Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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"The dominance Notre Dame has in all areas, not just football, is unmatched, and I don't think I could be a better fit for a school," Deeb said after making his choice. "My playing style, the coaching staff and the image of Notre Dame are all factors that made perfect sense in making this decision." Deeb is an old-school, hard-nosed inside linebacker that loves contact and plays fearlessly. He is a sound tackler and does a terrific job of shedding blockers when pursuing the ball carrier. Elite Linebacker Group Headed To South Bend When Vanderdoes signed with Notre Dame in early February, the Fighting Irish coaching staff thought that they found a replacement for senior Louis Nix III, their All-America candidate at nose guard. On May 20, there was a shocking turn of events regarding the standout prospect from the West. Sources told BlueandGold.com that Vanderdoes had decided not to honor his National Letter of Intent and that he no longer wanted to attend Notre Dame. This created quite a stir, and rumors were swirling about the reasoning behind his sudden change of heart. When Vanderdoes signed his National Letter of Intent to Notre Dame, the legal document created a contract between the student-athlete and the university to put him on full athletic scholarship for the minimum of one full year in South Bend. Notre Dame has the option to release him from his National Letter of Intent and allow him to go elsewhere. However that is a rarity in college football. Vanderdoes has other options, such as attending a junior college, a prep school or paying his way at another institution, none of which allows him the The nation's No. 2 linebacker class, which includes the top overall linebacker in the country, signed with Notre Dame in February. The Fighting Irish signed three linebackers in total, two four-star players and one three-star prospect according to 247Sports. The headliner of the bunch is Smith, the nation's top linebacker and the No. 5 overall prospect in the country. He possesses incredible speed to go along with his impressive size. His lateral movement is that of a safety, and he has the ball skills and quickness to line up and cover tight ends and some wide receivers. Randolph was another impressive addition to the linebacker group. His blend of size and speed got him offers to play tight end at the next level, but he decided to play linebacker in South Bend. Randolph was listed as the No. 28 overall outside linebacker in the nation, as well as the No. 15 prospect coming from the state of Virginia. He selected Notre Dame over offers from Maryland, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech and others. Vanderdoes' Unexpected Exit opportunity to play Division I football this upcoming season. While this remains a fluid situation and nothing has been finalized, it's hard to deny that the signing of the 6-2, 310-pound prospect was the icing on the cake this February for an outstanding Notre Dame recruiting class. Prior to him coming on board, the one position where the Irish lacked star power was along the defensive line, and it was a crucial need area for several reasons. One, Nix and junior Stephon Tuitt are No. 7 and No. 13, respectively, on ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s "2014 Big Board" for the 2014 NFL Draft. If the Irish do indeed lose both, it would be a severe hit to the defensive line. Second, Notre Dame signed only two defensive linemen in 2012 (Sheldon Day and Jarron Jones), and restocking the cupboard with star power was mandatory. Vanderdoes and his massive frame fit the bill perfectly. Third, although the Irish also inked 6-5, 260-pound Isaac Rochell and 6-5, 240-pound Jacob Matuska this February, they are not deemed instant impact players the way an Aaron Lynch (who transferred to South Florida last year), Tuitt or Vanderdoes are. While some project Rochell to slide over from defensive end to defensive tackle in time, that won't be a move within the next two seasons. Lastly, backup nose tackles Kona Schwenke and Tyler Stockton are in their final season of eligibility in 2013, and junior Chase Hounshell will miss his second straight campaign because of shoulder surgery. ✦ 2013 Recruiting Class Name Hunter Bivin Greg Bryant Devin Butler Michael Deeb Steve Elmer* Tarean Folston William Fuller Mike Heuerman* Torii Hunter Jr. Rashad Kinlaw Cole Luke Jacob Matuska Mike McGlinchey Colin McGovern John Montelus James Onwualu* Doug Randolph Max Redfield Corey Robinson* Isaac Rochell Jaylon Smith Durham Smythe Eddie Vanderdoes Malik Zaire* Pos. OL RB DB LB OL RB WR TE WR DB DB DL OL OL OL WR LB DB WR DL LB TE DL QB Ht. 6-6 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-6 5-10 6-1 6-4 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-5 6-8 6-5 6-5 6-1 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-0 Wt. 290 200 180 235 317 190 180 220 180 185 180 255 280 280 305 215 230 195 197 265 220 230 285 208 Hometown (High School) Owensboro, Ky. (Apollo) Delray Beach, Fla. (American Heritage) Washington, D.C. (Gonzaga) Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (American Heritage) Midland, Mich. (Midland) Cocoa, Fla. (Cocoa) Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) Naples, Fla. (Barron Collier) Prosper, Texas (Prosper) Absecon, N.J. (Absegami) Chandler, Ariz. (Hamilton) Columbus, Ohio (Bishop Hartley) Philadelphia (William Penn Charter) New Lenox, Ill. (Lincoln Way West) Everett, Mass. (Everett) Saint Paul, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall Woodberry Forest, Va. (Woodberry Forest) Mission Viejo, Calif. (Mission Viejo) San Antonio (Christian Academy) McDonough, Ga. (Eagle's Landing) Fort Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Luers) Belton, Texas (Belton Auburn, Calif. (Placer) Dayton, Ohio (Archbishop Alter) * Enrolled in January 2013 California native Eddie Vanderdoes — the nation's top defensive tackle according to 247Sports — signed with Notre Dame in February, but decided in May to attend UCLA instead. photo courtesy 247sports 156 ✦ Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview 154-156.Class of '13 Storylines.indd 156 6/25/13 11:35 AM