Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2016 RECRUITING ISSUE Lemming: "As long as you've got Autry Denson. Florida is not any eas- ier than Texas or California; it's just depending who you've got there. "And Denson is a star for them down there." BGI: What are your thoughts on Notre Dame's overall ability to recruit going forward, given some of the shifting in the national coaching landscape? Farrell: "It's going to get harder. I still think Brian Kelly is one of the best head coaching recruiters out there, and I still think Notre Dame has one of the best products when it comes to a combination of athletics, tradition and academics. "As long as they're in the conversa- tion for the playoffs like they were this year, they will recruit well. But the landscape is getting more and more competitive from where they are. Michigan State stays in their territory, but Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer go out, and Kelly has to go out." Wiltfong: "That won't matter. They're off to a great start in 2017. They recruit against heavyweight pro- grams every year. "Where Notre Dame is recruiting at different parts of the country may change each time, but they're al- ways recruiting against high-profile programs. So the coaching changes at Michigan and other places don't change anything." Lemming: "Notre Dame's got to be very careful about the Midwest now with frenetic recruiters like Jim Har- baugh and Urban Meyer who never let up. Their hobby is recruiting. They don't golf, they don't take trips; their hobby is recruiting. It's every day of the year. "That said, Kelly is one of the bet- ter recruiters out there. Kids like him. He's an intelligent, good-humored type guy in recruiting. I just think Notre Dame's future will depend on getting defensive recruits. As long as Kelly is there, they will always get of- fensive recruits." ✦ In his first year on the job, Florida native and running backs coach Autry Denson shined on the recruiting trail by helping Notre Dame land seven players from the Sunshine State. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS