Now that Douglas Farmer has unveiled the consensus top 25, much like last year, I was ready to defend my picks and hot ranking takes…except I don’t think I really need to.

This was perhaps the toughest year to rank the Irish roster and for the best reasons. When I looked back on the consensus rankings, I really didn’t have much of a problem with any variance and was surprised how much I was in line with this little Irish think-tank.

Top 25 Irish for 2019

Consensus Top 25, HLS Unranked

#25 Jayson Ademilola – Ademilola was in a group of five players that just missed my ballot. Really, this was more of a matter of “should I really rank another D-lineman over someone else?” than anything. Yeah, the big guys up front are indeed that good and I already felt like ranked damn near the whole two-deep and that’s just really wild to say.

#20 Jeremiah Owusu-Kormamoah – The downside to this year’s ballot is that we didn’t get the benefit of practice reports or film to watch before we submitted our ballots. Owusu-Kormamoah was absolutely on my radar being the first true rover recruited, but just didn’t have much data on him. I’m quite happy that people more plugged in where already in on him before the reports that he is progressing as hoped so far early in fall camp.

#18 Jarrett Patterson – Patterson was also in my group of five players that I just left off. At the end of the day, again, I didn’t have enough data even though internal scuttlebutt was already rather high on him. Another case of me deciding to take a shot on someone else.

HLS Top 25, Consensus Unranked

Kyle Hamilton (HLS #25) – I believe that this is the first time that I’ve ever done this exercise and only put in one freshman. This is also the first time that my “bottom” three in my ranking were the only ones that didn’t make it. This is also the first time that I believe I’ve grossly under-ranked a freshman.

Unless y’all have been living under a rock, Kyle Hamilton is the damn truth. Ryan Harris dropped by our annual ND Dallas Kickoff event, had the crowd repeat his name over and over, and then said he was going to win a Heisman.

You know what, I wouldn’t doubt it.

Kevin Austin (HLS #24) – I wasn’t the only one that had Austin, who is this year’s double-secret-probation award winner much like Kevin Stepherson and Dexter Williams before him, on their ballot. While I don’t think he’s going to make a Dex-like impact when he finally gets some touches, this kid has loads of talent.

I’m just hoping he gets out of the dog house enough to flash it. Even if he doesn’t, the crew of Chase Claypool, Michael Young, and Chris Finke (all consensus top 25) will be more than enough firepower.

Houston Griffith (HLS #23) – I only worry that Griffith is lost the Kyle Hamilton shuffle right now. There’s good talent there, but it’s a matter of figuring out where to put him and, right now, my gut is the focus is getting Hamilton on to the field first.

Don’t sleep on Griffith though, I’m still expecting a big impact from him before he leaves ND.

Closing Thoughts

How in the world was Jafar Armstrong (Consensus #11, HLS #5) rated so low?! My best guess is there is both a concern of durability from last year’s injury and the fact that he’s a converted WR.

From where I sit, Jafar is a key cog in the Irish offense not just on the ground, but in the passing game as well. Only Dexter Williams had more receptions than Jafar did last season and that kind of a reliable target is key in a spread offense to counter…let’s say a strong front seven of an SEC East favorite on the road.

The biggest variance I had with the crowd was with Shaun Crawford (Consensus #23, HLS #15) which I somewhat expected, but perhaps not with an eight-spot difference. Yes, I understand the health concerns, but that wasn’t the ask. It’s if they play, who’s got the talent.

Bottom line: Crawford makes plays.

In the two games he saw action in 2016, Crawford had a pick. In 2017, he had two INTs, a forced fumble that prevented a Sparty TD (and basically was the turning point in the game), had another fumble recovery against BC, and had 1.5 sacks and 1.5 TFLs to boot.

He’s not going to be the standout stud in the secondary, but there’s a reason why he’s cross-training at nickel and safety right now: ND wants him on the field.

I’m happy to see I’m not on an island this year in ranking Asmar Bilal (Consensus #19, HLS #14), but I’m going to keep stumping for him like I did last season. People see the shifting in positions as a downside of “hasn’t found a fit”, but I see “Bilal plays his way into the starting lineup.”

The only returning players with more TFL in 2018 than Bilal are Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara–not too shabby for playing a position that’s a linebacker/safety hybrid that wasn’t his “natural” position.

Finally, I would like to take a victory lap from 2018 in being one of the four that had the courage to rank Ian Book (Consensus #2, HLS #3) in their top 25. The only thing I regret was not being the one that had him ranked the highest last season.

The post Notre Dame Roster Top 25 Countdown 2019 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Credit: Detroit Free Press

Brian Kelly and his staff have convinced 21 student-athletes with Michigan offers to commit to Notre Dame, while Jim Harbaugh and his group have persuaded the same number to forgo Notre Dame offers and come to Ann Arbor, according to Her Loyal Sons research.

Michigan and Notre Dame have historically battled for outstanding players in midwestern states, although the skirmish has also expanded to the East Coast and California in the past 20 years.

WOLVERINES GRAB HIGHER RATED TALENT

Michigan has swayed 3 five-stars with Notre Dame offers to join their team, while Notre Dame has landed zero. The Irish have grabbed 16 four-stars to Michigan’s 13, while the Wolverines have 1 more three-star than the Irish group.

Credit: Melanie Maxwell / MLive.com

The six best players, according to Scout’s recruiting rankings, have all headed north: defensive tackle Rashan Gary (#1 overall, class of 2016); wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (#22, 2017); running back Kareem Walker (#28, 2016); offensive tackle Ben Bredeson (#36, 2016); cornerback David Long (#64, 2016) and tight end Devin Assisi (#67, 2016).

Bredeson made eight starts at left guard for the Wolverines last year and appeared in all of their games. He allowed five quarterback hurries, three hits and one sack in 256 pass blocking snaps, according to College Football Film Room. He was also given an honorable mention on the All-Big Ten team. Gary played in all of Michigan’s games as well, registering 26 tackles, nine tackles for loss, eight hurries, eight quarterback hits and just four missed tackles.

Asiasi played sparingly – being targeted just five times and catching 2 passes for 18 yards. Long appeared in four games, mostly on special teams. A quarterback never threw his way when he was in at cornerback, so he didn’t register any stats. Walker was a redshirt.

WHO HAS HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT SO FAR?

Credit: MICHAEL CATERINA / South Bend Tribune

Besides Bredeson’s and Gary’s notable freshman seasons, the Irish have two players who have made equal or greater impacts on their team so far.

Dexter Williams was the first to spurn the Wolverines in favor of the Irish after Harbaugh’s hiring in Ann Arbor on Dec. 30, 2014. The running back has registered 281 yards rushing on 61 carries over two seasons. Williams has also found the end zone four times. At this point, he has proven himself a capable second back behind fellow rising junior Josh Adams.

Kevin Stepherson, a three-star unranked in Scout’s 300, had a surprisingly good freshman campaign, becoming quarterback DeShone Kizer’s third favorite target last year. Stepherson caught 25 balls for 474 yards, good for 14 first downs and five touchdowns.

WHAT’S AHEAD?

Despite posting a 4-8 season, the Irish have grabbed as many highly-rated recruits for their forthcoming class as Michigan.

Brock Wright / Photo: Scout.com

The two teams have split Scout’s top 100 that received offers from both schools. Besides Peoples-Jones, Michigan will be welcoming four-star wide receiver Tarik Black (#90, 2017) and four-star outside linebacker Drew Singleton (#93) in the summer. Notre Dame has four-star tight end Brock Wright (#76) and four-star inside linebacker David Adams (#88) coming to South Bend instead of heading farther north.

We cannot discount timing, however. The Wolverines, fresh off their Orange Bowl appearance, have the momentum of late, grabbing five of the last six commits. Those all came since the college football season started. Four-star offensive tackle Aaron Banks (#163) is the lone individual to choose the Irish over Michigan recently.

KELLY & HARBAUGH AREN’T IMMUNE TO DECOMMITS

Of course, nothing is final with 2017 or 2018 recruits until they fax or e-mail their national letters of intent. Both schools have already seen commits suddenly change their minds.

Leonard Taylor, a three-star defensive end, initially picked the Wolverines over the Irish, but then de-committed before the season started. (He’s currently undecided.) Three-star running back A.J. Dillon also picked Michigan over Notre Dame, but then committed to Boston College shortly before Christmas.

Four-star outside linebacker Pete Werner chose Ohio State after initially picking the Irish. Most recently, four-star cornerback Elijah Hicks enrolled in Cal instead of honoring his verbal commitment to Notre Dame. Hicks held a Michigan offer, among several others.

COMPLETE LIST

The post In Kelly-Harbaugh Recruit Fight, It’s Tied appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Credit: Gameface Media

Perhaps you’ve heard of the “beer mile,” where participants drink a full-sized beer and then run a quarter mile four times over. It’s a competitive event, sure, but not one I’d suggest doing during the hot August heat in South Bend, Ind.

Fall camp under Brian Kelly usually opens in the first week of August, which is great if you’re not happening to reach legal drinking age soon thereafter. So let’s pour one out for senior TE Durham Smythe, junior RB Justin Brent, junior S Drue Tranquill and junior DE Jay Hayes who will be turning 21 between Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 this year. (Incidentally, Smythe was born on the day Jerry Garcia died.)

Here are some other facts about the Notre Dame football team, some stranger than others:

• The most popular day to be born among scholarship players is Wednesday. The least popular day is Sunday.
• The most popular month to be born was October – 11 players. The least popular was February, May and November – three each.
• Four of the players born in October were born on a Wednesday – junior OL Jimmy Byrne, sophomore NG Brandon Tiassum, sophomore S Nicco Fertitta and freshman WR Kevin Stepherson.
• Six players will have game this year on their birthdays: OL Hunter Bivin & LB James Onwualu (vs. Texas); Stepherson (vs. Syracuse); OL Colin McGovern & RB Josh Adams (vs. Miami); and TE Jacob Matuska (vs. Navy).
• The Notre Dame football team went 5-0 on days their players were born, beating Washington twice and Vanderbilt, Navy and Michigan once apiece.
• There’s a whopping 2,025 days difference between the team’s oldest player (OL Mark Harrell, 23) and its youngest (LB Jonathan Jones, 17).
• Harrell is the team’s lone 23 year old. There are three 22-year-olds, 16 21-year-olds, 17 20-year-olds, 21 19-year-olds, 21 18-year-olds and 2 17-year-olds.

• 

  Credit: C’est La Vie Cakes

  Freshman DE Ade Ogundeji is likely the only player on the team whose shoe size (18) is higher than his age (17).

• Harrell, a fifth year senior, is older than 6th year safety Avery Sebastian.
• DL John Montelus is the youngest senior on the team. He won’t be 21 until September. Sophomore K Justin Yoon is 29 days younger than Montelus.
• WR Corey Holmes is the oldest junior on the team. He’s already 21. TE Tyler Luatua is the youngest junior; there are nine sophomores older than him.
• DT Micah Dew-Treadway is the youngest sophomore. He’s 18 and there are six freshman older than him.
• S Spencer Perry is the oldest freshman. He’s 19.
• Players who share the same exact birthdate (day, month & year): Bivin & Onwualu; junior OL Alex Bars & Montelus; junior OL Quenton Nelson & NG Peter Mokwuah; Luatua and sophomore CB Nick Coleman; sophomore QB Brandon Wimbush & long snapper John Shannon; freshmen WR Chase Claypool & S Jalen Elliott.
• Yoon was born four days after O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of double murder.
• Freshman S Donte Vaughn was born on the same day that musician John Denver died.
• Wimbush and Shannon lived on the same Earth as comedian Chris Farley for just one day.
• The Drudge Report gains national notoriety after breaking news of President Bill Clinton’s affair with intern Monica Lewinsky. The Eichenberg family welcomes their son Liam the following day.
• Freshman S Devin Studstill and J.K. Rowling’s second Harry Potter novel, “Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets” emerged on the same day.

Thanks to Blue & Gold Illustrated’s fall preview for the birthdates of most Notre Dame players.

The post Four Irish Footballers Turning 21 During Fall Camp appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

All have already picked their numbers, with some announcing them through social media. Here’s the rundown:

#12 QB IAN BOOK: Book sported #11 in high school, which is currently sported by redshirt sophomore running back Justin Brent. Book said last Tuesday that he’ll be wearing #12, which was most recently worn by fellow quarterback Brandon Wimbush. Wimbush, a sophomore, will be wearing #7 this year, which was most previously worn by wide receiver Will Fuller. Fuller is now in the NFL with the Houston Texans, where he wears #15 – the same number he sported his freshman year at Notre Dame.

#50 OG PARKER BOUDREAUX: The Orlando, Fla. product wore #56 in high school, but that’s fellow guard Quenton Nelson’s number. Boudreaux said last Tuesday he’ll be wearing #50, which was defensive lineman-turned-tight-end Chase Hounsell’s number in 2014.

#83 WR CHASE CLAYPOOL: Claypool wore #21 in high school. Junior cornerback Nick Watkins sported #21 last year, although that wouldn’t preclude Claypool from wearing it on offense. The Abbotsford, British Columbia product has decided to wear #83 instead. That number was worn by Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija when he played wide receiver at Notre Dame. It was most recently worn by Jalen Guyton, who was suspended and is no longer with the team.

#74 OT LIAM EICHENBERG: Blue & Gold Illustrated’s Andrew Owens reports that Eichenberg will wear #74, but I haven’t been able to independently confirm that. (Eichberg has private accounts on Twitter and Instagram.) Eichenberg wore that number in high school and it was last worn by an Irish player – right guard Christian Lombard – in 2014.

#21 CB JALEN ELLIOTT: Elliot wore #1 in high school. Elliott’s new coach, Todd Lyght, wore than number in college for the Irish, but #1 is being reserved for special recognition this year. Elliott decided instead to wear #21, with Watkins switching to #7. No one has worn #7 on defense since Stephon Tuitt left in the university 2013 and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

DE JAMIR JONES: Jones, as far as I can tell, has not announced his number publicly. The upstate New York product wore #15 in both football, basketball and lacrosse for his high school last year. Corey Holmes wears that number on offense, but there’s no one currently assigned to that number on defense. Safety Dan McCarthy, a member of the 2012 team, was the last to sport that number as a member of the Irish defense.

LB JONATHAN JONES: Jones wore #45 in high school, which was most recently sported by defensive end Romeo Okwara. Okwara was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Giants. I’ve looked at his social media accounts, but they don’t seem to include an announcement on a jersey number.

RB TONY JONES JR.: Jones has not announced his jersey number on social media, to my knowledge. The IMG Academy product wore both #4 in football and in baseball this past year. That number is worn on offense by junior QB Montgomery “Gummy” VanGorder and on defense by linebacker Te’von Coney.

#78 OT TOMMY KRAEMER: Kraemer is looking to fill big shoes with the departure of tackle Ronnie Stanley, who was drafted by the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. What better way to get started than taking over Stanley’s #78? Kraemer, who attended Elder High School in Cincinnati, also picked the number as tribute to St. Xavier’s Matt James. James, a Notre Dame commit, died after falling from a fifth-floor balcony. Luke Massa, St. Xavier’s quarterback, wore #78 on his senior day at Notre Dame to honor James. (Stanley wore #69 that day.)

#27 CB JULIAN LOVE: Love wore #20 in high school. Again, no one is listed on Notre Dame’s spring chart as wearing #20. (RB C.J. Prosise, now with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, wore it last year.) However, Love decided on #27 instead. That means redshirt freshman linebacker Asmar Bilal is getting a new number, which is reportedly #22. (That was last worn by safety Elijah Shumate. Shumate is now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.)

RB DEON MCINTOSH: McIntosh has not announced his jersey number on social media. He wore #1 in high school, but Irish Coach Brian Kelly has already indicated a different individual will be wearing that number every week.

WR JAVON MCKINLEY: As of June 9, McKinley said he did not know what number he’d be wearing. The California product wore #88 in high school, which was worn by senior Corey Robinson last year. Robinson announced Wednesday that he will forgo his senior season after suffering multiple concussions.

#32 S D.J. MORGAN: Morgan wore #27 in high school. Did Love beat him to the number? If Morgan’s Twitter announcement is any indication, he wanted a new number for a fresh start. He picked #32 and included pictures of fellow #32s – Chargers defensive back Eric Weddle and Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu. Two walk-ons – WR Cam Bryan and S Nick Ossello – wore #32 last year.

DE ADETOKUNBO OGUNDEJI: Ade wore #80 with his high school football team and #34 with the basketball team. To my knowledge, he has not announced his number.

#42 DE JULIAN OKWARA: Okwara, the younger brother of former Irish football player Romeo Okwara, wore #8 in high school. That’s sixth-year safety Avery Sebastian’s number. Okwara has decided on #42. The most famous Irish player to wear #42 was linebacker Michael Stonebreaker, part of Notre Dame’s last national championship team in 1988. Sophomore kicker/punter walk-on Jeff Riney wears #42 on offense. Walk-on linebacker Jimmy Thompson was also listed as #42 in the spring.

CB TROY PRIDE JR.: Pride said in a May 19 interview with Blue & Gold Illustrated that he has a fondness for the number 17, which he first wore during Little League. The South Carolina speedster wore #5 in high school, but said he didn’t care what number he was assigned. “I could be a number 63, and I’ll go out there and be a lockdown 63,” he told the publication. Linebacker James Onwualu wears #17 for the Irish and #5 is worn by fellow linebacker Nyles Morgan.

Credit: Instagram

#54 LS JOHN SHANNON: Shannon wore #42 in high school, which classmate Julian Okwara has already claimed. Shannon announced on Instagram that he’d be sporting #54, which is also worn by defensive lineman Lincoln Feist. It was also worn in 2011 by inside linebacker Anthony McDonald and in 2007 by outside linebacker Anthony Vernaglia. No offensive player has worn #54 in more than a decade.

Early enrollees:

• DE Daelin Hayes is wearing #9, last worn by LB Jaylon Smith. Smith was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, and is wearing #54 with them.
• DE Khalid Kareem is wearing #53, which is also worn by OL Sam Mustipher on offense and last worn on defense by DL Justin Utupo in 2014.
• S Devin Studstill was wearing #13, which was last worn on defense by outside linebacker Danny Spond, who last played in 2013. (Blue & Gold Illustrated reports he’s switching to #14.)
• S Spencer Perry is wearing #31, which was worn last year by safety John Turner. Turner graduated.
• WR Kevin Stepherson is wearing #29 in honor of a high school teammate, Johnnel Johnson, who was shot and killed by a classmate at a house party. Kicker Sam Kohler, a walk-on, is also wearing #29.

Blue & Gold Illustrated has a good rundown of the non-freshmen who are switching jersey numbers.

The post Freshman Reveal Jersey Numbers appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

South Bend Tribune Photo/GREG SWIERCZ

Harry Hiestand is arguably the most coveted assistant in the Brian Kelly coaching cabinet. One could argue that he’s certainly not the flashiest (hey there Prince Sanford), but his presence has significantly improved the ground game, offensive line recruiting and development, and #NDFB as a program. Let’s dive into an eight-year rabbit hole worth of running statistics – four “Pre-Harry” and four “Post-Harry.”

From 2008-2011, the running game ranged from mediocre to piss poor. These four years established an average of 131 rushing yards per game, 4.0 yards per rush, 15 rushing touchdowns per year, and 1,674 rushing yards per year.

The worst year came in 2008 (oh Charlie…) where the Irish ranked:

• 101^st in both yards per rush (3.3) and rush yards per game (110)
• 102^nd in rushing touchdowns (11)
• 97^th in total rush yards (1,426)
• Obligatory bullet note to apologize for even compiling these numbers and putting them on virtual paper.
• Bonus points for anyone who can guess the 2008 offensive line coach who helped orchestrate this stellar running campaign…John Latina. Latina was unsurprisingly let go following the 2008 season, and recently retired from coaching this past February after serving as the offensive line coach at Duke.

In the years following Hiestand’s hiring, the Irish have averaged 177 rushing yards per game, 4.8 yards per rush, 22 rushing touchdowns per year, and 2,299 rushing yards per year. These averages show improvements of 46 rush yards per game, 0.8 yards per rush, 7 rushing touchdowns per year, and a solid 625 rushing yards per year. This past year proved to produce possibly the most effective running game in over a decade wherein the Irish offensive line helped propel the run game to:

• 28^th in rush yards per game (208)
• 8^th in yards per rush (5.6)
• 30^th in rushing touchdowns (29)
• 27^th in total rush yards (2,699)

Hiestand was able to drastically improve these numbers by developing the talent he inherited when hired, but also by stocking the cupboard with top talent across the country.

From 2008-2011, Notre Dame recruited 14 offensive linemen (not including unranked/preferred walk-ons). Among these 14 linemen were eight athletes who were considered 4-star talent according to 247Sports composite rankings. Five were ranked 3 stars and one was a 2 star.

Hiestand has established himself as one of the most effective recruiters as it relates to his position group. As evidence, look no further than the improvements made since his arrival in South Bend.

From 2012-2015, his recruiting efforts manufactured 15 letters of intent from offensive linemen.  This haul included twelve 4 stars, three 3 stars, and no player ranked lower (again, not including unranked/preferred walk-ons). Hiestand undoubtedly has recruiting trending in the right direction.

Credit: Andrew Ivins / BGI

Let us not forget about the incoming 2016 class. A trio of offensive linemen mammoth human beings: 4 star Tommy Kraemer, 4 star Liam Eichenberg, and 3 star Parker Boudreaux will soon be joining the Irish.

Kramer was the closest offensive lineman to have the coveted 247sports composite 5 star ranking with a final grading of .9819, good enough for 27^th best player in the country. Eichenberg also graded within the top 100 players with a final ranking at 80^th.

Without getting too carried away (because college football fans never do that), it would be no surprise if Hiestand added to his list of first round draft picks with Kraemer. Kraemer is already listed at 6’6 and 309 lbs. as a high school senior. To put that into perspective, he already outweighs every starting offensive linemen from Notre Dame’s 2012 team. Hiestand has demonstrated a distinct ability to attract the country’s top talent to South Bend, which has given the Irish the luxury of formidable depth at the offensive line position that it likely hasn’t seen in decades.

The positive residual effect of Hiestand’s presence doesn’t stop at rushing stats or recruiting rankings, but also the number of penalties committed by offensive linemen.

With the aid of @andrewwinn, I analyzed every Irish offensive penalty over the past eight years (103 games total). The data suggests that an offensive line coached by Hiestand is far more technically sound than those that haven’t been blessed by his infinite wisdom.

From 2008-2011, the offense committed a total of 176 penalties, of which 80 were specifically attributed to an offensive linemen (disclaimer: not all penalties listed were directly credited to a specific player – for example these four years included 13 holding penalties where no player was specifically named).  Of these 80 penalties committed by offensive linemen, 33 were false starts, and 34 were holding calls.

Photo credit: Irish Sports Daily

From 2012-2015 the offense committed a total of 153 penalties, of which 79 were attributed to offensive linemen (throughout these more recent four years all holding calls were attributed to a specific player).  False starts were admittedly far more frequent with 59 occurrences. However, over the course of these four years the offensive line was astonishingly only credited with 10 holding calls.  The false starts may have increased since Notre Dame has had six quarterbacks under center in Hiestand’s four years. It may also be due to Hiestand’s more aggressive approach to pass blocking. The decrease in holding penalties is truly remarkable, especially when one considers a Hiestand line has averaged only 2.5 holding penalties per year.  This is a testament to the progress and development of the offensive line as a unit under Harry Hiestand.

Obviously, Hiestand is not the single determining factor in the many improvements made over the course of eight years.  One would be remiss to not shed light on how far #NDFB has come as a program: the institution of training table, the addition of analysts to the coaching staff, the facility updates, etc. Brian Kelly deserves a ton of credit for putting his assistant coaches in opportunities where they can flourish and succeed.

With all of this being said, the old adage that “it all starts up front” still holds true even in today’s spread offense era. Four years’ worth of significant and consistent progress suggests it is no fluke that Harry Hiestand continues to develop one NFL draft pick after another (Chris Watt, Zack Martin, soon to be Ronnie Stanley and Nick Martin).

Couple Hiestand’s developmental gift with his ability to draw top high school talent to South Bend, and #NDFB has one of the best in the biz. The Irish were able to quickly recover from the loss of beloved assistant coach Tony Alford this time last year, but here’s to hoping Hiestand has found his home for the long haul.

The post Harry Hiestand’s Impact Is Unmistakeable appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Liam Eichenberg, Courtesy Vimeo.com

The Irish Sports Talk podcast recently hosted Notre Dame offensive lineman commit Liam Eichenberg on its show, and the 4-star offensive lineman from St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) didn’t mince words when it came to a fellow lineman who was offered a Notre Dame scholarship:

Host: A couple of weeks ago there were reports of a few other linemen that supposedly got offered for Notre Dame. Notre Dame already has three linemen. You want to tell us about that how that went down?

Eichenberg: Parker [Boudreaux] put in the group message between Tommy [Kraemer], him and myself. It said that this kid got offered. I mean, I spent a week with him down at the Under Armour All-American game. He’s a great athlete and stuff. But mentally, I just didn’t think he had what it took. He was always late. He just forgot a lot of stuff. I didn’t think that was the kind of guy that Coach Hiestand would want. We were just surprised that Coach Hiestand would offer him.

Jauan Williams / 247Sports.com

Although no names are mentioned, it’s not hard to deduce who Eichenberg is talking about.

The Under Armour All-America game included 18 offensive linemen, including Eichenberg. Fifteen are already committed to other schools. Of the three remaining players, two hold a Notre Dame offer. Jauan Williams, a four-star offensive lineman, reported a Notre Dame offer on Jan. 5.

For what it’s worth, Eichenberg is considered a better prospect than Williams, with the former being the 9th best offensive tackle and the latter being ranked 17th, according to 247 Sports. So is Kramer, who is ranked third on that list. Boudreaux is ranked lower, but plays guard.

If I’m to speculate, I guess Eichenberg knows Williams is not taking his Notre Dame offer seriously and will probably attend another school. It’s easy to criticize a guy you’ll never play alongside.

It’s refreshing, however, to hear an athlete give his (supposedly) honest assessment of a competitor. Players are being less blunt these days because they’ve weighed the risk and reward of speaking out. The media recognizes that any controversial viewpoint is sustaining fodder for the various news and opinion programs that fill the day – and that their viewers will happily consume it. Thus, otherwise benign comments are sometimes distorted to keep eyeballs on the television or computer screen.

What if I had titled this post “Eichenberg criticizes future coach’s judgment”? That’s certainly one interpretation of Eichenberg’s comments, although I don’t think that was the teenager’s intention at all.

Clemson’s Hunter Renfrow (13) makes a catch over Notre Dame’s KeiVarae Russell (6). SBT Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

When Eichenberg joins his college team, Notre Dame will talk to him – and all his fellow student-athletes – about being careful about what they tell the press. Everything can be misconstrued, or blown out of proportion. They may use the example of KeiVarae Russell, who, in the midst of complimenting DeShaun Watson, called the Clemson quarterback “not overly superior” and suggested he’s played against better.

The headline on Tigernet.com, a Clemson fansite, read: “Notre Dame CB on Watson: ‘I don’t think he’s a top five quarterback.'”

It’s an accurate headline, sure. But it intentionally skews the statement to suggest it was a straight dis, when the overall comment is pretty laudatory. Perhaps this headline was put on a bulletin board in the Tigers’ locker room or sent to Watson for extra motivation.

Eichenberg will probably be more measured in his assessment of opponents, teammates or coaches by the time he is allowed to talk to the Notre Dame beat writers. In a way, that will be our fault. We clicked on the articles, which increased the ad revenue, which suggested to writers that, in the competition for eyeballs, outrageous sells much better than nuance. Coaches see the comments – or perhaps they’re asked about them – and they encourage the student-athlete to say fewer things that cause them unnecessary headaches.

What we’re left with is guys like Don Carman, who recognized that most beat reporters don’t care about introspection. They just want to fill column inches and go home to their families. It was easier to say a lot of nothing than a bit of something.

I hope Eichenberg has the courage to continue to be candid with the press and, by extension, the fans, although I wouldn’t blame him if he realizes the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.

Vectorbelly.com

The post Liam Eichenberg’s Refreshing Bluntness appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Now here are your headlines:

FROM OUR SITE

• When will ND unwrap its recruiting presents?

COACHING

• CSN Chicago: Buckeyes, Falcons officially announce Alford, LaFleur
• Journal Gazette: 2 Irish football assistants leave for jobs elsewhere
• CBS Atlanta: Atlanta Falcons finalize coaching staff
• Chicago Tribune: Notre Dame assistant Matt LaFleur heading back to NFL
• Northeast Ohio Media Group: Ohio State football: Former Notre Dame assistant Tony Alford officially named Buckeyes’ RB coach
• Ohio State Media Relations: Alford leaves Notre Dame for Ohio State
• Columbus Dispatch: Buckeyes officially name Alford RB coach
• Columbus Dispatch: New assistant Alford familiar with Meyer, staff
• The Latern (OSU student newspaper): Ohio State officially names Tony Alford running backs coach
• AP: Ohio State Buckeyes hire Tony Alford as offensive/running backs coach
• CantonRep.com: Notebook: Hiring Alford pleases miffed recruit
• Bleacher Report: What the end of the Mike Weber recruiting saga means for Ohio State
• 13 ABC (Toledo): Veteran RB coach Tony Alford joins Ohio State staff
• Eleven Warriors: Ohio State officially hires Tony Alford as next running backs coach
• Buckeye Grove: Buckeyes officially name Alford to staff
• 247 Sports: Buckeyes officially announce Alford
• NBC Sports: Will Alford haunt Notre Dame on the recruiting trail?
• Fox Sports: Oklahoma co-DC, top recruiter leaving for NFL (Kerry Cooks)
• Tulsa World: Newly promoted co-defensive coordinator Jerry Montgomery departing Sooners coaching staff for NFL (Kerry Cooks)
• Hook ‘Em Headlines: Report: Gilmer’s Jeff Traylor close to joining Texas staff (Bryant Young)
• UHND: Notre Dame football fans need to R-E-L-A-X
• Blue & Gold Illustrated: Return of the natives

RECRUITING

• Chicago Tribune: Providence athletes commit to colleges (Miles Boykin)
• One Foot Down: Analyzing the 2015 recruiting classes for Notre Dame football opponents
• Irish Illustrated: Offers adding up for Yulee
• Irish Illustrated: ‘The show must go on’ (Amir Rasul)
• Irish Sports Daily: 2016 inside look: Good year in Indiana
• Slap the Sign: OL prospect E.J. Price adds Notre Dame offer
• Slap the Sign: Parker Boudreaux to visit Notre Dame on April 24th
• Northeast Ohio Media Group: Urban Meyer vs. Jim Harbaugh: 5 intense 2016 recruiting battles ahead for Ohio State & Michigan (Rashan Gary, Ben Bredeson & Josh King)
• UW Dog Pound: 2016 UW football recruiting: Pacific Northwest prospects (Jacob “Skinny” Eason)
• Post Standard: Projecting Syracuse football recruiting needs for 2016 class, including early targets (Robert Washington)
• AZ Central: Arizona’s top high school football prospects: 2016 class (Chase Lucas & Byron Murphy)
• The Times-Picayune: LSU offers four-star prospects Antwuan Jackson, Clark Yarbrough
• 247 Sports: Three Michigan QBs to keep an eye on (Tony Poljan)
• The Patriot News: Recruiting battlegrounds: Where Penn State could cross paths with Maryland, Pitt, Rutgers in 2016 (Damar Hamlin)
• Eleven Warriors: Odds increasing with Victor, Nixon and Alford’s recruits, Ohio State’s 2016 offensive line priorities and more (Tommy Kraemer, Liam Eichenberg and Tre Nixon)
• Testudo Times: Maryland 2016 recruiting class preview: Part 2, defense (Rashan Gary)

IRISH IN THE NFL

• WEEI: Jonas Gray: Seahawks calling pass play at end of Super Bowl XLIX wasn’t bad call
• Toronto Sun: 2015 NFL draft: Top 250 prospects (Ben Koyack is #108; DaVaris Daniels is #231)

MISC.

• Scout: Get your 2015 college football tickets now! (Notre Dame-Texas is top selling game; Notre Dame-USC is #7)
• Capitol Fax: John’s story: A Chicago legend gets a tough call
• Fansided: Vince Vaughn named grand marshal of Daytona 500
• BC Interruption: Boston College promotes Todd Fitch to offensive coordinator, adds Brian White to staff
• Waco Tribune: DeLoss Dodds joins Hall of Fame (Van Pearcy)
• Midland Reporter-Telegram: Midlander Pearcy named to TSHOF board

The post Morning Roundup: Feb. 11, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.