page 2 | ndsmcobserver.com The Observer u IRISH INSIDER Thursday, February 2, 2012 COMMENTARY Kelly unveils 2012 recruits Despite all the talk, it’s too early to judge Disappointing? Yes. But a includes five players who will disappointment? Absolutely enter camp as defensive backs, not. and that depth is what is im- Notre Dame’s recruiting portant. class of 2012 was not all it And while defensive back could have been, but it should was highlighted as the posi- certainly not be considered a tion to watch as early as last failure. February, the most immediate Judging the pending suc- concern for most Irish fans cess or failure of a player as is the quarterback position, he moves from college football and the Irish nabbed one of to the NFL is difficult enough. the best. Gunner Kiel fits in Judging the same as a player perfectly with Kelly’s system moves and should complete for the from high starting job immediately as an school to early enrollee. college is But it is very difficult to intelligent judge players at this stage. guesswork According to Rivals.com, Notre at best. Dame signed just two players That is in the top-100. According to not to say ESPN, they signed three. But National what does this mean? Signing Eric Prister Arguably the best quar- Day is not terback in recent memory at important. Senior Sports Notre Dame, Brady Quinn, was Recruit- Writer a three-star prospect coming ing is an out of high school, nowhere invaluable part of the college near the top-100. Tyler Eifert football process and should be was also a three-star recruit. treated as such. But to claim Jeff Samardzija was as well. Notre Dame failed because Rankings are meaningless it did not rank higher on an until a coach gets his hands on GRANT TOBIN/The Observer analyst’s list of top classes is the players. Receiver recruit Irish coach Brian Kelly discusses Notre Dame’s 2012 recruiting class with the media Wednesday ludicrous. Justin Ferguson is rated the at the Guglielmino Complex. The Irish added 16 recruits and one transfer in the recruiting haul. The Irish missed out on 14th-best receiver by ESPN a few opportunities, losing and the 58th-best receiver by By CHRIS MASOUD late to Notre Dame because we propriate messages on Twit- receiver Deontay Greenberry Rivals.com. Which is right, or Assistant Managing Editor don’t want you to get here, and ter. in the eleventh hour to Hous- is either? Only time will tell. you’ve signed a letter of intent, “[Social media has] opened ton and highly touted defen- Kelly said Wednesday that No pleasant surprises and and it wasn’t the right fit. You up the eyes of everybody, and sive back Ronald Darby a few Notre Dame did exactly what no 11th-hour recruiting coups just got sold a bill of goods.” in particular what you say weeks earlier. But to claim it set out to do this year, and — National Signing Day 2012 The lone surprise of the day tracks you. I think that’s ap- these losses signal a down- for now, there is no reason to simply turned out a group of was the fax that never came propriate … I think social me- ward spiral for the state of the doubt him. Certainly there solid football in. Wide dia is definitely a window in football program is absurd. were some slip-ups, and things players. Irish r e c e i v e r which we can see more about a Last season, Notre Dame hit did not go exactly according to coach Brian D e o n t a y young man. Sometimes it’s just a home run, signing defensive plan. But to judge the success Kelly added one Green- being silly, but the recognition lineman Aaron Lynch and or failure of a coaching hire transfer stu- berry, the that it does track you, it is very Stephon Tuitt, along with line- based on the whims of one or dent and 16 high No. 7 wide important and it’s a point that backer Ishaq Williams, who at two 18-year-olds is bordering school seniors to “I think we painted the r e c e i v e r we made this year. I brought the time was considered to be on certifiable insanity. the 2012 football picture ... clearly about ranked by in a specialist this year to talk on their level. Irish coach Brian Notre Dame football is roster, including what we were about, and Scout.com about social media and the im- Kelly went into the recruiting moving in the right direction. 10 skill players, we made sure that this and a ver- plications of that. We’re going process knowing he needed to It may not be going there as four power play- is what you’re going to bal com- to have to continue to teach solidify his defensive front, and quickly as some would like, ers, one big skill get at Notre Dame.” mitment and educate.” he did just that. and Kelly’s third year prob- player and one up until Transfer running back Amir But the impact of Tuitt and ably will not bring a national specialist. Wednes- Carlisle, defensive lineman Lynch was not just on the field. championship. “Today we Brian Kelly day, signed Sheldon Day, defensive back Certainly they played well There certainly have been have a class that Irish coach with Hous- Tee Shepard and Kiel enrolled this season, but they provided setbacks, the loss of Green- represents the ton in- at the University in Janu- much-needed depth on the de- berry potentially being one of needs that we stead. ary and have already started fensive line, and that was their them, just as the loss to South had in our foot- Kelly taking classes. Kelly said the greatest contribution this year. Florida at the beginning of last ball program,” said con- coaching staff has maintained Kelly did not hit that same season undoubtedly was. Kelly said versations constant contact with the ear- home run this year. He said But Brian Kelly has a plan, Wednesday. “As that took ly enrollees to ease the transi- at last year’s National Signing and if he says things are mov- you know, last year our need place between last night and tion process. Day press conference that after ing according to it, who’s to say base relative to our class was this morning indicated Green- But Kelly quickly dashed recruiting well on the defensive he’s wrong? centered around the power berry had changed his mind. any implications of coddling, interior, this year’s focus would position. I thought we did a “I think we painted the pic- adding he expects each recruit be the exterior. The home Contact Eric Prister at great job of addressing that. ture … clearly about what we to push incoming players for run would have been signing [email protected] This year was about that skill were about, time on the corners Tee Shepard, Darby The views expressed in this level, and especially at the de- and we made field. and Brian Poole. On signing column are those of the author fensive backfield and the wide sure that this “In the day, only Shepard belongs to and not necessarily those of receiver position, and we feel is what you’re r e c r u i t i n g the Irish. But the class of 2012 The Observer. like we have addressed those going to get at process we needs within our program for Notre Dame. “In the recruiting process clearly tell the 2012 class that we’re an- For me it’s we clearly tell our our fresh- nouncing.” hard to be freshmen, ‘You better men, ‘You Among the 16 high school d isappointed be ready to compete,’ better be recruits, defensive lineman about some- whether it’s Gunner ready to Jarron Jones, quarterback thing you’ve c o m p e t e , ’ Gunner Kiel, running back never had or Kiel or Sheldon Day whether it’s KeiVarae Russell and defen- you’ve never or Tee Shepard.” Gunner Kiel sive back Elija Shumate were coached,” or Sheldon selected for the U.S. Army All- he said. “I’m Brian Kelly Day or Tee American Bowl. Kelly and his more excited Irish coach Shepard … staff crisscrossed 13 states, about the guys If you think visiting recruits and their that signed you’re go- families from the Midwest, because they ing to come the South and both coasts to are the right in and get secure National Letters of In- kind of guys.” a free year tent. Unlike previous years, Kelly and red shirt, [that’s] some- “It starts with making sure said social media emerged as where else,” Kelly said. “Come that we talk about our dis- a factor in the recruiting pro- to Notre Dame if you want to tinctions and not shy away cess. Originally recruited by compete.” from them,” he said. “We talk Notre Dame and Michigan, Spring football practices be- about a faith based educa- cornerback Yuri Wright com- gin March 21. tion; we talk about, ‘You got mitted instead to Colorado af- to live in the dorms.’ We talk ter being dismissed from his Contact Chris Masoud at about those things as they re- high school by posting inap- [email protected] Thursday, February 2, 2012 The Observer u IRISH INSIDER ndsmcobserver.com | page 3 Nick Baratti Chris Brown S, ***, 210 pounds, 6-2 WR, ****, 180 pounds, 6-2 Klein Oak High School Hanahan High School Spring, Texas Hanahan, S.C.