Irish Illustrated is raving about all three of these freshmen speedsters. On one play in particular Hill comes flying off the edge to reroute Gardner and then Tranquill comes in and clocks him. This is speed like we have not seen coming from so many players. They talked of Blankenship and how he is surprisingly holding his own and they explain that is due to speed and athleticism. They just can't get a good hat on him.

 

On the recruiting side so many guys worried about the number of three star guys we signed. I had threads on all three of these guys because I thought the scouts missed the boat on them. All three of these guys were tearing it up in high school. Now I was most dissappointed in Blankenship not actually being 6' 6'' as I was informed, but make no mistake, the SOONERS wanted this kid badly. They also wanted Hill. Oklahoma knows which kids in Texas are the studs. We are hurting them and they know it.

 

I see the same exact thing in the current recruiting class. As many as 10 3 star kids according to Rivals. Don't believe it. Maybe 3 or 4 of those kids will add a 4th star. Maybe 5 or 6 of them should be considered for a 4th star.

That play was my pick for defensive play of the game OKIE--

 

It was so reflective of the whole effort--

 

Michigan was STILL alive--they needed that first down--we have a bad history of containing QBs in that spot --

 

AND KOLIN HILL--who to me is THE MOST IMPRESSIVE FRESHMAN sends him wide and deep with some blazing speed and Drue knock him silly---

 

two freshman playing fast and aggressive and making a huge play together--

 

terrific stuff

 

aloha

Really loving Kolin Hill right now. That sack he made late in the game was awesome.

I love the young guys as well, but stud is too strong a word to use at this point. Now imagine if we got athletes like these guys but they are five stars instead of threes.

I love the young guys as well, but stud is too strong a word to use at this point. Now imagine if we got athletes like these guys but they are five stars instead of threes.

 

Really Davislove??? I can think of no better word than stud when you are talking true freshmen coming in to clock Gardner. We're talking Michigan that scored half a hundred last week. As far as the stars are concerned the story I read on Irish Illustrated said they look more like 5 star kids and I certainly have to agree.

5 stars like, oh, I don't know...Dayne Crist?

Not fair?

 

How about James Aldridge?

Still not fair?

 

Ishaq Williams? Some services has Rhema McKnight

 

The point is not to make light of the careers of those players...just to point out that for every 18-year old who is the next big thing, there is another 18 year old like Tyler Eiffert who simply keeps getting better and eventually surpasses the "5-star" talent.

 

The basis for recruiting a great team is not stockpiling as many 5-star prima donnas as possible only to watch half of them transfer out after losing position battles....give me a team of hungry, improving and system-fitting players any day over players whose best days just might have been when they were a fully developed 17 year old playing against lesser skilled and lesser developed players.

 

The great coaches to a man can take players and make them better by getting them into roles that they are best suited for...it was one of the reasons Weis was never able to effectively build a defense of any worth - he did not know what a guy with defensive potential to grow into looked like...he knew what fully developed defensive players looked like from the opposite side - trying to gameplan against and beat them...but he never knew, and never managed to get the right people around him to help him understand, just what potential on the defensive side of the ball looked like or how to squeeze it out of players.

First, most of these writers never see half of the players. They look at stats that might be against good teams or cup cakes.

They only look at players for the position they play in HS. And they believe everything that the coach says.

 

Coaches look at the player in films and in games. Several time in some cases. The recruiting coach will recommend a player and the staff will decide if they offer and at what position he is being recruited at and if the will fit the scheme that they are running. Kelly makes the final decision.

Some times they will take a gamble but in most cases the expect the player to play.

 

Recruiters never take that into consideration.

 

BTW, most recruiters never played college ball.

Did I hear correctly that Hill's team won all of 1 game last year?

 

Needless to say it's great to beat UT for a kid out of Texas...regardless of star power

Did I hear correctly that Hill's team won all of 1 game last year?

 

Needless to say it's great to beat UT for a kid out of Texas...regardless of star power

 

Didn't hear that about Hill's high school team, but we didn't just beat Texas. Oklahoma has ruled the Longhorns by taking their own players and we beat the Sooners for this typical athlete the Sooners make a living on. They always have a super fast defense and now we do. I see more of these gys coming next year especially if we get Bilal. It was between us and Michigan. I'm thinking he's all Irish. Heck, Michigan may be looking for a new head coach.

I love the young guys as well, but stud is too strong a word to use at this point. Now imagine if we got athletes like these guys but they are five stars instead of threes.

 

ummm...whether a player has a 5-star or not is dependent upon their play

 

if they're athletic and can play at a 5-star level, they'll eventually play at what we call a "5-star level"

Hahahahaha! I'm going to get hammered for this, but it is a pet peeve of mine.

These are not high school kids anymore. Nobody ranks them with stars in college. They now have better coaching, new schemes, different roles, better conditioning and weight training.

 

How about we just refer to them right now as good college role players. These guys have a role and so far they have done a great job at playing their role.

Hahahahaha! I'm going to get hammered for this, but it is a pet peeve of mine.

These are not high school kids anymore. Nobody ranks them with stars in college. They now have better coaching, new schemes, different roles, better conditioning and weight training.

 

How about we just refer to them right now as good college role players. These guys have a role and so far they have done a great job at playing their role.

 

But the point is Kelly took heat for recruiting them. I say he has done an excellent job of finding talent. When we don't get the guy everyone knows is great, we uncover someone that is underrated and can be just as good. Oklahoma and Texas came after Hill after we had already locked him up. Blankenship committed early and didn't get as many offers as he should have. Tranquill was a local kid that just didn't get exposure. Notre Dame does its due diligence. If Charlie Weis could have done this he might not be stuck in the middle of Kansas.

Really Davislove??? I can think of no better word than stud when you are talking true freshmen coming in to clock Gardner. We're talking Michigan that scored half a hundred last week. As far as the stars are concerned the story I read on Irish Illustrated said they look more like 5 star kids and I certainly have to agree.

 

When I think of studs I think of All American caliber kids. It's way too early for that. if these freshmen are studs, what do you call EG?

ummm...whether a player has a 5-star or not is dependent upon their play

 

if they're athletic and can play at a 5-star level, they'll eventually play at what we call a "5-star level"

 

So much of those rankings are based on potential. It's all about measureables and how much hype a kid gets from performances in summer camps. Sometimes those rankings are justified (Clowney) other times not (Crist).

 

I've said all along, it's important to get those 4 and 5 stars. However, if you try to recruit only 4 and 5 star kids, you'll end up with a lot of unhappy kids buried on the depth chart who will transfer and leave you thin in areas like special teams. Going back to all the b1tching this past Summer (before the suspensions took priority), I said ND needed to beef up it's current class. However, I wasn't one of those morons taking a gloom and doom approach. There's a long way to go, Saturday night was flipping HUGE. I like ND's chances of getting Cooney after that.

So much of those rankings are based on potential. It's all about measureables and how much hype a kid gets from performances in summer camps. Sometimes those rankings are justified (Clowney) other times not (Crist).

 

I've said all along, it's important to get those 4 and 5 stars. However, if you try to recruit only 4 and 5 star kids, you'll end up with a lot of unhappy kids buried on the depth chart who will transfer and leave you thin in areas like special teams. Going back to all the b1tching this past Summer (before the suspensions took priority), I said ND needed to beef up it's current class. However, I wasn't one of those morons taking a gloom and doom approach. There's a long way to go, Saturday night was flipping HUGE. I like ND's chances of getting Cooney after that.

 

I agree and it's also the talent ahead of them. Trumbetti didnt really have any upperclassman playing his position who were a natural at it.

 

BTW, anyone seen Niles?

But the point is Kelly took heat for recruiting them. I say he has done an excellent job of finding talent. When we don't get the guy everyone knows is great, we uncover someone that is underrated and can be just as good. Oklahoma and Texas came after Hill after we had already locked him up. Blankenship committed early and didn't get as many offers as he should have. Tranquill was a local kid that just didn't get exposure. Notre Dame does its due diligence. If Charlie Weis could have done this he might not be stuck in the middle of Kansas.

 

i totally agree with you that he finds talent. i don't give him heat for 3 stars he brings in. that star system is not the end all be all. i learned a long time ago to trust bk and his staffs recruiting.

 

 

lets not go that far okie.

I agree and it's also the talent ahead of them. Trumbetti didnt really have any upperclassman playing his position who were a natural at it.

 

BTW, anyone seen Niles?

 

Are you asking about Nyles Morgan? He played a bit at the end vs Rice, but did not play vs Michigan.

 

If you are talking about Niles Sykes, he transferred.

When I think of studs I think of All American caliber kids. It's way too early for that. if these freshmen are studs, what do you call EG?

 

The point is, it's not all about stars. Would Eifert had been a better player at ND if he was a 5 star coming out of high school? No.

These guys are not only seeing the field as true freshmen, they are doing it basically day one at the beginning of the season and they are making an impact. In fact, the Hill/Tranquill play may have been the play of the game. If they can produce like this so early in their careers then we can expect them to be major pieces to the puzzle for the next 4 years. Speed is what they bring, speed and athleticism......and if they are at Notre Dame......smarts. Great combinations.

It's way to early and after one game to be calling these guys studs, they looked good made a couple plays that's about it.

 

I was expecting Kolin Hill to be a player his freshman year but the other two will hit their stride next year or the year after.

 

I missed alot of the game, where is Tranquill playing and how's he looking out there?

The point is, it's not all about stars. Would Eifert had been a better player at ND if he was a 5 star coming out of high school? No.

 

The point is there is a lot of gray area between stud and bust. It's not one or the other.