Well Stephen Tuitt is a Yellow Jacket. I think in this case Mamma was on the side of Ga.Tech, wanting her son to stay close to home. Win some lose some, I'm reasonably sure that if Aaron Lynch's mom didn't love ND, he'd still be a Semihole. This makes Niklas a important recruit.
ND <r>Well I'll have to admit, Tuitt going to GT is hard to take. When it is so obvious the way both programs are going and the advantages at ND<br/> ..but if Mom's wants you close to home none of that really matters. <br/> <br/> As usual for ND it's a defensive lineman...go figure <E>:?</E></r>
yeah it sucks, they gave his HS team mate as scholarship this weekend when he visited. I'm sure between mamma, his close friend and HS coach all wanting him at GaTech, it was hard to not just give in and go to Tech. While Tech is an outstanding university, they have a horrible grad rate for African American Football players (41%)...but to tell you the truth I don't think many kids care about that. Still going to be an excellent class, esp on defense, for the Irish this year. By my count: Kids who have decomited from other schools in favor of going to Notre Dame. 1.Golson QB Was North Carolina 2. Martin OL Was Kentucky 3. Hounshell DE Was UF 4. Okotacha CB Was Wisc Kids who have decomited from ND. 1. Tuitt to Ga.Tech 2. Prestwood to FSU 3. Burton to UF 4. Hayes to Mich So we're even for the year so far.
usc <t>So someone tell me how USC can still recruit 25 players this season if they are limited. To 15? Looks like they are not done either. For that matter why with so many transfers are they still probably going to end up with a top 5 class? Is Kiffin that good of a recruiter? What's they're limit this season..30, 35? What sanctions? Geez [/i]</t>
Not sure what is going on at USC, clearly though they are having a great year with West Coast kids, not so much with national recruits. If I were Kiffin I would be selling the kids that a smaller roster means more attention from his "All World, NFL experienced" staff and that they will not have to sit out a year due to the depth chart that they will play early. I'd remind every one of the recruits that NFL teams get by just fine with 53 players. The bowl probation ends next year so most of these new kids will have the opportunity to play in a bowl. Also they had transfers and exits for the NFL so of those 25 I wonder how many will be EE's counting against the 2010 class. If he can keep the quality at a high level, which so far using this year as an example, he'll have a roster that is very talented. That assumes that 1) no academic casulaties 2) few injuries. He's going to be playing teams with a larger roster, but that won't make that much difference as all teams have red shirts that effectively shrink the roster so the difference won't be as significant. I wonder if they will use a lot more walkons and if those walkons might be decent players since they are now going to work into the 85 player portion of the roster increasing their participation. Might find that USC will have the largest Walkon program outside of Lincoln, Neb. It won't be easy, but if the quality of the top 65 (the smallest number of scholarship players USC will have during the probation) it might turn out that they win a lot of games.
USC is/was built on the local kids. If he cleans up in California, he's a top contender. I'm not happy about this.
Tim I believe that SC appealed their scholarship loss with he NCAA. They didn't appeal the bowl portion of their sanctions. Because it will be months before there is a decision on their appeal, the scholarship portion of their sanctions will not go into effect until next year. ( then we'll start hearing all the whining about how the infractions were years ago and that the "current" players who weren't involved are being hurt. Of course, SC will have delayed punishment by appealing and players had a chance to transfer without penalty or go somewhere else from the beginning but chose not to.)
On Tuitt, apparently the Irish aren't giving up....lol...don't you just love recruiting. The previously villified Bob Diacao is now on the ground in Hotlanta angling for a chance to have one more conversation with Stephon Tuitt and his MOM!! Man if he can pull this out of the fire, then nobody should mention the Navy game until....ummm....next year!!
ND <r>I swear to God next recruiting I'm not gonna look at who's coming until signing day.....<br/> <br/> When I think of the comments some of these recruits made right after they verballed to ND and all the way up until they decomitted....it just drives you nuts....You feel like you can't believe a word they say!<br/> <br/> Bottom line for this year is we should end up with a very good class. Finishing number #1 in recruiting doesn't always predict a rosy future as we all know by now. I think what is more important and what ND hasn't been able to string together is 3 or 4 years of classes like we have coming in now. I would say much of that has been due to the coaching turnover. <br/> <br/> There are so many services now it's hard to believe which one is right anymore on recruiting rankings. Your #5 in one, your #13 in another, and your #11 in yet another. My own opinion is if you can probably average in the top #10 in all services over 3 or 4 years you should have the talent to compete with just about anyone(providing you have a descent coach). Hopefully that's where ND will get to again. <E>8)</E></r>
Tuitt <r>Terry,<br/> <br/> Still 15 days left till LOI signing day. How may times will he flip between now and then? You want to get all excited but for now I'll just stay calm. I hope he sticks with ND if that's where his heart is. We'll just have to wait and see.<br/> <br/> Looks like the staff spent most of the day with his Mom. Looks like she has a lot of say in this as we suspected. Seems like he liked ND but Mom wasn't sold on the Irish until today. <E></E></r>
Tuitt is starting to make Lynch look steadfast. It's too bad Charlie had slugs like Minter and Tenuta as DCs. Diaco is pretty amazing.
Tuitt <t>What we seem to be seeing is a whole new attitude on recruiting from the current staff than anything we have seen in the past. These guys just don't seem willing to give up if they feel they have any shot at all of landing a recruit.<br/> <br/> In the past I know we would have never gotten recruits like Lynch and Tuitt back. <br/> <br/> Maybe it's time to send Diaco over to see Huggins now. Who knows?!<br/> <br/> As of this moment, and it obviously subject to change within the next 15 days, I am one happy Irish fan!!!</t>
I'll believe it when he signs. Too many things can happen in the next two weeks. BTW - I heard Kelly himself closed this one with an in-home visit yesterday.
Diaco visited him first .... at 4:30AM. then came Kelly and Chuck Martin. Diaco is a Jersey boy. He made Tuitt an offer he couldn't refuse. 8)
Krebs may be on to something here....he flew to Atlanta from Newark, you don't think he brought some friends with him that he picked up in Newark do you? You know maybe some Ga.Tech coaches have broken legs this morning?