Dallas Gant has a spot even if we have 5 OLB and he wants to commit on NSD after the all five have signed He's that good
I think he just tells people what they want to hear sometimes and Wiltfong and Loy are buying into it a little more than they should. I actually know a lot of people in Toledo who are close with the school and/or the family and everyone says he's going to Ohio State. I think the ND guys feel a little confident because when Wiltfong asked about the religious aspect Gant started talking about how big of a deal that is for him. Will probably announce a top four or five on Monday. OSU, ND, Penn State and Michigan State/Michigan.
Meyer wanted Crawford? Always thought that was an ND/UM battle For as much shit as is given to Loy (well deserved) he nailed that one. Said from day one even before Crawford committed to UM that he would come if offered
And I, as I'm sure most in this thread, love Crawford. He's elite in every way except for heighth and durability. Really hoping he stays healthy this year
It was Michigan/ND for a long time for Crawford and then there were some reports about Ohio State trying to make a push to surpass ND. Pretty sure he visited around the time of or right after the decommit from UM. I know that was the one year we didn't end up signing a very good group of DBs.
Spoiler It'll be another busy recruiting weekend for Notre Dame with the Irish holding their first-ever Sophomore Day, but there will be some important 2018 prospects in town over the coming days as well. Maryland defensive end/linebacker Thomas Bookerand Florida tight end George Takacs are both top targets for Notre Dame this cycle and both are seriously considering the Irish. Booker comes from Baltimore's Gilman School, the same program that produced defensive standouts for the Irish in the past and that connection hasn't been lost on Booker. "There have been two guys who have come from my high school, Mr. Ambrose Wooden and Mr. Victor Abiamiri, who both went to Notre Dame and had fantastic careers there academically and athletically," Booker said. "Seeing guys who are from a similar situation and the same high school as me succeeding over there is definitely a big point for me." Booker has had a chance to meet Wooden and Abiamiri, but hasn't been able to have extended conversations with them about Notre Dame just yet. "I haven't gotten to talk to them too much, but they come back to the school a lot, especially for football stuff," said Booker. "They'll come in, talk to the kids, talk to us one-on-one a little bit, but I haven't gotten to talk to them too much. I'm looking forward to getting in touch with them more as time goes on." Booker is well aware of their careers on the field, which included a multi-year NFL stint for Abiamiri, but even more interested in their careers off the field. "(Wooden) is a Goldman Sachs vice president," said Booker. "Both of them are incredibly intelligent young men. "Obviously, Notre Dame kind of sharpen their intellect and gave them the tools to succeed in whatever field they decided to pursue. In both of their cases honestly, it was Business. After Victor left the League, he engaged in Finance and obviously, Ambrose is too. Notre Dame has proved to be a worthy institution for those guys, so I'm excited to see what it can hold." Booker is one of the most mature and intelligent prospects we've come across and it's clear he'll be treating this visit to Notre Dame as a business trip. Booker will arrive with both of his parents for his Notre Dame visit and academics will be at the forefront. He specifically asked to sit in on particular classes to get a feel for the educational aspect of what Notre Dame can offer him. "I will sit in on an Economics class," said Booker. "The majors I am interested in pursuing are Economics, Business and Computer Science. I asked the coaches to set up some meetings and classes with that, and they graciously did so. "I am excited to see what it's like and know how it feels to be a Notre Dame student up close and personal." Booker has attended a private school since Pre-K and he desires a fit similar to that of Gilman. Some kids are open to different atmospheres than their high school, but it's clear Booker is looking for a similar fit. "I've been at Gilman for 12 years now," Booker explained. "Academics have always been of the upmost importance to me. College is about getting an education. Of course, the football is amazing, and that's a big part of my decision as well. I know Notre Dame is a Top 15 school academically, so the fact they put it together on both sides is impressive. "A school like Gilman, we're kind of like the same way. We strive for excellence in everything we do and Notre Dame does the same thing." While Booker is focused on seeing the academic opportunities, he will also be paying close attention to the football side. He is looking forward to spending time with his host and asking them the tough questions about life in South Bend. "I will spend a lot of time with the football coaches and players," explained Booker. "I found out it's pretty important to know who the guys are. They are going to be who I am going to spend the majority of my time with. "There are times I sit back and watch to see what's going on. There are times when I am active, and I badger guys a little bit about why and how they feel about things." The Notre Dame commits have also been doing their part in recruiting the four-star prospect to South Bend. Booker constantly is being hounded by multiple prospects on almost a daily basis. He has good relationships with two commits, which could pay huge dividends down the road as he hopes to have a decision by the time Gilman opens fall camp. "Braden Lenzy, I met him when we were both at Stanford," stated Booker. "He's a really good guy. I met Micah Jones at a Rivals camp. We both were working out at receiver and tight end. He was awesome. "Those are two great guys to know. It's impressive they both chose Notre Dame, and it's a huge plus for me. I know those guys are character guys. The Ademilola brothers have also contacted me. They seem like great guys, and I can't wait to meet them at some point." Takacs has been to Notre Dame several times in the past as the son of an alum, a fan and as a recruit for last year's Irish Invasion. Notre Dame immediately burst into his top four when it offered a scholarship earlier this month and the Irish will look to pull ahead of the other contenders Florida, Georgia and Wisconsin this weekend. As soon as he landed the offer, it was clear Takacs would be returning to South Bend for a visit, but making that trip this weekend has required some extra planning. After flying from Florida to South Bend, Takacs will fly from South Bend to Atlanta on Saturday in order to compete in an Under Armour camp on Sunday. "He was supposed to do the one in Florida, but he kind of tweaked an ankle at The Opening camp, so he wasn't able to go to the one in Miami," a source told us. "Under Armour really wants him and feels pretty confident about his abilities, so they opened up a spot for him to go out of state and go to Atlanta." The source said it'd be fair to take that as an even stronger indication of his interest in the Irish. "His interest is really high," we were told. "The family connection is so big there with his mom going to school there and his family being from Indiana. I think that's a huge draw for him." And as we reported late last night, 2018 Ohio defensive back Michael Dowell will also be in town today. With two brothers at Michigan State right now, the Spartans are the favorites, but it'll be interesting to see how much of his attention the Irish can grab. SIZING UP SOPHOMORE DAY: The latter half of the weekend will belong to 2019 prospects and it'll be interesting to see just how much this inaugural event gets the Irish ahead of the game. Like Booker, 2019 Ohio defensive tackle Jowon Briggsis an extremely mature young man who will be looking at a wide variety of factors when he's making his decision. "I'm looking forward to seeing everything, talking to all of the coaches and seeing how the d-line works as a unit," Briggs told ISD this week. "Also, seeing how their program is as far as academics goes definitely." 2019 Ohio cornerback Moses Douglass was at Irish Invasion last summer and continues to be a top target for many schools. Douglass currently counts Michigan, Iowa, Iowa State, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse and Kentucky among his early offers. "Hopefully it'll be a chance for him to meet the new defensive coordinator," Douglass' father and coach at Springfield High School, Moe Douglass said. "The last time he met Coach Elko, Mike was at (Bowling Green). That was many moons ago; a lot of growth physically since then. He'll get the opportunity to meet him and then get the chance to meet with Coach (Todd) Lyght a little bit more as well." The elder Douglass' relationship with Elko goes back years. "When he was at BG, we had a few kids who went to BG and played for him there," the coach explained. "He's always done good by those kids I sent to him in the past. We kept lines of communication open when he was at Wake Forest. He offered one of my kids when he was over there and hopefully we can continue a great relationship here." 2019 Minnesota offensive lineman Quinn Carroll is in the midst of a busy spring break week that will bring him to Miami, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Virginia Tech before South Bend. Carroll has already established himself as one of the top 2019 linemen, not just in the Midwest, but in the nation. He already has offers from schools like Florida State, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Tennessee and LSU in addition to Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State and Minnesota. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Notre Dame join that list this weekend. "I'm looking forward to gathering as much information as possible, and meeting the coaches so I know what I will be considering during the recruiting process," Carroll told ISD of what he's looking forward to most. 2019 Tennessee defensive end Joseph Anderson is one of the few prospects who will arrive with an Irish offer in hand and he's excited to check out South Bend. "I'm looking forward to seeing if it feels like home to me, which I know it will," he said. 2019 Tennessee defensive back Wesley Walker would have been another target to come with an offer from the Irish already. But as of late last night, Walker tells us he doesn't believe he'll be able to make the trip because of transportation issues. If he isn't able to get that sorted out by Sunday, he says he will "most definitely" find a way to South Bend at some point, likely this summer. George Karlaftis' coach expects the 2019 Indiana defensive end to blow up before his high school career is done, especially given how raw the young man is. Karlaftis currently has three offers and each one was the result of some sort of direct relationship. "The Indiana offer came after he went to a camp," Shane Fry explained. "They saw him one day and said, 'Holy crap.' "We are literally right across the street from Purdue University. Coach (Jeff) Brohm walked over here on one of his first days here and offered George. SMU, they have a family member, it would be an uncle, who is on the athletic training staff down there. He said, 'Hey, you've got to take a look at this guy.' I think maybe they watched film for two minutes and offered him." That's why Fry has been struck by the fact that Notre Dame identified the West Lafayette native so early. "I'm actually really impressed with Notre Dame because not many people know a lot about him. Their coaches love him on film. He's a young sophomore. He's not even old for his grade, so I think the sky is the limit for George." 2019 Alabama quarterback Paul Tyson has an interesting connection to the sport as the great-grandson of Paul 'Bear' Bryant. "I never got to meet my great-grandfather, but it's a special thing I have in my life and it's just a blessing to have him in my family," Tyson said. "Growing up, I was definitely an Alabama fan, but from a prospect's standpoint, I'm open to any school." The sophomore signal-caller doesn't have any offers yet, but Irish offensive coordinator Chip Long has been in touch with his coach at Hewitt-Trussville High School to set up his trip to South Bend this weekend. "I just know that Notre Dame is a huge program," Tyson said. "It's one of the biggest in the country. It's going to be real special to go up there. This was a great time and it worked out because it's our spring break. "I'm really hoping to see the campus, get to see Coach Long again and just kind of get the feel for what Notre Dame is really like." The 6-foot-4, 210-pound dropback passer has already made trips to Alabama, Clemson and Troy. THE CHALLENGES OF LOOKING AHEAD: Notre Dame already has more than dozens offers out for the 2019 class with more likely on the way soon and with this weekend's event. It wasn't that long ago that Junior Days seemed extreme, but this is the new pace of recruiting. The Irish coaching staff is forced to do this in order to keep up whether they like it or not. Evaluating young prospects isn't easy, especially on the offensive or defensive lines. It's difficult enough to have to project the future of football players heading into their senior year of high school and even more difficult when looking at players younger than that. Several of these players are not done growing yet. It's rare that many of them are even scratching the surface in terms of their strength and size as well. Many are going to weigh 40 to 50 pounds more in college than they do right now and that makes things murky. Will a kid who looks like a great athlete at 250 still look like that at 295? Will someone who isn't a star on their team as a sophomore be able to handle a bigger role when given it over the next couple of years in high school? Are they going to be the same kid they are when they get their first offer or will the spotlight of dozens of colleges chasing them and fans bombarding them on social media change their approach to school and football? These things and many other unknowns make it scary to offer early even though it is necessary. Notre Dame has to jump all in on someone while knowing very little about them. They also have to project their athletic potential with a limited amount of film to assess their play. And if they were to accept an early commitment, there is always the chance they may end up with someone who doesn't come close to the player the coaching staff thought they would be. It comes down to a lot of assumptions. They have to assume growth will happen in every sense of the word, both on and off the field. But chances are if the Irish are offering someone after only seeing their sophomore film, then they must feel they have some exceptional traits that can translate in a big-time way in a few years. Some players who get offered as sophomores, like Jerry Tillery, come through with their physical development, but are slow to put the other pieces together to become an impact player in college. Others, like Jaylon Smith, continue to rise up every step of the way and it's a question of when, not if, they will be a star. Offering a sophomore is a gamble no matter how talented they are. It's a risk programs are forced to take in the current college football climate, though. The programs that end up being the best at evaluating sophomores are the ones who are going to end up having the biggest talent advantage in the years to come. It's easy to brush aside Sophomore Day as something that is not going to affect Notre Dame in the near future, but how the Irish do on Sophomore Days will go a long way toward determining their talent level in the long run. ELKO CONNECTION WILL HELP IRISH WITH ASAMOAH: Last week in this space, we reported that Brian Asamoah was pumping the brakes on his recruiting timeline and earlier this week, the 2018 Ohio linebacker confirmed just that. Notre Dame extended an offer to Asamoah earlier this month and it was absolutely one of the schools that caused him to rethink his plans to announce a decision on April 21st. In addition to being intrigued by the opportunities on and off the field at Notre Dame, Asamoah has an interesting connection to new Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko. Asamoah's cousin and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Jude Adjei-Barimah, played for Elko at Bowling Green. "He just tells me he's a great coach," Asamoah said of his cousin's thoughts on Elko. "It'd be interesting what he would do for me." Adjei-Barimah has pointed to Asamoah to Gabe Martin, who played the Rover position under Elko at Bowling Green, which eventually led to Martin getting a shot with the Arizona Cardinals. As you'd expect, Asamoah is putting a lot of stock in his cousin's opinion. "I really value him because he's at the highest point of football right now," Asamoah said. "Not too many people make it there, so listening to what he says is really inspiring. Just listening to a guy who's above and has been through the process and knows everything about it is helpful." WOULD ACCELERATED OFFICIALS HELP OTHERS MORE THAN ND?: The NCAA is considering a proposed rule change that would allow prospects to take official visits during the spring of the junior years. This would give Notre Dame a larger window to get kids on campus, which Brian Kelly pointed to as a huge indicator of recruiting success. But the change may not be as beneficial to the Irish as other programs. Quite simply, Notre Dame's academic requirements make it so that official visits in the fall are more advantageous for the Irish. Notre Dame isn't always able to have a great feel for where a prospect stands academically by the spring of their junior season. There would likely be some hesitancy about bringing a kid on an official visit if Notre Dame wouldn't be able to give them a complete green light to commit if they wanted to. Notre Dame needs to be judicious with how it uses official visits. You can only use so many officials, so the Irish need to be a bit cautious on who could visit even if they were allowed to visit in the spring. Obviously, Notre Dame would take advantage of the opportunities when they fit, but those opportunities could be more plentiful at other schools. BETWEEN THE HASHES: It was good for 2017 Notre Dame offensive line signee Dillan Gibbons to get back on campus last week for the first time since signing with the Irish. It's always encouraging to hear about an increased comfort level after Signing Day, when the "path is set," which is what we were told is the case with Gibbons. We expect Gibbons to get a look multiple positions on the line, which would fit him perfectly since his main goal is to help and support the unit in any way he can. Jayson and Justin Ademilola continue to haul in offers from the biggest programs in the country and earlier this week, Alabama offered the 2019 New Jersey twins who have been committed to Notre Dame since last summer. An offer from the Crimson Tide is one that has to be taken seriously, if not by the prospects themselves then at least by the school the prospects are committed to. That being said, at this point, we don't see Alabama as a true threat to flip the twins because we don't believe they see the Crimson Tide's defensive scheme as a good fit for them. Look for offers to continue coming in throughout the process, but unless they start taking visits elsewhere, we see them as solid commits. CJ Holmes may be down after being ruled out for the spring with a shoulder injury, but based on what we know about the early enrollee from Connecticut, he's far from out. We're sure he's going to have his mind in the right place and look for a way to find positives in a difficult situation. We expect him to remain engaged, get in his playbook and take care of his schoolwork as he prepares to return to the field in the fall.
Wimbush under center handing the ball off and doing play action in latest practice video Rock Hard right now Run the ball Kelly!!!
Bump, but most of these make me sad http://www.uhnd.com/football/2017-s...-notre-dame-football-spring-position-battles/
Booker will likely come down to ND and Stanford. Unfortunately we haven't done well in those recently. Also I would think we have a good shot at getting Tackas soon after this visit. Any buzz on him?
I'm not as big into camps and star rankings as much as I used to be. But it's nice to see a few of the recruits handling their self at camps well and get invited to the Opening. Those accolades will only help with the ranking site scene. Ovie Oghoufo won LB MVP at Nike Camp in Chicago and was invited to the Opening. CB Kalon Gervin was also invited to the Opening and Derrick Allen at a previous camp won DB MVP and got invited to Opening. Other names going to invited to Opening with ND ties. TE George Tackas, RB Christian Turner, ATH Devon Williams, WR Amon St-Brown, and WR Kevin Austin.
While pretty much everyone agrees, def shouldn't say that publicly. What's the benefit in saying that?
Has someone listened to the sound bite? That's not in actual quotes so I am not going to assume it's what he said verbatim.
SOUTH BEND -- Brian Kelly thinks DeShone Kizer could have used another year at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish coach went on Sirius XM NFL Radio on Monday afternoon with Bruce Murray and former Fighting Irish quarterback Brady Quinn, and was asked about his former starter. Kizer is widely considered a first-round pick in this month's NFL draft, but analysts such as ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have previously stated he should have gone back to school. Turns out, Kelly agrees. Follow SiriusXM NFL Radio ✔@SiriusXMNFL Notre Dame HC @CoachBrianKelly: DeShone Kizer has a strong arm and is physically gifted. I think he has all the tools but needs time. 10:42 AM - 3 Apr 2017 22 Retweets 33 likes Follow SiriusXM NFL Radio ✔@SiriusXMNFL Notre Dame HC @CoachBrianKelly: DeShone Kizer should still be in college. Needs more time to grow on & off field. He isn't complete yet. 10:46 AM - 3 Apr 2017 8484 Retweets 9292 likes Kelly hadn't said this publicly about Kizer. On the eve of Notre Dame's pro day last month, Kelly was asked what he would tell NFL teams about Kizer should they ask his opinion. This is what he said at the time: “I’ve had a number of conversations with GMs and coaches about DeShone, and my personal feeling is he has the biggest upside of all the quarterbacks,” Kelly said. “I don’t know that he’s prepared to come in and win a Super Bowl for you (immediately). Some may feel as though maybe one of the other quarterbacks are, I don’t know that firsthand. But I think in time, he has the biggest upside of all the three quarterbacks.” More:Brian Kelly: DeShone Kizer has 'biggest upside' of all QBs in NFL draft He did add that in time, Kizer could be the right guy for an organization. “Everybody’s under the same pressure of performing and needing somebody to come in right away,” Kelly said. “But I think he’s a guy that just needs some time. So if he gets in the right situation I think he’d be the guy to take.” There weren't any NFL head coaches at Kizer's pro day on March 23. However, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch was there. The 49ers have the No. 2 overall pick and Lynch told reporters at the NFL combine in February that Kizer "blew the doors off" their interview. Kizer has said the two have gotten to know each other "quite well." Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley was also watching, while the Chicago Bears, who have the third pick, had two scouts present. More:DeShone Kizer uses pro day to show off improvements In 2016, Kizer completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 2,925 yards and 26 touchdowns with nine interceptions, plus eight rushing touchdowns. Notre Dame went 4-8 and Kizer had the ball late with a chance to win in seven losses. In 2015, Kizer's first year as a starter, he completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 2,880 yards and 21 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and 10 rushing scores. The Irish went 10-3. “He’s got to be a more consistent player and you can see that out there (at his pro day),” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock told IndyStar. “You see the big arm, but then there are some occasional inaccuracies which are typically tied to the footwork. As he gets older, more mature, works on his team, he’s just got to get a lot more consistent. And I think that’s going to be his challenge.”
I believe the question asked was - Where does Kizer rank among the top QBs in the draft? BK said that he's not a finished product yet (everyone knows that including the scouts), but that Kizer had the highest potential of any of the QBs. I don't think he once said that he should still be at ND.
I don't get why a coach wouldn't go full LaVar Ball when talking about one of their draft prospects to the media. At the very least it's something you can sell to recruits and their families ("I always stick up for my players" etc)
While I agree, it sounds like it was taken at least somewhat out of context. Also let's not forget your Lord and Savior basically took a shit on Sanchez's face in the most public of forums when he got pissed Sanchez went pro. "The facts are so strong against this decision. After analyzing all the information, the truth is there—he should’ve stayed for another year. Mark’s chance to increase his value and become the top player in college football next year would have been worth $10-$20 million or more—likely more. One more year of running a team is almost priceless, so he lost the chance to fully prepare himself and become the very best he could be before going to the NFL. That’s why there’s a 62 percent failure rate for underclassmen quarterbacks." -USC Head Coach Pete Carroll
All of these guys are egomaniacs who can't handle being told no (or in this case, I don't want you coaching me anymore).
from Jake Brown at Scout Spoiler Will have some content from The Opening Chicago over the next day or so. There were a trio of commitments on hand -- Micah Jones, Ovie Oghoufo and Kalon Gervin -- plus a few targets. Not a big group by any means. Oghoufo won linebacker MVP after a really solid performance. He's long and lean, great frame. Still needs to be more fluid in space but there's a ton to like there. Oghoufo and Gervin both scored spots in The Opening Finals later this summer. Gervin measured in at 5-11 and really came to compete. You can tell he faces high level competition on the regular at Cass Tech. He took rep after rep, winning his fair share while losing a few. That's life as a cornerback for the most part. Gervin is technically sound. He also tested well, running a 4.41-second 40-yard dash. Micah Jones, to my eye, struggled a bit. Saw him (from across the field) make one catch in one-on-ones. But when a group of us moved over for a closer look, Jones had trouble getting separation from the defensive backs to haul in catches. Some of the things we saw from Jones on Sunday are the things that made ND wonder last summer about offering -- just how explosive is he really? No doubt he's a big kid, just about 6-5 and that in itself is an asset. I think at the next level you're looking at a possession receiver, plus a red zone target. That's valuable. But right now I think that three-star ranking is pretty darn solid. Jones needs to keep coming along in terms of his explosiveness and ability to go get the ball. Among the targets on hand, four-star defensive back Houston Griffith and four-star Kamryn Babb were the most notable. Didn't get a chance to talk with Babb but was told he ran off a long list of programs and Notre Dame wasn't one of them. Whether Griffith is willing to admit it or not, I think Notre Dame leads. He's visited several times at this point and is close with some current players/commitments. He and Kalon Gervin spent a bunch of time together during the camp. Griffith said he and Gervin chatted about Notre Dame more early in the day. No plans to get back as of now. Griffith said he'd like to see USC sometime this spring or summer. Look for him to cut it down at some point, although Griffith wasn't will to give away the target number for a shortened list. Either way, ND will be on it. Sophomore defensive end George Karlaftis was on hand after visiting Notre Dame on Saturday and walking away with an offer. Solid looking prospect, although not super explosive. Karlaftis did struggle with some technique drills. But he had some wins during the one-on-one portion. He's definitely not 6-5. More like 6-3 and change. Still young though and room to grow. Karlaftis was rocking a Notre Dame hat bough during the visit. It's a big offer for him and the Irish are probably a favorite right now. He's coming back for the spring game. Four-star defensive end Ronnie Perkins was the best defensive linemen on hand for my money. He landed an invitation to The Opening Finals as well. Quick off the line and Griffith visited ND last wed w/o telling anybody until after the fact...Coach D and everyone at B&G also think ND leads here
a really nice breakdown of the players from the chicago opening by Coach D Spoiler Notre Dame was well represented at the Nike Football The Opening Regional in Chicago this past Sunday. Three Irish commits and a number of top prospects were in attendance, and the results were quite impressive. A look at how Notre Dame’s commits and targets fared at the Chicago Regional. OVIE OGHOUFO, LINEBACKER Oghoufo was one of the top players in attendance at any position. He tested good — including an impressive 4.09 in the pro shuttle — and performed extremely well in individual drills. Oghoufo was rep after rep during pass rush drills and his coverage skills were quite impressive. The Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison linebacker showed good instincts playing the ball, good route recognition and none of the backs in attendance could out-run him. Part of what makes him effective in coverage is not just his quickness, but his top-level change of direction ability. Oghoufo moves with ease on the field, and his agility and explosiveness allowed him to play much, much faster than the 4.85 he ran in the 40-yard dash. Oghoufo checked in at 6-3 and 209 pounds, an inch taller a two pounds bigger than his listed weight. KALON GERVIN, CORNERBACK Gervin had a good day in testing and during position drills. He posted a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash and a 4.21 in the pro shuttle. The one question I had about Gervin based on film was whether or not he had the kind of long speed needed to be a top-flight cornerback, but his 4.41 showed that he has it. During position drills, Gervin constantly jumped to the front of the line and showed off impressive foot quickness and change of direction ability. That carried over into one-on-one drills, where Gervin constantly put himself in good position to make plays in coverage. He locked down a tight end on a corner route on his first rep, and jumped another route on rep two. Gervin was quick in his pedal and kept a good forward lean, which allowed him to make smooth and fast transitions on vertical routes. Gervin did a good job keeping his eyes appropriately at the middle of his opponents, which meant he didn’t fall for head fakes or extra moves. That allowed him to stay in good position. Only once did he jump a route on a double move, but it was a minor jump and Gervin was able to quickly catch up and get to the receiver downfield before the ball arrived. MICAH JONES, WIDE RECEIVER Jones had an up-and-down performance. For a long athlete — Jones is 6-5 — he showed good quickness in position drills. He was quick out of his top ends and displayed quality route technique on air. Jones showed good body control when the ball was thrown in his direction and he snatched the ball out of the air with ease. During one-on-one drills, Jones showed he still needs a lot of work as a route runner. The Gurnee (Ill.) Warren Township wideout started the day off well, beating a cornerback badly on a post-corner route for a touchdown and winning on a deep in route. Jones had some trouble on breaking routes because he still has a tendency to telegraph where he is going. He lifts up when he approaches his breaking point, which allows cornerbacks to anticipate a break. Most of the cornerbacks played with inside leverage, which allowed them to easily jump his in routes, and they could plant and drive on comebacks. Quarterbacks throwing to Jones weren’t overly accurate, which kept him from making a few more downfield plays, but Jones also did not do as good of a job going up and high-pointing the ball as he is capable of, and how he showed at the Irish Invasion last summer. HOUSTON GRIFFITH, CORNERBACK Griffith has really grown since I first saw him at the 2015 Irish Invasion. He’s taller and has really filled out his frame. Griffith has the body to play safety — there is no doubt of that — but he still shows the athletic skills and football IQ to play cornerback. The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy defensive back and Chicago native handled himself well in coverage. Griffith showed good quickness with his back pedal and he still transitions well enough to stay on the outside. He read routes well and closed hard on the football. Griffith lacks ideal top-end speed, but he makes up for it with size and instincts. RONNIE PERKINS, DEFENSIVE END Perkins was one of the best defensive linemen at the event. The St. Louis Lutheran North end looks shorter than his listed height of 6-4, but he has enough length to handle himself on the edge. He possesses a strong upper body and he’s a well-built defender. Despite being a thicker player, Perkins showed a strong burst off the line, constantly winning battles off the ball. He played with good pad level (a phrase I hate using when players aren’t wearing pads, but it’s the most applicable phrase) and constantly won the leverage battle. Perkins won with power at times and also showed enough agility and quickness to beat blockers with double moves. At times he played out of control and had too much of a forward lean and would lose his balance, which limited the effectiveness of his speed rushes. Perkins lined up at both end and defensive tackle during the drill, and handled himself well at both positions, but he was most comfortable at end. GEORGE KARLAFTIS, DEFENSIVE END (2019) Fresh off a visit to Notre Dame — one that resulted in a scholarship offer — Karlaftis showed why he’s a hot 2019 recruit. Karlaftis is not the 6-5 he is listed at, but he is plenty tall/long enough and he’s a strong young defender. He threw his weight and strength around like an upperclassman. Karlaftis needs a lot of technique work, but he’s athletic and really quick off the line. His first step might have been the most impressive of the ends, and only Bolingbrook (Ill.) defensive tackle Dashaun Mallory showed a better burst off the line. Karlaftis was too strong for tackles to handle, and when they overset in an attempt to handle his quickness he would often just explode into their bodies and drive them into the backfield. Once his technique gets refined, Karlaftis should really be a top-notch force on the edge. JOHN WAGGONER, DEFENSIVE END Waggoner is a really impressive looking athlete. He’s long and shows a strong build, and his quickness off the ball also stood out throughout the drills and one-on-one periods. Waggoner had a tendency to play a bit high at times and he showed some tightness through his hips, which made his double moves a bit more deliberate than other ends. That made his pass rush moves less effective at times. One thing about Waggoner that stood out through the morning session was his motor. He plays really hard and really competes. If he can improve his flexibility and agility he should see his pass rush game take off. TYRONE SAMPSON, CENTER I felt the most impressive offensive linemen of the day was Sampson, who visited Notre Dame in March. The Detroit East English Village center was physical and really competed like crazy. Sampson is an emotional kid who seemed to be having a lot of fun going toe-to-toe with some very talented defensive tackles. Sampson plays with good leverage and he has very strong hands. He handled bull rushes quite well and showed enough quickness to react to double moves. The issue for Sampson is I don’t know how much better he can get. He’s barely 6-0 and I don’t see a great deal of room for improvement. That’s a question teams have to answer before making a scholarship offer, but at this event Sampson was an extremely effective blocker and competitor. POTENTIAL NOTRE DAME TARGETS A few 2019 recruits who could end up on Notre Dame’s radar also had impressive performances. JULIAN BARNETT, WIDE RECEIVER/DEFENSIVE BACK Barnett was one of the most impressive players of the event. He checked in at 6-1½ and 184 pounds, ran a 4.64 in the 40-yard dash and had an extremely quick 4.09 in the pro shuttle. The Belleville (Mich.) High standout competed more than any other player I saw, mainly because he took reps on both sides of the ball. Barnett lined up at both wide receiver and defensive back during the one-on-one period, looking for any chance he could to go against another top player at the event. Barnett’s day got off to a rough start, as he twisted his knee during a routes on air period, and he was drilled right in the face with a ball later in that same period. He rebounded well and put together an outstanding performance. Barnett is a physical player and he really competes on both sides of the ball. He isn’t the fastest player, but he’s incredibly quick and shows impressive agility and explosiveness. His ball skills were outstanding, as Barnett made tough catches as a receiver and got his hands on a number of passes as a cornerback. JUSTIN BRITT, OFFENSIVE TACKLE Britt is a bit undersized at this point, listed at 6-4 and 260 pounds, and at times he was driven back by older and stronger players. Despite his lack of size at this point, Britt does show good height, length and the frame to really fill out. The Indianapolis Warren Central blocker has long arms, and when he uses them correctly they were a great weapon. What stood out with Britt was not just his quickness and agility — which was as good or better than any other offensive lineman at this event — it was also the willingness he showed to compete against bigger and stronger players. He anchors well and has the agility to eventually grow into a top offensive tackle prospect. DEVONTAE DOBBS, OFFENSIVE TACKLE Dobbs is a bit raw from a technical standpoint, and that got him in trouble at times. What I liked was the athleticism he showed and the natural strength he displayed when older and bigger players tried to bull rush him. He anchored well and competed hard, but his hands were too wide on most reps and ultimately that caused him to lose more ground than he should have. He showed himself to be a quality athlete that with more time in the weight room and time to develop could result in him turning into a standout tackle.
Red Rover can you post please? - http://notredame.247sports.com/Board/87/Contents/Notre-Dame-sophomore-day-recruiting-buzz-52126159
Spoiler Notre Dame's sophomore day impresses Steve Wiltfong - 92 minutes ago VIP 3 Notre Dame hosted several guys they've identified as top targets in the 2019 class on Sunday for a sophomore day. Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian defensive tackle Chris Hinton visited with his brother in 2020 offensive lineman Myles Hinton and their parents. Hinton was offered and it's probably only a matter of time before his younger brother gets a scholarship as well. "We loved it," Hinton said of the experience. The family is off to visit Cal and Stanford next. Hinton's mother went to law school in South Bend and was excited to see the changes on the ND campus. Look for the Irish to be a major contender here along with Michigan, Stanford and Georgia among others. Hinton told 247Sports last week it's likely he attends the same school as Myles. They're just 16 months apart and very close. -- Indianapolis (Ind.) Warren Central Top247 2019 receiver David Bell arrived already holding an offer. "It was a great day at ND," Bell said. "The one thing that I took from my experience at Notre Dame was watch as much film as possible, so you can anticipate what is going to happen next. "I really like how they treat the players there." 247Sports ranks Bell as the No. 1 recruit in the state, nation's No. 9 receiver and No. 55 prospect overall. -- Keep an eye on Notre Dame for Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Siegel defensive end Joseph Anderson. The early returns from the visit are real positive for the Irish. This is a top-of-the-board recruit for Brian Kelly and company. 247Sports ranks Anderson as the nation's No. 6 strong-side defensive end. -- Notre Dame offered the No. 1 recruit in Illinois in defensive end Jason Bargy. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Bargy checks all the boxes physically. 247Sports ranks Bargy as the nation's No. 3 weak-side defensive end. -- Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy defensive end Zach Harrison visited and is a top target for the Irish, but as you would imagine the local Buckeyes will be tough to beat. With that being said, Harrison has legit interest in ND and is strongly considering the opportunity. -- The 247Sports Crystal Ball is also all OSU for Cincinnati (Ohio) Walnut Hills defensive tackle Jowon Briggs but that may not be accurate. Notre Dame is very much a major contender to land Briggs who is an academic kid and strong personality fit in South Bend. -- I would imagine Notre Dame will offer touted offensive tackle Quinn Carroll down the road and become one of his favorites. Carroll told 247Sports he had an "amazing time" and also tweeted about it. -- Look for Crystal Lake (Ill.) South offensive lineman Trevor Keegan to return to South Bend for camp for a second-straight year. I don't expect Notre Dame to be a player for the nation's No. 4 offensive tackle Will Putnam.
My college coach ditched his wife and is taking me to the game tonight instead I knew I made the right decision 7 years ago