You can blame aggressive coaching staffs and negative recruiting spin. You can blame teams taking their eye off the ball and chasing uncommitted prospects while ignoring their verbal pledges. You can change instability on coaching staffs, with assistants bouncing from school to school, often at the most inopportune time. But in the era of made-for-TV All-Star games and high school football’s ever-expanding postseason, one of the biggest factors playing into the high stakes recruiting game are the very athletes being chased.
By the time Ronald Darby actually decides where he’ll attend college next year, he’ll have been dealing with daily media attention for the better part of two years. Text messages from school-affiliated websites, phone calls from reporters near and far, not to mention the barrage of official questionnaires, mailers, and letters that schools have been sending for the better part of three seasons. And that’s even before considering the personal relationships he’s built with coaching staffs, some of the most persuasive salesmen in business, all vying for the signature and services of one of the country’s fastest athletes.
“I wish I could split myself into pieces so I could go to several different schools,” Darby is reported as saying to ESPNU.
If the quote is true, who could blame him? And while Darby had long been committed to the Irish — and long been rumored to be the least stable of any commit — Irish fans have taken to pursing Darby’s public comments, like a jilted lover trying to piece together what went wrong in a relationship that had lasted almost long enough to be considered official.
In what’s starting to feel like a John Cusack movie, fans are trying to figure out what’s “changed,” after Darby told various reporters that his relationship with Notre Dame “changed” after a while. (It’s better than, “It’s not you, it’s me,” if that’s some consolation.) While Chuck Martin’s move from defense to offense might have been a small factor, the Irish defensive staff and system will be unchanged next year, with Bob Diaco still manning the ship. Coaches Tim Hinton, Ed Warinner and Charley Molnar would never have coached Darby anyway.
But what’s likely changed is the environment Darby has been surrounded by the past few weeks, as the red-carpet All-Star treatment of some of the nation’s most talked about recruits has high schoolers doing their best to become the next LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade.
After months of being hounded by reporters, coaches, and hanger-ons, games like the Semper Fidelis Bowl, the Army All-American Bowl, and the Under Armor Bowl give these athletes — with their choice of some of the biggest fish in the college football world — a chance to meet some of their peers, who they’ve been stacked up against for months.
With social networks and Twitter providing access to everyone and anyone, it’s allowed recruits that have never known each other except for their Rivals profile and rating to become cyber-friends, members of the same elite club that instantly creates a bond that not many people can understand.
You might be too old to remember, but peer pressure in high school was a very real thing. After months of hearing from coaches and reporters pushing an agenda, talking with someone living in the exact same fishbowl helps you form an immediate kinship, and gives coaches and schools a line into the subconscious that would have the characters from Inception jealous.
Just over two weeks ago, Ronald Darby was firmly committed to the Irish, brushing off the questions coming at him from Rivals’ Mike Farrell when asked about his plans for college. But take Darby out of the Chesapeake Bowl, bring him down to Orlando where factions of players heading west to California or to the SEC, and you begin to see how easy it is for a kid that’s long been considered wobbly in his commitment to Notre Dame to get confused and open things up. Say what you want about an ace recruiter like Tosh Lupoi at Cal, but watching a guys like Bryce Treggs continually push Cal in the social media world (even while visiting Notre Dame), and then watching Shaq Thompson’s commitment lead to guys like Jordan Payton, and that’s how momentum gets rolling.
Notre Dame will rarely be the hometown favorite, simply because of geography, but its name also gets them in the door in just about every state across the country. While the swirling winds of recruiting seem to be blowing against Notre Dame’s efforts, three weeks also give the Irish the opportunity to let the excitement and mob mentality of these all-star games fizzle, and the idea of making a lifetime decision like picking a college take over.
In truth, nobody knows what’s going to happen with Darby until one lucky fax machine has a letter-of-intent roll in that first Wednesday of February. While these eleventh hour jitters (now currently effecting Taylor Decker, though for obviously different reasons) have fans wondering what coaches did wrong, sometimes it’s something as old-fashioned as peer pressure.
You might tend to forget it after following these blue-chippers’ every move, but they still just are kids.
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- nudeman - Jan 13, 2012 at 7:39 PM
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By all accounts, Darby is gone. Let’s move on. Tired of this guy holding ND recruiting hostage.
Get Yuri Wright and maybe one other surprise (Poole? Agholor? Armstead?), hang on to Decker and let’s call it a day.
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- Keith Arnold - Jan 13, 2012 at 9:05 PM
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Nude, I don’t know what accounts you are referring to, but I can tell you that the staff certainly hasn’t given up on Darby and I’m not sure why you would. The guy spent a LONG time committed to ND, even after he decommitted said he loved ND, and had a lot of voices in his ear down in San Antonio.
If Darby makes it through this weekend uncommitted, the Irish have as good a shot as any.
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- nudeman - Jan 14, 2012 at 11:10 AM
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The accounts I’m referring to are by Pete Sampson, Editor Irish Illustrated; and Tim Prister who has written about ND Football for years for (I think) the South Bend Trib. In the past, on other things they’ve broken stories early and are right WAY more often than not. They don’t deal in rumors and put things in writing after their own research only.
To characterize their assessment:
1) His commitment was never very strong. H picked ND early on like April way before he was besieged by other schools and the recruiting season heated up. And before he ever visited, I think
2) ND will continue to go after him and Kelly has an “in home” left; but they are not confident deep down, and almost everyone sees him going somewhere else. FSU, GA, Clemson are some of the ones I see more often than not.
I hope they are wrong. Would love to see Darby in blue and gold. Just seems like it’s not gonna’ happen.
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- jomilly - Jan 13, 2012 at 11:16 PM
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your right nudeman, dont waste 2 mins a every few days on a phone call. Let a huge recruit, who has said he loves nd go. Cmon, it is okay to keep going after him and recruit those other players.
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- nudeman - Jan 14, 2012 at 11:21 AM
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jomilly
You honestly think “2 min every few days” is gonna’ get Darby to re-commit?
If that’s the extent of their plan, then they might want to save the effort.
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- nudeman - Jan 14, 2012 at 2:19 PM
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UPDATE
Cooks and Diaco have an in home visit with Darby on Monday
Kelly is saving his in home for probably the following week.Sampson still classifies him as a longshot though
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- domer77blowsgoats - Jan 14, 2012 at 3:44 PM
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UPDATE
Nude will have a home visit with Sandusky daily until jail sentence
Nude saving his home visit with Bernie Fine until after such sentencing
Goatboy still classifies him as…. well… you get the point
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- Tim's Neighbor - Jan 14, 2012 at 11:23 PM
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Dumb. You can do better.
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- papadec - Jan 15, 2012 at 8:28 PM
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nude – thanks for the update – a long shot is still better than no shot.
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- nudeman - Jan 16, 2012 at 10:44 AM
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Latest quote from Darby. A “little bit”? Bye. Enjoy FSU.
BTW BK, nice job firing Decker’s position coach before you had someone to replace him.
Seriously beginning to wonder about this guy. Who will he blame for this one?
As Vince Lombardi says in the famous ESPN clip “What in the hell is goin’ ON out thah?”DARBY:
“Notre Dame is still in there a little bit,” he said. “It will be a little awkward and I don’t really know what they’re going to ask me, but it’s fine. I de-committed for a reason and I am keeping my options open and I’m going to take my time with everything now.”
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- dickasman - Jan 19, 2012 at 12:32 PM
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This is for those of you that think I am a racist and such. This is who “our” school is recruiting. click on link and scroll down….Am I really that bad?
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- nudeman - Jan 13, 2012 at 7:52 PM
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BTW Keith, I believe you meant Taylor Decker, not Dever.
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- Keith Arnold - Jan 13, 2012 at 8:51 PM
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Rats. Fixed.
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- kiopta1 - Jan 13, 2012 at 8:37 PM
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Good article and all true but even I knew what It means to commit at that age and then to jump ship right before the show leaves me a little bitter…that’s just who I am. If he is confuses help him but if he is playings games or dumping ND for mirages…let him go. Many great players still out there/ already committed and many juniors to work on.
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- notredave - Jan 13, 2012 at 8:39 PM
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Don’t let up on Darby till the bell sounds. Tell Diaco he may need to make another early morning visit.
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- nudeman - Jan 14, 2012 at 12:52 PM
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I hope Diaco can pull an Ishaq this year on Darby.
But if you read Pete Sampson and Prister on Irish Illustrated it sounds like a VERY long shot
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- domer77blowsgoats - Jan 14, 2012 at 2:13 PM
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how many more times are you going to quote them? – we get it – you swing off their nutz
next….
so worthless
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- bernhtp - Jan 13, 2012 at 8:41 PM
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The recruiting drama will drive you crazy if you watch it too closely, especially for these last few weeks. One day all is lost and the next it is an epic gain. We hope it ends in this order, as it did last year.
Nude, I would be happy keeping Decker, trading Darby for Wright, and getting a couple of the five stars currently chased.
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- nudeman - Jan 14, 2012 at 12:00 PM
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Here’s where Irish Illust. has their remaining targets going, based on their inside info
Armstead – Cal
Poole – Is tight with Darby fromAS game; not even committed to an ND visit at this point; FL
Ekanem – mystery how much they’re still interested, based on ACL injury; VA Tech/ND
Rios – UCLA
Fuller – Hasn’t even committed to visit ND; UCLA/Rutgers
Agholor – USC/FL
Andrades – Kentucky
Banner – OK/USC
Darby – FSU
Alton Howard – TN
Davonte Neal – OSU
Garnett – Stanford
Redmond – Vandy
Yuri Wright – NDNo guarantee they’re 100% on target. But their track record is pretty good on these things
ND will have to pull off a major Troy Niklas/Tuitt/Lynch 11th hour steal to make this a great recruiting class.
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- domer77blowsgoats - Jan 14, 2012 at 3:18 PM
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again? really?
go post on their blog…
jesus man
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- dickasman - Jan 19, 2012 at 12:34 PM
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Nude, do you think we should still court Yuri? This guy’s Abraham Elam Jr. You see where I get all my lingo from but that’s because I am a racist NOT telling it like it is.
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- dickasman - Jan 13, 2012 at 9:06 PM
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This is precisely what I was referring to about gator chops and university gang signs. Kids at that age are very easily swayed by “kewlness”. U think bk would’ve gotten Tuitt if he pulled up in Honda accord?
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- notredave - Jan 13, 2012 at 10:33 PM
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wow….
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- jomilly - Jan 13, 2012 at 11:10 PM
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This kid is a difference maker, he has speed not seen at nd in years. Keep recruiting him, you didnt give up on lynch, tuitt, or preston, and now they are all at ND. Keep on him coaching staff, im sure you will remind him why he chose nd in the first place. Im sure in the end he comes to nd, and this will be nothing more the premarital jitters.
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- newyorknd - Jan 13, 2012 at 10:59 PM
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I’ll second that.
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- txbeej - Jan 14, 2012 at 9:59 PM
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I’m not sure what you’re seconding, but it if has something to do with banning dickasman, I’ll third, fourth, and fifth it.
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- jerseyshorendfan1 - Jan 15, 2012 at 2:56 AM
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I’ve been censored. Attica! Attica! Attica!
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- gtizzo - Jan 13, 2012 at 11:04 PM
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Keith,
Keep in mind the wind against the irish is always strong as they don’t have a strong in-state talent pool to choose from like USC. Darby isn’t the end all be all of recruits matter of fact there is a guy on the Irish radar who is “Ronald Darby” lite. Damien Lawry is listed as an athlete on Rivals.com. Doesn’t have 5 stars after his name but he is also a track star and plays defensive back. He puts football ahead of track so the Irish track team struggles may not factor into his decision. Should the Irish land Lawry and Yuri Wright I don’t think Irish fans will remember Ronald Darby. Something else is the “X-factor” Notre Dame recruiting has become Troy Niklas was never suppose to go Irish. Matter of fact neither was Manti T’eo as most people had him pegged for USC. The Irish always seem to be able to pull a rabbit out the hat…the question to ask is “who is this years Troy Niklas?”
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- irishdodger - Jan 13, 2012 at 11:30 PM
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Darby fits the SEC/ACC mold. I never could see a kid like that at ND. I’d rather keep Decker at this point. We were all kids once. These recruits need a father or father figure reminding them that this is a lifetime decision…not a 3-4 yr decision. Approx 6% of D1 players make it to the NFL. Even those blessed few arent guaranteed to be set for life as most see their money disappear soon after the ACL disappears. Look at the three Bama stars that declared for the draft yesterday. No guarantee they’ll last one year in the NFL. If that’s the case, they better invest that non-guaranteed rookie contract last.
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- 10of14 - Jan 13, 2012 at 11:34 PM
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We give WAY too much attention to yahoo kids like this. If he is like this now, you don’t want him in your family. Move on. By the way, Cal needs to be investigated. Oakland (this is the true location of this school) is a rat infested city and they have not been in the national title hunt for……….uh, never, yet they are raking in all these top 100 recruits??? Come on, South Bend looks like South Beach compared to Oakland.
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- papadec - Jan 14, 2012 at 1:10 AM
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10of14 – that may be true of Oakland. However, I know the mother of a Cal player that had a leg injury. She speaks highly of Cal & Jeff Tedford because they honored their commitment to her son – they didn’t dump him. He got his degree. Darby is not a yahoo kid – he’s just a kid. I trust Kelly & his staff to go after, and land, kids that can play & are high quality people – the RKGs.
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- jamesbmckay - Jan 14, 2012 at 3:44 AM
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Love ND but South Bend looks like Trenton compared to Oakland. Ever been there? Cal is raking in recruits as they have a great coach, a great program, a refurbished and beautiful stadium, a new training center, and California girls so that’s why they don’t need to be investigated. It was also 65 there today compared to freezing your ass of in South Bend. Get a clue….
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- txirish2 - Jan 14, 2012 at 10:12 AM
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Fact.
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- nudeman - Jan 14, 2012 at 11:29 AM
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10 of 14
Cal is in Berkeley which, yes, borders Oakland.
But it’s another world entirely. That’s like saying South Bend is Gary.Been on the campus many times (wife is a grad) and it’s magnificent.
They’ve just re-done the stadium and dumped something like $100M into a football training facility.
Get used to ND and Cal competing for top tier football talent where the kid is interested in an education too.
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- irish2011 - Jan 13, 2012 at 11:40 PM
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Keith.. I agree with jersey Mr. Dicksman has crossed the line this time!
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- Keith Arnold - Jan 14, 2012 at 12:25 AM
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Glad we have to deal with this on a Friday night. Dickasman… You’re better than that. Don’t be a complete idiot. And for the record, here’s Nicky Baratti flashing the ND.
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- papadec - Jan 14, 2012 at 1:24 AM
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Keith – have you heard anything else about the Armstead brothers? Are they going to be @ ND this weekend, after heading to Auburn on Thursday night?
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- dmac4real - Jan 14, 2012 at 1:41 AM
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U sound like a 5th grade boy right now lolol
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- ndfaithful - Jan 14, 2012 at 12:50 PM
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I really think you gotta ban the jerk D_____man. Stupid rants off topic, offensive sexual comments, threats of violence, and a 5th grade bully’s attitude. He’s dragging down this site. Look how many comments on this thread are just rambling threats and arguments. I thought this site was about ND football. He’s made it about himself.
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- domer77blowsgoats - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:04 PM
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talk about the pot calling the kettle black
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- thobb - Jan 14, 2012 at 1:58 PM
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Alright, back to the original reason for this post. Recruiting is an interesting deal. Coaches pour a ton of resources and energy into trying to nab kids who look like studs in High School, but the truth is half of those kids never pan out on the college stage. How many star-filled classes have gone through ND and amounted to mediocrity on the field? I say go after proven winners even if they don’t have as many stars. Look at the guys from Don Bosco. Those guys know what it takes to win. We need proven winners, not some convoluted star system that takes kids and throws them into “stardom” at the most influential time in their life. Speed and highlights are fun, but wins are much more enjoyable. I know it’s easier said then done, but go out and get the winners, not the 40 speeds or the bench presses or measurements. Those are important, but the ability to lead, win and play as a team is crucial. Me personally, I’d rather have the kid who turns to celebrate with the o-line that sprung him or the qb who scrambled to give him time to get open then the kid who looks at the crowd and gives the gator chop on his way to find the nearest camera.
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- irisheyesinsd - Jan 14, 2012 at 2:07 PM
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Harry and Lloyd aren’t looking for a partner in crime.
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- mcirish27 - Jan 14, 2012 at 2:08 PM
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It’s getting a little too real in here…..
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- jerseyirish10 - Jan 14, 2012 at 3:11 PM
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Fellas…please. I check in to see what KA posted and a pillow fight breaks out. Let’s all step back, relax and know we are all here for the same reason. We love ND, follow every single thing that happens there and get a bit to over excited about some 17 year old kid who…..changed his mind. If he comes, after some excellent effort by BK and Crew, fantastic….if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. I’m pretty sure Kelly has a plan, with a ton of names on the board and they aren’t just sitting in the Gug waiting to hear of Ronald comes back. They will throw the kitchen sink at him, as well as the other guys, and if they want to really change their life forever, they will come. If not, then not. Case closed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to search the www’s to see if Ronald Darby has said anything about ND in the last 17 seconds. Everyone play nice! Keith, don’t you love being a ref to all this….admit it… you love us!
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- irishbornraised - Jan 14, 2012 at 3:30 PM
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Believe it or not, I no joke just had dinner with Robby Toma, it was amazing! great kid, loves ND, loves the game, and from what he said the Offensive coordinator is a FLAT OUT GENIUS!!!
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- irishbornraised - Jan 14, 2012 at 3:35 PM
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I think this guy needs to realize that he’s only bringing negativity to a place that’s supposed to be about ND football, he needs to grow up and realize that just because someone asks you to tone it down doesn’t make them some lil bitch!
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- Keith Arnold - Jan 14, 2012 at 9:07 PM
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Guys — Are you kidding me? It’s Saturday night. I’ve got a dinner date with the wife and friends and I’ve gotta come on here to delete smack talking and racist idiocy? I’ve sent an email to Dickasman, who should know better. I’ve tried to delete the offensive comments, but this is just a terrible display by multiple people.
Here’s a good rule: If you can’t say it on network TV, don’t say it here. If you wouldn’t say it in front of your parents, don’t say it here. Use some common sense, and get rid of the personal attacks.
This is not a place for internet tough guys. That’s just so beyond stupid.
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- 9irish - Jan 14, 2012 at 10:09 PM
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Glad to see some attention being paid to the kiddie circus that has been going on here. Strange rangers.
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- ct111 - Jan 16, 2012 at 3:23 PM
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Keith Arnold, the blog baby sitter
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- gtizzo - Jan 14, 2012 at 10:20 PM
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Hey we need to focus less on the stars after a kids name. Under the radar recruits can be just as valuable as those 5 star kids need some proof? Russell Maryland was recruited by two schools when he was in High School. He choose Miami, and then went on to become the number 1 overall draft pick in 1991. That doesn’t sell you? Take Kevin Smith he was moved to the secondary his sophomore year of high school was given a 2 star rating. When he got to UCF O’Leary moved him back to tail back (which he had played is freshman year of high school) and they kid ran all over Conference USA and into the NFL. His high school coach doesn’t make that decision…Kevin Smith is at least a 4 star and at LSU. Need more proof? How about Tyler Eifert was only rated at 3 stars (by Rivals.com) and where would the Irish have been with out that young man? He won the Pitt game, he went for more yards this season then the top 2 wide outs for Florida State. Give me two more 3 star players with that kind of production and the Irish are BCS this season.
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- tony34343434 - Jan 15, 2012 at 11:01 AM
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we get too crazy about recruits, look at Boise and TCU, they never get the recruits we get and they win each year. Michigan also had a great year, i hate to say it, i hate michigan, they didnt have great recruiting and were a horrible team last year. it is about x’s and o’s, charlie W had good recruits and we lost to Cuse, Tulsa and UConn. recruiting is a huge part of college football but lets coach the guys we have and if these guys dont want to wake up the echoes at the riches tradition in the country, let them go take basket weaving at florida state or usc.
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- ct111 - Jan 16, 2012 at 3:21 PM
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Boise and TCU don’t have a hard schedule like ND………..just saying.
