Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Class of 2013 Recruiting Storylines This year's group included several of Florida's elite prospects, some flip-floppers and a signee that will never wear an Irish uniform S By Tom Loy uccess on the field usually results in success on the recruiting trail. That was the case for Notre Dame last fall, when the Irish went 12-1 with a loss to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game. Off the field, the staff put together an incredible recruiting class, which finished with a No. 3 national ranking from 247Sports. Fort Wayne, Ind., five-star linebacker Jaylon Smith was the heart of Notre Dame's 2013 class. The 6-3, 220-pound prospect committed to Notre Dame June 2, 2012, and never wavered. However, that wasn't the case for all of the Irish's commitments. There was plenty of flip-flopping for some prospects throughout the process. Here's a look at some of the top storylines from the 2013 recruiting cycle. Flip-Flops A commitment is not what it used to be. Five prospects that were previously committed to other schools signed with Notre Dame in the 2013 class, while four players orginally committed to Notre Dame went elsewhere during the cycle. The biggest loss for the Irish actually came after National Signing Day with the saga surrounding Auburn (Calif.) Placer High five-star defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes. Although he signed a National Letter of Intent with Notre Dame in February, Vanderdoes had a change of heart and decided that he wanted to attend UCLA, where the class of 2013 prospect will have to sit out one season due to NCAA rules. Another tough defection came when Reading (Pa.) Wyomissing five-star line- Final 2013 Class Rankings The top player in Notre Dame's 2013 class, on paper, is linebacker Jaylon Smith of Fort Wayne, Ind. He is rated as the No. 5 prospect in the country by 247Sports. photo courtesy 247sports 247Sports — No. 3 Rivals — No. 3 Tom Lemming — No. 3 ESPNU — No. 4 Scout — No. 4 154 ✦ Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview 154-156.Class of '13 Storylines.indd 154 6/25/13 11:35 AM