Well there you go. Not too surprising as he was never coming back, but that does indeed make it official.
Stepherson is either legit or his parent oe maybe gf is on the video team because he's all over the clips from practices
ever since i saw him in the clips from Irish Invasion last year i have really liked him. I believe it was only Wick who was anti stepherson
Can you even imagine the meltdown something like this would cause today? I wonder if there was a tmb equivalent back then if someone would've said "welcome to the offseason at ND" Knute Rockne died in plane crash 85 years ago today. He had just won his 4th National championship. He is still #1 in win % in history.
I thought the same when I saw that earlier, just imagine of Saban died in a plane crash. Be a similar response.
"I am leg-pressing over 600 pounds right now," Smith said. "I am squatting over 400 pounds. I am getting that strength back. It’s just a matter of time." - Jaylon Smith at today's ND Pro Day I'm really pulling for the guy. I hope his medical in April goes well. He's got the right attitude. One of my all-time favorites at ND.
It's like my brain is wired to make sure whenever I am on campus I need to spend money at the bookstore. I was there last night for a dinner banquet that I wore a suit and tie for. I just changed when I got there, and of course I grabbed a shirt that needed cuff-links. http://smathersandbranson.com/product/notre-dame-needlepoint-cufflinks/
I rock the Smathers and Branson key fob myself. Was thinking about the belt, but went Peter Millar instead. May get the coasters for my new place. /cunty
I was rather disappointed with the Smathers and Branson needlepoint pillows. My wife and I got her parents the Wisconsin ones for Christmas and they were much smaller than your typical throw pillow. They are only 12" x 12" which at the time we ordered them seemed ok but wish they were 18" x 18".
Intel Spoiler ISD Intel (4/1) James Onwualu has been a leader pretty much all of his life, but the Notre Dame senior linebacker is about to face his biggest challenge yet and it’s one he’s ready for. “I think he’s pretty excited,” a source told us this week. “It’s his opportunity to lead the team. I think he’s checked into a role the last couple years where he’s had some leaders ahead of him. He’s learned from them and now he’s ready to lead the team.” Joe Schmidt and Jarrett Grace were guys Onwualu looked at to help enhance his own leadership qualities. But Onwualu is hoping to take that to the next level by combining his own leadership style with production on the field. “That’s the key to being a great player, not just a great leader,” the source said. “Being able to lead your team to victory and making plays, I think James is 100 percent prepared to do that.” After playing receiver as a freshman, Onwualu is now entering his third year with defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder and the feeling among some is that he should have his best year yet. “After three years of being in VanGorder’s defense, he understands all three positions,” we were told. “Coach is going to use him in some very cool ways, especially now that Jaylon (Smith) is gone. He’s going to need to be more of a playmaker and he’s more than willing to step up and do those things. “He feels better than he’s ever felt. He’s as heavy as he’s been. His strength has significantly increased. He feels really comfortable at the Sam position, but could play inside as well. He’s excited overall.” Onwualu started the season at about 235 pounds last year, but dropped to about 225 by the time the Fiesta Bowl rolled around in January. “Now he’s back up to a strong 235,” the source said. “Over the summer and after spring ball, he’ll probably come into the season at a solid 240, 245. With his speed and the way he plays the game, that’s the kind of weight we want. “He treats his body right and puts on the proper muscle that it takes to have a sustainable career. He’s a solid 235. I don’t really think he needs to be that much bigger.” Former Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee and current Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson are models for the style of player Onwualu could be. “That’s the type of player James is. Those are the people NFL scouts and people that are looking at him compare him to. These crossover-hybrid new-age linebackers. Linebackers in The League don’t need to be 260 anymore.” Additional Analysis From Uyeyama:The time is right for Onwualu to take on a more expanded role in the defense with so much inexperience at linebacker. He really does have the right kind of athletic traits to shine at Sam or the nickel linebacker position. That's why it was nice to hear the coaches are training him at Joker (or the dime). He previously left the field during sub-packages, but his skill set is actually perfect to play on third down and be used in multiple roles. Like Drue Tranquill, Onwualu has the ability to do multiple things. He flashed a bit more off the edge last season when blitzing and has the ability to cover running backs and tight ends in man coverage. He's also smart enough to be comfortable with multiple pressure packages and zone coverages. The biggest thing with Onwualu is that he needs to finish plays in order to be considered as the same caliber of players like Darron Lee or Shaq Thompson. In his first season at linebacker, I could see the aggression and athleticism that made me think he had some big potential at Sam, but he didn't recognize things as quickly as I would have liked and needed to improve his hand-striking and overall technique. He took a big leap in 2015 in those two areas. He was close to making a lot of plays and made some, but missed out on some other opportunities. The reason Lee is going to be a high pick in the NFL Draft after only his redshirt sophomore year in college is that his athleticism offered up the same versatility to play multiple roles, but he also made a ton of splash plays. In 2014, he had 16.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries that he took back to the house. Last season, he added another 11 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and a pick-six. Onwualu hasn't made that kind of impact up to this point in his career. There is no question that Onwualu can be a leader on the team, but to be considered in the same league as someone like Lee, he'll need to step up his game and start making those splash plays. Him being used in different roles this season should give him more opportunities to do so and have it set up perfectly for a big senior season. NEW CROP:As Notre Dame held its annual Pro Day on Thursday, the attention quickly moves to direction of the new senior class. There is a good chance the number of Pro Day participants will be fewer than the 17 who worked out this year, but NFL scouts already have their eyes on some prospects. Devin Butler:One NFL scout loves his size and length at defensive back. The scout says his long legs and arms are a plus, but he does need to continue to fill out Tarean Folston:The jury is still out on the running back in terms of his health and one scout knows the NFL talent is there, but is waiting to see how he adjusts to contact. Folston has a build the scout loved, but he did note he had short arms. Jarron Jones:Jones impressed more than a few NFL scouts with his overall frame and good upper body. There is some concern about his lower body not being up to par with his upper body due to injuries and the injuries are a concern as well. But, that doesn’t take anything away from a healthy Jones as a good football player and his game translates to the NFL. Cole Luke:Luke didn’t blow any scouts away with his physical presence, but two scouts said he did some nice things on film. James OnwualuandCorey Robinsonare interesting guys. One scout sees potential in Onwualu, but is cautious as he would be undersized for an NFL linebacker in the eyes of some. Robinson has the eyes of scouts with his size, but this scout was worried about his coordination and lack of upper body strength. Isaac Rochell:Rochell is a guy most scouts were impressed with in terms of the look test. While Jones’ lower body needs some work after suffering a few injuries, Rochell has a lower body that matches his upper body. Mike McGlinchey: The offensive tackle definitely has the scouts drooling over his length at the tackle position. One scout was very surprised that he weighs around 310 pounds. “He just carries his weight well.” SMITH STAYING POSITIVE:Jaylon Smith remains in high spirits despite facing the challenge of what is going on following a devastating injury in the Fiesta Bowl. If you didn’t know he had suffered the injury, you would never know the daily struggle was going through. Smith is fired up for the NFL Draft and speaking with him, we don’t think there was ever much of a question of him coming back for his senior season despite the injury. He is still hopeful he will go in the Top 10 as we told you on Wednesday night, but he is OK with falling into the second round to get his medical pay out too. Smith will continue to go through the draft process and meet with teams over the next month. One thing going for Smith is the support system around him. His family, friends, trainers and former teammates are making sure they are there for him and taking care of him. The next few days will be big for Smith, as he will undergo the medical re-check. EARLY ENROLLEES IMPRESSING INDEED:We also spoke to a couple sources about the early enrollees and how they were adjusting to spring ball. Devin Studstill is impressing everyone, as the coaches have stated, but don’t pencil him as the starter at free safety just yet. While some around the program are impressed with the Florida native, they know he still has a long way to go to beat out Max Redfield. Kevin Stepherson has impressed just about everyone with his ability to make plays. He is definitely still learning, but he isn’t afraid of the competition and is using the spring to attack before the rest of his class arrives in June. Spencer Perry and Khalid Kareem have done some good things, but they aren’t quite where Studstill and Stepherson are in terms of making plays each practice. That’s not to say they aren’t making things happen, but in Kareem’s case, he is playing grown men in the trenches, so it’s expected he will have a period of adjustment. All the guys seem to be fitting in with their new teammates and the team has fully embraced them. Daelin Hayes has a personality his teammates seem to like, as does Stepherson. STATUS: NOT COMPLICATED:We spoke with a source familiar with some of the defensive players to get an idea of what the thinking is regarding the complexity of VanGorder’s scheme. The short answer is the players don’t seem to think there’s any problem with the system and don’t believe it’s too difficult to grasp. “I think the scheme is definitely different than most college schemes,” said the source. “It’s about execution. These things take time. It’s not like (Nick) Saban walked into Alabama and everything was perfect all of a sudden. You go through iterations. “Look how many injuries the team had two years ago. Joe Schmidt leaves, you lose all of these players, a bunch of d-linemen. The next thing you know, you’re playing with guys who haven’t really learned it that much.” With so much experience returning at each level of the defense, the source expects this year to be different. “You have Isaac (Rochell) on the line who has been there for three years. You have Onwualu who has been a part of the linebacker corps for three years. You have Cole Luke, you have Max Redfield, who have been there three years. These guys know the defense and they’re ready to execute it.” LOVE THAT DIRTY STARTER:VanGorder dropped an interesting term when meeting withCorey Malone-Hatcherand the 2017 Michigan defensive end/linebacker’s father earlier this year. Malone-Hatcher hadn’t had the chance to be around VanGorder much prior to January’s Junior Day in South Bend, but he spent the bulk of his time during that visit with the Irish defensive coordinator. VanGorder broke down concepts and explained how Malone-Hatcher would fit. The coach explained he likes the flexibility Malone-Hatcher brings to the field and said he wouldn’t know exactly the best way he would fit until he got a chance to work with him on the field. When asked more about why Malone-Hatcher was a player the Irish were seriously interested in and how he saw him developing throughout his career, VanGorder said Malone-Hatcher’s floor was as a “dirty starter.” VanGorder then explained what a “dirty starter” was. “Someone who is going to go in and give solid production and be a couple-year starter,” Malone-Hatcher’s father, Orlando Malone recalled VanGorder saying. “He may not be flashy, but dependable.” VanGorder said the Irish see Malone-Hatcher as a low-risk prospect because that’s his floor, but the Michigan native’s ceiling is much higher and Notre Dame believes he has the talent to make plays that he’s not designed to make. Malone-Hatcher was also impressed with the Irish defensive coordinator’s coaching style. “He coaches how Corey thinks,” Orlando Malone said. “That’s a good match.” When he heard Malone-Hatcher was already benching 405 pounds, VanGorder said there wasn’t a need to get him stronger as much as just developing him as a player. As we’ve said since the second Junior Day a couple weeks ago, the Irish shouldn’t be counted out in a race that could come down to Notre Dame and Michigan. “Notre Dame is still Notre Dame,” Orlando Malone said. “They’re right there. He has his buddies that go there. People that automatically assume, ‘It’s Michigan and it’s over,’ that’s not wise. That’s not wise for folks to draw that conclusion. “He likes Michigan and he likes Notre Dame. Once the dust clears, those will be two schools that will be up there at the top of his list. It’s not a done deal.” Junior Highlights JKP & CO. COMING NEXT MONTH:2017 Michigan defensive backJaylen Kelly-Powellwas looking at visiting Notre Dame earlier this week, but after talking with Cass Tech head coach Thomas Wilcher, that trip was pushed back. “Coach Wilcher wants to take us all now instead of just me coming down with him,” Kelly-Powell explained. So now that plan is to bring top 2018 defensive backKalon Gervinalong as well as elite 2017 wide receiverDonovan Peoples-Jonesand probably some other targets as well for the Irish’s spring game next month. “I’m not really sure who else is going,” Kelly-Powell said. “These could change. People may be coming and not going.” Kelly-Powell said the contact with the Irish has been “pretty good” recently. “We talk on Twitter like every day,” he said. “I talk with Coach (Keith) Gilmore. He’s just trying to get me back down and asking me how I’ve been and everything. Kelly-Powell and Peoples-Jones were last in South Bend for the Irish’s first Junior Day back in January. “I’ve seen the campus and everything, which was pretty nice last time I went,” said Kelly-Powell. “I saw everything; we went through the whole process. This time I want to see the boys compete, watch the DBs’ technique and everything and see how the coaches coach.” Kelly-Powell recently visited Ohio State and Michigan. He’s currently on a southern tour with Peoples-Jones checking out Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and Florida. Stanford is another school Kelly-Powell is looking at hard and is hoping to get out to Palo Alto in May or June. He doesn’t have a timeline for a decision, but does know what will be most important. “Education, do I see myself there as a student and an athlete? Do I mesh with the coaches and players? The facilities are all about the same, but basically the environment and the people.” Junior Highlights ELITE 2018 DB COMING TO CAMPUS NEXT WEEK:Christian Tuttalready has dozens of offers from college football’s biggest programs despite still being months away from his junior year of high school football. The 6-foot, 185-pounder from Georgia recently transferred to IMG Academy, but next week, he’ll be in South Bend checking out Notre Dame for a visit he said he’s been wanting to take for a long time. His new IMG classmate and 2016 Irish running back signee Tony Jones has told Tutt plenty about Notre Dame, but Tutt already knew about the school’s history on and off the field. Tutt is looking forward to learning even more about Notre Dame’s history as well as the coaching staff in South Bend. Tutt says he’s one of a handful of 2017 and 2018 prospects hoping to attend the same school. “Some of them already have Notre Dame offers, so they’ll definitely be in the top for me,” said Tutt. He was a bit coy about who else is part of the group, but 2017 Georgia defensive back Jamyest Williams is likely one while we’re pretty sure elite 2018 Florida safety Tyreke Johnson is another. Johnson released a top four in February that included Notre Dame along with LSU, Stanford and UCLA. Sophomore Highlights ELITE 2018 DB LIKELY COMING BACK TO CAMPUS:Derrik Allenmade a quick in-and-out visit for Notre Dame’s Junior Day a couple weeks back, but it was an impressive trip, according to both him and his father. “It was an excellent visit,” Derrik Allen Sr., told ISD. “It was a great visit.” His father also said the 2018 Georgia cornerback/safety will have the chance for a more in-depth look at Notre Dame in the coming months. “Absolutely,” said Allen Sr. “We’ll come back up and have a more extended visit so we can see more of the campus and spend more time with the staff and talk with academic support team more. “It was good. We learned a lot. We got to see the players in action in practice, got to see the coaches and how they interact with the players. We spent a lot of one-on-one talking with Coach (Todd) Lyght and Coach VanGorder. We got to speak to Coach Kelly for a bit too.” Sophomore Highlights WILL WERNER HELP WITH TEAMMATES?:Over the last several years, Notre Dame has enjoyed plenty of success with in-state players like Tyler Eifert, Jaylon Smith, Zack Martin, Nick Martin and others. So it’s no surprise the Irish seem to be putting as much effort into recruiting the state of Indiana as ever. “I just think the quality of football, in Central Indiana in particular, is greatly improved from 10 years ago,” Indianapolis Cathedral head coach Rick Streiff said. “I just think there are more Division-I football players and people are starting to trek in from all over the country to spend some quality time here in Indianapolis. Notre Dame is not stupid. If they have a chance to recruit in-state kids who are good, why not?” Notre Dame landed an in-state prospect a couple weeks ago when Streiff’s standout linebacker prospectPete Wernermade his verbal commitment. Werner may very well end up being the only in-state prospect Notre Dame brings in this cycle, but the Irish are already all over a pair of his 2018 teammates, running backMarkese SteppandEmil Ekiyor. “It’ll be interesting to see as that pans out,” Streiff said. “We have a couple young guys who are pretty good as well and Notre Dame is on the radar for both of those young guys. I think this may make a little bit more of a connection that was already probably pretty strong to start out with.” WORK IN PROGRESS:This is an excerpt of a feature story on 2017 Connecticut wide receiverTarik Blackthat we’re still working on. Look for the complete feature to be released next week. Tarik Black’s mother didn’t want him playing football when he was seven years, but his father pushed. “So she kind of put it all on my head if something was to happen to him,” Black’s father, Malik Nichols laughs. “So, I said, ‘It’d probably be smart if I coached, at least I’m out there close to him.’” Black’s father coached him all of the way through Pop Warner and Tarik upped his game as he got older. “He was an exceptional athlete at such a young age,” says Nichols. “As he progressed through each level, we said, ‘OK, this year, he’s going to be challenged a little bit more and may not have the same success as the previous year.’ “At each level, he exceeded all expectations. When he finally got to high school, we said, ‘OK, at some point in time, the success is going to slow down.’ I think it was after his first year at Cheshire Academy when we realized, ‘Alright, he has a chance.’” But first, Black had to make what he viewed as a major sacrifice. A running back throughout his youth career, Black was being asked to move to receiver as a freshman. “He never played receiver,” said Nichols. “He was one of those kids who would score six touchdowns in a game in Pop Warner by running the ball. As he started to grow and in seventh and eighth grade, we started to notice he really wasn’t filling out, he was filling up. We started to think about how that would translate to the next level. “I thought he would be a 6-foot cornerback, which would be great size for a cornerback. Then he went through this growth spurt and went from 6-1 to 6-2 to 6-4. He always had really good hands and you started to realize his body was made for receiver.” Black didn’t want to hear it. “He cried about being switched from running back to receiver. It was like World War III in our household. He was like, ‘I don’t want to play receiver. I’m not going to do this. I’m born to play running back…
Secrets Spoiler Shamrock Secrets: Five-Star Defensive End Set For Extended Visit Andrew Ivins | Recruiting Analyst Josh Kaindoh is set to be in South Bend for the Blue-Gold Game. BGI/Andrew Ivins Notre Dame’s recent recruiting momentum will continue through the rest of spring. Blue & Gold Illustratedhas the latest from the trail. Nation's Top-Ranked Defensive End To Visit Notre Dame always has its fair share of struggles when it comes to recruiting defensive ends, but it looks like things might be trending up for the Irish when it comes to one top talent. Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy five-star defensive endJosh Kaindohtold Rivals.com's Adam Friedman earlier this week that he'll visit Notre Dame for the annual Blue-Gold Game in two weeks. Kaindoh, who is ranked as the nation's No. 1 weakside defensive end and No. 4 overall prospect, said that he's set to arrive in South Bend on April 14 and stay through April 16 for the scrimmage inside Notre Dame Stadium. He's one of the Irish's top targets on the board and a prospect that the staff has been pushing to get on campus the past few months. "I'm trying to get up to Notre Dame,"Kaindoh told reporters back in February. "That's one [school] that I really want to get to. I just want to get around." Kaindoh took visits to both Maryland and Penn State this past week. Both of those Big Ten programs are believed to be on his short list of schools along with Ohio State, Michigan and Nebraska, although he hasn't named a set list of leaders. Notre Dame is already expected to host Los Angeles Hawkins five-star wide receiverJoseph Lewisand Detroit Cass Tech five-star wide receiverDonovan Peoples-Jonesthe weekend of the spring game, which means Kaindoh's addition to the visitors list will make that stretch of days even more pivotal for the Irish when it comes to recruiting. Two Key Weekend Visitors Notre Dame recruiting coordinator Mike Elston said earlier this week that the Irish had been getting "great traffic" on campus from recruits and that will continue this weekend with a pair of key visitors. The Irish will welcome Jackson (Tenn.) University School four-star offensive tackleTrey Smithand Naperville (Ill.) Neuqua Valley four-star wide receiverIsaiah Robertsonboth to South Bend on Saturday to watch a spring practice. Smith, who is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 32 offensive tackle in the country, will be making his first trip to Notre Dame. He arrives without a set list of leaders, but the Irish are believed to be in his group of schools along with Clemson, Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Ohio State. Notre Dame is hoping that offensive line coach Harry Hiestand will be able to leave a lasting impression on Smith. Robertson on the other hand returns to Notre Dame after visiting in January. The nation's No. 25 ranked wide receiver doesn't hold a scholarship offer from the Irish, butBlue & Gold Illustratedhas been told there's a good chance one could come Saturday. That bid likely would put Notre Dame at the top of Robertson's list of schools and could eventually result in a commitment. It should also be noted that while Robertson is listed as a wide receiver, he's being recruited by the Irish as an athlete and could end up at defensive back. Irish Won't Stop Recruiting Haskell Garrett Las Vegas Bishop Gorman four-star defensive tackleHaskell Garrettmight have "shut down" his recruitment last week after a five-day visit to Ohio State, but Notre Dame isn't planning to throw in the towel just yet. One contact in South Bend called it "a long race" when asked about Garrett's recruitment. That same contact said he felt like the Irish impressed Garrett's family when they were on campus the weekend of March 21 and that an official visit isn't out of the question. Notre Dame found itself in a similar situation this time last year with two top defensive linemen and ended up signing both prospects. Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison four-star defensive endKhalid Kareemwas favoring Alabama and Michigan State in mid-March, while Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline five-star linebackerDaelin Hayeswas committed to USC. Notre Dame eventually flipped both Kareem and Hayes after working both prospects down the stretch. Notre Dame's plan — for now — appears to be to remain in the picture and to make a move later in the process. This And That One of Notre Dame's top running back targets came off the board this week in Gorton (Mass.) Lawerence Academy'sAJ Dillon, but the Irish appear to be already making a move on another back they like. Tampa (Fla.) Catholic Rivals100 athleteDevan Barrettsaid that he has been talking "daily" with Notre Dame running back coach Autry Denson and that his family is eyeing a visit to South Bend ... Speaking of running backs, Atlanta Pace Academy three-star athleteDeon Jacksoncould be on campus this summer to work out for the Irish. Notre Dame has expressed some interest in Jackson and the interest is mutual. He holds early offers from Maryland, West Virginia, Rutgers, Boston College and Oregon State ... North Little Rock (Ark.) Central Arkansas Christian three-star wide receiverJoshua Johnsonflipped from Indiana to Iowa State earlier this week. Notre Dame would like to get him on campus for the Irish Invasion in June ... Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star wide receiverOsiris St. Brownwill visit Stanford this weekend. There's a chance that the younger brother of Irish wideout Equanimeous St. Brown could be in South Bend later this month for a visit ... Notre Dame remains in contact with Tampa (Fla.) Hillsborough Rivals100 defensive endZachary Carter. He's favoring Clemson and Florida but hasn't ruled out a visit to South Bend.
Having back surgery the Wednesday before, so no spring game for me. Sucks bc it sounds like it could be a perfect weather day. The perfect day to day drink and watch some football. That said, I'll be in San Diego, high on pain meds...
It's working well though! Got promoted to TC right before I got President's Club. I was working remotely :(
Thats not all it's cracked up to be, my buddy was a director for like a year and a half and went back to banking, said it was just miserable.
I didn't have a choice, I was told to do this haha the plan was to be PC and work remotely and eventually move out of MI.
Reaction on BVG stuff... 1. It shouldn't take guys 3 years to get used to a college system 2. I'm not confident even 3 years in the system will actually make a difference
Local guys - what the Fuck is this bullshit weather right now? I know. I know. "That's spring in northern Indiana" blah. It looks like a fucking blizzard out there right now.
Lax on ESPNU/espn news right now at Syracuse. Never won there and Cuse is celebrating 100 years of lacrosse. So no way we win, but it's on TV.
Best they've played in a long long time. Irish 4 games at the Dome have been 13-19 8-11 10-11 17-7 I like that trend