pretty good interview, some nuggets that I thought were important;
1. Per Shipley, no other school has recruited him harder (including Clemson) than Notre Dame.
2. Distance wont play a big factor, said that although Clemson is a 2 hour drive, ND is a 2 hour flight.
3. Weather (compared to Clemson) isn't ideal at ND, but said he wont let that deter him.
4. Said the education at ND is second to none, and basically said it was better than Clemson- which is fair.
5. Considers Blake Fisher his "brother" and Tyler Buchner and him go way back to middle school.
6. again said that hes closer with the Notre Dame recruits more than any other.
7. Clemson has kind of backed off a bit (maybe they are confident in their position) and said they are gonna let his recruitment play out for him.. ** wasn't sure what to make of that.
Very interesting piece of info, said he is scheduled to take that June recruiting trip to Notre Dame, but very well could make his decision in April.
Just my opinion, but sounds like he is leaning more towards deciding in April than he is waiting for that ND visit in June.... followed that comment up with "if I do pick Notre Dame I will 100% be making that visit in June, assuming its safe to do so".
Synopsis: I cant tell what he is going to decide. I have said in here before if he DOESNT make that trip to ND before deciding than it probably gives Clemson a leg up.
.. and since he is probably going to decide soon, Clemson might have the edge.
As I see it now, im calling it 51%-49% in favor of Clemson. Hope I'm wrong.
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but at the end of the day he'll be able to run the ball at Clemson. At ND he'll be a receiver and pass protector 80% of the time.
Not a tough choice for a top flight RB prospect............Clemson.
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If anything, listening to the podcast had more more optimistic about Notre Dame's chances for Shipley than before.
Not sure how anything he said during that interview would lead someone to believe that Notre Dame is out of it.
he was talking to ND beat writers on an ND podcast right?
He's had numerous virtual chats with ND academic administrators..
Shipley is also evaluating Clemson and ND's RB depth cart.
Clemson's is as follows:
Lyn-J Dixon (Sr.) - 4-star
Michael Dukes (Jr.) - 3-star
Chez Mellusi (So.) - 4-star
Kobe Pryor (So.) - 3-star
Demarkcus Bownman (So.) - 5-star
ND has Tyree and a handful of three star RB's
Which do you think is more attractive to Shipley? I like where ND stands with him. I hope that he gets his June official in...that should cement the deal, IMO.
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The post on the website with a design from 1998 linked above is from last August.
Meanwhile, the interview on the SBT podcast said that Shipley's dad is talking regularly with Tom Mendoza as in the Mendoza School of Business at Notre Dame. The same interview mentioned that a business degree is extremely important to Will Shipley.
backfield too, which is so important down the road in NFL. Why the heck would he not love that?
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With that beings said I like your positive take, I am always glass half full or more.
He has put a lot of time and thought into this, good for him.
I will not be shocked if he comes to ND.
appears the ridiculously rich are getting even richer......what started as a potential Top 5 2021 class is rounding out into another solid, albeit not spectacular top 15-20 class
The program is finally in good shape. Coaching, facilities, etc., are just fine imho. The only missing piece, it seems to me, is recruiting. Not sure how that can be fixed, if it can be fixed at all.
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So tired of this notion ND's doesnt have an elite enough team to win. If ND recruited 3* Isaiah Williams would he have turned into the freak he is?
ND had a generational player in Jaylon Smith. Wasn't used nearly as well as Williams was but on his on talented and ability left ND with quite the career.
Not what i could have been of course and that's on BVG and BK for hiring him. What's changed?
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they recruited Deshaun Watson. He was the no 1 ranked dual threat QB and played like a 6 star. He lead Clemson's ascent almost all by himself and since then, Clemson is recruiting lights out. Before him, Swinney was an unknown in the coaching ranks. Elite recruiting is the missing piece for ND. Look at the recruiting levels of Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Georgia. You can flop with elite recruiting (FSU) but you can't be elite without it. By the way, you sound like Bryan Driskell on SI Irish Maven or whatever it is called. Besides Clemson, who recruited a QB that turned out to be a superstar, name another team who has won a recent national championship that did not have elite recruiting. Good luck.
P.S. If you ask Meyer and Saban, the two best college football coaches, what makes them a winner, I bet that their first word would be talent (ie recruiting). This is the main reason that these coaches are elite...they know the importance of recruiting.
Stay safe.
A coach
A coach who knows how to do that. BK has gotten elite talent. Doesn't have to be at QB. Several teams have won with game managers at QB including Bama, LSU, USC...etc...
Jaylon Smith was as a great recruit as any school has received in recent years and this staff should have placed him in position to be a 5* or 6* as you stated. They didnt.
Jurkovec was 5* at one point in his recruitment and had offers from Bama, Ohio State and Clemson. So he goes to any of those schools and is successful folks are screaming...ahhh why can't BK get players like that. Isaiah Simmons was a 3* recruit...BK lands a kid like that...folks crying here ....see this is all ND ever gets. He plays at Clemson like a freak..."why can't we get players like that"
This staff HAS gotten players like that. Hell, Chase Claypool was talked about as a LB/S prospect but he was moved to WR. What if he was used JUST LIKE SIMMONS? But he wasnt. Ramon Henderson will show up at ND with a 100m time better than Lenzy. So they're putting his speed at CB. Another CB with elite speed. Did you see how Pride's speed was used. It wasn't -- he was playing off coverage most of the time and having to read and react and that is farrrr harder to do than just running with a player and being an atlete. Which is what folks lovvvve about SEC football. Well you got a guy as fast as any one in the SEC and he's being "coached" to play like a MAC player. Now there's 5* Safety who in his first year played with talent and ability but lets see after a year of coaching is overthinking and missing or is he allowed to be himself and put in a position to play to his strengths instead of being shoehorned into a system. Shayne Simon was a huge recruit he's still trying to see the field. Houston Griffin is being bounced about. JOK is absolute player and is the one guy who seems to be being used correctly. The Dline finally seems to have enough players but are they being giving opps to play or just when someone gets hurt. There's defensive recruits here...now offense.
So now the staff lands one of the fastest players in recent HS history. No other player has won the Opening's fastest man comp 2 years in a row. Chris Tyree might be the fastest player BK has ever recruited. Hes not at Bama, not at Clemson, not at OSU. He's going to South Bend. And now Shipley might be here too next year?? Shipley's indoor 55m 6.36 is hair behind Tyree 6.30. So the #1 AP backs in 2020 and 2021 in the country could both be at ND next fall! Who else boast that? 5* TE again! 5* Jordon Johnson. And with the kind of OL recruit gets. 3 ND guys on the NFL All Pro team this year. And the WR/TE talent...another 2 guys possibly in the 1st RD this year? And after losing that kind of offensive talent ND will line up McKinley and Austin who were the top WRs in California and Florida. Read that again. The top WRs in arguably the two top talent rich states chose ND and should be in the starting lineup this year. What took so long? It's usually the kids fault with BK right?
And if Buchner signs with ND that's 5* QB. And a kid like Lo Styles Jr (another indoor track champ) who's a OSU alums kid and this monster Blake Fisher....come on. Those 3 could all be 5* by end of next season. So for ND...
ITS NOT RECRUITING.
This program won't be Bama...doesn't have to be. ND gets talent. You use them and develop them right you become what Clemson is. ND has higher standards than a Clemson but it also recruting advantages Clemson doesnt.
Stay safe as well!!