NOTRE DAME HAS OHIO RECRUITING EDGE?

[Guest SirJohn]

From Star Beacon

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Dome's glare not nearly as blinding

But Weis' success could give Irish recruiting edge

 

By MARLA RIDENOUR

 

Akron Beacon Journal

 

Lawrence Wilson saw the Golden Dome. He knew Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis had two Super Bowl rings and probably a third on the way.

 

Yet Wilson, a first-team All-Ohio defensive end from St. Vincent-St. Mary, was not blinded by the glitter.

 

Many college coaches in the the Midwest fear that Weis’ success in the first year at his alma mater will mean that top student-athletes at Catholic high schools will start flocking to South Bend, Ind. The Irish, who had just four winning seasons in the previous eight under coaches Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham, flourished under former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Weis, going 9-2 and earning a spot in the Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.

 

Perhaps Wilson can allay their fears. Wilson orally committed to Notre Dame before Willingham was fired last Nov. 30. But given an out by Willingham’s dismissal after three seasons, Wilson wavered.

 

After Weis was hired on Dec. 12, Wilson said Weis visited "two or three times." But it wasn’t enough. Weis learned that Wilson had chosen Ohio State on ESPN News.

 

"I knew he was a good coach. I liked him," Wilson said of Weis. "He was very up front. What it came down to was I thought the Ohio State situation was better for me as a person. I felt I fit better into their system than I did at Notre Dame.

 

"I liked Ty Willingham, I liked the whole setup at Notre Dame. But I was just caught up in the whole situation. I thought I liked it more than I did. I think Coach Willingham got fired for a reason. God wanted me to go to Ohio State instead."

 

Wilson’s father, Eugene, admits he was more awestruck on the Notre Dame visit than his son.

 

"When I was up at Notre Dame, I was like, ‘Wow,’" Eugene Wilson said. "I was impressed, my son wasn’t. This generation doesn’t care. My son was reacting more to my emotions about Notre Dame."

 

Lawrence Wilson isn’t so sure that 15 NFL seasons on Weis’ resume will have players knocking down the coach’s door.

 

"Kids can go to Notre Dame because of the tradition," Wilson said. "I don’t think the coach has that much influence. You go to the school because of the school. A coach can get fired any day."

 

Wilson isn’t the only Buckeye who was courted by the Irish. Senior center Nick Mangold, who attended Kettering Alter High School, said Notre Dame was his second choice. Safeties Donte Whitner and Nate Salley also were recruits.

 

St. V-M athletic director Grant Innocenzi doesn’t think the renewed glare of the Golden Dome will change the thinking of his school’s top athletes.

 

"It didn’t work with Lawrence and he was one of the best football players we’ve had in the last five or 10 years," Innocenzi said. "The academic rigors (at Notre Dame) are probably more difficult, that excludes some kids right there. They might be more inclined to get them now than a couple years ago. But here I still think kids will look at Ohio State first."

 

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel knows Weis will be a formidable recruiting foe.

 

"Some kids want to go to a great school," Tressel said. "Another wants to major in such-and-such and that school has the best program. Another one it might be they’re graduating three players at that position. Another one might want to play for a coach who’s been in the NFL a long time. There’s a lot of different reasons. It’s one more feather in an already pretty good-looking hat when you have a guy like Charlie."

 

Grant Conzaman, athletic director at Walsh Jesuit, said even when Notre Dame was struggling it still had a recruiting presence. Fullback Tom Lopienski was the last Walsh player to attend Notre Dame.

 

"Whether Notre Dame is up or down it’s still going to be attractive to students because of the academics and tradition," Conzaman said. "Now as they start winning, Charlie Weis’ credibility in the pros, his approach, his attitude, the way he speaks, he’s going to be even more of a factor."

 

John Cistone said when he coached football at St. V-M from the 1960s-90s, the big four were Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame. That changed, Cistone said, when Lou Holtz left the Irish after the ’96 season.

 

Cistone, who admits he will root for the Irish against OSU, sees the recruiting boost Weis will bring. Cistone cites the progress made by junior quarterback Brady Quinn, a Columbus native who finished fourth in the Heisman voting.

 

"What he brought with him, then winning right away just added to his hype," Cistone said. "Especially, what he did with the quarterback, improving his play so much. Kids from Catholic schools will definitely want to go there. I don’t think Ohio State ever had an edge. We sent quite a few people to Notre Dame. If Notre Dame wanted them, they got them.

 

"Their biggest problem with recruiting now could be who not to take."

[Guest SirJohn]

This article did not get much interest certainly not from anyone into our recruiting. What intrigued me and I wish to point out is look in depth at the negatives posted up to about the Tresser quotes....Notre Dame has no real advantage in football in Ohio recruiting..then notice it shift ever so slightly into a Notre dame edge by the end? Anyone else see that? Couple that with ND opening the pipeline to recruiting to Ohio again.

[Guest SirJohn]

This article did not get much interest certainly not from anyone into our recruiting. What intrigued me and I wish to point out is look in depth at the negatives posted up to about the Tresser quotes....Notre Dame has no real advantage in football in Ohio recruiting..then notice it shift ever so slightly into a Notre dame edge by the end? Anyone else see that? Couple that with ND opening the pipeline to recruiting to Ohio again.