UHND is continuing its recruiting coverage with weekly updates to bring you the latest developing stories until National Signing Day on February 4th.
Last week UHND detailed the likelihood of flipping tight end Aliz’e Jones away from the UCLA Bruins, which ultimately came to fruition. Jones, the No. 1 tight end prospect according to ESPN and the No. 2 for Rivals, was intrigued by Notre Dame’s ability to put tight ends into the NFL, which played a large part in his choosing the Irish.
Jones will be a difference maker for Notre Dame and should have an immediate impact, possessing the kind of athleticism the Fighting Irish have not had at the position since Tyler Eifert departed as a first-round draft selection of the Cincinnati Bengals. If Tom Lemming, recruiting analyst for CBS Sports, is to be believed, Jones’ career trajectory might very well go the way of Tyler Eifert.
“I think he’s going to be a first-round NFL Draft choice in a few years,” Lemming said in an interview to the South Bend Tribune.
UHND.com was there to provide full coverage of Jones’ commitment.
After landing one of the most prized prospects in all of the Class of 2015, where are Notre Dame’s next priorities?
Running Back
The topic has been reported ad nauseam, but it appears the rollercoaster that has been Notre Dame’s running back recruiting may be nearing its end. Head coach Brian Kelly holds one commitment from 3-star bruiser Josh Adams, but with only two other scholarship running backs in Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant, the Irish need one more for depth.
The search began well with Notre Dame leading for 5-star running back Soso Jamabo for a good share of the recruiting season, but that lead faded after Jamabo took an official visit to UCLA. Kelly and staff then began pursuing 4-star Oklahoma State commitment Ronald Jones before Jones ultimately flipped and gave his pledge to USC head coach Steve Sarkisian.
One-by-one Notre Dame’s targets at the running back position have fallen off the recruiting board, dwindling down to two serious options, both of whom visited South Bend this past weekend.
Dexter Williams is a one-time Miami Hurricanes commitment and 4-star running back from Orlando, FL. With offers from the likes of Florida, Georgia, Ohio State and USC, Williams is far from a “plan B” for Notre Dame, and running backs coach Tony Alford had recruited Williams hard before his original commitment to Miami.
Williams had indicated prior to his visit that playing time would be a large factor in his recruitment, and Notre Dame has plenty of it to sell. The pitch from Notre Dame’s staff went well enough that Williams told the Orlando Sentinel Notre Dame would be a “great situation” for him. The talented Florida native is scheduled to visit Texas A&M next weekend, though a possibility exists the visit won’t take place.
The Fighting Irish also hosted 4-star running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn from Nashville, TN, boasting offers from the likes of Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Though Vaughn is scheduled to visit West Virginia next weekend, and has already visited Purdue and Louisville, it appears he enjoyed his visit and Notre Dame is very much in play.
Enjoyed My Visit At NOTRE DAME. Great Time Being Around The Coaches & Players. Thanks #IrishNation For Welcoming Me pic.twitter.com/CiqA9rF67z
— KE’SHAWN VAUGHN (@KV_XIV) January 18, 2015
Overall the running back position is still hazy, though it appears Notre Dame has transitioned from uncertainty as to whether a second running back will join this class to which one of the two running backs will ultimately pull the trigger for Notre Dame. This much, however, is certain: if Notre Dame runs the ball in 2015 as well as it did against LSU in the Music City Bowl, Kelly won’t have much trouble luring recruits to South Bend in the future.
Safety
The strangeness of Notre Dame’s safety recruiting seems to increase with each passing week. Notre Dame had largely wrapped up its recruiting at the safety position by April after landing verbal commitments from Nicco Fertitta and Prentice McKinney, but the situation became more complicated when the 4-star McKinney scheduled a visit to UCLA in January. Kelly and staff quickly responded by landing a commitment from 4-star safety Mykelti Williams, providing Notre Dame depth and coverage should McKinney flip to UCLA. McKinney eventually canceled his trip to UCLA and reaffirmed his pledge to Notre Dame, but actions speak louder than words.
Despite McKinney reaffirming his pledge to Notre Dame – as well as his high school coach denying Internet rumors that McKinney might not be academically eligible to attend Notre Dame – Kelly and staff have continued to recruit at the safety position, hosting 3-star safety prospect Nathan Meadors from San Bernardino, CA, this past weekend. Rumors have also begun to surface that McKinney may have visited North Carolina over the weekend.
Enough circumstantial evidence exists to suggest there are moving pieces behind McKinney’s recruitment and his future with Notre Dame might very well be in doubt. The safety position will be worth keeping an eye on moving forward.
Be sure to check back with UHND.com for regular recruiting updates until signing day.
Scott Janssen is a blogger for the Huffington Post and has authored several nationally-featured articles, including an appearance on MSNBC as a sports contributor. He talks football 24 hours a day, much to the chagrin of his wife and those around him. Scott can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter.
I must be missing something. Every year we have immediate playing time available for incoming freshmen at the safety and cornerback positions and yet they don’t seem to end up in South Bend. I hesitate to be critical of these coaches and there recruiting strategies but I do question whether they truly know how to close a recruit. Every player they’ve targeted has ended up somewhere else or seems on their way to somewhere other than Notre Dame. And now Eilar Hardy is transferring after going through what he did and would probably see some real playing time next year. What gives here? Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.
I have followed ND football since 1947 when I was in the US Military My first look at ND football was watching Movietone News when I was stationed in Germany. I have been very fortunate to see some of the best games they ever played. I remember vividly listening to the game when they beat Oklahoma touchdown scored by Dick Lynch,One of the best I ever saw was when they Beat Alabama in 1973, on a pass to the tight end when they were on there own goal line and were able to run out the clock. Another one was the classic tie with Michigan State, I watched it on closed circuit TV. at Boston Garden I was and still am a die hard fan even at 85 years old. Hope they have a great year in 2015 and get back to where they belong!
What about safety recruit Justin Reid?
I can’t get excited about a recruit that announces his decision at a glorified press conference. I would rather have a 3-4 star player that signs the LOI the day he receives the offer and comes into camp with a chip on his shoulder and the ambition to prove the football guru’s wrong.
Appreciation and humility are ingredients of commitment.
Sounds like business as usual the recruiting wars of the major schools. You never know what to expect right up until the last day of signing and even then there are a few that hold off on that final decision. A verbal commitment is basically worthless. It certainly give you a general idea but so many kids change their minds or have them changed at the last minute, that the best laid plans of mice and football coaches sometimes goes astray. We do need some depth at RB, so it is important that we sign at least one more RB. Our depth at QB should be more than enough. Go Irish!
Hope we get Williams. Need depth at running back.
One thing is certain- nothing is certain when dealing with high school seniors, especially when they are celebrated and constantly reminded how “elite” they are. We’ll know more when Feb. 4th arrives, and even then (see: Vanderdoss, Tee Shepherd) we have to wait and see if they’ll actually honor their commitment. As for non-elite prospects, every recruiting cycle there arrives a Jarron Jones, or a Will Fuller, or a Drue Tranquil et. al. who come in with less hype and develop into a key contributor. ND might lose McKinney, or a “lock” who is persuaded these last days before NLI day that he’s more coveted somewhere else, but for each loss there’s been a last minute switch or two to ND that has paid dividends. No rest for the staff these last two weeks; fortunately, this group of coaches appear to be tireless recruiters who, unlike Willingham and his staff, (and with Hoke at Michigan it’s been said) realize the school, however prestigious, can’t rest on its rep. Stay tuned. More last day surprises are probably on their way. Here’s hoping we gain more than we lose.
I’m hoping with you, M.T.A.
I think you meant Deontay Greenbury not Tee Sheppard. Tee actually enrolled early then left due to undisclosed reasons. Greenbury flipped on signing day or close to it.
I’m not trying to be cynical, but didn’t they say the same thing about Luatua last year