While most of us were busy watching the Irish kick-start their season with a shutout victory, there were a select group of former Irish football players still giving it their all on the college gridiron. Here’s a quick look at what a few members of this group of transfers did at their new schools.
* Former quarterback of the future Demetrius Jones took to the field as a linebacker for the Cincinnati Bearcats this weekend, and looks to have had quite a productive day. It was never a question as to whether or not “Double D” was an athlete, it was whether or not he could get onto the field as a quarterback. He couldn’t at Notre Dame, didn’t want to at Northern Illinois, and isn’t at Cincy.
But Jones had a great debut at linebacker for the ‘Cats, making four solo tackles, three assists, 2.5 tackles for loss and making an interception. (Next thing Cincy will have to do is figure out a way to get the kid hyperlinked on the website so it’ll be easier to find him.) Even though his exit was a bit unsavory, I wish Demitrius the best of luck. He was the ringleader of that great solid recruiting class.
* Another former quarterback of the future, Zach Frazer threw two touchdown passes against Frank Solich’s Ohio Bobcats as they held on to beat Ohio 23-16. The first sentence of this game write-up make it seem like Frazer play a good game, but his numbers, 11 of 24 for 127 yards, 2 TDs and 3 INTs, were pretty mediocre.
* Matt Carufel put the first leak in the pipeline that was running straight to Cretin-Derham Hall after he decided to transfer just days after losing his starting job at guard to Eric Olsen. I was sitting just rows away from the bench when the Irish won at the Rose Bowl using smoke and mirrors to defeat UCLA, and I never sensed that Carufel was even close to leaving. Yet he was gone just days later, and all that was every uttered publicly about the decision was that Notre Dame “wasn’t a good fit” for Matt. Carufel started at right guard for the Minnesota Gophers in their overtime win against Syracuse. This still bothers me...
* Former blue-chip recruit D.J. Hord nearly pulled off the upset of the week when his Northern Iowa Panthers had two field goals blocked in the last ten seconds of the game to lose to big brother Iowa 17-16. Hord had 3 catches for 46 yards. It would’ve been the first win for UNI since 1898. (That’s a long time.)
* Konrad Reuland, another former blue-chip recruit, had one catch for 6 yards in reserve duty for the Stanford Cardinal in their victory over Washington State.
(H/T: Rakes of Mallow for the inspiration)