Sam Young (You'll like this)

[Rockne3d]

another web site is reporting that Sam Young, a 5 star OT, is looking like he will be ND in 1 1/2 weeks. He visits the weekend of the 21st. He "may" be cancelling all of his other visits. The decision for Notre Dame may have already been made. Nothing in stone here but it looks very good. They spoke very positively about it as if they had inside info on it.

[SirJohn]

:D I think so to...Why OFFICIAL visit 21st? Kinda late unless it's ND, Leaves one little slot only Charlie knows about :D

[bluester2000]

I think his original visit date got bumped because of a scheduling conflict with his high school team, but I'm not positive. It may have been that he had a game scheduled for Friday night which got postponed to the next day because of really bad weather. That happened to be the same Saturday he was due to visit. Again, I'm not sure, but I think so.

He would make the 6th OL of this class. That'd give us 15 scholarship offensive linemen. 6 of whom will be departing after '06. Next year will be a big year for our experienced offensive line. After that we get real young and our next opportunity may be '08,'09.

In '08 the only holdover from this season will be John Sullivan. Harris, Mattes, Raridon, Morton, Santucci, Bonelli will all be gone.

[SirJohn]

It was an issue like you mentioned something to do with a schedule conflict with his HS game.

HEADS UP over in DD's GENERAL AREA I posted information of the American Football Association. Proposed changes among them an earlier Recruiting Signing period. I think that's a go. I didn't want to post it here as it only touched on recruiting..Shorter halftime??? (What about the bands??????)

[Grason]

At the AA game, I believe that I remember their scout recruiting rep saying that ND was the team to beat for Young's services. What the heck does scout know though. I'm pretty sure that they got this one right though; the Irish are looking pretty good to Young.

[Rockne3d]

Young took an unofficial visit with his family to ND in the summer.

He was scheduled to take an official to ND in early December. It would have been his only in season official visit. But due to the hurricane that weekend became a scheduling conflict with their playoffs. Wenger did manage to visit that weekend.

I believe that he wants to enjoy the ND official and that is why he will take it. He will probably also use that visit to make it official to the public. But according to 3 people, all from different sites, they are saying that it highly looks like he is already Irish.

None of this is inside information, it simply came from 3 different recruiting sites. 2 ND sites and one general recruiting.

[SirJohn]

:D Young's Official visit is set for January 21 at Notre Dame.

[Irish4life]

i believe if he is not already, that he will be irish.

[Rockne3d]

It was confirmed today that Young has cancelled both his Penn State and Michigan visits and is expected to announce next week on Wednesday or Thursday.

He's Irish.

[SirJohn]

:D Then just one guy to go and kiss all this Mustain ink rumors goodbye :lol: McCoy or Kates????? :lol:

[Snatchy_McPants]

Broker, I need to buy you a beer. Seriously.

[SirJohn]

Can I have the foam off it if it's draft pulled? :lol: :D

[Rockne3d]

Broker, I need to buy you a beer. Seriously.

I'll take you up on that.

[SirJohn]

:) What am I left with? Sucking and squeeing some sodden beer coasters under a mug of beer into my mouth at a bar?

[Snatchy_McPants]

Ah, what the hell John, you can join us. In fact, if we land Young and McCoy, I'll take everyone out for a beer.

I read that the announcment will be on thursday on ESPN, not sure of the time yet but Ill let you know when I find out

[Rockne3d]

Actually Sam's father said they do not know the date yet. but it will be next week. He said they will find out tonight what the exact date is.

yea i got thursday from mike farrell at rivals, but i guess theres a chance he is wrong

January 13, 2006
Young Man’s Dream
by JASON SAPP

Sam Young, one of the nation’s top offensive tackles out of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is set to announce which school he will attend next week on ESPN. Young was scheduled initially to take an official visit to Notre Dame for the Tennessee game, which would have been his second time on campus, but had to postpone the visit to Jan. 21 due to a schedule conflict with his high school team as a result of Hurricane Wilma.
Much has happened since Young’s trip to South Bend. His St. Thomas Aquinas team reached the state finals and teammate, Dan Wenger, committed to the Irish. Young and Wenger recently played together at Army All-American Bowl earlier this month in San Antonio, Tex.

“The first time Sam played right tackle was at the All-American game,” said Young’s father. “It may not appear as a big deal to most, but it’s a difficult transition because you have to switch your stance, footwork, hands, etc. After watching him at practice all week and in the game, I think he handled it well.”

Coaches, scouts and fans were given an opportunity to watch Young and other Notre Dame commitments and prospects practice all week in San Antonio. In fact, several Notre Dame coaches were in attendance to watch Young put it all together and perform in the game. Young and his father also noticed something unique off the field during the week and it appears that it may have been in Notre Dame’s favor.

“The parents of the Notre Dame commits were all very nice and friendly people,” Mr. Young said emphatically. “Sam told me that one thing he noticed about the Notre Dame commits was that they have already developed a great relationship. He said that they all get along extremely well and are in regular contact with each other.”

Being the top-rated offensive tackle in the country creates exposure and an abundance of attention. The recruiting process has been quite the busy one for Sam Young as he decided to let his father handle most of the interviews and phone calls. This allowed Sam to focus on finishing out his senior year.

“It got to the point where we were getting 30 phone calls a night and at least 10 text messages,” added Mr. Young. “We stopped answering the phone because you never know if the number is a coach or the media. Things got busy from all the schools and one school even sent 11 letters in one day.”

Young and his family were prepared for the recruiting process that was coming near after his junior year. In fact, the Youngs took a road trip to cut down to a specific list of schools and allow Sam to concentrate on St. Thomas Aquinas’s season. His school has found plenty of success in sending players to the next level, so the coaches and families of the athletes were very supportive in the process.

“There were 22 players from Sam’s team last year that went to college and play football,” explained Mr. Young. “We were able to receive a lot of good advice and gain an idea of what we were looking for. The thing that impresses me the most about Notre Dame is the graduation rate, which is very important to get a degree. I tell Sam all the time that after football you still have 40 years of mortgage payments.”

St. Thomas Aquinas head coach, George Smith, is well-versed in handling all of his collegiate prospects and their recruiting process. He decided that all the announcements should take place following their season so his team can concentrate on the playoffs, and Sam Young has done just that.

“ESPN has agreed to have the press conference for us,” reported Mr. Young. “A specific date hasn’t been set yet, but I will know tomorrow (Friday) evening for sure what date for next week. I told ESPN that it must be done in a classy fashion. I’m not a fan of the whole hat switching thing really. It just seems as if it bad manners to drop a hat after picking it up when the school that it represents have put so much time, effort and money into recruiting you.”

Players tend to have an idea of where they want to attend early in the recruiting process, but are advised to hold off on the decision so they don’t make the wrong one. Sam Young knew where he wanted to go about 5-6 weeks ago and decided to hold off just in case other schools came into the mix, and to explore his options. Young has returned to his initial decision and the ND nation will have to wait until next week to find out just what it is. This announcement is one of the final two most anticipated ones, and in my opinion, it is still in the Irish’s favor.

*St. Thomas Aquinas head coach, George Smith, reported to BGI yesterday that the announcement will either take place Wednesday or Thursday. BGI will be in touch with Mr. Young today to find out the confirmed date.

that article confirms what broker says

It is going to be held on ESPN next Thursday (1/19) at 4:20 p.m. EST.

thats from Jason Sapp of bgi

[Irish4life]

thanks for info guys.

[GwoodND]

Guess there isn't any word on whats happening before tomorrow.I was hoping that some one may of herd something new...guess I'll have to wait untill tomorrow.LOL :D

[irishrick]

HEY YOU FLORIDA BUM, WELCOME ABOARD, LIKE YOUR COMMENTS, BUT AS FOR SAM TODAY IS THE DAY AL WAYS REMEMBER GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO THOSE THAT WAIT. GOOOOOOOOOOO IRISHHHHH. :D

[GwoodND]

Hey to you too IRISHRICK.
Hopefully I can contribute to this board in a positive way..And by the way its a nice Sunshine day and about 60 to 65 degrees outside.. :lol:

[SirJohn]

Rats! :D

Snow here.

[GwoodND]

:lol: Its going to be like this again tomorrow and i'll have the day off..Hopefully i'll get outside and get some yard work done...And SirJohn where is here?

[SirJohn]

Kentucky

[GwoodND]

So you live in the middle of all that SEC football too...All i get to read in the local paper here is t about UF,FSU and UM..Have to wait till the season begins again to get any kind of ND info in our paper..OR unless ND or some player does something wrong.. :x

[SirJohn]

That is so sucky true. Now there is DD and other sites. :D

Mike Farrel from Rivals was jsut on ESPN news and said the Young announcment is tomorrow on Espn news at 420, he also said right now it looks like ND but there could be a suprise. I feel good about this one boys but i guess we will find out for sure in about 24 hours

Mike Farrell
Rivals.com Football Recruiting

Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas offensive tackle Sam Young has been one of the more quiet five-star recruits in the land when it comes to his college destination. That always means there's a chance for a surprise decision as Young plans to announce live on national television on Thursday. So where will he be heading?

In the beginning of the process, many recruiting analysts (like myself) were convinced that Young was going to stay in state and choose the Florida Gators. However, just a few weeks back, Young surprised many by eliminating the Gators from his final list altogether.

The 6-foot-8, 302-pounder narrowed his choices to Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Michigan and Penn State, planning official visits with the latter three in January. Then the next bit of surprising news came.

Young cancelled his last three visits and scheduled his announcement for ESPNews on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 4:20 PM EST. Many didn't know what to make of this and the internet recruiting rumors began to run wild.

Some were convinced that Young's Pennsylvania roots would land him in State College, Pa. However, his final two heading into his announcement are USC and Notre Dame, narrowing things down quite clearly.


Rivals.com
The pick here is Young will be Irish.
Young had a tremendous visit to Southern Cal, has family nearby and the depth chart situation looks favorable. Obviously playing for the Trojans is attractive to any recruit and distance to home is clearly not a factor.

But the pick here is Notre Dame, but not for the reasons many think. Sure, teammate Daniel Wenger is a Notre Dame commitment, but that is not a factor in this decision at all as both Young and Wenger do their own thing. Some think the Catholic ties work in ND's favor since Young attends a Catholic high school. Cross that one off as the Young's are not even Catholic.

So why is the guess Notre Dame? I think education is a huge factor here and a degree from Notre Dame goes a long way after football. I think offensive line coach John Latina is a huge factor here as Sam has stated many times that his position coach will be key. And I think that even though both depth charts look good for a big left tackle, Notre Dame needs linemen and needs them badly, moreso than USC.

It also didn't hurt that Young was able to spend quite a bit of time down in San Antonio, Tex. with future teammates like Barry Gallup (his roommate there) and fellow linemen Matt Carufel, Bartley Webb and Chris Stewart. Unless he surprises me, I think big Sam Young is in South Bend next August pushing to get on the two-deep.

Forecast: Notre Dame
Confidence Level: High

[Irish4life]

good read thanks for that.

[GwoodND]

Well I can't wait guys..When reading Farrells article is sure that Sam Young cancelled his visit to ND also?I read where he had cancelled his last 2 visits to Penn State and Mich. but, didn't know that he cancelled the one to ND too.On Scout.com they had him visiting on 1/13/06..Does anyone know that he had?I just Usc doesn't sneak in here and sway him.
Can't wait ill have my cpu on day...

[GwoodND]

Thought ya'll would like this info on Sam Young.Don't know if anyone has posted this article or not...

http://sportscrack.com/samyoung.html

Sounds like it maybe a week hold or so but,its a prediction on Sam.

[GwoodND]

Hers another article on Sam Young from Miami..

http://www.miami.com/mid/miamiherald/sports/1368507.html

Sorry guys haven't figured how to link yet...

[Rockne3d]

Thanks Gwood but I was unable to pull each up. Please sumarize.

I don't know if Sam will be Irish but I am confident that he will be. But I am leary until I hear him officially announce it. I believe his press conference is set for 3pm ET but the ESPN announcement is not until 4:20ET. So at 3pm ET we may start to hear rumblings before it ever gets to the ESPN telecast. I'll pass the news on immediately if I hear anything. Likewise from all of you.

[GwoodND]

RECRUITING | SAM YOUNGThe wait is overSt. Thomas Aquinas lineman Sam Young, South Florida's top football recruit, announces his commitment today.BY JOSEPH GOODMANjgoodman@MiamiHerald.comSunshine or snow? Hollywood or Touchdown Jesus? Los Angeles or South Bend, Ind? Notre Dame or USC? Charlie Weis or Pete Carroll? Who's it going to be, Sam Young?
He will give his answer today. St. Thomas Aquinas offensive lineman Sam Young (6-7, 297 pounds) is scheduled to announce his commitment at 4:20 p.m. live on ESPNEWS. Young is South Florida's top high school football recruit and ranked No. 23 nationally by Rivals.com. He's listed fourth nationally among linemen and third overall in the state of Florida.
''You're looking at two of the top programs tradition wise,'' Young said. ``And recently they both had great seasons playing in a BCS bowl [Notre Dame] and the national championship [USC]. It's difficult to try to choose. It's been a lot of fun, but at the same time, it's time to move on.''
SPECULATION
There's plenty of evidence available to speculate a commitment to either school.
Recent rumors
have Young headed to Notre Dame. Dan Wenger, a high school teammate of Young's, has already committed to the Irish.
More Notre Dame intrigue surfaced when Gatorade, which named Young its Florida player of the year, released erroneous information listing Young as a Notre Dame commitment. Gatorade quickly retracted the press release and apologized for the error.
But Young has yet to take an official visit to Notre Dame. He's scheduled to visit in the near future but said Wednesday ``that might change depending on my announcement.''
This much we know. Young has only taken one official visit, a trip to USC one week after St. Thomas lost to Lakeland in the Class 5A state championship game. Young talked with Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White, as well as the Trojans' offensive line.
UNOFFICIAL VISITS
The Parade All-American visited Notre Dame unofficially during the summer. In fact, Young has visited a few schools unofficially. He and his family started touring campuses two years ago. Young has done some research.
The unofficial visit list: Notre Dame, Miami, Florida, Penn State, Michigan, Stanford, Ohio State, North Carolina and Duke.
''I've been all over the country the last two summers and spring breaks,'' Young said. ``It's half vacation for the family and half seeing schools. So it's worked out nice. You really get a firsthand account without all the glitz and glamour.''
Young said North Carolina and Stanford ``have two of the most breathtaking campuses in America.''
But Young isn't in it for the scenery. He has approached every visit as a ''business trip.'' And because Young's business is dominating defenders and getting a degree in business, either Notre Dame or USC will be a perfect fit.
''I always look at academics,'' Young said. ``You look at somewhere like Notre Dame, and it's up there with the Ivy League, and USC's business program is one of the highest ranked in country.''
Wherever Young decides to go, rest assured his fishing pole will be along for the ride. His decision might be a mystery, but it's no secret that ''Big Country'' is a big-time fisherman.
''The coaches have promised me in both places that I can have time to sort that stuff out once I get there,'' Young said. ``Everyone sneaks that little bit in about the fishing.''
email thisprint this

I'm learning so here is that one article. :lol:

[GwoodND]

MATT FAIRCHILD TALKS ABOUT TOP OFFENSIVE LINE PROSPECT SAM YOUNG AND OFFERS HIS PREDICTIONS ON OTHER TOP RECRUITS
Having canceled visits to Michigan and Penn State while confirming that he will visit South Bend on January 21st, Sam Young, the #2 rated offensive tackle in all of the nation will join high school teammate Dan Wenger at Notre Dame next fall. His official announcement is expected next week, a couple of days before he makes his official visit to Notre Dame.

Young will join the top offensive line class of 2006. He will be the sixth commitment on the offensive line, joining Wenger, Matt Carufel, Chris Stewart, Eric Olsen, and Bartley Webb. Young is also going to be the 28th commitment to the Irish. With 3 early enrollments (RB James Aldridge, WR/CB George West, and OL Chris Stewart) counting towards last year's class of 16 recruits and one commitment coming in on a lacrosse scholarship (TE Will Yeatman) the Irish have one available scholarship to give. The question remains of who do they give it to, or better yet, who accepts it?

Irish coaches
Here is the other one. :P

things have just changed, there is no longer a 3 pm press conference, now the announcment will be live at 420 on espnnews, also Young is giving an interview immediately following with Jason Sapp of BGI so i think this means we are in good shape

[Rockne3d]

JK, you just had to beat me to the punch on that announcement, didn't you. Nice work.

Based on the Sapp interview, I think we are sitting pretty good. But I KNOW nothing.

[Rockne3d]

13 minutes to go.

Come on Sam Young!

[GwoodND]

Herd that Broker..I have it on ESPNRadio do you think i will here it on that broadcast...COME ON SAY Notre Dame all the way...

he is irish

[GwoodND]

Mike Farrell on rivals has came out and said 5* Young will head North and play for the Irish.....YaHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :lol:

[Rockne3d]

Its official. he's Irish!!!!!!!

[irishrick]

tell you what i will guarantee that the Florida , will find out when we win the national championship. ha ha :roll: PS keep your 65 will take the snow and ice any time over the :) Canes that u all have, :) AND THE GATORS TOO, Have a nice day in the yard, go irish.hhhhhhhhaaaaaa :D

[Snatchy_McPants]

Can I get an AMEN from the congregation! GO IRISH!

[IrishCupaJoe]

tell you what i will guarantee that the Florida , will find out when we win the national championship. ha ha :roll: PS keep your 65 will take the snow and ice any time over the :) Canes that u all have, :) AND THE GATORS TOO, Have a nice day in the yard, go irish.hhhhhhhhaaaaaa :D

What the Canes & Gators have to do with snow & ice, I'm not sure :? , but there are plenty of Irish fans in Florida that are quite fond of not freezing. Now then; guess I'll grab the trunks and head to the beach despite this frigid 78 degree cold snap we're suffering through. Later yankees :wink:

[GwoodND]

Herd that and I whill second that motion.. :D

[irishrick]

HEY GWOOD, WHERE ARE YOu IN FLA. , its a very mild day here in Maine a beautiful 23*, real nice had hurricane winds first of week tore off some of roof, have hole and so forth, have tarps all over attic to keep water out, to old to get on the roof, the roof people will be at least two weeks before they can get here, asked god to hold off on rain til i get it repaired, so far he is doing a fantastic job, you all have a nice Irish day. :)

[GwoodND]

Hey IRISHRICK I live on the Gulf Coast of Fl.11 miles from Alabama.And about 15 minutes to our Beaches...I live in Pensacola,Fl.The weather has been in the mid 60's and mostly sunshine..But since i have a day off tomorrow its going to rain...Sorry to hear about your roof man.hope it gets fixed soon..I know about those hurricane forced winds..Went through Hurrican IVAN went it came through Pensacola..HOpe I don't have to go throught another like that.Ya'll have a nice day! :D