Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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HITS AND MISSES FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Irish don't close with strength of 2011 haul A BY LOU SOMOGYI student-athlete who receives a four- year deal (in some cases five) from a school worth about $200,000 has to be talented no matter what. But in Big Boy Football, just like in ssigning grades to a football recruiting class based merely on volume of hyperbole can be an exercise in folly. Any a Miss America pageant, subjectiv- ity and the superficial often come to the forefront. Here's the "On Paper" grading standard we use for each position based on need, quantity and quality: A — BCS Caliber/Top 10 B — Top 11-20 Potential C — Top 25 Potential D — Trying To Be Bowl Eligible QUARTERBACK Signed: Gunner Kiel. Need In 2012: Last summer, the popular perception was that signing a quarterback was not imperative. Starter Dayne Crist had a fifth year available in 2012, sophomore Tommy Rees added quality insurance after finishing 4-0 in place of an injured Crist in 2010, and Andrew Hendrix and Everett Golson each had four years of eligibility remaining while providing more of a dual threat to head coach Brian Kelly's spread. Summary: After originally com- mitting to Indiana, Kiel opened up his recruiting again in October, and suddenly he became a prime figure for the Irish because a) Crist had been benched and was destined to depart after graduating in Decem- ber, b) Rees ostensibly had reached a plateau, and c) Hendrix and Golson remain unknown commodities. More competition could raise everyone's game. It appeared the Kiel ship had sailed when he chose LSU this winter, but in the 11th hour (and 59th minute), he gave Notre Dame its best news in January when he opted out of LSU and enrolled early with the Irish. On Paper: Grade A Kiel was pretty much the top tar- www.BLUEANDGOLD.com get on the coaching staff's radar, and it landed what is considered one of the top two or three prospects in the country at his position. You can't do much better than that, although ques- tions might remain about whether he can be a viable running threat with the zone read at the collegiate level. Yes, we know he ran for 482 yards as a senior in Indiana. Crist also ran for 454 yards as a high school senior in California and was considered a "Tebow-lite." It's different running in college. RUNNING BACK Signed: Will Mahone and KeiVarae Russell. Need In 2012: At least two were a must, especially if 2012 senior Cierre Wood, a 1,000-yard rusher last sea- son, doesn't exercise his fifth-year option in 2013. Classmate Theo Rid- dick will exhaust his eligibility after this season. Current sophomore Cam Rober- The loss of Deontay Greenberry had quite an impact on the overall grade of Notre Dame's 2012 signing class, but under-the-radar recruits like Justin Ferguson (above) lessen the blow. PHOTO COURTESY FERGUSON FAMILY son suffered a severe knee injury last spring, and freshmen George Atkin- son III and Cam McDaniel combined for only 12 carries last year. The back- field did receive a boost in January with the transfer of Amir Carlisle from USC. Summary: Keith Marshall (Geor- gia) and Bryon Marshall (Oregon) were a couple of the coveted early targets, along with Barry Sanders Jr. (Stanford). In the 6-0, 210-pound Will Mahone and 6-0, 177-pound KeiV- arae Russell, Notre Dame didn't land top-100 rated marquee prospects, but it did ink a duo with complementary styles. tor" that will be needed right away to help, but it has the makings of a productive duo down the road, with Russell possibly filling a Riddick-like role in the slot/backfield. On Paper Grade: B It's not a tandem with a "wow fac- WIDE RECEIVER Ferguson. Need In 2012: The Irish wanted at Signed: Chris Brown and Justin least three, maybe even four. It also was paramount to reel in one with the star power to replace Michael Floyd because Notre Dame did not appear to land game-changing tal- ent at wideout in 2009, 2010 or 2011. Some might say current freshman DaVaris Daniels could fit that bill, but there was a lot of opportunity to play in 2011 on a receiving corps that was average sans Floyd. Daniels wasn't quite ready yet and might be a year away from reaching his stride. Summary: Notre Dame swung for the fences with top talents such as Nelson Agholor (USC), Jordan Payton (UCLA), Bryce Treggs (Cal), Davonte Neal (undecided, with Notre Dame among the final four) and it connected early on the long ball with Deontay Greenberry, who committed last summer and evolved into a five-star prospect, a la Floyd. When Greenberry opted for Hous- ton on National Signing Day, it was a devastating loss. On Paper Grade: C Brown and Ferguson are good prospects from SEC country, and Kelly even referred to Brown as the steal in this class. But losing a five- star player and potential freshman starter on the final day before signing is not easy to weather for a program that is trying to crack the final top 25 for the first time in six years. MARCH 2012 19