Trying to hit a moving target

The Irish continue to target a number of upcoming high school seniors.  Although signing day isn’t until February, getting these players on board sooner than later is very important in the recruiting process. 

One of our hottest targets is Shaq Thompson, a 6’2” 200 lb. safety from Grant Union High School in Sacramento, California.  Notre Dame’s Tight End Coach Mike Denbrock is his recruiter.   Denbrock has already gotten commitments from his cousins, wide receiver Deontay Greenberry and defensive back Tee Sheppard.  Several services have Thompson ranked as the top safety in the country.  Also in the hunt for Thomson include schools like Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Washington and California, where his brother is an All-American cornerback.

6’7” 300+ lb. Defensive Tackle Jarron Jones is not only from my hometown, but is also from the same high school (Aquinas Institute) that I had my football career, although his has been much more successful.  After de-committing from Penn State, Jones wanted to see what else was out there including a visit to South Bend.  Jones is being recruited by Defensive Coordinator Bob Diaco.  Jarron has said he plans on making a choice and making a commitment before the start of his senior season.   Although almost every big time program in the country has made an offer to Jones, it seems that Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Penn State are the true contenders.

Penn State is challenging the Irish for another highly touted recruit, Armani Reeves, a 5’11 cornerback (also listed as an Athlete).  Reeves runs a 4.35 40, which can make him valuable in several positions, a trait that Brian Kelly really likes.  Armani is also being recruited by Defensive Coordinator Bob Diaco.  Although Reeves is being recruited as a cornerback, he also plays wide receiver for Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Other hot recruiting targets include all purpose back Keivarae Russell, safeties Elijah Shumate and Reggie Daniels, defensive end LaTroy Lewis, cornerback T.J. Davis and running back Chris Mangus.

There is a lot of time between now and signing day in February, and a lot of work to be done in recruiting.  Winning games in the fall goes a long way in cementing verbal commits and swaying those players who are still unsure.

Sophomore Season

Sophomores Tommy Rees, Bennett Jackson and T.J. Ford had impressive freshman seasons.  Tommy will be in the mix for the starting quarterback job, although I think Crist will get the nod. If an opportunity arises, Rees will surely make the most of it.  Tommy won his four regular season starts and the Sun Bowl, leading the Irish to a very strong finish.  Last year, Bennett was the Special Teams Player of the Year and saw action in all thirteen games.   Jackson returned kickoffs and served as a gunner on kickoffs.  T.J. Jones gained twelve games worth of experience at wide receiver (actually at three wide receiver positions).   Ford was actually only the second freshman wide receiver in school history to register a touchdown in the Irish season opener.

What other players from this class will produce on the field this year for the Irish?  There are a number of sophomores that can have impact on both sides of the ball and on special teams.  Some were redshirted last year and some saw limited action.

Austin Collinsworth saw action in every game last year on special teams.  He came to South Bend as a wide receiver but is being moved to the defensive secondary for the fall.   Austin contributed on kickoff and punt returns as well as on coverage.  He will add speed and a football I.Q. to the defensive side of the ball (son of former NFL player and current television analyst Chris Collinsworth).

Although Louis Nix did not see any action in his freshman year (he spent that time on strength training and conditioning), the 6’ 3” 340 lb. nose guard will be competing for a starting position on the defensive line.  He was well touted out of high school and will have a massive presence on the line but can he live up to all the hype?  I for one am looking forward to seeing him reach his potential.

Prince Shembo would be a guaranteed starter on most Division I defenses this year.  He is super athletic and exciting to watch.  He did see action in all 13 games last year (mostly in the nickel package).  He may not see a lot of starting action this year but he will see the field a lot.  Quarterbacks beware…he comes from the outside fast and furious.

Danny Spond played quarterback in high school but was recruited for his tremendous athletic ability.  He can play every position on the field if necessary.  He reminds me of a high school teammate of mine. Greg Pelletier. If you asked me what position he should play, I would just say “football player.”  He’s a guy that players and coaches want on the field.  Spond continues to bulk up to take on the roll of linebacker at this level.

With a logjam at quarterback, Andrew Hendrix may be the odd man out.  However after an impressive spring capped with a solid performance in the Blue and Gold game, it will be interesting to see where he ends up in the mix.  If he does not move up on the depth chart, and after redshirting last year, I would not be surprised to see a transfer after this season.

Luke Massa moved from quarterback to wide receiver at the start of spring practice, and at 6’4”, 220 lbs., he physically fits the role.  He is another example of Brian Kelly moving players around to get them into the best position regardless of prior experience.

Kona Schwenke at defensive end will definitely see playing time this year.  Playing behind seniors Kapron Lewis-Moore and Ethan Johnson at defensive end, a starting role is probably not in the cards, but he’ll definitely get a good amount of playing time.

Finally Lo Wood a cornerback who played in eleven games last year both in the defensive secondary and on special teams could work his way into the rotation if not a shot at a starting job.