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.

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.

1. Brandon Wimbush (II Staff: #2)

Credit: UND.com

If you consider the question, you’ll notice it’s a little tricky.

“Who among the three dozen will have the best careers at Notre Dame?”

Brandon Wimbush is a quarterback with all the tools: strong arm, fleet of foot and accurate. I’m not certain that he’s going to demonstrate that talent at Notre Dame, however.

Here’s what the quarterback depth chart could look like in 2017 (in alphabetical order):

IAN BOOK – Redshirt freshman; 4 years eligibility remaining
AVERY DAVIS – True freshman; 4 years eligibility remaining
DESHONE KIZER – Redshirt junior; 2 years eligibility remaining
BRANDON WIMBUSH – Redshirt sophomore; 3 years eligibility remaining
MALIK ZAIRE – 5th year; 1 year eligibility remaining

I put Wimbush at No. 1 because I’m betting he gets two years as a starter. Here’s my guess: Kizer beats Zaire for the starting job this year and does well enough to declare for the NFL Draft. Zaire graduates and transfers to another school for a one-year shot at making an impression on NFL teams. Wimbush starts 2017 and beats out Davis, Book and true freshman Phil Jurkovec to be chief signal caller in 2018 as well. Is this an optimistic view of Notre Dame football that does not include quarterbacks getting injured or struggling? You bet it is.

2. Tommy Kraemer (II Staff: #3)

Tommy Kraemer is a five-star offensive lineman who enters Notre Dame with more hype than Ronnie Stanley, who just got picked sixth overall in the NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 310 pound right tackle is praised for his “outstanding wide base, combined with a low pad level while showing balance every step of the way.” He’s also impressed scouts for his ability to “sustain and finish his blocks” and his “comfortability” with playing either the right or left side.

I picked Kraemer because the decks have been cleared for him to make an immediate impact. Stanley and Nick Martin are in the NFL. Steve Elmer has left football to join the business world. Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson probably have the left side locked down, but the middle and right is still an open competition. I see Kraemer pushing Alex Bars, Sam Mustipher and Hunter Bivin and Tristen Hoge and making the two-deep at some point in the 2016 season. It’s a guarantee if there’s injury to one of the six “incumbents” mentioned.

3. Shaun Crawford (II Staff: #1)

Credit: UND.com

I really like Shaun Crawford. I like his hustle. I like his doggedness to play as hard as he could during the spring game although he was supposed to be taking it easy. He always seems to be where the ball is going to be – and half the time it seems like he’s sticking his hand out before the ball can even get to the receiver. After tearing his ACL his freshman season, Crawford dedicated himself to studying film and learning the playbook. I like that he didn’t lose focus.

Here’s what concerns me about Shaun Crawford. He’s 5-foot-9, which is small in a position where getting vertical is essential. And he’s a largely unknown commodity, having never played a down of real college football. I’m almost 5-foot-9 myself, so I always root for the little guys. Crawford will be no exception. But for the Irish Illustrated staff to say he’ll have the best career out of three dozen (plus) guys? I think that’s a tad too optimistic.

4. Corey Holmes (II Staff: Unranked)

Credit: UND.com

If the Irish Illustrated guys are too high on Crawford, then they are definitely too low on Corey Holmes. Now removed from the shadow of Will Fuller and Chris Brown, Holmes is poised to have a break out year. I’ve written extensively on why I believe Holmes should start this year, and that was before we learned he clocked a 4.41 second 40-yard dash and jumped 41 inches vertically (which is 7 inches higher than Will Fuller at the NFL Combine).

I’m expecting Holmes to be the Irish’s No. 1 or No. 2 receiver for the next two years. The beat writers are higher on Torii Hunter Jr. – and many still like the attributes of Equanimeous St. Brown. But Holmes has remained healthy, unlike Hunter and St. Brown, and he’s my fourth pick for a great Notre Dame career.

5. Donte Vaughn (II Staff: #10)

I love Donte Vaughn because he is so freakin’ tall for a cornerback. Six-foot-three?! He’s as tall as Richard Sherman, with beautiful long limbs that can frustrate wide receivers trying to get a jump off the line. Forget about the end zone corner fade. Unless he stumbles or is slow to make a redirect, Vaughn is going to have a good chance in any jump ball situation.

Even if Vaughn doesn’t develop the loose hips or backpedal needed to excel at cornerback, he could easily find a home at either safety or outside linebacker. I’d love to see him develop as a guy who can just neutralize a team’s best receiver, however.

6. Daelin Hayes (II Staff: #4)

Credit: Tim Sullivan / Detroit Free Press

I honestly considered putting freshman defensive end Daelin Hayes at the top of this list. I also strongly considered leaving him off the list entirely.

Hayes’ high school career can be summed up in one phrase: brief flashes of brilliance. The 6-foot-4, 250 pound power pass rusher attended four high schools and saw limited action because of two shoulder injuries, a custody battle and some transfer rules. When he did play, people were impressed with his “innate quickness,” “low center of gravity,” and mental toughness.

Hayes wore a no-contact jersey throughout Notre Dame’s spring practice, as he was still recovering from shoulder surgery. Writers were impressed with what little they saw of Hayes during drills. Notre Dame desperately needs a pass rush to complement whatever Isaac Rochell can produce from the other end. Look for a healthy Hayes to push junior Andrew Trumbetti for playing time.

7. Devin Studstill (II Staff: #8)

Scout.com photo

Max Redfield once quipped that learning Mandarin Chinese was easier than understanding the full complexities of Brian VanGorder’s defense. To my knowledge, Devin Studstill doesn’t know a lick of the world’s most popular language. But the 6-foot, 190 pound product ingested enough of the Notre Dame scheme to take first team reps away from Redfield this spring.

Although VanGorder denied promoting Studstill to put a fire under Redfield, I still think the safety position is the senior’s to lose. Redfield was nursing a minor ankle injury this spring, which hopefully won’t extend into the summer.

Besides Studstill’s ability to interpret the scheme and translate it to others, he’s been praised for his excellent ball location skills. There’s a lot of bodies in the defensive backfield. But, so far, Studstill is standing shoulders above the rest.

8. Chase Claypool (II Staff: #7)

Chase Claypool is a guy with tremendous upside who hasn’t had the opportunity to prove himself against the best competition. He runs a respectable 4.6 second 40-yard-dash for a man that is 6-foot-5, 215 pounds. It’ll be interesting to see where he shakes out. He could be a tight end or a wide receiver. Or, if neither pans out, he may make a respectable linebacker. Claypool has been able to rely on his physical gifts in a weaker Canadian high school league, so he’s got room to improve – especially when it comes to route running. But because of his versatility, his size and his hands, he makes my list.

9. Jay Hayes (II Staff: Unranked)

Credit: UND.com

We’ve come a very long way from Jay Hayes tweeting in frustration over his perceived lack of advancement on the defensive line. With Grant Blankenship’s future very much in doubt, Hayes has one less competitor at the weak-side defensive end position. Hayes provides more power than speed, which will likely force him to split reps – at least initially – with the quicker Andrew Trumbetti. Daelin Hayes could compete for playing time here or slide into Rochell’s spot for the 2017 season.

Hayes is one of the bigger, more jovial presences on the team. Surely moving from defensive tackle to defensive end has been tough on him. But he’s got three more seasons of eligibility left to prove himself as a presence to be reckoned with on the line.

10. Troy Pride Jr. (II Staff: #5)

Photo: 247sports.com

I put Troy Pride Jr. at the #10 position mostly for his achievements not on the football field, but in track and field. Pride took home 4 South Carolina Class AAA track titles last month, including the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash events. His fourth medal was in the 4-by-100 relay event.

Pride Jr. was listed at 160 pounds when he committed in December, but seems to have added about 15 pounds since then. He’s average height for a cornerback at 6 feet, but I’m worried it’ll take him a little while to adjust to his newer, beefier frame. It’s going to be a necessity, though, if he wants to win those physical matchups at the line.

By including Crawford, Vaughn, Studstill and Pride in my “top rookies” list, I’m almost assuredly wrong about someone in defensive backfield. But, hey, let’s hope they all work out!

TIDBITS

Irish Illustrated put freshman wide receiver Kevin “K.J.” Stepherson at #6 on their list and freshman offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg at #9.

So who is on your list? Here are the candidates to consider, per Irish Illustrated:

• Redshirt sophomores Brandon Wimbush, Justin Brent, Jay Hayes and Corey Holmes
• 10 redshirt-freshmen from 2015: Josh Barajas, Asmar Bilal, Miles Boykin, Shaun Crawford, Micah Dew-Treadway, Tristen Hoge, Trevor Ruhland, Elijah Taylor, Brandon Tiassum, and Ashton White.
• The 23 players in the class of 2016.

Leave your rankings in the comments below.

The post Notre Dame Football’s Most Promising “Rookies” appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Credit: Rivals.com

Most likely to be a first round draft pick

Tommy Kraemer

Kraemer is the crown jewel of the 2016 class, and I acknowledge it may seem cliché to project the highest ranked recruit of the class to be a first round draft pick. However, it’s simply too difficult to bet against a Top 100 recruit, high school senior who is already 309 lbs., stands 6 feet 5 1/2 inches tall, and will be mentored by a coach who has demonstrated a distinct ability to put offensive linemen in “The League.”

One doesn’t need to look much further than my previous piece, where I gush about Kraemer, to see that I am more than bullish on the Cincinnati, Ohio product. It would not be a surprise to see Kraemer potentially push for a spot within the 2-deep on the offensive line this year. But considering the depth at the position is in very good shape, he may be best fit to redshirt and take the year to learn, grow and mature.  This path proved beneficial for Quenton Nelson (who was also a Top 100 recruit) who started at guard last year and used his redshirt year to grow to a massive 325 lbs. Big Tommy projects to be a solid anchor in a future Irish offensive line while also possibly projecting to cash in on a handsome signing bonus around this time in four years.

Most likely to make an immediate impact

Devin Studstill

Scout.com photo

Studstill is a rangy safety from Palm Gardens, Florida.  Standing 6 feet 1 inch and weighing 190 lbs., he’s appeared to have already added 10 lbs. since being on campus as an early enrollee (graduating high school in December to enroll at Notre Dame for spring term, thus affording him the ability to participate in spring football).

During his short time with the team, Studstill has already made positive impressions on the coaching staff – Brian Kelly included. Kelly highlights that he has already established an understanding of the defense, while physically proving he belongs at the collegiate level. The news about understanding the defense may raise a few eyebrows within the Irish faithful, as fans have seen a defensive backfield (safeties especially) that has struggled with assignments and suffered blown coverages over the past two years. Studstill’s physical gifts are likely not surprising any of the coaches, because he was widely regarded as the top prospect at safety on the Irish’s recruiting big board. Though only a three star recruit, the coaches agreed that the athletic Floridian was a priority, and Kelly’s comments, along with significant first team reps in spring ball, would suggest that they evaluated him accurately. Studstill benefits from playing a current position of need at safety. The graduation of Elijah Shumate coupled with the uncertainty and unproven safeties on the roster produce an exciting opportunity for him to step in and contribute during his freshman year. I find it possible, yet unlikely, that we see Studstill starting at safety across from Texas come September, but I do firmly believe that he will be consistently rotating his way into the game giving him the best chance to make an immediate impact within the 2016 recruiting class.

Most likely to switch positions

Chase Claypool

Claypool is an interesting wide receiver from Abbotsford, British Columbia (Canada). He stands at an intriguing 6 feet 5 inches, weighs 205 lbs. and was a four star recruit.

Claypool dominated throughout high school, albeit against lesser competition than traditional football talent hotbeds like Florida and Texas. As stated, Claypool was recruited as a wide receiver, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Irish decide to kick the tires on Claypool potentially contributing on the other side of the ball. It wouldn’t be the first time that a highly regarded offensive recruit flipped from offense to defense – Jerry Tillery did it last year from offensive tackle to defensive tackle, and James Onwualu made the transition from wide receiver to starting linebacker a few years ago.

Claypool’s size and raw athletic ability could potentially translate into a much needed rush end, or possibly linebacker.  If you still aren’t sold on this kid’s athleticism, don’t take my word for it. Instead take Brian Kelly and the coaching staff’s opinion during a neat exchange on a phone call where Kelly asks Claypool how his basketball game went the previous night. I’ll save you the suspense – he dropped 51 points in the specific game Kelly asked about, and averaged over 40 points per game throughout the season. In the highly unlikely chance that Claypool doesn’t find himself on either side of the ball, Mike Brey and the (back to back Elite Eight) Irish hoops squad might see if he’s interested in balling out in Purcell Pavilion. With his Canadian roots, potentially uncapped athleticism, and overall physical stature, Claypool is the most fascinating recruit of the 2016 class.

Photo by Jared Purcell / MLive.com

Most likely to ruin a color commentator’s day

Adetokunbo Ogundeji

Say that five times fast – or once slowly if you can. Ogundeji is also most likely to join current Irish sophomore wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown on the “All-Name Team.”

“Ade” is a defensive end that comes to South Bend from Walled Lake, Michigan and stands 6 feet 5 inches and weighs 225 lbs. After initially committing to Western Michigan, Ade was all Irish less than a month after Notre Dame offered him a scholarship. He even visited campus at least five times (per 247sports) before signing his letter of intent.

Raw, raw… (WWE) RAW! Ade was a three star recruit that will benefit significantly from a redshirt freshman year. Similar to Chase Claypool, Ade lacks no athleticism.  He will also benefit greatly under the fine tutorship of defensive line coach Keith Gilmore.  Consider him putty to be finely molded and tuned into a fine contributor after a year or two of development. Additionally, consider him to truly test the phonetical skills of many color commentators.

Most likely to steal the opponent’s lunch money

Parker Boudreaux

Parker Boudreaux (Photo: CNN)

Boudreaux found himself with over 60 scholarship offers throughout the recruiting process. It seems almost every school in the country wanted this offensive lineman from Orlando, Florida who stands 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 287 lbs.

“P-Money,” as he is so eloquently known on Twitter (with over 56 thousand followers mind you), brings a nasty, in your face attitude to South Bend. One glimpse at a few of his high school highlights and one doesn’t hesitate to see how this attitude translates into countless pancakes on the football field. Make no mistake; P-Money is a brawler through and through. But as offensive line coach Harry Hiestand explains, he is also a technically sound football player. With the offensive line depth currently in solid shape, expect Boudreaux to spend his freshman year hitting the weights hard and hitting training table (meal time) equally as hard. Oh, did I mention that he pulled a school bus to announce his commitment to Notre Dame…?

Most likely to be unfairly compared to a previous Notre Dame Football player

Ian Book

Book is a three star quarterback from El Dorado Hills, California. He stands 6 feet 1 inch and weighs 200 lbs. Book was previously a Washington State commit until he took an unofficial visit to Notre Dame and the ultimate lure of Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach (Prince) Mike Sanford was too tempting to resist.

Book decommitted from Washington State and committed to the Irish three days following his first visit to South Bend. Some who follow the Irish have already made the comparison of Book to former #NDFB quarterback Tommy Rees. Whatever your personal opinion was on Rees, I urge you to indefinitely postpone drawing this comparison. One peek at Book’s high school stats shows that the West Coast kid can really spin it, while illustrating the ability to be a threat with his legs.

During his senior campaign, Book completed over 70% of his passes, threw for over 3,000 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only threw 5 interceptions. As stated, Book can also tuck the rock and be a threat on the ground. He ran for 779 yards (6 yards per rush) while accounting for 12 touchdowns on the ground during his senior year.

Again, regardless of your feelings about Tommy Rees, we can all agree that he was essentially a nonthreat in the ground game (with the exception of the sneakiest, most methodical quarterback draw of all time against Michigan – ha ha ha…). Book is a heady quarterback that fits the current offensive system, unlike Rees who had multiple limitations.  With this being said, BOOK = REES; please don’t let anyone try to tell you that they are similar players.

This concludes the 2016 Recruiting Class Superlatives. Overall, the coaches succeeded in addressing many of the team’s needs with this class. Dare we say that this class is…wait for it…most likely to bring #NDFB a National Championship? I’m certainly not going to make that bold of a prediction just yet, but hey, we all have dreams right?

Cheers and Go Irish!

The post Superlatives for the Recruiting Class of ’16 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.

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Good morning! Here are your headlines:

FROM OUR SITE

• Two Notre Dame sons return home

VIDEO

• Scout: Williams bringing a lot to South Bend (Dexter Williams) (5:46)
• Eastbay: Kyle Brindza – Notre Dame (0:15)
• MGoDrone: College stadiums of the midwest! (2:14)

PODCAST

• Irish Sports Daily: 2-23-2015 Power Hour (1:08:52)

RECRUITING

• Scout: Mitchell updates recruitment (Shon Mitchell)
• Scout: Core 6 unites top recruits (Hunter Johnson, Jared Mayden, Byron Murphy and Julian Love)
• Irish Sports Daily: 2016 CA WR hoping to hear more (Grant Porter)
• One Foot Down: 2016 Notre Dame recruiting big board: Wide receiver & athlete (Ervin Barrett, Marquez Calloway, Jordan Fuller, Ahmir Mitchell, Julian Love, Donnie Corley, Dylan Crawford, Divine Deablo, Devin Duvernay, Josh Hammond, Brad Hawkins, Justin Layne, Austin Mack, Javon McKinley, Tre Nixon, Darian Owens, Darnell Salomon, Trevon Sidney, Dredrick Snelson, Eli Stove, Tyler Vaughns, Benjimen Victor, Cameron Chambers and Dillon Mitchell)
• Bleacher Report (Monaco): Notre Dame football recruiting offers of the week (Daniel Bituli and Julian Okwara)
• Slap the Sign: Notre Dame Junior Day visitors (Tommy Kraemer, Brad Hawkins, Josh King, Ron Johnson, Michael Jordan, Brandon Peters)
• MLive: Could Lansing Catholic QB Tony Poljan be the next Ben Roethlisberger? Some MAC schools think so

CURRENT TEAM

• Irish Illustrated: Spring questions: Offensive line (Nick Martin, Matt Hegarty, Quenton Nelson, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Bars, Steve Elmer, Hunter Bivin, Colin McGovern, John Montelus, Sam Mustipher, Mark Harrell, Jimmy Byrne, Jerry Tillery, Tristen Hoge, Trevor Ruhland)
• Inside the Irish: Spring solutions: Offensive line
• Bleacher Report (Arnold): How Brian Kelly and Notre Dame distracted attention from the QB battle
• Bleacher Report: 10 college football programs with the most compelling QB controversies (#8 Notre Dame)

IRISH IN THE NFL

• One Foot Down: A recap of the 2015 NFL Combine (DaVaris Daniels, Ben Koyack, Kyle Brindza)
• ND Insider: NFL Combine results for former Notre Dame players
• The Landry Hat: Dallas Cowboys: Zack Martin provides valuable draft lesson

COACHING

• Tampa Bay Times: USF Bulls start spring football drills (Autry Denson)
• KWCH: Wichita Sports HOF announces 2015 inductees (Kirk Doll)
• 247 Sports: Gilmore expected to leave UNC (Keith Gilmore)
• Go UTSA: UTSA hires Mike Markuson as assistant coach
• Irish Turning Point: Fresh in the Gug: Todd Lyght

SCHEDULING

• Bleacher Report: 25 biggest trap games for 2015 college football season (12. Notre Dame at Pitt)
• Inside the ACC: Top 10 non-conference games for the ACC in 2015 (Notre Dame at Clemson is #7; Notre Dame/BC at Fenway is #2)

MISC.

• ND Insider: Megan Whitt leaving Notre Dame recruiting operations
• 247 Sports: Megan Whitt leaving Notre Dame for job in the NFL
• AL.com: Notre Dame apparently sent recruiting letter to current Rutgers football player
• Yahoo Sports: Rutgers lineman receives recruiting letter from Notre Dame
• UHND: Do Notre Dame’s football facilities measure up to competition?
• Fox Sports: Photos: Awesome helmet designs for UF, Ohio State, LSU & more
• ESPN: The 2015 ACC Oscars (Best picture: The fourth down play(s) in Notre Dame at Florida State)

The post Morning Roundup: Feb. 24, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

VIDEO

• Irish Illustrated: NFL Combine interview: DaVaris Daniels (5:23)
• Scout: Scout spotlight: Bo Wallace (00:54)
• Irish Illustrated: NFL Combine interview: Ben Koyack (5:10)

RECRUITING

• Scout: The No. 1 center in Florida will visit Auburn (Brett Heggie, brother of Bruce Heggie)
• Scout: Noah Davis finding recruiting surreal (Notre Dame has not offered)
• Irish Sports Daily: Recruiting week in review (Chauncey Gardner & Tre Nixon)
• Fox Sports: Miami football: Hurricanes are absolutely crushing with their 2016 recruiting class (ND is currently #40)
• Washington Post: Freedom-Woodbridge’s Kyree Campbell makes up for lost time
• NJ.com: Jordan Fuller, N.J.’s top athlete, on Rutgers: “They’re pretty high for me.”
• Scout: Kraemer flattered by attention being shown

COACHING

• Slap the Sign: Autry Denson is a slam-dunk hire for Notre Dame
• 247 Sports: Getherall: “Irish lucky to have Denson”
• 247 Sports: Bob Davie: Denson would be a home run hire
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bucs hire Duke Preston as director of PD
• Tampa Bay Times: Bucs hire Preston as new director of player development (Duke Preston)
• Athlon Sports: Ranking the ACC’s football-basketball coaching tandems (Kelly-Brey are #3)

CURRENT TEAM

• Inside the Irish: Spring solutions: Tight ends
• Irish Illustrated: Spring questions: Wide receivers
• Irish Illustrated: Regan seizes walk-on opportunity
• One Foot Down: May the Road Rise Up to Meet You: Elijah Shumate
• News-Sentinel: Notre Dame adds defensive depth with Pac-12 transfer
• UHND: The growing game of Corey Robinson

IRISH IN THE NFL

• UND.com: Three former Irish players invited to NFL Combine
• CSN Chicago: DaVaris Daniels not bitter about how Notre Dame career ended
• Chicago Tribune: DaVaris Daniels seeks to explain Notre Dame departure
• Chicago Sun-Times: After Notre Dame suspension, DaVaris Daniels seeks NFL job
• ESPN: Receiver DaVaris Daniels eager to move on from Notre Dame ordeal
• CBS Sports: 2015 NFL Combine 5 things to know: DGB passes the eye test (DaVaris Daniels)
• Chicago Tribune: Finishing kick boosts Kyle Brindza
• ESPN: Five things learned at the Combine: Falcons (Prince Shembo)

MISC.

• Philadelphia Inquirer: Temple’s football schedule released (Oct. 31 vs. Notre Dame)
• Navy Sports: American Athletic Conference releases 2015 football schedule (Oct. 10 vs. Notre Dame)
• Chicago Tribune: Customer gets grandfather’s Green Bay Packers pic he spotted at a Grafton, Wisc. Rosati’s (Fred “Ojay” Larson)
• Go Game Cocks: Georgia to play North Carolina in Atlanta in 2016
• Athens Banner Herald: Georgia football will play North Carolina in Atlanta in 2016 season
• Naples Daily News: College football: Lou Holtz thinks Jameis Winston can succeed with right team

The post Morning Roundup: Feb. 20, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

VIDEO

• ESPN: Weis likely done coaching (1:59)

RECRUITING

• One Foot Down: 2015 football recruiting: DB and K review
• Slap the Sign: 2015 Notre Dame football recruiting: Offensive grades
• One Foot Down: Dexter Williams is the back Notre Dame needed
• Irish Illustrated: Kraemer all in with Irish
• Irish Sports Daily: Mack leveraging the competition
• Blue & Gold Illustrated: Four-star Mitchell hears from Kelly
• The Patriot News: Penn State recruiting target Rashan Gary ‘a freak of nature’; Michael O’Connor offers ‘instant recognition,’ and more
• Bleacher Report: CFB future 100: Top 20 wide receivers in Class of 2016 (Justin Layne, Javon McKinley, Brandon Burton, Dylan Crawford, and Tyler Vaughns)
• Examiner: Battle for top recruits heats up between Michigan State Spartans and Wolverines (Donnie Corley)
• Bucknuts: BH: Early signing period coming soon? (Ben Bredeson)
• UHND: Notre Dame football recruiting ’16 needs: Offense

COACHING

• 247 Sports: Kyle McCarthy says thanks to ND Nation

CURRENT TEAM

• Irish Illustrated: Transfers help Kelly combat attrition
• Bleacher Report (Keith Arnold): Avery Sebastian just one of Brian Kelly’s many roster moves
• UND.com: Torii Hunter Jr. joins Notre Dame baseball team
• ND Insider: Notre Dame WR Torii Hunter Jr. joins Irish baseball team
• 247 Sports: Notre Dame receiver Torii Hunter Jr. joins Irish baseball team
• Chicago Tribune: Torii Hunter Jr. joins Notre Dame’s baseball team
• Sporting News: Torii Hunter Jr. becomes two-sport athlete at Notre Dame
• Bleacher Report: 10 college football teams whose schedules best set up a playoff run

CHARLIE WEIS

• Inside the Irish: Mailbag: Digging into some big changes
• ESPN: Charlie Weis says he does not intend to coach again
• Pro Football Talk: Despite NFL coordinator talk, Charlie Weis doubts he’ll coach again
• KU Sports: Former KU football coach Charlie Weis done coaching?
• The Sports Xchange: Weis doubts he’ll ever coach again
• Fox Sports: Report: Charlie Weis believes his coaching days are over
• Sporting News: Charlie Weis: ‘It’s highly doubtful that I will ever coach again.’
• SB Nation: Charlie Weis ‘highly doubtful’ he’ll coach again
• Sports Illustrated: Charlie Weis: ‘Highly doubtful I will ever coach again’
• Kansas City Star: Charlie Weis says he doesn’t plan to coach again
• University Herald: Charlie Weis probably not coaching again, turning attention to global development delays charity

MISC.

• Heavy: Skylar Diggins: 5 fast facts you need to know (Daniel Smith)
• Sporting News: 2015 college football wedding planner: Big 12 edition (Sept. 5: “Don’t have a Longhorn-themed wedding today.”)
• Reign of Troy: 13 most horrifying moments in USC football history (1977: Green jerseys)
• Capital Gazette: Navy to open 2015 football season against Colgate on Sept. 5

The post Morning Roundup: Feb. 14, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

COACHING

• 247 Sports: Notre Dame to land top coaching target Mike Sanford
• Fox Sports: Irish expected to hire Boise State’s Sanford as new OC
• Irish Sports Daily: Report: Notre Dame set to hire Sanford
• CSN Chicago: Reports: Notre Dame to hire Mike Sanford as OC/QB coach
• Irish Illustrated: Irish getting ‘bulldog’ in Sanford
• NBC Sports: Boise State’s Mike Sanford reportedly joining Notre Dame’s staff
• One Foot Down: Boise State’s Mike Sanford hired by Notre Dame as offensive coordinator
• Slap the Sign: Reports: Notre Dame to hire Boise State OC Mike Sanford
• UHND: Notre Dame coaching rumors: Mike Sanford as OC?
• CBS Sports: Reports: Notre Dame to hire Boise’s Mike Sanford Jr. to offensive staff
• Idaho Statesman: Source: Boise State OC Mike Sanford leaving for Notre Dame
• The Morning Call: Reports say Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish expected to hire Mike Sanford as new offensive coordinator
• ND Insider: Notre Dame reportedly adding Boise State’s Mike Sanford as coordinator
• Sporting News: Report: Notre Dame set to hire offensive coordinator from Boise State
• Elkhart Truth: Boise State’s Mike Sanford expected to join Notre Dame staff, sources say
• Lindy’s Sports: Report: Notre Dame hires Boise State OC
• ABC 6/Fox 9 (Idaho): An “Irish goodbye” for Mike Sanford?
• Twin Falls Times News: Reports: Boise State O.C. Sanford Jr. to Notre Dame
• Idaho Press-Tribune: Sanford likely headed for Notre Dame
• Seattle Times: Huskies morning links: Shaq Thompson would like to make one thing clear – he’s a linebacker (Mike Sanford)
• One Bronco Nation Under God: Inevitable comes early this year (Mike Sanford)
• Times-News: McCombs: Sanford’s exit to Notre Dame may be first step back to Boise
• Bleacher Report (Keith Arnold): New additions to offensive staff mean big changes
• 247 Sports: Mike Sanford’s offense: By the numbers
• Blue & Gold Illustrated: A glance at Sanford’s quarterback recruits
• SB Nation: 8 of 9 Oklahoma assistant coaching sports changed, then the co-DC left for the NFL
• ESPN: Coaching changes after National Signing Day unfair in football recruiting (Matt LaFleur)
• Cleveland Browns: How John DeFlillippo rose through the ranks to become Browns offensive coordinator

RECRUITING

• One Foot Down: 2015 football recruiting: DL review
• Scout: Spotlight: Jerry Tillery
• One Foot Down: Equanimeous St. Brown is more than a name
• Irish Sports Daily: In the film room: Austin Mack
• Scout: New York: Top 10 2016 prospects (Jamir Jones, Noah Dehond)
• Scout: Vols next for Jones (Tony Jones)
• Scout: East notes: Commitments, offers, etc. (Kyree Campbell)
• Fox Sports: East recruiting notes (Kyree Campbell)
• Irish Sports Daily: Top 2016 CA ATH nearing ND offer (Damian Alloway)
• Irish Sports Daily: Cupp earning offers this offseason (Notre Dame hasn’t offered yet)
• Bleacher Report: Ohio State football recruiting: Blue-chip Ohio prospects will fuel 2016 class (Tommy Kraemer)
• Bleacher Report: Who has the best 2015 college football roster based on past recruiting cycles? (Notre Dame is #10)
• BC Interruption: Boston College football recruiting: 2015 class offer breakdown (“Another 0-for year vs. Notre Dame.”)
• Sports NOLA: Scouting notes on Top 30 in New Orleans area for Class of 2016 (Kristian Fulton & Willie Allen)
• Testudo Times: 4-star RB Robert Washington: “I love the University of Maryland”
• The Football Brainiacs – University of Oklahoma Edition: Open post (Kerry Cooks, Jared Mayden)
• Cardinal Authority: U of L football: Junior Day notebook (Connor Foos & Quinton Baker)

CURRENT TEAM

• UHND: Notre Dame 2015 offense: An early glimpse
• Bleacher Report (Mike Monaco): Biggest question marks before spring practice
• Bleacher Report (Adam Kramer): Welcome to the unprecedented new era of college football free agency (Everett Golson)
• Bleacher Report: Who will be No. 1 weapon of each Top 25 college football team in 2015? (Malik Zaire)
• Bleacher Report: 2015 college football season will be the year of the running back (Greg Bryant)

IRISH IN THE NFL

• Colts Blitz: Safety LaRon Landry released (Sergio Brown)
• Fox Sports: Fifth-year option decisions looming for Minnesota Vikings on Matt Kalil, Harrison Smith
• NFL: 2015 NFL scouting combine: Wide receivers, tight ends to watch (Ben Koyack, Michael Floyd, Golden Tate, Tyler Eifert)
• Pro Football Talk: Twenty-three years ago Wednesday, the Packers traded for Brett Favre (Rick Mirer)
• The Morning Sun: Detroit Lions – Depth at wide receiver an issue (T.J. Jones)
• SportDFW: Dallas Cowboys – Regrading the 2014 first-round pick (Zack Martin)

MISC.

• Inside the Irish: Mailbag: Now open
• NBC News: Is football nearing a cultural crossroads as concussions grow? (Michael Oriard)
• Atlanta Journal Constitution: ESPN’s Brad Edwards: Georgia Tech will return to the New Year’s Six (Alabama vs. ND in Fiesta Bowl)
• Subway Domer: Poll perception deception
• Bleacher Report: Top 25 non-conference showdowns we wish we could schedule for 2015 (#3: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame)

The post Morning Roundup: Feb. 12, 2015 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.