2024 Notre Dame Recruiting Prospects

[jimbo 376]

22 hours ago, AnTostal said:

For the 2023 recruiting class it was kind of easy. Freeman was the new, well-spoken, good looking, smooth Black head coach at the U of ND. No track record. 
That was then, this is now. 
Freeman has a record. Had one terrible loss. Coaching turnover. 
NIL continues to evolve; hard to know how ND stacks up. 
This class hopefully is a top 10 class but I’m skeptical it will be in the end. 
Freeman has to EARN it this season. That’s why I will be worried if he only wins 9 games out of 13. Recruiting will drop like a stone in that scenario, I think. 
Too many attractive programs in the South, the West Coast, and in Ohio.  Can’t falter this year. No more Marshalls. 

I don't believe this is necessarily a given. A fair number of schools have had a crap year(s) and then come in with some stellar recruiting. A few examples: Florida this year. Texas A&M under Jimbo hasn't exactly been lighting it up on the field and they seem to recruit pretty well. Miami U hasn't been very good lately and their recruiting is pretty good. Sure winning helps recruiting, but it is not the sole reason it is good or bad.

Reminds me of the argument why its difficult to recruit a 5 star QB yearly, the QB's don't want to face the competition for playing time. It seems Georgia, Alabama, USC, Okie don't have this problem. ND has had a problem getting any highly rated QBs for quite some time now. Hope Carr leads the way to this changing!

[AnTostal 763]

9 hours ago, jimbo said:

I don't believe this is necessarily a given. A fair number of schools have had a crap year(s) and then come in with some stellar recruiting. A few examples: Florida this year. Texas A&M under Jimbo hasn't exactly been lighting it up on the field and they seem to recruit pretty well. Miami U hasn't been very good lately and their recruiting is pretty good. Sure winning helps recruiting, but it is not the sole reason it is good or bad.

Reminds me of the argument why its difficult to recruit a 5 star QB yearly, the QB's don't want to face the competition for playing time. It seems Georgia, Alabama, USC, Okie don't have this problem. ND has had a problem getting any highly rated QBs for quite some time now. Hope Carr leads the way to this changing!

No doubt what you say is true. 
I’d love to see actual NIL dollar amounts for players at different schools.  Not NIL value amounts but actual dollars in their pockets. It would be telling to see what A&M players and Miami players make compared to ND players. 
If you can get paid $100,000 more per season to play on a reasonable team in warm weather than a good team in South Bend, that probably weighs heavily in a decision. 
I’ve read on this Board that ND competes well in the NIL arena but I’ve never seen actual numbers for comparison. 

[jessemoore97 1,271]

2 hours ago, AnTostal said:

No doubt what you say is true. 
I’d love to see actual NIL dollar amounts for players at different schools.  Not NIL value amounts but actual dollars in their pockets. It would be telling to see what A&M players and Miami players make compared to ND players. 
If you can get paid $100,000 more per season to play on a reasonable team in warm weather than a good team in South Bend, that probably weighs heavily in a decision. 
I’ve read on this Board that ND competes well in the NIL arena but I’ve never seen actual numbers for comparison. 

Part of the problem with NIL and showing the books is each collective is structured differently.  I've read and seen many rumors about clauses and other fine print in some of the NIL contracts these players agree to.  Performance clauses aren't uncommon apparently.  A&M for its "all world" recruiting class a few years ago, lost a number of those kids allegedly because they weren't fitting the performance billing thereby affecting the "earnings" some of them believes were coming their way.

I'm sure the ND collectives are being transparent and on the up and up with players.  They won't promise massive paydays to incoming freshman as some are alleged to do only for it to actually be smoke and mirrors.  It's a buyer beware for the athletes who may not have the acumen or representatives in their life who will help them to navigate the pitfalls of NIL.  

[stay4awhile 26]

On 7/3/2023 at 8:47 PM, 4thand1 said:

IB is saying that there is info regarding Al Washington's recruiting efforts that they can't share or at least right now.  What they could share was that Washington seems to work hard for some recruits but not consistently and not in the case of J. Scott.  I don't get it.  I would assume that he would have some idea of the negative perception he has and would want to work hard for the recruits that would surely put him in a positive spotlight if landed.  

Al Golden on the other hand just seems to be disinterested in recruiting particularly for '24 recruits.  Hearing better reports from '25 recruits so maybe Freeman has addressed recruiting with him.

I don't like calling for people's jobs but I can't be concerned about a coaches job stability that isn't putting in the effort.  Ultimately it's Coach Freeman's legacy that is on the line so I hope he's having the difficult conversations with those that need it.

I feel like this is kind of IB's/BD's schtick - they say they say just enough to get people riled up that there might be some big problems or someone isn't doing enough to try to gain engagement.  I've had to stop following them because it always seems like a lot of words without much substance and I can only take so much of a washed up D3 WR trying to explain how he knows more than everyone else - including non-washed up D1 coaches.

Just my $0.02 - I know other's have different opinions.

[Blammm 29]

On 7/3/2023 at 9:47 PM, 4thand1 said:

Al Golden on the other hand just seems to be disinterested in recruiting particularly for '24 recruits.  Hearing better reports from '25 recruits so maybe Freeman has addressed recruiting with him.

That doesn't make any sense.  Why would he want to recruit for the long haul (as opposed to 2024) when he's likely to be somewhere else in 2025?

Might just be that he (or the program) didn't click with 2024 recruits from his recruiting territory/positions of focus.

[Irish-scoop 107]

Ohio st has had how many 5 stars over the last 10 years and as result...they've won how many national championships?   Glaring 

[TexasDomer 1,286]

15 hours ago, Irish-scoop said:

Ohio st has had how many 5 stars over the last 10 years and as result...they've won how many national championships?   Glaring 

This is a very valid point.  The response, of course, is that they put how many players into the NFL who have made a mint?

[jbrown_9999 1,007]

18 hours ago, Irish-scoop said:

Ohio st has had how many 5 stars over the last 10 years and as result...they've won how many national championships?   Glaring 

Not exactly sure about your argument. 

Ohio St did win the NC 8 or 9 years ago (2014) so in the 'last 10 years'.

In any case, since 2015, Ohio St has won as many NCs as Notre Dame (zero) and has put more players into the NFL than the Irish.

[Synoptico 334]

28 minutes ago, jbrown_9999 said:

Not exactly sure about your argument. 

Ohio St did win the NC 8 or 9 years ago (2014) so in the 'last 10 years'.

In any case, since 2015, Ohio St has won as many NCs as Notre Dame (zero) and has put more players into the NFL than the Irish.

and has more buzz

[Irish-scoop 107]

It just feels like you can slice the pie in so many different directions as to why we can't get the big fish in recruiting ...do we need them?    Can we win it all without them?   What does it take?  Perfect storm of style of coaching combined with the perfect pieces in place..whether they're 5 stars or not ..  idk..    

One thing above anything as far as recruiting goes...quarterback in my opinion has been our super weak point....    just about everywhere else we have been just about good enough... 

[4thand1 271]

On 7/5/2023 at 8:58 AM, stay4awhile said:

I feel like this is kind of IB's/BD's schtick - they say they say just enough to get people riled up that there might be some big problems or someone isn't doing enough to try to gain engagement.  I've had to stop following them because it always seems like a lot of words without much substance and I can only take so much of a washed up D3 WR trying to explain how he knows more than everyone else - including non-washed up D1 coaches.

Just my $0.02 - I know other's have different opinions.

Don't know how you could think that this is IB misreading the situation when every ND site is down on Washington/Golden's recruiting efforts.  I can only hope that Freeman is holding them accountable.  

[irishwavend 566]

Is there any actual news left on this thread?

[JeffV 326]

OK, after losing the most recent 5 star battle for Elijah Rushing, I've worked up a rant.  Sorry, bear with me.  It's off season and we've been beating this topic up since Keely decommitted.

I've always said the difference in getting top 30 kids (ie. approx 5 stars, big fish, etc) is a combination of factors.  Lots of teams have some of the same challenges, but ND has almost ALL the challenges.

<Googling commits, lists, rankings, 5-stars...>

Over the past 10 years, most of these kids are going to the same top 4 schools that they've watched trade the championships:  'Bama, Georgia, Ohio St, and Clemson.  Then it's USC, Florida St, and LSU (all have Natty's these kids were alive for).   Texas A&M,  Florida and Texas round out the top 10 (recruiting home state talent).  Honorable mention:  Oklahoma, Penn State, Michigan.  I find it interesting that Oregon is not quite up there with the others (until you start thinking through some of the factors I consider here).

What's the problem?  There isn't ONE...(but there are many).

1. Recent Titles - these kids aren't watching Rockne highlights in black and white on their iPhones, so let's say titles "in their lifetime".  But really not much to defend with here.  Results get results.  Everybody loves a winner.  I'm hopeful (and somewhat confident) that the 8 team playoff will see many Irish appearances over the years.  It should be something of a boost for us.  But for recent titles, ND loses the comparison battle to everyone above except Texas A & M and Penn State, and arguably Michigan (recent vs total).  5 stars looking to win a title won't favor ND.

2. Academic requirements - ND has more stringent than any of these, although it's worth nothing that Stanford has more 5 stars than ND).  The thing with 5-stars as opposed to 4's and 3's is that they are putting all their eggs in the NFL basket.  It is their absolute goal.  They've been told how great they are for 4+ years.  They're confident, typically flashier, they expect to get paid big dollars.  ND loses the academic battle to every team that can compete for a Natty.  5 stars focusing on football won't favor ND.

3.  NIL - who really knows, but Texas A&M sure appears to be very comfortable with whatever they need to do.  No modern day titles.  ND tiptoeing around NIL pretty much spells that we are not that competitive with the big players.  FUND is not enough.  Corporations and wealthy alumni might like the tax write off and the feel good aspect.  But if ND can't tap into their mass appeal with subway alumni, they're going to struggle.  I may be that ND is even trying to suppress alternative NIL's like Irish Players Club.  It's not very effective at messaging or content.  I think they're limited due to trademark.  It could be more, but they'd have to be able to do videos from the Gug.  We don't have enough alumni to swim with the above list.  A&M, Texas, OSU, Penn St., Florida, FSU, 'Bama - all huge alumni bases for more donor channels.  ND may be the smallest of the above.  At a glance, I think so.  Either way, ND loses the NIL battle to everyone who can compete for a Natty.  5 stars looking to get paid won't favor ND.

4. Climate - yeah, the campus is beautiful.  Nothing like a fall Saturday in South Bend.  The problem is the December Mondays in South Bend, or the February Wednesdays...Of the above, Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State are the only campuses with similar weather.  The rest are warm.  It matters.  Even kids that play HS in the cold are intrigued by coeds wearing what they wear in warm weather.  ND loses the weather battle to almost every team that can compete for a Natty.  5 stars who hate the cold and like Daisy Duke's won't favor ND.

5. In-State/Regional recruiting - I read that more than half of all 5 stars are from Florida, Texas, Georgia, and California (Google supports this).  Alabama, Virginia, Louisiana are next.  That explains 3/4 of the top commits.   Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania are in the mix too - and traditional recruiting hot beds even for ND.  And if we're losing Chicago too often...ouch.  Nobody is locking down their state, but there's an advantage to that 5 star's parents raising him on their fight song.  I love our Indiana kids, and we're getting some fantastic blue chips from in state - Tae Johnson, Styles, Drayk Bowen, but losing a few, too (see above reasons).  If South Bend was in Texas (thank God it isn't), they'd have a lot more shots to fire at kids who knew their fight song.

More factors:  They're going to have to figure out transfer undergrads pretty damn quick, too.  Gonna be a huge factor starting now!  Facilities, although OK, are another concern.  Yeah the dorms are great, but...really?   C'mon.   It's hard to debate whether the coaches are 'good recruiters' or not.  They're working with what they're working with, so it could be argued that they are exceptional recruiters - or we could blame them.  IDK.

There are positives, of course.  Great tradition and the ND mystique.  The degree, of course.  We're lucky enough to play most games on national TV.  

Ultimately, there aren't that many 5-stars each year - ND is dead last cumulatively on these major factors.  That said, I think Freeman and Company are doing a stellar job of getting what we realistically can.  I almost can't believe they're getting the kids they are!  But I hear where everyone is coming from until they get results.  But if we can't win with who we have, we'll have a whole new staff to place the blame on sooner than later.

[stay4awhile 26]

1 hour ago, 4thand1 said:

Don't know how you could think that this is IB misreading the situation when every ND site is down on Washington/Golden's recruiting efforts.  I can only hope that Freeman is holding them accountable.  

I’m not saying they are misreading it necessarily… I truly don’t know. I feel like it’s a lot of “I know something I just can’t say right now…trust me” and they default to thinking they know more than the coaches quicker than others. 
 

In the time I’ve been following ND/recruiting this is about ad good as defensive recruiting has been. We aren’t in the top 4/5 but def sitting in the top 10

 

[Big23Head 2,252]

18 hours ago, irishwavend said:

Is there any actual news left on this thread?

Not right now. Recruiting is very boring right now.

[Big23Head 2,252]

🚨BREAKING🚨 4-star EDGE Mylachi Williams has committed to Penn State🦁

Read: https://t.co/NK8Ih8bpC0 pic.twitter.com/Y2xLU8L54N

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) July 9, 2023

[TexasDomer 1,286]

Again we watch DL go elsewhere 

[Big23Head 2,252]

Where’s is home 🏠?? pic.twitter.com/er2em7Iz0u

— Chris Cole (@Chris_Cole3) July 9, 2023

[coltssb 1,044]

I am not indicator of getting guys fired but I do remember the Ohio State boards almost happy that Washington was leaving. At the time I thought sour grapes. I’m starting to pause on that notion. Let’s just hope development is there with these upside projections ND has. 

[Big23Head 2,252]

56 minutes ago, coltssb said:

I am not indicator of getting guys fired but I do remember the Ohio State boards almost happy that Washington was leaving. At the time I thought sour grapes. I’m starting to pause on that notion. Let’s just hope development is there with these upside projections ND has. 

Just a reminder that he was the LB coach there, which may affect the thoughts. I agree ND in general needs to figure out how to close on some big names. All over the D.