Rivals released their final Top 250 player rankings for the class of 2015 on Tuesday and Notre Dame is well represented again this year with 10 of their current 23 commitments ranking lead by quarterback commitment Brandon Wimbush at #60 overall.
Wimbush, a one time commitment to Penn State, was actually ranked higher in the previous top 250 at #38 but an uneven showing at the Under Armour Bowl apparently outweighed a spectacular senior season for a quarterback who can accurately throw the ball 65 yards with ease. Recent Notre Dame commitment Alize Jones saw his ranking fall as well tumbling from 70th to 133rd overall.
Not all Notre Dame commitments saw their stocks fall though. Linebacker and early enrollee Tevon Coney was one of the biggest risers in the final top 250 moving up from completely outside the Top 250 all the way to #118 in the final rankings. Combine that movement, his performance during his senior season, and his early enrollee status and it’s easy to envision a role for him as a freshmen next fall given the uncertain depth at linebacker for the Irish.
After Wimbush, the highest ranked current commitment is cornerback Shaun Crawford. Crawford has seen his stock steadily rise as well and if he were just an inch or two taller, he’d be ranked even higher.
Rounding out the Top 250 for Notre Dame are Coney’s fellow early enrollees defensive tackle Jerry Tillery (#145) and center Tristen Hoge (#150), wide receiver Miles Boykin (#156), linebacker Josh Barajas (#180), recent safety commit Mykelti Williams, and linebacker Asmar Bilal (#246).
Notre Dame could very well add to it’s haul of Top 250 talent as well before Signing Day. Running back Dexter Williams who is rumors to be heavily leaning towards the Irish is ranked #120 overall and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown is ranked #144. There are other commits who are still said to be considering the Irish ranked as well such as SoSo Jamabo at #22 but Jamabo has long been considered a long shot for Notre Dame.
One recruit that the Irish will still make a hard push for, however, Iman Marshall is ranked 3rd overall in the final rankings. Marshall visited Notre Dame back in December and while there hasn’t much much indicating that the Irish have a great shot here, the staff will likely continue to recruit Marshall right up until Signing Day.
If Notre Dame closes out their class with Williams and St. Brown, the Irish will have 12 top 250 signees in the class of 2015.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2339271-2015-recruits-notre-dame-must-land-to-get-back-to-the-top-of-college-football?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=notre-dame-football
Apologies for going off topic.
Now that all the games have been played and a champion crowned, I was wondering if anyone knows of a web-site where one can go to see how each College Football Playoff Selection Committee Member voted. (from week to week thru the final four)
Or in the immortal words of Selection Committee Chairman Jeff Long who promised “maximum disclosure and transparency” by stating: “We want to create an arrangement that allows for maximum disclosure”
Hey Prentice McKinney, dont let the door hit you in the ass. Your loss kid.
Boy you really told him James, way to go!
ND needs to lower academic standards so they can get some of these playa’s..
But you just made a “joke” about Bama recruits not being able to spell their names. So which is it?
Just for football players? Because the basketball team is doing just fine.
Exactly. And every other athletic team at the university. A lowering of standards. What a novel idea.
Top 50 players are worthless. Who really needs that type of talent? Besides, next year’s stars will look at our lack of top talent this year and figure they have a better chance to come in and start right away! It all evens out in the end regardless of whether you have 3 stars or 5 stars. That’s why there’s such equity and balance in college football.
I think ND’s recruiting has almost always been marginal for a top-tier school, which they have a legitimate case for being. However, as others have pointed out, the highest 5-star may underperform (or even get/stay injured) throughout his college career. The only real way to make up for not having a guaranteed hit is to develop, develop, develop. BK can do it to a degree certainly. I’d like to see him not do as much PR in favor of the fundamentals with regard to team development.
http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2015/01/ohio_state_football_coaches_ma.html
todays clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjhBIhQXIjk
Agree Shaz about the “white noise.” “Don’t mean a thing,” “don’t mean nuthin” from the movie Hamburger Hill. Next level from high school to college football is not so easy — as Tate Forcier and other “can’t miss” recruits have found out past few years. How many of these 2015 recruits will have impact this 2015 season ? Notre Dame’s 2015 season roster is loaded with returning starters and underclass men with experience NOW. 2015 is what’s important right now , not 2016. So , Alabama , Florida State , USC might have more top recruits in 2015 class , but how many , if any will directly impact/make a difference in 2015. I think Irish have pretty good roster for 2016 with numerous underclassmen returning. Alize Jones looks to play this season. Do need more depth at running back . I’m a huge fan of ND basketball and can’t wait for MARCH MADNESS. Go Irish !
I’ve been to the southside many times, and while the air there is rarely refreshing, your post most certainly is.
Your point about going to the next level from high school to college is well taken and along with that is the dramatic mental, emotional, and physical changes, that occur from the end of a players senior high school year to the end of his college senior year.
Players fill out, bulk up, speed up, wise up, mature, improve, gain confidence, become leaders, and become men.
I find the journey and the final product much more compelling than a bunch of High School hype.
Tight end is becoming an interesting position.
The only other tight end besides the departing Ben Koyack to catch a pass this year was Durham Smythe (1 catch for 7 yards)
If Jones is as good as advertised, he has a good shot at some serious minutes.
You mention depth at running back. Whether ND is able to address that need via recruiting is still up in the air and anyone’s guess.
But one option (and one I would really like to see) is to take one of our many Tight Ends… say someone like Tyler Luatua, at 6’3″ 260 lbs
and put him in the backfield.
We have all seen what big backs can do.(See ..Alabama, LSU, Wisconsin, & Georgia just to name a few)
Someone that can get a yard at the goal line, pick up a blitz, be a lead blocker, be a nightmare to a secondary after catching the ball out of the backfield, and punish teams in the fourth quarter. (Think of Marc Edwards, the last great ND fullback)
It’s the one thing that I think is truly “missing” from this team.
Hat-tip! Luatua & Jones.
Opps. Name change from Jack (to avoid confusion).
i agree, i would rather have those big polish catholic 300 pound tackles and de s we used to see from catholic [prep schools
So for you to truly happy (if there is such a thing) we need at least 12-17 recruits in the top 250 every year, they must all be of polish heritage, they must all come from Catholic prep schools, they must all have never made a mistake in their lives, they all must be willing to turn down millions, and millions of dollars at the age of 19 or 20, they must all be willing to play in the 1960’s Lombardi Offense, and they all must stay all 4 years regardless?
Got it.
Did I miss anything?
perfect
BJ,
You must hate Paul Horning because he was a gambled and got thrown out of the NFL for a year because of it. Also, he was a known womanizer who had dare I say it premarital sex, which I believe is a sin in the Catholic Church. Michael Stonebreaker who was arrested for DUI. I can got through your glory years and point out Irish players that were not Saints.
Shaz,
Most of your High School Power Houses are Catholic Schools, too bad their players are not all Catholic. I guess bj wants Snoop’s kid, he goes to Bishop Gorman.
Sure he wants Snoop’s kid.
But first he needs to know if “Broadus” is Polish?
the ’66 team, which allowed only 3.8 points per game and had six shutouts in 10 games
EVEN BETTER
actually, bj, you are correct, but the final numbers understate that defensive performance. On October 29th, Navy with Staubach, scored, but it was on a blocked punt. The Irish allowed a touchdown to Northwestern on October 1st. The Irish then went 6 games in a row without allowing the opponents to score an offensive touchdown. Michigan State got one in the classic on 11/19/66 on a plunge by Regis Cavender.
Further, remember that Leroy “Nursey” Keyes scored on a long fumble return in the opener for Purdue.
In that season, the legendary, but all too real, Johnny Ray’s defense allowed three offensive touchdowns and one field goal.
Those kids could play.
And we will probably never see that kind of defensive dominance pass this way again.
I’m possibly datamining here, bj, but I just wanted to throw more gasoline on the fire of the greatest defense I ever saw, college or pro.
I would like a pet unicorn and a toilet made of solid gold. That is all.
Ok shaz, you and the others are messing with enriched uranium when you speak about the Poles, or Polaks.
First of all there has been one master race, the Poles. the rest of you, white, yellow, black or brown are in the category “other.” Massive mongrel horde
You’uns the mongrel goyim, thought the world was flat until Copernicus straightened you out with some Polish logic.
Without Cazimierz Pulaski and Taddeus Kosciuszko, The colonists would have lost the war, and on the First Sunday in February when you play the big game, the pregame tune would be “God Save the Queen” and the players would not be able to touch the ball, deflated or not, with their hands.
And, after 1970 years of Mustache Pete Pontiffs, the first Polish Pope, Carol Wojtyla straightened out the Vatican and the Curia.
You’re Welcome!!
Cazimierz Pulaski?
Are you sure you didn’t mean Walt Patulski?
Bruce Rivals has a nice Stat. Go back and look at 5 star recruits, sure fire can’t miss and see how many really pan out. You will be surprised. Tyler Eifert I believe was a 3 star recruit. You recruit to need and develop the player. USC always got top 10 talent but that hasn’t stopped ND from beating them, other than Carroll years
Great point. Oregon was only in the Top 15 in recruiting (per Rivals) once in the last 4 years yet they can play with anyone. Get the right players for your scheme, get a stud QB and the rest will take care of itself.
And Sarkisian years
One game does not make an era. Carroll dominated USC for 10 years and Lou dominated SC for 10 years. Weak argument.
Hey, don’t stop at Lou. Let’s go back to Leahy.
So ND squeaked out 3 wins while USC was under sanctions in the past 13 years and got manhandled most of the other ten. Congrats.
George who leads the series. I even think Davie had a winning record against them. USC had a great coach when ND was down. We will see next year when they play.
USC 12 in the top 250
NDs highest rated safety recruit Prentiss McKinney has dropped ND and tweets he’s headed to N.Carolina, while RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who visited NotreDame this past weekend, tweets final three of Illinois, Purdue and West Virginia. Maybe that’s good news and BK is counting on RB Dexter Williams taking that RB spot among the scholarships left. And a top safety recruit Reid is visiting ND this weekend.
Hold on . . .the recruiting roller coaster in full tilt.
While you never like to have any of your commits flip, this isn’t the worst news. I think they’re ok at safety.
Its ok……I guess but the Irish need to recruit better and that begins and ends with Kelly.
The Irish only have 2 recruits in the Rivals 100 which is where the elite talent is. Look at Bama and Florida St who have 7-8 recruits in the top 100. When Notre Dame gets back to bringing in elite talent like those schools that’s something to celebrate and write about. Notre Dame is more than capable of recruiting with those power schools down south and bringing elite talent back to South Bend.
11 Florida state recruits in the rivals 250
17 Alabama recruits in the rivals 250
More important they have 8 in the top 100 and Florida State has 7.
We have 2…
Bruce and Kenny ???
-Two sticks rubbing together in a desperate attempt to start a fire.
I simply expect more from this program but . Notre Dame minus 2012
I simply expect more from Notre Dame because they are capable of more if they take care of things on the field.
You “expect more from ND because they are capable of more”
The same could be said for some of our fans.
16 of which cannot spell their names. Hey-Ooo
And still Alabama hasnt been to National Championship in two years. So…
10 nd recruits in the top
Rivals 250
“Can’t we all get-along?” (Rodney King)
Negative ghost rider, the pattern is full. (Air boss)
So does the five years of recruiting rankings. Last I checked Notre Dame, along with the other teams, will play players from all five years of recruiting. FACT
The list speaks for itself
Now if we could only get you to do the same.
de shaz, I read the original and was about to post a similar response, albeit not as terse. De Shaz, internetly speaking, has “quickness.”
Further, in terms of consensus recruiting rankings for 2011-2015, in the aggregate, Notre Dame is stongly in the top ten. Notwithstanding how much Bama makes the rubble bounce.
Big-D,
“internetly speaking”
I must give credit where credit is due.
When it comes to summing up bj…
“George” has captured his true essence with just two simple words.
As far as current recruiting and rankings go, it bears remembering that nobody has signed anything, for anybody, anywhere.
And until the players actually hit the field and reveal their skill, teamwork, and ability… everything else is just white noise.
i like this
shades of rudy
http://bleacherreport.com/tb/dfQyQ?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=notre-dame-football
never give up
Beyond pointless
It all sounds good but everyone knows it is a real crap shoot. Some of the great ones will come from the top 250 and obviously many will not and ND usually loses a few on signing day to some other school. I hope it ends up as good as it looks now. Good IRISH!
our recruiting success is a fairy tale, 1 in the top 87
ttps://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/rankings/rank-3404/2015;_ylt=Aj5C2RFvgm6yuZaNv0dCmVBGPZB4
I have to say… nobody knows more about fairy tales and living in a fairy tale world than you.
BJ speaks the truth. Two recruits in the top 100 is nothing to celebrate and write a story about. Its a average recruiting cycle for Notre Dame. You wouldn’t see teams like Bama and Florida St celebrating a average recruiting year. Their fans would be pissed.
I am torn on this one. I agree with BJ and Kenny M that it seems odd to be celebrating 2 recruits in the top 100. That seems ridiculous, and the real playmakers are appropriately higher ranked.
That being said, Oregon’s classes the last 4 years were ranked 26 (last year), 22, 16 and 9 by Rivals. It goes to show recruiting the right players to fit your scheme can still mean success on the field.