With Eifert's rehab, should ND be out trying to recruit a second TE for this class? If so, are there any candidates?

I think ND will focus on the 2011 class for 2 TE's - there are a few elite ones and several very good ones that have interest in ND already so I'd rather put our eggs in that basket.

i agree altho I have heard somewhere that Fiedowitcz(sp?) was wavering in his commitment to Illinois. I'm sure if he did decommit and was still interested in us we would give him a look

Fiedorowicz will likely end up at Iowa. Look for him to switch his commitment at the Army AA game.

Alex Welch was told he's going to be the only TE taken this class. Rudolph has 2 more years of eligibility and cant enter the draft til after his Jr Yr, so we have at least 1 more yr with him, and Ragone has 2 more yrs of eligibility after this yr.

 

like someone else said CJ Fed will be a Hawkeye if he decommits from Illinois.

I read Eifert's surgery was cancelled. I guess he didn't need it...if I remember correctly.

I read Eifert's surgery was cancelled. I guess he didn't need it...if I remember correctly.

 

It wasn't that he didnt need it. It was that he had a choice. Have the surgery and your football playing days are over. Don't have the surgery, do rehab for the rest of your life, and you'll probably be able to play football still.

 

He chose the latter.

Thanks for posting this and for the responses. After hearing CW's comments in his presser, I was wondering the same thing.

It wasn't that he didnt need it. It was that he had a choice. Have the surgery and your football playing days are over. Don't have the surgery, do rehab for the rest of your life, and you'll probably be able to play football still.

 

He chose the latter.

 

You sure that was the case? I didn't think it was the severe. That's a huge loss if true. Hard to play a physical position like TE with a chronic back problem.

yes it's an injury he's had since HS, so he's been playing through it.

 

he went to Phoenix to get checked out and was told that the surgery would be career ending, so instead he could rehab it, but he'd have to do that for the rest of his life.

tough kid... good luck, but it really might be wise to look at another guy in the event of injury....

 

Weis may have to break out some Keynes on Welch....

 

When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?

 

and go get another TE like Fed if he falls into ND's lap.

Fed is a player but I don't think we can afford to use a scholarship on him at this point.

 

If we miss out on some of our bigger needs and still have a scholarship or two remaining then perhaps we take him.

I would think that this class is already going to be packed to the gills with prospects and players...possibly moving a guy who is already buried on the depth chart over to TE would make sense...

 

McDonald...is the first thought off the top of my head... but who knows. Maybe one of the DE's we bring in with this class could flip/flop over...

 

Plan B...

Find a lower level prospect/project type who will committ in a heartbeat or walk-on...

 

Either way, I think we enter the season with the #1 TE in the NCAA next year and Ragone, Welch, Eifert as his backups...not exactly a position of weakness.

You sure that was the case? I didn't think it was the severe. That's a huge loss if true. Hard to play a physical position like TE with a chronic back problem.

 

Sure am...I thought it seemed odd that too that the surgery that would "fix" the problem would end his career but if he didn't have the surgery but opted for PT, he could still play. Seems like an awfully big risk to me. But that's what was reported.

Sure am...I thought it seemed odd that too that the surgery that would "fix" the problem would end his career but if he didn't have the surgery but opted for PT, he could still play. Seems like an awfully big risk to me. But that's what was reported.

 

That does suck. He was the obvious "sleeper" for that class. A kid who everyone knew was a stud but still didnt get headlining cred.

 

Sooo.....Chris Martin, want to double as a TE? You know he thinks he probably could. Or maybe Barr?

I like the Barr Idea.. But then again I like the idea of handing the ball to Manti on the goal line.