A Notre Dame Football Blog
Icons never blink. I’m not talking about the things that show up on computer screens, or popular celebrities. I’m talking about real icons – deeply religious images. They constantly stare out at us; and they never blink. Just as the word ‘icon’ is overused and improperly used, so, too, is the word ‘iconic’. It seems everything today is described as ‘iconic’ – party songs, adventure films, sports stars. Yet none of these things demands contemplation, or touches the soul the way a real icon ...
If you have ever watched Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, then you have likely seen his “Late Night Superlatives” bit. This sparked an interesting idea to present further insight into a few members of the #NDFB 2016 recruiting class. While I certainly don’t believe I have quite the comedic abilities that Jimmy does, but I do think I can provide more value when talking all things Notre Dame Football. Unlike your old, dusty senior yearbook where all of the “Most likely to…” were voted on by an entire ...
Photo courtesy of Student Sports
Jonathan Jones, the three-star linebacker from Florida, became the key to Brain Kelly’s 2016 recruiting class. I doubt that anyone who followed this class would’ve have said that before Signing Day. But given that Caleb Kelly committed to Oklahoma - despite the Irish pushing hard until the end - and Ben Davis signing with Alabama, Jones “saved” the class, at least on the defensive side of the ball. Daelin Hayes, a 247sports composite four-star OLB and early enrollee, is certainly the ...
Name: D.J. Morgan Position: Safety/Athlete H/W: 6"3, 205lbs. D.J. Morgan is yet another in a seemingly explicit lineup of tall-ass DBs and Safeties in this 2016 recruiting class. Morgan is from Bellflower, California where he went to St. John Bosco High School. Morgan considered offers from USC, Arizona State, Utah, Cal, and Northwestern before ultimately choosing Notre Dame. While Morgan projects as a Safety, and when you consider the fact that Recruiting Coordinator Mike Elston teamed ...
Name: Donte Vaughn Position: Defensive Back H/W: 6"3, 195lbs. The most striking thing that jumps out about Vaughn (aside from his insane nose for the football and overall athleticism) is his size. At 6"3, Vaughn stands as the tallest DB recruit to sign with Notre Dame in the Brian Kelly era. With the speed and size of running backs and wideouts in modern college football, this level of athlete cannot be undervalued. Vaughn projects as a safety, although Notre Dame recruiting coordinator ...
Image Credit: scout.com
Javon McKinley, a 6'2", 196 pound wide receiver from sunny Corona, California, shows that the Irish continue to pull top-level talent at the wide receiver position. That McKinley checks all the boxes one looks for in a receiver is demonstrated in his offer sheet, which includes Arizona, Cal, Florida, the U, Ohio State, Stanford, Tennessee, USC, Washington, and Oregon. Javon finished his junior year with a 4.167 grade point average, perhaps explaining the lack of interest from ...
Chase Claypool, a 6'5", 215 pound wide receiver from sunny Abbotsford, British Columbia, has sick moves that allow him to choose when he wants to get hit and, if he gets hit, whether or not he's going down. He can also deliver a punishing hit on defense. Claypool's size and speed sparked a flood of offers, with schools as diverse as Oregon, Michigan, and Rice salivating over his potential. At one school, he's a freakishly-large receiver. At another, he's a defensive end. At Notre Dame, he ...
Photo by John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune
Julian Love didn't need to think it over. As soon as the Nazareth Academy (La Grange Park, Ill.) senior got his scholarship offer in March, he committed to Coach Brian Kelly and the Fighting Irish on the spot. Love, standing 5-foot-11-inches and weighing 180 pounds, is a three-star cornerback according to Scout and 247Sports. He is a two-time state champion; a highlight of this season's run was a 55-yard strip-and-score of St. Viator's TE Cole Kmet, who is committed to the Irish's Class of ...
From Northern California, quarterback Ian Book joins the Fighting Irish. Originally committed to Washington State, Ian quickly changed his mind after his visit to South Bend all in thanks to Mike Sanford. Coach Sanford was instrumental in recruiting Ian starting when he was coaching Boise State. That relationship that Ian built with Coach Sanford helped cement his decision to attend Notre Dame. Ian is one of the best quarterbacks in Northern California and will become one of the first ...
(Photo: Eddie Burch, Greenville News)
Christmas came early for the Notre Dame football coaching staff, as cornerback Troy Pride Jr. announced his commitment to the Irish on Dec. 24. The 6-foot, 165-pound recruit was courted by in-state schools South Carolina and Clemson, but chose to come to South Bend, in part, because of...Brian Van Gorder. "I like coach VanGorder's exotic blitz packages that he uses, and I understand coach Lyght as a defensive backs coach,” Pride told ND Insider. “The technique that he preached to me when I ...