The Blue-Gray Sky

SkyWriting: attrition edition

2008-08-19T10:30:00.002-04:00

• Starting things off, the junior class lost another player when backup wide receiver Richard Jackson decided to leave the program and transfer to a new school closer to his Florida hometown.

"I talked with Richard Thursday night and again (Friday) morning to make sure he had thoroughly thought this decision through," Irish head coach Charlie Weis said in a statement. "He informed me this morning that he intended to part ways with the program and transfer to a school closer to home. We thank him for his time and wish him well in the future."

Jackson sat out all of last season with a hand injury and, while he appears to be healthy now, has been stuck behind sophomore Duval Kamara and junior George West on this fall's depth chart. With classmate Robby Parris and young players like Golden Tate, Michael Floyd, Deion Walker, and John Goodman pressing for more playing time, Jackson's chances to see the field weren't great.

Jackson is the 6th player to leave ND from the junior class. Bartley Webb is no longer playing due to injury, but is still in school and helping out with the program. Darrin Walls is not in school this semester, but it is expected to return in January (more on this later). With the number of players leaving, there is a worry that ND will again face the lack of upperclassmen numbers that has affected the team the past two seasons. However the junior class was a large one with 28 players and added one in starting punter Eric Maust making the class still 22 players strong heading into their junior year. Of course, it's never good to see players leave. Hopefully the attrition from this particular class is over and good luck to Jackson in the future.

• As for Darrin Walls, if you were worried about him not coming back to ND, don't be.

“I wouldn’t let Darrin transfer to Pitt even if he wanted to,” the father added. “I want him to graduate from Notre Dame. He’s not going anywhere and he’ll be back in January.”

The whole need to clarify the situation arose when the sight of Darrin's father at a Pitt practice -- he's friends with the coaching staff -- turned into an internet wildfire rumor of Darrin being at practice and considering a transfer. The good news is that he's not planning on any transfer and the even better news is that the family expects Darrin to return for the spring 2009 semester.

• ESPN has started a new set of college football blogs and so far the results are pretty positive. Graham Watson is covering ND and in a bit about Sam Young's off-season training in Florida mentioned a foot injury in addition to the wrist injury that prompted his move to left tackle.

Working at Perfect Competition this summer was really the first time Young felt healthy. During the season, he'd suffered a right wrist injury and a chronic foot injury that limited his mobility.

It's debatable how much the foot injury affected his quickness and technique last year, but it couldn't have helped. Hopefully a healthy foot and wrist, combined with the return to right tackle and the oft-mentioned off-season weight gains will combine to present a much improved Young for 2008.

• As for Watson's coverage of ND, she's doing a solid job so far. She's also noting the difference between covering ND and her previous assignment covering Missouri.

• About 900 "reporters" cover Notre Dame. Really, I think it's 50 reporters, 25 TV people, 75 sit-on-the-couch bloggers, and 750 alumni who all wear Notre Dame shirts and have questions about the team.

• I heard more stories about fans ripping journalists for negative stories than I've ever heard in my life. I thought Missouri was passionate, but I had no idea.

If she thinks the journalists get it bad, she should see the kind of mail I can only imagine Charlie got during last season.

• Back on the scheduling front, it appears the 10 year ND and Syracuse deal is closer to being official.

The five designated "home" games for Syracuse against Notre Dame that will be moved to the Meadowlands/Giants Stadium will only be slotted in years the Orange has at least six other home games lined up at the Carrier Dome.

Later in the article, Donnie Webb clarifies that odd years are the likely away games for ND with even year matchups being played at Notre Dame. When the contract starts isn't clear yet. 2010, 2011, or 2012 are mentioned as possibilities. It should be noted that if the deal with UConn has been finalized, then ND is already playing three Big East teams in 2011 (Pitt, UConn, South Florida) and Syracuse would be the fourth. Either than means 2012 is a more likely start date or ND is going to contend for the Big East conference championship in 2011.

(I've got a) Golden Ticket

2008-08-13T15:15:00.004-04:00

Once again, reader Trace H. comes through with a scan of this season's home game tickets.

The theme of the tickets will have significance during the season. Each home game after the San Diego State game will honor one of ND's five national championship winning coaches starting with Holtz against Michigan and ending with Rockne at the Syracuse game.

The championship coaches (or family representatives) will take part in the ceremonial pre-game coin toss, using a specially produced commemorative coin that features the likenesses of all five coaches. Holtz and Parseghian will be present, while approximately 20 Devine family members, 15 members of the Leahy family and six Rockne family members are expected to return for the weekend.

Holtz's recognition at the Sept. 13 game against Michigan coincides with the dedication of the Holtz sculpture that same morning in Notre Dame Stadium, as well as the 1988 national championship team's 20th reunion that same weekend. He also will be honored at halftime that afternoon for his '08 College Football Hall of Fame induction.

...that name again is Mr. Plow

2008-08-13T10:00:00.003-04:00

One of the few feel good stories of the past year has been the development of junior OL Chris Stewart. It wasn't even a year ago that Notre Dame tried just about everything to slow down Michigan's pass rush. The ND coaches grab-bagged with 11 different offensive line configurations during the game to no avail. But while freshmen and walk-on transfers were being sent out onto the field, Chris Stewart stayed on the sideline, the only scholarship offensive lineman who made the trip to do so. Humiliation on top of the humiliation taking place on the field.

It wasn't long after that game that he took the mid-season trip back to Texas to contemplate a transfer. But his dad kicked him in the butt, Stewart returned to ND, and since then he's been a completely different player. I was thinking of his evolution from tubby 396 pound freshman to failed defensive tackle in the spring of 2007 to current 330 pound starting offensive lineman while watching him fold Toryan Smith in half and bury him into the turf during yesterday's spirited Irish Eyes Drill (read: Oklahoma drill). Watching him maul defenders as the newest starting member of the offensive line is not only a good thing for ND's offense, but a great story coming off a year that hasn't had many of them.

Und.com has video of the entire Irish Eyes drill up on the website and if it doesn't get you excited and make the wait until September 6th even more excruciating, well, you just don't have a soul. I can't recommend watching this over and over enough. Frank from UHND has the entire play by play for those who are still in pre-season form and haven't memorized the roster.

There is plenty more video goodness to take up your time today. The main fall video page on und.com lists out the rest of the videos from yesterday including the full speed, full contact, first team vs. first team scrimmage and energy and emotion-filled goalline do or die that ended practice. (We hear und.com will unveil a new media player very soon that will let any browser watch the practices video. Until then you'll have to use Internet Explorer.) If you're still having trouble with und.com video's, BGI has nice video of the WRs and CB working on press coverage while II's practice videos is up on youtube.

Enjoy, because this is probably the most video of the team we're going to get until San Diego State rolls into town. 24 long, long days to go....

2008 Opponent Position Preview: Wide Receivers

2008-08-11T20:05:00.004-04:00

Passers here. Runners here. Here are the catchers.

SAN DIEGO STATE

Darren Mougey. Senior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 32 receptions, 368 yards, 2 TDs.
Vincent Brown. Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: 31 receptions, 349 yards, 2 TDs.

The Aztecs lost their top two receivers to graduation and will break in a pair of new starters. Senior Darren Mougey is one of the tallest receivers the Irish will have to face at 6'6" 230 pounds which will certainly help in the redzone. As a converted quarterback who started six games under center in 2005, he should be well-versed in reading the defense and spotting blitzes. He also started six games at WR so he has experience at his new position as well. 6'0" 175 pound Vincent Brown (right) was right behind Mougey in terms of production last year, finishing fourth on the team in receptions. Back for his sophomore year he should be even more comfortable in the offense and could see more deep balls thrown his way as last season's deep threats graduated. Depth: Junior Mikell Wesley only caught one pass last year, but led the team in kickoff returns and even returned one for a touchdown. It's a safe bet his speed will be put to increased use in the Aztec offense. At 6'4", junior Roberto Wallace is another tall receiver that will see a few passes a game thrown his way.

MICHIGAN

Greg Matthews. (#22) Junior. Returning Stater.
2007 stats: 39 receptions, 366 yards, 3 TDs.
Junior Hemmingway. Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: 4 receptions, 37 yards, 0 TDs.
Toney Clemons. Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: 1 reception, 5 yards, 0 TDs.

Like San Diego State, Michigan has to replace their two most productive receivers from last year. The shift in offensive philosophy changes the roles and responsibilities of the receivers somewhat, but they will still be used frequently and will need a set of new faces to pick up where last year's leaders left off. Junior Greg Matthews (left) was reasonably productive last season but as the leader of the receivers he will now face the other team's top cover corner. He has the size to be effective at 6'3" 207 pounds and with eight starts under his belt he has the experience to make in instant impact. There are high expectations for sophomore Junior Hemmingway. He made one start last year in addition to playing in ten games. Like Matthews he will be on the outside and work to stretch the defense. Toney Clemons will also start, most likely in the slot position, a key part of Michigan's new offense. Clemons doesn't have much experience but like Hemmingway earned very positive reviews in spring practice. Depth: Freshman Darryl Stonum enrolled early so that he could participate in spring practice. Tall at 6'3" and exceptionally fast, it's only a matter of time until he becomes a potent threat for Michigan. He might not be fully up to speed by the time they face the Irish, but will be a pain in the years to come. Pushing Clemons for playing time at the slot are a trio of shorter, but exceptionally fast freshmen. Terrence Robinson, Martavious Odoms, and Michael Shaw were all recruited with the slot position in mind and at least one of them will see time there early in the season.

MICHIGAN STATE

Mark Dell. Sophomore. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 20 receptions, 220 yards, 2 TDs.
Deon Curry. Senior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 24 receptions, 200 yards, 1 TD.

Although only a sophomore, Mark Dell (right) is Michigan State's leading returning receiver aside from running back Javon Ringer. An exceptional athlete, Dell will be counted on to replace last year's star Devin Thomas. He was hyped recruit and now that he's the #1 receiver he will be the target of most of Brian Hoyer's passes. Senior Deon Curry started a handful of games last year and at this point is more of a complimentary player. Not overly fast or tall, he will need to produce early if he wants to hold off some of the talented younger players on the roster. Depth: Redshirt freshman B.J. Cunningham had a strong spring and showed an ability to make be effective on jump balls. He will push Curry for playing time from the start. Freshman Fred Smith is being hailed as the next big Spartan receiver star, but even though he's physically ready for college football, there will be some adjustment period. His classmate Keshawn Martin is having a strong start to fall camp and might work his way into the mix as well. Unlike Cunningham, Smith, and Martin, redshirt junior walk-on Blair White has a few college receptions to his name and will provide some experience off the bench.

PURDUE

Greg Orton. (#27) Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 67 receptions, 752 yards, 3 TDs.
Aaron Valentin. Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: At Junior College
Joe Whitest. Senior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 0 receptions, 0 yards, 0 TDs.

Another team that will have to replace departed leaders, Purdue lost four of their five top receivers from last year. Senior Greg Orton (left) is the lone holdover and last year's #3 receiver is the new top target. At 6'3", 200 pounds, he uses his size well to fight for the ball in the air. Not exactly a deep threat, he still is fast enough to help stretch the defense. JUCO transfer Aaron Valentin will help replace the departed Dorien Bryant. His impact will be determined by how fast he can pick up the offense. He was with the team for spring practice so at least he's not starting from scratch. Fifth-year senior Joe Whitest has been mainly a special teams player with only one reception to his name over the past two seasons. Depth: Senior Desmond Tardy caught 10 passes last season and very likely could move into the starting lineup by the ND game, but an injury kept him out of spring practice and set him back a bit in his quest to supplant Valentin or Whitest. Converted quarterback Kevin Smith is a big target at 6'2" 225 pounds and if Whitest can't get the job done, Smith could move into the starting lineup as well.

STANFORD

Richard Sherman. Junior. Returning Stater.
2007 stats: 39 receptions, 651 yards, 4 TDs.
Doug Baldwin. Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: 11 receptions, 93 yards, 0 TDs.

Longtime starters Mark Bradford and Evan Moore have finally graduated, but it was actually junior Richard Sherman (right) who led the Cardinal in receiving yards last season. He will certainly be counted on to produce in 2008 as he's the only returning receiver who caught a touchdown pass in 2007. Sophomore Doug Baldwin is a smaller receiver at 5'11", but he's the second most experienced receiver on the roster. He isn't a speedy deep threat, but will use his quickness to try and shake defenders. Depth: Sophomore walk-on Ryan Whalen is probably next in line for attention from the Stanford QB. He only hauled in one reception last year but that still makes him the third most productive returning receiver. Converted safety Marcus Rance is listed as third string on the depth chart right behind Whalen. Behind Baldwin is fifth year senior and former walk-on Nate Wilcox-Fogel who has yet to catch a pass.

NORTH CAROLINA

Hakeem Nicks (#26) Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 74 receptions, 958 yards, 5 TDs.
Brandon Tate. Senior Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 25 receptions, 479 yards, 5 TDs.
Brooks Foster. RS Junior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 29 receptions, 417 yards, 2 TDs.

The North Carolina receiving corp will be a talented one in 2008. Headlining is junior Hakeem Nicks (left), a returning All-ACC receiver with 22 career starts to his credit. He already breaking school records with two seasons left to play. ND fans might remember his 171 receiving yards against ND as a freshman in 2006. A big, physical receiver he will be one of the better receivers the Irish face. Senior Brandon Tate is a breakaway threat who's 19.16 yards per reception was good for 9th in the nation last season. He also led the ACC in all-purpose yards per game. Redshirt junior Brooks Foster is an experienced player and at 6'3" can be trouble for shorter corners. Depth: An NCAA mistake was corrected and former 5-star WR recruit Dwight Jones has left DII Valdosta State and joined the Tarheel team. At 6'4" 217 pounds he is physically ready to play right away and should definitely make an impact this season assuming he can pick up the offense. Another sizable backup is 6'4" 23o pound junior Kenton Thorton who caught 8 passes last season.

WASHINGTON

D'Andre Goodwin. Junior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 6 receptions, 29 yards, 0 TDs.
Alvin Logan. RS Freshman. New Starter.
2007 stats: redshirted.

After losing nearly their entire receiving corp, junior D'Andre Goodwin (right) is the leading returning receiver even though he only caught 6 passes last season. He's quick and has potential, but it's going to be a big step up in responsibility for him this season. He's on the smaller side at 6'0" 170 pounds so he won't be able to get away with just muscling defenders. Redshirt freshman Alvin Logan is a bigger receiver at 6'2" and he'll have to not let his inexperience slow him down so he can take some of the attention off Goodwin. Depth: Sophomore Curtis Shaw was switched over to receiver during last season and hauled in four passes. However, he left the team today and isn't expected be a part of the 2008 receiver rotation. Talented freshman Chris Polk is still practicing at running back, but could be switched to receiver if his speed is needed there. Senior Chancellor Young has rejoined the team after focusing on academics the past two seasons. Freshman Devin Augilar, Anthony Boyles, Cody Bruns, Jermaine Kearse, and Vince Taylor are all competing for a shot at catching the ball and it's likely one or two of them will make a move up the depth chart. Augilar and Boyles are actually a year older but failed to qualify for 2007. There is some talent among the young five receivers, but like with all freshman, mastering the playbook will be their biggest challenge.

PITTSBURGH

Derek Kinder. (#20) RS Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: out with torn ACL.
Oderick turner. (#31) Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 36 receptions, 496 yards, 5 TDs.

Pittsbugh welcomes back Derek Kinder (left), who missed all of 2007 with a ACL injury. In 2006 he was a 1st Team All-Big East player and finished the season with 57 receptions for 847 yards and 6 touchdowns. All that should hold him back from another all-conference year is how well he bounces back from his knee injury. Junior Oderick Turner led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns last season and while he will see the ball less with Kinder back, he should find a bit more room to run now that he's not getting most of the defensive attention. Depth: Junior T.J. Porter was second on the team in yards with 37 receptions for 329 yards. He didn't catch a touchdown pass though and although he had one more reception than Turner, he had 167 fewer receiving yards. Star recruit Jonathan Baldwin may only be a freshman this season, but he's 6'6" 225 pounds with a 40" vertical, so he won't sit on the sidelines for long. Watch out for him in the red zone. Junior Cedric McGee caught 8 passes last season and will provide some experience and special teams support coming off the bench.

BOSTON COLLEGE

Rich Gunnell. Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 64 receptions, 931 yards, 7 TDs.
Brandon Robinson. (#41) Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 56 receptions, 793 yards, 5 TDs.

While BC lost a lot of starters from last year's squad, they returned their top two receivers. After only 8 catches his freshman year, junior Rich Gunnel (right) led the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2007. Gunnell isn't tall at 5'11", but is fast enough to be a deep threat and has the experience to continue being a productive receiver even without Matt Ryan. Brandon Robinson is another sub-six footer but has plenty of experience with over 100 career receptions. Like Gunnell he also averaged over 14 yards per reception last year which hints at an ability to get behind the defense. Depth: Junior Clarence Megwa has the physical size to compliment Gunnell and Robinson and in BC's pass-happy offense hauled in 30 receptions, 353 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Sophomore Billy Flutie had a strong spring and Ifeanyi Momah is an interesting option with his 6'6" 225 pound size. 6'3", 196 pound freshman Colin Larmond came in with expectations that he should be able to see the field sooner rather than later.

NAVY

Tyree Barnes. Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 10 receptions, 168 yards, 1 TD.
Curtis Sharp. Senior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 0 receptions, 0 yards, 0 TDs.

Navy's offense rarely highlights their receivers in the passing game, but they tend to make the most of their opportunities when defenses key too much on the run. Tyree Barnes (left) is a heady veteran who started every game last year and is going to be counted on as a leader of a young corp this season. He has battled knee injuries in the past and now is healthy. Curtis Sharp hasn't recorded a reception yet, but, in contrast to the usual undersized Navy players, he will be one of the biggest wide receivers that the Irish will face at 6'4", 247 pounds. As Navy receivers spend a lot of their time blocking for the running game, he should be extremely effective once he gets his hands on a defender. Depth: Competing with Sharp is senior T.J. Theil who likewise hasn't recorded a collegiate reception. Backing up Barnes is sophomore Mario Washington, a smaller and quicker receiver like so many that have been extremely effective in Navy's offense.

SYRACUSE

Lavar Lobdell. Junior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 8 receptions, 86 yards, 0 TDs.
Donte Davis. RS Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: out with broken thumb.

Syracuse took a major hit in the off-season when their best returning player, receiver Mike Williams, was kicked out of school. That means the team's leading returning receiver is Lavar Lodbell (right) with only 8 receptions. Lobdell was a highly regarded recruit but hasn't had much production so far for Syracuse. He's 6'3" 200 pounds so at the very least he has the size to fight off defenders and carry tacklers for a few extra yards. Donte Davis missed all of last season with a broken thumb, but he did catch 9 passes his freshman year. Listed at 6'0" 169 pounds he's on the slight side and might have trouble with more physical corners. Depth: Dan Sheeran is the only other receiver with game experience on the roster, but he broke his leg early in fall camp and will be out until November. He likely will be back for the Notre Dame game, but how effective he'll be remains to be seen. Junior Daniel Bailey and senior Bruce Williams were moved to receiver from running back and free safety respectively. Williams was expected to be the starting free safety this year, so that's a sign of the desperation of Syracuse to get more receivers who have at least played somewhere on the field.

SOUTHERN CAL

Patrick Turner. (#10) Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 48 receptions, 569 yards, 3 TDs.
Vidal Hazelton. (#21) Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 50 receptions, 540 yards, 4 TDs.

Senior Patrick Turner was expected to break out last year but despite a productive season he didn't have the impact many expected. He has all of the tools to be a dominant receiver and even if he doesn't live up to his lofty expectations he still will be an extremely tough receiver to cover. Like Turner, junior Vidal Hazelton is entering his second season as a starter and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him become SC's go-to receiver. Extremely quick and shifty for a 6'3" 210 pounder, Hazelton is coming off a strong spring and could very likely become one of the better receivers in the nation in 2008. Depth: Like at running back, SC is stacked with former 4 and 5 star recruits. Redshirt sophomore David Ausberry (#58) is a big target at 6'4" 225 pounds and started five games last season. As he becomes more comfortable with the offense, he will be harder to keep off the field. Arkansas transfer Damian Williams (#61) kept earning accolades during spring practice and will give the Trojans yet another experienced and speedy receiver. Sophomore Ronald Johnson quickly became SC's deep threat and is the fastest of the Trojan receivers. He only had 7 receptions, but averaged nearly 16 yards per catch. Redshirt sophomore Jordan Cameron is a tall target at 6'5" 220, which makes sense since he was on the basketball team at BYU before transferring to Southern Cal to play football. Brice Butler and D.J. Shoemate are two freshmen with plenty of recruiting accolades but might have to wait their turn.

2008 Opponent Wide Receiver Analysis and Ranking

The first thing I noticed is that Notre Dame isn't facing a single receiver who cracked the thousand yard receiving mark last season. Even more striking, of the 27 starters listed here, only 9 had more receiving yards than John Carlson did on last year's NCAA-worst Irish offense. There just isn't a lot of experience and proven production facing ND this season. The lack of veteran receivers is even more apparent early in the season. In the first five games, ND only will line up against four returning starters. All told there are only four senior receivers who are returning starters.

With the loss of Darrin Walls putting a question mark on how Raeshon McNeil will step into his starting corner spot, no doubt so many inexperienced receivers will make the transition slightly easier. And it's not just about McNeil either. Inexperience among the starters mean the third and fourth receivers for many teams are seeing the field for the first time. As second-string CB Gary Gray is in a similar situation for the Irish, his lack of experience won't be a huge determent as he will be facing many similarly inexperienced receivers.

If the front seven are able to generate some sort of pass rush, the experience and talent of the Irish secondary combined with the inexperience of the opposing receiver could and should lead to an increase over last year's 11 interceptions.

With experience also comes improved blocking skills. As ND looks for ways to slow down the run, the possiblity of weaker run blocking from the receivers is a positive in ND's favor. Likewise, the ability to recognize a blitz and run the correct hot route might be the same kind of issue for opponents in 2008 as it was for ND receivers in 2007.

But while the experience isn't there, there are a number of talented young players with the talent to go from little previous production to royal pain to cover. In this category I would place most of Michigan's WR depth chart, Dell, Cunningham, and Smith from Michigan State, Baldwin from Pitt, Jones from North Carolina, and of course Southern Cal's treasure trove of talent. As with last year, it's likely ND will add a third safety like Sergio Brown or an extra corner like Gary Gray when teams run out multiple receivers. Both Irish players are extremely athletic, but have little experience and will let up a few big plays from time to time.

Looking at the rankings, I think there is a bit of a break from the top three or four teams to the rest below. After that it's a mix of young talent with only a few decent but not spectacular experienced players.

1. Southern Cal - A deep and talented bunch poised to breakout.
2. North Carolina - Nicks headlines an experienced group. Getting Jones eligible is a bonus.
3. Pittsburgh - If Kinder's knee is fully healed, this might be a spot low.
4. Boston College - Not much star power, but nearly everyone is back from last year.
5. Michigan -Matthews and a lot of highly regarded recruits might be underestimated by many.
6. Michigan State - Will need either Dell or one of the talented freshmen to step up.
7. Purdue - Orton is a proven player, but beyond that are a lot of question marks.
8. Stanford - Someone will need to help take the pressure off Sherman.
9. San Diego State - Two new starters, but they did see the ball fairly often last season.
10. Navy - Barnes is the only experienced player back. The new faces will need to acclimate quickly.
11. Washington - Barely any experience at all, but a number of reasonably talented freshmen.
12. Syracuse -Expulsions and injuries have decimated this unit.

Interest in the Irish

2008-08-11T13:00:00.001-04:00

Pennsylvania defensive back E.J. Banks made the start of fall practice even better by calling up Coach Weis on Friday and becoming the 14th member of the recruiting class of 2009.

"It means a lot to me to be going to Notre Dame," Banks said. "I know that, when I graduate from there, a lot of doors will be opened for me that wouldn't have been opened if I had chosen to go somewhere else. For football, it is a great place, but it is a lot more than that, and all of that weighed into my decision."

Banks has an extremely impressive offer list that includes finalist Ohio State as well as LSU, Georgia, Florida State, Nebraska, Tennessee, Miami, Clemson, Pitt, Virginia Tech, and many others. It's usually a good sign when teams from the SEC look north for skill position players and that is the case with Banks. On the other hand, Banks is also one of those recruits where his offer list doesn't exactly match up with his ranking on the recruiting sites. After starting the year in the Top 100 on Rivals, Banks dropped into the Top 250 and then out of that list as well. He's currently a 3-star recruit on Rivals and listed as the #42nd overall recruit in the "athlete" category. Scout.com has him as a 3-star as well and the 26th best safety. ESPN is slightly more impressed with Banks and lists him as #131 overall recruit in the nation and #16 "athlete".

The lower rankings on Rivals and Scout are somewhat understandable as neither site seems sure where he will wind up in college. Safety? Cornerback? Wide Receiver? ND has told him that he is being brought in as a corner and will get a chance to see the field at that position first. Banks certainly fits ND's recent trend towards taller and bigger cornerbacks. His highlight clips are heavy on his work as his high school team's starting quarterback, but also include plays out of the free safety position.

Banks is also likely to enroll early at ND along with Tyler Stockton. Combined with Marlon Pollard, Banks already gives ND a strong defensive back recruiting class with the Irish looking to add a safety to complete the DB recruiting.

As mentioned earlier, ESPN has finally released their Top 150 list and player rankings. For posterity, here is where they rank the currently committed Irish players and the rating each player gets out of 100.

Cierre Wood - #3 Athlete, #23 Overall, 84 rating
Tyler Stockton - #2 DT, #32 Overall, 83 rating
Chris Watt - #5 OG, #5 #68 Overall, 82 rating
Zach Martin - #11 OG, 105 Overall, 81 rating
E.J. Banks - #16 Athlete, 131 Overall, 81 rating
Tyler Eifert - #13 TE, 79 rating
Theo Riddick - #48 Athlete, 78 rating
Carlo Calabrese - #12 ILB, 78 rating
Marlon Pollard - #21 CB, 78 rating
Jake Golic - #34 TE, 77 rating
Alex Bullard - #35 OG, 77 rating
Dan Fox - #61 OLB, 76 rating
Nick Tausch - #20 K, 74 rating
Ben Turk - unranked as of now

Sneak Peak

2008-08-11T10:25:00.000-04:00

ND fan RocketShark emailed us a link to some photos he took of yesterday's open practice. If anyone else wants to add in their pictures, videos, or observations, throw a link in the comment section or email us.

It's wise not to get too excited or depressed based on what you can see at a practice that doesn't even feature full pads. But you can tell which players had a productive off-season in the weight room, who is lining up where, and which ones are showing leadership on the practice field.

Let's Dive Right In

2008-08-09T22:30:00.000-04:00

Guess what? Football's started!

This past Friday Charlie sat down with the media and ran through his thoughts on the start of fall camp. After that was the first practice of the new 2008 season. By NCAA rules, the first five practices can't have full pads, so we're still in the so-called acclimation period.

UND.com has a whole host of video as usual. Make sure to bookmark this link as it is the collection point for all fall camp video. If you're looking for just the audio, here is an mp3 of Charlie's press conference. The transcript can be found here. As usual, it's chock full of good stuff. Here are some highlights:

On off-season conditioning...

And for the first time in history, Chris Stewart is no longer the heaviest lineman. He weighed in at a svelte 329, which is quite a drop from a couple pounds under four bills when he got here. He looks wonderful.

As a matter of fact, now you can call Sam Young Tubby, because he now outweighs Chris. But it's nice to see Chris coming in in such great shape.

With the running backs, we weren't worried about their weight as much as their strength, and all three of the guys that are in contention all raised their bench press 100 pounds from last year to this year. That is a significant upgrade in strength.

Our interior defensive linemen, the guys that lineup in the nose, we wanted them all to get to at least a 600 pound squat. Ian (Williams) got there, Paddy Mullen got there, Brandon Newman's there, and Pat Kuntz, though we have him listed defensive end, if we slid him inside, he's there, too.

It was important that we didn't just get 300 pounders in there, but we have guys that have very strong legs and be able to hold the point inside on the run game.

On ND's running back situation...

I think let's split it into two and one. Okay, let's think about Armando (Allen) on one side and then Robert (Hughes) and James (Aldridge) on the other side, because really Robert and James are very similar players. So I think that they're kind of competing against each other to see who would get more reps.

Because Armando's more that change of pace guy, so he's almost like his own separate entity. Like he's 1 A already, and then we'll see from the other two guys who gets more reps based off of performance.

On Corwin Brown and Jon Tenuta working together...

Throw Jappy (Oliver) in there, too. I think game planning is going to be intertwined. I think getting Jon in there has been invaluable for the progress of our defensive staff. Corwin is welcome. The three of them have gotten along wonderfully.

I probably wouldn't be able to say that if I hadn't been able to watch them so much in spring time. But I think that in the grand scheme of things, we get in the games, Jon's going to be upstairs, Corwin's going to be downstairs.

I think having been in both spots to call games, if you are calling games from the field, which Corwin's going to do, having a guy like that to be able to feed you information, it doesn't get much better than that.

On the development of the OL...

I think the first thing is they're much bigger and they're much stronger, which allows you to play much more physical at the point of attack.

The one thing you have to do is let them play physical at the point of attack. So I think that we have to make sure that we're not passive, and we let them do that. Then you adjust based off of what you see.

So I'm interested to see how much the strength, the size and strength correlates to performance on the field. You know, for that, I can't give you an answer yet, because we haven't even been out there yet.

On the players replacing Darrin Walls while he's out...

Raeshon and Darrin came in at the same time. I think experience and playing, I think that is definitely true. I think that you lose playing experience. But I have to reiterate, not to give just the political answer, I have a lot of confidence in Raeshon McNeil. I'm a big fan of Raeshon McNeil.

And I'm also a big fan of Gary Gray. The difference is he's not played in a game because he was coming off that shoulder last year. He really doesn't have game playing experience, where Raeshon does have game playing experience.

On moving Brian Smith to middle linebacker...

The one guy that stood out for the coaching staff the whole spring. We always knew about Mo Crum. He's like an old reliable. I think he'll be here for the next five years.

But the one guy who made plays all spring all over the field all the time was Brian Smith. And in this defense, the guy who is in position to do that all the time, is the middle linebacker. So now Toryan (Smith)'s going to have his work cut out to get there ahead of Brian. But Brian is the one guy who stood out for the coaching staff every day, every play.

On expectations for Michael Floyd...

You know, the feedback on Michael Floyd from Jimmy has been through the roof. It's been very, very, very good, very, very, very positive.

You know, look at him physically, he doesn't, once again, I don't know but when you see him out there in practice, he doesn't look like a freshman. He looks like an upperclassman that's been around a long time. You look at him and say that's what I'm talking about.

If you're looking for more, there are assistant coach transcripts, player transcripts, and a whole host of features and stories on Irish Eyes, Blue and Gold Illustrated, and Irish Illustrated. A few other random thoughts...

• The pre-fall camp depth chart is out. As noted earlier, one of the biggest changes is at linebacker. Brian Smith has been moved from last season's outside linebacker to starting middle 'backer, pushing Toryan Smith to second string. Replacing Brian is Harrison Smith, who is also listed as the backup free safety. The moves put an awful lot of speed on the field for the Irish. Stopping the run will remain a concern, but it's going to be fun watching them blitz, blitz, blitz.

• Pat Kuntz is back and has been moved to defensive end. More importantly, the mohawk is gone. In its place is, well, this.

• A few number notes. With D.J. Hord transferring, Deion Walker has taken over the #1 jersey. Walk-on Nate Montana isn't ducking any silly comparison by taking his dad's pro number, #16. Good for him. Duval Kamara was running around with a #60 jersey. The story is that since he failed to hit his goal weight, Charlie gave him a non-receiver jersey number to wear until he loses those few final pounds.

• Glancing through the various practice videos and photo galleries, the OL does look a lot bigger. Maybe it's the work in the weight room, or maybe it's just the fact that the majority of them are past the midway point of their college careers. Either way, no more excuses for the line. They are experienced, they have put in the time in the weight room, they have the size, they have solid depth at every position (although left tackle is still worrisome). Time to start shoving people around.

• Fresman defensive tackle Brandon Newman is a big boy. Actually, a lot of the freshmen are listed on the roster noticeably heavier than listed the signing day roster and they look it too. OC Braxston Cave is already the third heaviest OL on the team at 315 pounds. DE Kapron Lewis-Moore put on 30 pounds and is listed at 6'4" 257 pounds. TE Kyle Ruldoph is up over 250 as well and still looks skinny. Ditto DE Ethan Johnson at 275 pounds. RB Jonas Gray is, as Charlie put it, a "rocked up unit". (That means he's strong) It's unrealistic to expect too much from the freshmen right off the bat, but it's great to see so many of them already physically capable of seeing the field.

Plenty more in the coming days, starting with tomorrow's Fan Appreciation Day practice. All those who attend are invited to leave their thoughts, observations, and concerns in the comment section.