There are few College Football Programs that send assistant coaches to the likes of Columbia, S.C., and Memphis, Tenn. with the expectation that they can land each particular state's top recruit from under the noise of a traditional power. Pete Carroll, the head coach of the Southern California Trojans feels that way, and so does Urban Meyer, the head coach of the Florida Gators. Both programs do not count on out-of-state talent, however, as California and Florida generate numerous top recruits each year. Case in point, the Trojans are off to one of the greatest starts in College Football Recruiting history this year, and every single recruit hails from the state of California. Location, location, location.
There is one other school that truly recruits nationally and challenges for any given state's best player, and quite honestly has no other choice. Notre Dame. Indiana does not produce many top-notch recruits, and many of the so-called blue chip recruits lack the academic credentials (especially the Notre Dame core requirements that are above its aspirational peers) to clear Notre Dame's admissions department. So how did Notre Dame land back-to-back highly ranked recruiting classes? The answer is a combination of tradition, a head coach that truly enjoys recruiting, and two primary assistant coaches that continually forge relationships with top recruits across the country. More to come on the two assistants, Corwin Brown and Rob Ianello, later this month from a story profiling their recruiting exploits. But now, here is a quick look at this year's Notre Dame Bellwether List:
Tailback
Jackpot! The Irish landed Cierre Wood, the talented multi-faceted athlete from Oxnard, Calif., (Santa Clara) during it annual spring game weekend. Wood is clearly one of the nation's top five tailbacks, and some even consider him to be the best tailback in the country.
Wide Receiver
Remember the reference to Memphis? The name to watch is Marlon Brown, from Harding Academy. He's a long strider, but stops and starts as if his size resembled one who is 5-7, 170, not 6-5, 205, like he is in real life. Brown's after the catch ability brings many ooohs and ahhhhhs from fans. He deserves the credit. He's special. The Trojans, Irish, Tennessee Volunteers, Louisiana State Tigers, and Alabama Crimson Tide are the teams to watch with Brown, but many programs will recruit him. Do not be surprised if this battle comes down to the Volunteers, Trojans and Irish.
Another potential bellwether recruit calls sunny southern California home. Shaquelle Evans of Inglewood High School can pick his school. Not surprisingly, the Trojans are involved. Evans has noted that Notre Dame, Louisiana State, Ohio State, and Michigan are good bets for official visits. Surely the Trojans will not lose this high profile recruit from its own backyard, will they?
Offensive Tackle
Xavier Nixon will have many tough calls to make. Only one head coach will receive good news when all is said and done. Who will it be? Notre Dame is considered to be one of the best bets, as Nixon camped at Notre Dame earlier in his career. North Carolina, with Butch Davis manning the ship, will be in the running, as will Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan, Miami, Virginia Tech, and Florida State, amongst a long list of suitors.
Defensive End
Chris Bonds missed much of his junior season with a knee injury. That did not stop Clemson, Michigan, Southern California, South Carolina, Notre Dame, Alabama, Auburn, Miami, and Florida State from offering the talented defensive lineman. And that list does not cover half the teams that offered Bonds to date. Bonds could play either defensive end position in the 3-4, or even play the three technique (quick tackle) in a conventional 4-3 scheme (think Miami, FSU, and Oklahoma – get up the field and go). Bonds has a good relationship with Irish defensive coordinator Corwin Brown. Do not be surprised if he is the second Columbia, S.C., (Richland Northeast) player to sign with Notre Dame in three years, with Gary Gray being the other.
Like Bonds, Devon Kennard receives attention from coaches and media outlets every day. And like Bonds, Kennard is coveted by coach Carroll. That would be the proverbial good sign in terms of a prospect's future on the gridiron. Arizona State and Southern California are the reported front-runners for Kennard's services, but until coach Brown makes his presence known, do not count the Irish out just yet.
Linebacker
There are many reasons to love Hawaii. Football recruits are just not usually the reason why one would be intrigued with the tropical paradise. Manti Te'o, the hard hitting inside linebacker from Honolulu, Hawaii, (Ponhou) is another recruit that could end up making a decision between the Trojans and Irish, with a Mormon Mission likely to be a factor. Brigham Young, the original Mormon institution, will definitely figure into Te'o's selection process. Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA, Auburn, California and Colorado offered.
Cornerback
The ultimate bellwether recruit could be Brandon McGee. The athletic playmaker from Plantation, Fla. could play wide receiver, tailback, cornerback or safety in college. The Notre Dame coaching staff projects McGee as a cornerback for its defensive system. Ohio State, where McGee visited for its spring game, reportedly received the dreaded "silent commitment" from McGee while he visited Columbus. No area of the country produces more recruits that make selections only to change their minds than south Florida. With Plantation being 29.48 miles from Miami, it certainly counts as a south Florida city. Do not count out Notre Dame, or any other high profile program, a la Florida, Louisiana State, Southern California or Miami for McGee's signature. He will be worth the effort.
Note: many recruits could have been selected for this list. Grades, or a lack thereof, played a role for the selection of this list. Some of the "close" misses will be profiled later this month.
