Rockne's Roundtable

As a senior, Neal rushed for 1,317 yards and 16 scores, caught 62 passes for 1,113 yards and 14 more TDs, and added five scores on kickoff or punt returns.

Wow. Davonte' Neal is definitely a dynamic athlete, and I think he'll really have a big sophomore season.

adernbach,

Not to marginalize any of the efforts by the coaching staff, but there really is no reason why Notre Dame shouldn't have a "solid" group each year.

I've repeated this too often. The first time I saw national college football recruiting rankings was in 1978 with Joe Terranova's list in Sports Illustrated. From 1978 until 2000, ND was in the top 10 of at least one recruiting service each year. Two really poor classes in 2004 in 2005 lowered the bar to where "solid" became the new standard.

Fortunately, the bar is beginning to be raised again. Solid can get you into the top 25, maybe top 15. But to be a player consistently, you generally have to be in the top 10 each recruiting season. It's not an accident that over that last six years, Alabama has been near the top, if not at the top, each time.

heinen,

The situation with Okwara might have been a case of the need for bodies on special teams, which Kelly said was a primary issue. Also, because there was uncertainty in August and the first couple weeks of the season whether Danny Spond would be available again in 2012, the staff was preparing him mentally to be on the field.

But yes, given that he doesn't turn 18 until June, he would have been a prime candidate to preserve a year. When he graduates in May 2016 — or December 2015, as is the case with many players — he still won't be of age to legally celebrate with a drink.