I want those that want to be here. I don't blame the Montana kid for going his own direction. I even respect that.
Per rivals, Hendrix will try to attend a UT camp and revisit Notre Dame before he makes his decision. I, like you ND guys, like what I hear about this kid. I think he'd look fine in Orange but I think Tennessee is probably running in 3rd place right now. I'm hoping for a strong finish on the last leg.
While we are waiting on Hendrix to decide where he'll go, Evan Sharpley announced that he will be back on the sidelines for his 5th year. I was pretty suprised by this move, I figured since he was drafted (albiet in the 50th round) by MLB that he would sign and go to the rookie A league (short season A league). But apparently he's worked out a deal where he can do both and come back to ND for the fall camp and play football. He will give Charlie a comfort zone at QB since Crist has not taken a snap at QB yet in a game and Evan played quite a bit in 2007, not much last year. Still he's got experience. I personally hope that Weis makes sure that Crist does get on the field this year and gets some snaps. If Clausen has a great year and goes to the NFL, that would leave Crist and Hendrix (if he comes) as the 2 scholarship QB's for 2010. So Crist needs to get some work. Terry
Strategically it's a good move for Sharpley. He will be student teaching while on scholarship and will have his teaching license when he leaves campus to go back to baseball. Thus, his backup plan to teach and coach when he returns to real life is intact. The article I read said that he was drafted in the 50th round after a mediocre senior season. That would make it important for him to have a bona fide backup plan.
I was reading about Zach Fulton an OL from Illinois. He was at the ND camp this week and is hoping for an offer from ND. Problem is that he has a 2.3 GPA, people in the know have said that when the GPA is that low there is a likely problem with a core course and that ND admissions usually wants to see another semesters worth of grades before giving the OK. Now in the old days when kids for the most part didn't verbal till after their Sr. season that is not a problem. But in todays world where a guy like Fulton already has offers from Tenn, Illinois and others and wants to verbal this summer we have a problem. He says he has the Vols in the top spot now and their academics requirements aren't as stringent as ND so he can verbal to them this summer and be done with it and move on to his Sr. season. Where as the Irish would have to hope he would wait till later and show admissions something in the classroom this fall. I doubt he waits unless ND admissions gives him the OK now. Just a typical case on why it's a little harder to put together a top class at ND than most of the other NCAA teams. Terry
I don't get it.....Why not let a kid try to go to ND? Stress if your grades suffer, you won't play. Depends on his character issues too. If a kid wants to play there that bad, check him out fully and maybe let an exception slide here and there. In the past it has worked out well....Rice and Zorich Two perfect examples of ND's character
Remember Aldo De La Garza? He was an OL from New Braunfels Tx. He was a good OL, he desperately wanted to come to ND. It was during the Davie years, but he kept coming up short on the ACT and Admissions wouldn't pass him. He even went to a prep school trying to get things so he could go to ND, Admissions wouldn't budge. So he goes to A&M and was a 3 year starter. That's the way it is.
Looking good for the Irish and the Hendrix kid from Cincy. Supposedly posters on the OSU rivals site are saying that the Buckeyes have moved on to Kent Grahams son and Mike Farrell is reporting that Hendrix and his family will be at ND this coming Monday and commit to Weis. Hope it's true. Terry
ND <t>Terry, <br/> <br/> Hopefully the rumor on Hendrix is true as I really like the kid. <br/> <br/> Now that you mention it, I remember the kid from New Braunfels too. I didn't realize he went to T A&M though. I do recall he really wanted to go to ND.</t>
Yeah Aldo would have done anything to come to ND. But I mentioned the story because people always bring up Rice and Zorich as examples of kids who wanted it and did get it done inspite of academic problems in HS. But that won't ever happen again, not only is there no prop 48, but even if there was ND wouldn't do it. Admissions is flexable up to a point, but if the question that the kid can't make it he won't get the chance. Every year there are players we can't recruit, but do meet NcAA mins and can play but not at ND. It could be worse though, at least our admissions is a little more forgiving than Stanford.
Taylor Graham (Kent's son) verballed to Ohio State, that makes things look pretty good for Hendrix coming to ND. He will be at ND with his parents today according to what I've read. I read some place that he said he'd hoped to have commited someplace by now and he was suprised that of the top 15 QB's he's one of the only 2 who haven't committed to somebody. I think he said he's still considering going to to Tenn and maybe Miami. Hope he commits today though!!
Another piece of good news the Irish made the final 4 for Little Rock RB Michael Dyer, along with Auburn, LSU and OU. He's maybe the top RB in the country and says he's going to take all of his offical visits. Which this year is a good thing, because right now you can bet Stoops, Miles, and Chizick are all telling him ...Notre Dame??? why would you consider them, Weis is going to be fired at the end of the season.... So it gives the Irish a better chance if Weis and company have a great season and the running game/OL look really good.
This is from Hendrix's blog in the Cincy Enquirer this weekend..... Doesn't sound like a kid who's close to making a decision.....not sure what to say about the Graham commitment other than welcome to Columbus!
I have to wonder if Tressel has moved on with regards to QB, didn't he say he was going to take only 1 QB in this class, at least that's what he told Montana I believe. So Graham is your guy I assume. If so then that eliminates Hendrix and I have to believe that puts ND in the catbirds seat and he is at ND today with his family so that is a good sign, although he's been to ND several times before. But as you said he doesn't seem like he's ready to pull the trigger, I've read about trips to Tenn and to Miami. Could be that he enjoys teh recruiting process and wants to keep it going for awhile longer.
.....as I understand it, he told the Montana kid that if he commited early he wouldn't offer another QB, but couldn't risk waiting too long and being shut out of QB's. The kid was unwilling to make the commitment at which time Coach said he had to get on with other offers but still was very much interested in having Montana at Ohio State. That said, I don't know how many QB's he wants to sign in this class....but Graham's offer was not a secret.
Ugh...Joe Fauria won't be with the team this fall...personal issues...read that to mean he ran afoul of the rules! Don't know which one(s) but he's getting his redshirt year in 2009, funny many complained when Weis played him some last year that it was waisting a year for nuttin...oh well we get it back...assuming he reenrolls in the Spring of 2010. Terry
I know only a rumor but anyone else hear of this? "Rumor: Gridironstuds.com member Chris Martin still an Irish commit but thinking he needs to take a few trips to be sure (LSU and North Carolina to be exact.)" from gridironstuds.com Not that doesn't mean he just wants a free trip maybe. Don't need another Omar Hunter scenario...I will try to ask Mike Frank tonight during powerhour.