The fellas over at NDNation pointed out that the Irish are currently ranked #1 in the ESPN recruiting rankings. While the difference between the #1 class and the #5 class is often non-existent (and performance often doesn’t follow suit at all, based on system, coaching, health, etc.), it’s nice to see that we’re back at the top of these lists. Talent follows talent, and it’s a slippery slope either way – good coaches bring in good kids which brings in other good kids. And when recruits see lower-level players signing at schools, it tends to scare them off. Â
They want to play with the best, for the best.
Rivals.com currently has the current Irish recruiting class at #9. Those rankings combine Quality with Quantity, though. If you take another look at their Top 25, based on the average rating of the players, ND jumps to #2, just behind SC. Gives you a good idea of where the quality players are headed, and potentially a good idea of where the next round of commits will end up…and Chuck is just getting started. If this is any indication, we should have another great class pulled together by The Man C-Dub.
The amazing thing is how different this is from a few years ago. If you take a look at the same numbers by year, this is how ND fared:
2006 (CW):Â #13Â 2005 (TY/CW):Â NRÂ 2004 (TY): NRÂ 2003:Â #8 (TY)Â 2002:Â #9 (BD/TY)
So you can see the drop-off…TW benefitted from Davie’s ability to recruit in his first year (Bob actually could do that, though not much else), and carried that over with our smokescreen season the following year. But things just went to hell after that in the 03-04 year. Why? I don’t know, but Ty’s handicap improved significantly that year.
Here are the Top 25 teams according to Rivals.com, re-ranked based on average stars (pulling out quantity as a factor). Focusing on the Quali T.
| Team | Total Commits | 5 Stars | 4 Stars | 3 Stars | Average Stars |
| Southern Cal | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4.2 |
| Notre Dame | 12 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 3.83 |
| Texas | 23 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 3.78 |
| Ohio State | 10 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3.7 |
| Oklahoma | 11 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3.55 |
| LSU | 17 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 3.53 |
| Florida | 20 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 3.45 |
| Georgia | 23 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 3.43 |
| Michigan | 17 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 3.41 |
| Alabama | 15 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 3.4 |
| Tennessee | 21 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 3.29 |
| Auburn | 20 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 3.25 |
| Clemson | 17 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 3.24 |
| Georgia Tech | 18 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 3.22 |
| Oregon | 14 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 3.21 |
| Penn State | 14 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 3.21 |
| South Carolina | 15 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 3.2 |
| Nebraska | 19 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 3.16 |
| North Carolina | 16 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 3.13 |
| Virginia | 22 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 3.09 |
| Texas A&M | 16 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 3.06 |
| Maryland | 19 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 2.84 |
| Virginia Tech | 25 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 2.84 |
| Colorado | 27 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 2.81 |
| Ole Miss | 24 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 2.75 |
And this will only improve as more recruits understand the benefits of the school, the system and the coach.
First up? My boy Golden Tate. That kid was MADE for Notre Dame with a name like that.
Don't take me, yourself, or life so seriously. This is supposed to be fun.
Biscuit co-founded HerLoyalSons in partnership with his ND roommate (Dillon Hall baby!), MQ, in 2006 and has been ranting about ND Football and everything Notre Dame since. He strongly believes in the mission of ND and its football program. Biscuit expects logic and data in arguments and will absolutely crush you if you come to a debate missing one or the other. He despises everything Michigan, and his favorite pastime is mocking Purdue.
- (Re)Introducing: DANCING LEPRECHAUNS - August 29, 2019
- Ticket Auction: ND vs USC - August 22, 2019
- No Respect! - December 14, 2018
I can’t believe you used the term “Chaz.” That’s so lame. And I also can’t believe you erased my editorial note. Erase This!
What editorial note? I saw no such thing. Seriously, I didn’t erase it. But by the way, who are you to editorialize my shite? Go write your own column. I would’ve edited it out if I could’ve!
And Chaz is a great nickname for Charlie. Case in point: Chaz Batch, backup QB for the World Champion (yet current cellar dwellar I know) Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chaz is a name a metrosexual man named Charlie would use if he wanted to be less “man-like. Ewwww.”
Charlie Weis is no metrosexual.
Golden Tate…LOVE that name. Now I winder what number he will wear…if I were him I’d ask for “1.”