With less than a month to go before National Signing Day, Notre Dame’s coaching staff has its entire focus on improving the team’s roster between now and the first Wednesday in February. After two-years of work on the current class -- the roots of this group were seeded long, long ago -- the next month turns into a high stakes, pressure game where college coaches build the foundation of their programs around the whims of (sometimes) coddled teenagers.
For all the relationship building and work each staff puts into a player, those efforts could go up in smoke in moments. We saw that a few years ago when Notre Dame’s coaching staff hung up the phone on Tuesday night being told Deontay Greenberry was sending his fax in the next morning, only to see the blue-chipper decide to go to Houston. That is the game.
With the Irish still chasing some critical final pieces to their recruiting efforts, let’s walk through some keys to finishing the 2015 recruiting class strong.
Get Your Early Enrollees Onto Campus.
Notre Dame learned this one the hard way when the Irish lost linebacker Alex Anzalone to Florida after he arrived at the Under Armour All-American Game as an Irish pledge only to enroll in Gainesville for the second semester.
Anzalone was always a fragile commitment, he had bounced between Notre Dame, Ohio State and Florida through much of his recruitment. He also pinned Brian Kelly’s brief dalliance with the Philadelphia Eagles on the change, though those in the know still believed it was a 50-50 proposition from the start. (Anzalone has made 16 total tackles over two seasons with the Gators.)
Right now, the Irish expect Jerry Tillery, Tevon Coney, Tristen Hoge and Micah Dew-Treadway to begin class this January. Until then, they’ll likely be keeping close tabs on both Tillery and Coney.
LSU and Les Miles have had eyes for the 6-foot-6, 315-pounder since the beginning, and Tillery visited campus multiple times. In perhaps a concession that came from Miles’ pursuit, Tillery will now begin his career at defensive line.
Originally projected as an elite tackle, Tillery’s size and athleticism make him an intriguing prospect regardless. That Kelly and his staff recruit “power” types makes this an easy transition, also considering the road to the field on the defensive side of the ball is infinitely easier than along the offensive line right now.
For Coney, rumors of his move to Florida or Miami have been evergreen, even if the linebacker continues to refute them. Pulling a top prospect out of Florida is always a challenge, so don’t expect the Irish coaching staff to take their eyes of this recruitment until Coney’s in a dorm room.
South Bend Calling My Name 🍀
— Tough Choices (@TevonConey) January 5, 2015
Find Another Running Back and Defensive Back.
Notre Dame’s search for more running back depth is well documented. With only Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant on scholarship, the Irish coaching staff is looking to add another back to Josh Adams, the Irish’s lone running back commit in the 2015 class.
They’ve searched far and wide. The Irish finished No. 2 for UA All-American Ronald Jones II, who chose USC from Orlando. They’re also in the mix for five-star recruit Soso Jamabo, with most pointing to UCLA as the leader. (That could change if Jim Mora heads to the NFL.)
That hasn’t stopped the Irish from identifying and chasing more backs. Florida’s Jordan Cronkrite took an official visit for the year-end awards banquet and is an option. Nashville’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn will likely see campus this January. Former Miami commit Dexter Williams is now considering the Irish as well, likely one of the reasons why a mini-Twitter war started when a Miami assistant took to social media to compare local climates. Expect the Irish staff to kick the tires on a few other backs in the coming days as well.
In the secondary, the Irish are still holding out hope for another defensive back. While the grand slam is cornerback Iman “Biggie” Marshall from Long Beach Poly, finding another safety to add to the back line seems critical, especially with the uncertain fate of Nicky Baratti and the all but certain departure of Eilar Hardy.
Even with the trio of Prentice McKinney, Mykelti Williams and Nicco Fertitta, the Irish staff is looking to add one more safety. Frontrunner Ben Edwards pledged to Stanford last week. That seems like a done deal, but Edwards has wobbled a few times already during his recruitment.
Frank Buncom of San Diego had more interest nationally than from Notre Dame until the Irish offered this fall, and a knee injury adds another element to his recruitment. But most believe he’ll stay on the West Coast.
The Irish offered Justin Reid, whose brother played at LSU. Beating the Tigers couldn’t have hurt. They’re also chasing Gary Jennings, who seems to prefer the chance to play offense in college. Irish Illustrated reports ($) that the Irish staff has warmed to the idea.
Pull a Rabbit Out of the Hat. (And Keep the Other Ones In.)
Expect a name nobody is expecting to come out of the blue. That could be a below-the-radar prospect (at this time last year, nobody knew who Daniel Cage was). Or it could be a commitment to another program. Kelly and his staff are unafraid to battle for a big prospect or to make a move at a lesser-ranked guy. They’ve had success with both.
While it seems like a long shot, one of these days the Irish are going to have some success in Southern California with an elite prospect. Is Biggie Marshall that guy? Who knows, but it’d be a game-changer.
Also in the mix could be a fifth-year graduate transfer. Cody Riggs’ success in South Bend didn’t go unnoticed. Tom Loy of Irish 247 reports ($) that a transfer could be in the mix, though didn’t name the target nor the position. Riggs didn’t hit campus until June. The transfer news wasn’t official until after Signing Day, though Amir Carlisle‘s move was listed as part of the recruiting class.
Finding a one-and-done player is a good way to maximize the roster’s 85 scholarships while also not making a long-term commitment. That allows a readymade player to come onto campus and have success, and a position like defensive end, safety, or even tight end could be an option. Kelly has also talked about being open to any transfer with three seasons of competition remaining.
Everything Erases After Signing Day.
It’s worth a final note: Those star-ratings we all get so excited about? They disappear once a prospect is on campus. So while it’s certainly important to land elite talent, sometimes the guys who don’t look like much to a recruiting service end up turning out okay.
Sophomores Max Redfield and Greg Bryant were five-star recruits. They’re still finding their way to becoming that type of player on the field. Meanwhile, Will Fuller -- a three-star by some measurements -- just shattered every sophomore record in the Notre Dame books with a 15-touchdown season.
But with less than a month to go before one of the best days on the college football calendar, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on the coffee pot and the commitment list as the Irish staff looks to finish strong.