RSS Feed
Taylor's TidbitsHead of the ClassWed, 1/23/08 Welcome back, sports fans! I hope that everyone has been enjoying a great start to 2008, (except for my Packers and Chargers missing a chance to play en El Gran Tazon…that’s “Super Bowl” in Spanglish for all you non-Californians!). I don’t know about you guys, but all of us here at Legends of South Bend are very excited about 2008 ... not just because we believe that Notre Dame should take some very big steps toward a return to the upper echelon of the college football universe, but because we have a lot of big things planned for the site this year. I know we’ve been out of pocket since the end of the season, but I assure you that there hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that we’ve not been working diligently on some REALLY cool stuff for next year. So, stay tuned for more … but right now, I’d like to take a closer look at something the Irish have done really, really well so far in 2008 … recruiting. BackPost new commentMan, I'm sorry, but we gotta have you log in. That's so we don't get spammed. Appreciate your understanding. Don't have an account?
Sign Up
|
|
|
Comments
Recruiting and Signing Day
Aaron, I know you are out of pocket but the site is here and your keyboard is free! Just write open letters or drop nuggets wildly until the funds are allocated.
Maybe you could interview guys in your immediate area? Doesn't have to be Domers but it would be nice. Perhaps you could interview your neighbors and ask them what it is like to live next door to you? Interview the mail man. It will keep you occupied and the rest of us entertained as well as keep us from losing our minds when we see the latest interview for 3 months running is Ken McAfee (great guy, met he and his wife in Home Depot several years ago, very cool).
Is this too much to ask?????
recruiting insights
Aaron:
what typically goes on the recruiting trail. What do the recruiters in general tell the recruits
fingers crossed
fingers crossed in hopes that all verbals will sign on "signing day". Crist looks physically more prepared at this stage than JC. He has a gun to boot. Floyd too, looks physically advanced. But we had some studs come in in 07 and struggled or did make an impact like other top recruits.
If all goes well on signing day we will have talent and depth, albeit young and inexperienced we will still have it. So I digress to gjs, it's up to the COACHING, COACHING, COACHING...
Dirty Recruiting
Aaron,
I was wondering if you could share some info on recruiting? As we have all heard about the way Urban Meyer recruits, can you share some expereinces that you had with any "negative recruiting"? And if so how were you able to avoid falling for it?
By the way thanks for being such an inspiration for ND!!! GO IRISH!!
QB question- Round 2
Aaron
I still wonder about this issue - because he has the ball in his hands on nearly every offensive play.
JC has a great spiral and a very nice touch, no doubt. Nevertheless it seems to me that Sharpley is still the guy for the job. JC threw well with protection, but not without it. Evan on the other hand made some really brilliant plays and displayed, what seemed to me, great athletic ability. He got next to no practice reps and performed better than most QBs I saw on TV this year despite it.
Your interview with Joe Theismann seemed to indicate he thought ES was the guy too. I know "behind the scenes" issues are always in play and we don't want to undermine the team - but what can you say on Evan's behalf? He seems to have paid his dues and performed. What's left for him with the kind of talent he has? If he was one of our sons (Irish brothers out there)how would we look at his situation? Sincerely, I think this guy would be starting just about anywhere else.
Aarons Article
Great work as usual providing insite into things we hear and often don't quite understand. My biggest fear based on what we saw last year is that CW does not have the ability to teach and mold young players into those that live up to their potential. We could not even block last year. My great hope is that CW learned from last year and will get help in teaching and developing the talent that comes in. As Aaron points out there are many factors that determine whether a talented high school kid will actually mature into a great college player not the least of which is COACHING, COACHING and more COACHING. Go Irish!
So sorry
Apology accepted. I really do enjoy your site but must admit I wish you would dedicate your time doing somethingelse. I cant help but think you would be a great offensive line coach for the Irish. Being a Joe Moore disciple and NFL veteran who better to teach the young lads how to pick up a blitz! If the line doesnt get better it wont matter how many 5 star quarterbacks we recruit. Continue the great work with the site. GO IRISH!
head of the class
Good to hear from you again after a long absence.
Head of the Class
Aaron, I keep going over the list of prospective recruits and once again I am pumped up. It is a very impressive list, but you are so right to bring up the "chemistry thing"...
Would you assess our coaching staff for us in the same way. What makes a good staff, the pedigrees or the coaching staff chemistry.
I am from Kansas and the Jayhawks were my second favorite team. They had only a handful of star recruits, at best one 3***, walk-ons, and Texas rejects. Yet, as Dan Dierdorf likes to say,
"They were pretty good".
Was it Coach Mangino and his staff or just one of those team "chemistry things" that nobody could have foreseen? If it was the coaching, what's the difference between KU and Notre Dame right now.
I really like your column. Nobody could be better suited to do a straight shooting, informed blog about ND footbal than you. Look forward to your coming posts.
Best regards
Recruiting class
We've got 22 guys in the current class so far. How many more can we get? I would think around 27 what with defections and whatnot. Hopefully we can get another D lineman and another O lineman.
Head of the class
Great article, right up to the point where you called Devry a truck driving school. As a Devry alum I can assure you it's not a truck driving school. When I attended Devry I majored and graduated in Electronic Engineering. I did not major in Recreation Programming, Recreation event management, or Anthropology like many of the current Gators. Who would of thought such great athletes shared the common goal of becoming an Anthropologist! Odds are Omar would have a better chance of graduating at Florida. Though if his main priority was graduating he wouldnt be going there in the first place!
So sorry! :)
All kidding aside, I know lots of folks that went to Devry and they have done very well. I also had a cousin that went there that didn't do so well, however...but I think the arrest in Mexico might have had something to do with it :)
Like you, I love to see our young atheletes aspiring to be criminologists, anthropoogists, and people that run hotels and public parks!
Thanks for your thoughts, and I truly hope you are enjoying the site. We're trying to have some fun and not take ourselves so seriously, although the subject is of the highest importance. I hope you agree.
Take care, and have a happy "Hump Day".
A.T.
Head of the Class
Aaron, your comments about the Class of 2008 are excellent. You have been there, so I believe your experience can tell the rest of us a great deal. I concur with your thought about the closeness of this class. To me, that says more about these 22 young men than any statistic. Indeed, we have much that we can look forward to in the future, but 2008 will be too early to expect a run for the NC as a few fans have been predicting.
GO IRISH
Chemistry
Closeness...or "chemistry", is HUGELY important to any team. I decided to go to Notre Dame becasue of meeting and getting to know guys like Mike McGlinn, Kevin McDougal, and Dean Lytle on my recruting trip. That played as much importance as the great graduation rate and TV contract. It will serve these guys well by giving them an additional incentive to succeed: each other. Teams that are close deal with adversity better, hold each other accountable, and push and support each other as necessary.
Unfortunately, I've been on close teams, and ones that weren't so close...and the differences are night and day. Just look on the pro level. Why does a guy with a history like Randy Moss go to New England and contribute all year and keep his mouth shut and NOT become a problem/distraction? Why did Andre Rison do the same for us in Green Bay the year we won it? Why? Because of the "closeness" or "chemistry" of those teams.
When you have guys that like each other and our aligned with their goals, intentions, and actions...that when magic happens. I saw it in '93 with our class. I saw it in '96 in Green Bay. And I think I see the makings of it happening again in South Bend. Let's only hope...
As always, thank you for being part fo the site...