, 4.18 in the shuttle, and I did really well in drills during one-on-ones,” Turner told ISD. “I just had a really good day.”

Those that follow recruiting probably won’t be wowed with the Irish chasing a guy that had only two major college offers. But Turner looks every bit the part of a big-time safety, and the staff had as good of a look as you could ever ask for, with Turner forcing the hand of Brian Kelly and his staff by turning heads at camp.

Turner hopes to make a decision in the next few weeks, and you’ve almost got to assume he’ll be joining the Irish recruiting class now that he’s worked his way to an offer.

 

[FirstTimer]

FLoyd reaches plea:

It appears the legal portion of Michael Floyd’s wayward journey back to the football field is complete. The senior wide receiver appeared in St. Joseph County Traffic and Misdemeanor Court and pleaded guilty to one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

According to multiple reports, Floyd’s driver’s license will be suspended 90 days. He’ll also be required to use an ignition lock for six months, a device that tests for alcohol on the driver’s breath. He’ll also pay court costs, a fine of $200, and he’ll attend a Victim Impact Panel.

“Michael wasn’t treated any differently than anybody else,” Floyd’s attorney, William Stanley said.

There likely won’t be any report out of the Notre Dame football offices, as the legal proceedings were just one of the many factors that head coach Brian Kelly will look at when evaluating whether or not his leading wide receiver will be welcomed back to the football team. Kelly is already on the record as saying he’s optimistic Floyd will be there when the Irish face South Florida, and Stanley mentioned some of the things Floyd’s been doing to help his cause.

“He went through his counseling at Notre Dame,” Stanley said, as reported by the South Bend Tribune. “He actually did over 30 hours of community service voluntarily with a youth group in Minnesota when he went home for the break, and I got a very nice letter from the director of the program. He talked to young kids about the importance of academics and lessons of life that he’s learned.

“I will say this on Michael’s behalf, obviously what he did back in March was very poor judgment. It was a terrible mistake on his part, but never once did he try to give me an excuse for his actions or ever try to mitigate the seriousness of the offense. I was very impressed by that.”

With the court case resolved and fall camp not in session until August, Floyd will go back to summer school and continue working out unofficially with his teammates, workouts that’ll likely help the one-time co-captain of the team in reestablishing his leadership role.

If you had to wager on it, expect Brian Kelly’s next update on the school’s all-time touchdown catch leader when he addresses the media at the start of fall camp.

 

[FirstTimer]

Mark May actually had positive things to say about Notre Dame.

Me thinks his issues for the last few years haven't been with ND...but with Weis..

 

[padman59]

Mark May actually had positive things to say about Notre Dame.

Me thinks his issues for the last few years haven't been with ND...but with Weis..

Maybe because his team waxed that Pitt ass in his first game as head coach. :smug2:

 

[FirstTimer]

Maty Mauk to Mizzou

Jarron Jones pulls back his verbal from Penn St after his visit to South Bend.

 

[Irish]

Okwara a 3 star OLB commits

http://rivals.yahoo.com/notredame/football/recruiting/player-Romeo-Okwara-119359

 

[FirstTimer]

Floyd officially reinstated to the team.

 

[Irish]

4 star DT Sheldon Day commits

http://rivals.yahoo.com/notredame/football/recruiting/player-Sheldon-Day-110917

 

[padman59]

Roberson and Clelland are done for the year. I'm a little worried about the running back depth chart.

http://twitter.com/#!/hansensouthbend/status/99513253650120705

 

[Irish]

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/27380353?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/27380353">Tuitt makes Irish debut</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/irishillustrated">Irish Illustrated</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Excuse my boner.