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Notre Dame’s Recruiting Numbers

  • http://notredame.247sports.com/Article/Notre-Dames-Recruiting-Numbers-67672

    With Notre Dame already at nine verbal commitments, we do some numbers crunching on how many grants-in-aid could be available this year.

    Lou Somogyi

  • You might want to keep a copy of this handy, Lou, so you can paste it when this question is asked every other week until NSD;)

    My luck w/the Irish 18-6...GO IRISH!!!

    simm

  • simm: Good point:)

    matty177

  • Lou,
    Excellent work. I think that Tausch goes simply because he really hasn't seen much action and Brindza seems to have the coaches confidence. But, you are right--the situation beyond 18 is fluid and we will just have to stay tuned. Thank God, though, we are having these kinds of discussions so early in the recruiting cycle.

    hemy

  • Thanks for the recap Lou.

    Two time Poster of The Week, 2011 and 2013.

    edd1066

  • simm said...

    You might want to keep a copy of this handy, Lou, so you can paste it when this question is asked every other week until NSD;)

    LOL and no kidding!

    Run the ball. Stop the run. You win, or lose, up front.

    Coach_Clancy

  • Lou, you don't expect Eiffert to come back for his 4th year of eligibility? Man, that stinks.

    signature image

    Member of the Gringo Mafia - chief infiltrator of the federales --- If life hands you lemons, throw them at an UofM fan

    tommyd44

  • Yeah I would say Eiffert is gone after this year especially after he was contemplating leaving this past season.

    signature image signature image signature image

    jrgodlewsky

  • This is certainly Lou's favorite and least favorite question to answer...

    travisbarke ●

  • kinda sucks that we can only take 18, when teams like scUM are already up to 16. have to be very selective.

    signature image signature image signature image

    POTW June 4, 2012 - June 11, 2012

    IrishFan23 ●

  • Irishfan23,

    No one is saying they can only take 18. That's just a safe base to work off of at this point.

    There is always some form of attrition, whether it's transfer (like Dragicevich for the basketball team), an injury that makes one unable to perform (like Broghammer of the basketball team) that leads the grant-in-aid to be transferred to a a general fund, etc.

    If Cierre Wood opts to turn pro after his senior year instead of returning for a fifth season, there's another one that is freed up. It is always fluid, which is why there is no "right answer" as to how many there are to give.

    I

    Lou Somogyi

  • Thanks for the breakdown, Lou,

    Could you clear up how the 5th year works? Ultimately, how much say do the coaches have in who gets a 5th year. From the article, it would appear as though Kelly would tell Golic thanks, kid, but its probably not going to work.
    Is this the case? If so, has the coaching staff used this historically as a means of managing its roster, sacrificing 5th years for the sake of elite recruits?

    J_Law ●

  • J_Law,

    The fifth year situation is all about using common sense. While I'm not in the room when such decisions are being discussed, the natural questions to ask include:

    1. Can he legitimately help the team next season as a potential starter or top backup?

    2. Is the position stocked well enough where his help is not necessary?

    3. Is there room on the roster?

    4. Is there a superb prospect we're recruiting that we need on next year's roster as opposed to returning someone for a fifth season who might not play much, if at all.

    This year, for example, it's absolute common sense that you want Kapron Lewis-Moore, Jamoris Slaughter and Braxston Cave back. Those are seasoned, battle-tested veterans who have about two years (if not more) starting experience. You reserve a spot on the bus for them.

    Others are more on the bubble, like a Mike Golic Jr. or John Goodman. They're not necessarily proven starters, but they can provide quality, seasoned depth. Let's say Michael Floyd would have been suspended in 2011 and was coming back in 2012 for a fifth season. Then, the likelihood of Goodman also returning diminishes considerably. With Floyd gone, though, and really no veteran influence, the staff felt it would be beneficial to bring back Goodman, whose leadership they liked last year when Floyd was temporarily suspended.

    Golic Jr. started the last four games last season when Cave was injured, but he also provides value in that he can be the top backup at left guard, right guard (if not start there) and center, just like Andrew Nuss in 2011. There's a security blanket in knowing you have someone who's been there, been in the weight room the past five years and knows the offense, to lean on in case injuries occur.

    By missing out on some recruits this year like Taylor Decker, Ronald Darby and Deontay Greenberry, the Irish had about three spots left over. So as insurance, you can bring Dan McCarthy back to help on special teams/safety — and also put walk-on Chris Salvi on scholarship for his senior year.

    I'm not trying to pick on anyone because I have immense respect for anyone who has the guts to do what these student-athletes do, but if you would have been at 84 scholarships this February (85 is the NCAA limit) and the staff has a decision to either take five-star cornerback Darby or bring back reserve safety McCarthy for a fifth season, what's the common sense choice?

    Same with Jake Golic at tight end. Nothing against the young man, but he's had some injury problems — and players such as Ben Koyack, Troy Niklas and yet another four-star recruit in Alex Welch all have three years of eligibility from 2012-14. At best, he's fourth team, so if you have a decision between choosing a four- or five-star tight end with four years of eligibility or a prospective No. 4 tight end to give you one more year, what's the common sense decision?

    Lou Somogyi

  • Thanks, Lou, for the clarification.

    I have had some back-n-forths with my friends over this issue, and it seems to me, if I take the realistic view of 5th years, its not that much different from Saban or Meyer failing to renew a kids scholly. The biggest difference, of course, is that we have to keep our kids for at least 4 years before we reach that decision, but my point, as indicated in my previous question, is that ND has a method to ensure a 5-star kid gets a spot at the expense of a player who, for whatever reason, never worked out just like any other school.

    I'm not putting ND and Saban in the same class with respect to oversigning and releasing kids on med hardships in order to get to 85. It's a matter, as you say, of common sense, and the coaches aren't doing their job if they're not honest with themselves and keep a 5th year at the expense of an Arik Armstead. If memory serves correctly, not all players denied 5th years go the "Cwynar" route into their careers. I blank on names, but I believe some went to play at 1-AA schools.

    Thanks again for the response, I appreciate how responsive you and the staff are to posters, both newbies (like myself) and the veterans. clap

    J_Law ●

  • J-Law,

    Yes, many use the fifth-year option to go to other schools, including 1-AA. Some names you might recall are Garron Bible (Delaware), Ronnie Rodamer (Montana), Anthony Vernaglia (Hofstra), or Emeka Nwankwo (Western Illinois).

    Dayne Crist, of course, is at Kansas, as is Mike Ragone (6th year), while Brandon Newman will be at Ball State. Nate Schiccatano went to Temple for his fifth season, Steve Paskorz to West Virginia and Matt Romine to Tulsa, not far from where he grew up. It provides a final opportunity to get football out of their system if they felt unfulfilled or unable to reach their potential with the Irish.

    Lou Somogyi

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