Tag: Nd Football

Irish Commit to miss Senior Season, Enroll Early

With Maryland canceling their fall and winter sports, a Notre Dame commit announced his intentions for this coming season.

With many states opting to change their high school football schedules, rising seniors have to make changes to what they might do this fall. Do they play if their state moves football to the fall, do they transfer if football is canceled all together?

Notre Dame commit Ryan Barnes has made his decision after his home state of Maryland on Tuesday canceled their fall and winter sports and will have virtual learning for the first semester. He will not transfer to another school, focus on his academics with the intention of enrolling early in South Bend as Rivals has reported.

This is not how Barnes saw his senior season playing out, but that is one of the unfortunate side effects of the nation continuing the battle with COVID-19. Maryland is not the only state to make adjustments as Virginia has canceled their fall sports, California and Washington have postponed their seasons to the spring, and Texas has made adjustments to their fall schedule. We can not stress how much this hurts not just the athletes but all senior high school students who will miss out on big milestones.

We will continue to monitor the situation as more states make their decisions and student-athletes make theirs as well. Of the states to make their fall schedules known that have Irish commits are Californian’s Tyler Buchner, quarterback, and newest Irish commit cornerback Chance Tucker and Texas’ defensive end David Abiara have yet to make their decision public. Once they do, we will fill you in on their intentions.

Scouts Eye: What to expect from Newest Irish commit Tucker

Notre Dame’s newest commit Chance Tucker brings a lot to the table, find out what we see after watching his highlight reel.

The newest Notre Dame commit from the 2021 class, California cornerback Chance Tucker, has great size at 6-foot-1-inches and weighs 170-pounds. The weight isn’t much of a concern at the moment, as once Tucker arrives to South Bend and enters a collegiate weightlifting program, that number will surely rise. What Tucker shows on film however is impressive.

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Tucker mainly plays on an island, something that gives defensive coordinators the utmost confidence that he can stick to his man. This allows other members of the defense to be more aggressive, and a safety doesn’t need to shade over to help Tucker’s side. One thing that Tucker will have to work on is getting his head turned around quicker, as this could potentially lead to pass interference penalties. Defensive backs coach Mike Mickens will surely work with Tucker on that aspect.

He plays on both sides of the ball like most high school stars do, although he will focus mainly on defense when Tucker enters the program. There is a possibility that Tucker could contribute early on special teams as well if he does not crack the lineup early in his career. Either way, Brian Kelly has gotten a commitment from a player who has a high ceiling even though his star ranking might not be exceptional.

Two Irish Defender’s Makes Feldman’s Freaks List

There were two Notre Dame Football stars that made The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List.

There are many traits that make up a good football player, with some of them standing out like a sore thumb. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic has come up with his Freaks List for the 2020 season and there were two members of the Notre Dame Football team honored (subscription needed).

Sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton impressed Feldman enough to rank 9th on his list, with his freakiest attribute being his vertical leap. What is interesting is that Feldman found out that “Hamilton is up 20 pounds since last year to 221.” That is a huge safety, who according to Feldman, his top speed last year was almost 21 MPH. Think about that, a human running 20 miles an hour. Go get in your car and get up to 20 MPH, stick your head out the window. That’s damn fast.

Back to his freakiest trait, Hamilton’s vertical which is 42.3 inches, that’s over 3-and-a-half feet! Compare that to the best of the 2020 NFL Combine, Hamilton would have been second among everyone according to Pro Football Reference’s combine results. Michigan’s Donovan Peoples-Jones led everyone with a vertical leap of 44.5 inches, but Hamilton would have led the secondary as Louisiana Tech’s L’Jarius Sneed led there with a 41-inch vertical. The rising star was named to the Bednarik Award watch list but got snubbed for the Thorpe Award (the best defensive back), something that I believe they will regret by the end of the season.

The other Irish star that was on Feldman’s list was linebacker Jeremiah Osuwu-Koramoah and this shouldn’t come as a surprise either. What stood out to Feldham was JOK’s explosiveness, which has been something the linebacker has worked very hard for. JOK finally cracked the lineup last year and make a huge splash, leading the team in tackles while notching 5.5 sacks. Those traits helped JOK get into the backfield and wreak havoc on opposing offenses.

You wouldn’t expect a linebacker to have the testing numbers that JOK has, registering a “39-inch vertical jump, 10-3 broad jump and an equally impressive 20.4 MPH on his GPS. Owusu-Koramoah also notched 42 pull-ups in off-season training and back squatted 555 pounds.” The last number stands out the most, as squats show power and 555 pounds is no joke.

It’s nice to see both of them making Feldman’s list, as the hype continues to build for both of these Irish star defenders. Both Hamilton and Owusu-Koramoah use their abilities and have translated them into big time production on the field. It will be a joy to watch both of them get after offenses this coming season.

Swarbrick to ESPN: Delay Season, Shorten Schedules

Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick has once again spoken out about how he feels the 2020 college football season should look like.

Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick met with ESPN yesterday and has some very interesting comments as to what the college football season should entail in the 2020 season. Swarbrick’s thoughts make plenty of sense as he told Heather Dinich that he doesn’t “anticipate a 12-game schedule. I’d like to start a little later. The value of starting later is you really get to see how your university has done.”

By pushing back the season, which in essence has already been done by the Big Ten and PAC-12 due to canceling non-conference games, it gives school a better chance to get a grasp on their return of students and how to deal with COVID-19. The rest of the Power 5 conferences have yet to make their decisions regarding non-conference scheduling but buying time as the country deals with a national pandemic is a smart move. We all want to see college football this fall, and this could help the situation.

The other impactful statement made by Swarbrick was the fact that he would like to see “somewhere between 8 and 10 (games), but whatever is right for the health and safety of the players.” If his earlier comments are heard and used, pushing back the season makes an 8-game schedule more realistic. The Big Ten initially has leaned towards a 10-game conference only season, but a final decision hasn’t been made. Going back to Swarbrick’s idea of having a delayed season, 8 games is a good number.

Swarbrick brought some very good ideas to light and hopefully they don’t fall on deaf ears to the NCAA. Having an 8-game season is better than nothing but it would make the Irish most likely join the ACC for a season. With 6 of their currently scheduled games against ACC competition, the move makes sense, but that is still up in the air. We will find out what the 2020 college football season will look like by the end of the month and hopefully it all works out and a season is played.

Monday’s have been kind to Notre Dame Linebacker Owusu-Koramoah

Another Monday, another watch list that Irish linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah appears in.

For the second Monday in a row, Irish linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, JOK, has been placed into elite company making another watch list. This time it is the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation’s best linebacker. This honor is on the heels of last Monday when JOK was put on the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list as well.

Owusu-Koramoah has a lot to play for in his senior year, as we previewed him here last week, which  includes a potential selection in the first round of the NFL Draft. There is a ton of hype surrounding JOK and if he wins the Butkus, he would become the 3rd Irish linebacker to achieve that status following Jaylon Smith in 2015 and Manti Te’o in 2012. Smith’s season had him finish with 114 tackles and a sack while Te’o has 111 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

The competition will be tough for JOK to take home this award in the 2020 season as Penn State’s Micah Parsons, Alabama’s Dylan Moses and others have gotten significant pre-season hype as well. If JOK can up his tackle numbers from 79 to over 100 and keep the 8.5 sacks or even improve on those number, we can very well see Owusu-Koramoah being named the best linebacker in college this coming season.

ESPN compares Notre Dame commit Buchner to who?

The future Irish quarterback is compared to a current star in college.

The Elite 11 Camp has come and gone, with recruiting experts getting a chance to go over the film, the future for each of the participants has become clearer. A pair of Tom’s from ESPN, Luginbill and VanHaaren broke down each of the quarterbacks and 2021 Irish commit Tyler Buchner got some high praise from them.

The opportunity for early playing time for Buchner is there, as they noted, but what was more important was how the Tom’s see the future for the star QB. Their report on him is very encouraging, as Luginbill see’s “Buchner has good size and a high skill set. He can navigate the pocket, keep his eyes downfield and work through progressions. For a younger player, he is an advanced passer with a lot of poise.”

The player comparison was a surprise, as I haven’t heard much about Memphis’ Brady White, so I did some research. White was 4th nationally with 4,014 passing yards last year to go along with 33 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Tiger’s star was 10th nationally in quarterback rating, just a little behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence who is viewed as a Top 3 NFL Draft pick. White helped the Tigers to a 12-2 record last year, a New Year’s Six appearance in the Cotton Bowl, although they lost to Penn State, it was one hell of a year for White.

White began his career at Arizona State, but then transferred to Memphis where he has put video game numbers in his two seasons as their quarterback. The wins came last year, as the Tigers finished 8-6 in his first season, but the build up was worth it. If Buchner has a career like White’s, many Irish fans will be very happy with that result.

Irish make final 5 for Georgia Wide Receiver

Notre Dame Football is still a contender for a Georgia two-sport star

As the Irish continue to look for a second wide receiver in their 2021 recruiting class along with Lorenzo Styles Jr., they received good news to filling that spot on Friday. Georgia’s Jayden Thomas released this Top 5 school and Notre Dame made the cut.

Thomas checks in at 6’1” and 198-pounds and the Irish have a battle on their hands to grab his verbal commitment. Right now neither Rivals nor 247Sport’s experts have predicted where Thomas may end up and baseball will play a into his decision. He would like to play both sports at the next level and Thomas would be a great addition to Jarrett Link’s group.

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The two-sport athlete is an impressive player, as he plays all over the football field for his Pace Academy team. What sticks out most to me is the work he does off the ball, blocking for his teammates. That shows every that Thomas is a team player and will do what his team needs to win. Thomas would be a welcome addition to the 2021 Notre Dame class and we will have to wait a little long to find out if that is a reality.

Notre Dame Goes to a Familiar Place for Newest ’22 Offer

The Irish are back at Burke High School in Nebraska with their latest offer.

Defensive coordinator Clark Lea was busy yesterday, as Nebraska’s edge rusher Devon Jackson also added an offer. Lea offered Sebastian Cheeks on Friday also, and although they are in the same 2022 recruiting class, they do not play the same position.

Jackson uses his 6’2” and 200-pound frame differently than Cheeks does, lining up more on the edge of the defensive line instead of a more traditional linebacker. Jackson uses his speed to attack opposing offenses, while being a menace on special teams. Jackson looks skinny now, and once he adds on more weight, he will become a more complete player.

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The Irish join instate Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Arizona State and a few others vying for Jacksons commitment. Brian Kelly and his staff are very familiar with the Burke program, as incoming freshman WR Xavier Watts and Jackson were teammates. This could play big dividends for the Irish as they continue to look for their first 2022 commit.

Irish offer ’22 Illinois Linebacker

Notre Dame goes into the Chicago Suburbs with their latest offer in the 2022 class.

Brian Kelly has gone a bit west with his newest offer in the 2022 class, as Evanston, Illinois linebacker Sebastian Cheeks has been given the opportunity to play in South Bend.

The Irish join Midwest schools like Michigan, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and others for the commitment of the 6’2 and 200-pound ‘backer. Cheeks has very good instincts, which leads to big plays for his Wildkit team. The potential for Cheeks to be a three down linebacker is very intriguing. What’s just as intriguing is the fact that Cheeks has his offer from the Irish pinned on his twitter page

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It is clear that Kelly and defensive coordinator Clark Lea have gotten Cheeks attention as they battle for his verbal pledge. The Irish current do not have any commitments in their 2022 recruiting class.

Which Irish true freshman could benefit most from NIL?

Which Notre Dame incoming freshman could be in line for a payday when they can profit from their name, image and likeness?

When the NCAA made the decision that collegiate athletes would soon be able to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL), it opened up a whole new world for football stars who have yet to make it to the highest level. Rivals took a guess at which incoming freshman would benefit the most from this and their choice of an Irish player might surprise you.

Mike Farrell, Rivals recruiting director, placed wide receiver Jordan Johnson one of the freshmen who could benefit the most from the NIL ruling. Johnson placed 8th on Farrell’s list, claiming that “the quarterback gets all the attention usually, but a five-star Midwest receiver having a huge career at Notre Dame could me him very valuable.”

Rivals ranked Johnson as the best prospect in the 2020 Irish recruiting class, in front of tight end Michael Mayer, offensive lineman Tosh Baker and speedy running back Chris Tyree. Farrell is right with his assessment that it’s usually a quarterback that gets all the hype, but skill position players can get plenty of love as well. I would expect Tyree to be a wanted man for his services as well and could possible rival what Farrell thinks Johnson could bring to the table.

No one really knows what could be in store for athletes when this ruling finally passes. August 30th is the next big date, as each NCAA division is expected to have a draft of what their NIL proposals will be. What we do know is this will usher in a new era for college football, and potentially keeping star players on campus for longer than expected.