2013: Max Redfield 5*
2014: Drue Tranquill 4*
2015: Mykelti Williams 3*
2016: DJ Morgan 3*
Spencer Perry 3*
Devin Studstill 3.5*
2017: Jordan Genmark Heath 3*
2018: Derrik Allen 4* and Paul Moala 2*
2019: Kyle Hamilton 5* and Litchfield Ajavon 3.5*,
2020: None
2021: Khari Gee 3* and Justin Walters 2.5*
2022: None
2023: Adon Shuler 4* and Ben Minich 4*
(no message)
He was a perfect fit if the defense was coached to play fast and angry. Unfortunately they were coached to read and react and play not to lose. He was not terrible.
I guess I could see that but he ended up transferring to Indiana State (of all places) and was never heard from again.
Did he get into the coach's doghouse there as well?
(no message)
IUP was in Division II, where he actually had a really good year in 2017, snagging 4 INT's.
He played for the Birmingham Iron in the AAF, and was having a good season, until the AAF folded.
I honestly think he could have had a decent pro career in the NFL, if given the chance.
How many kids recover from such a public demotion. Not just the ejection but the punishment from the coach. Dude's head probably was never in the right place after that. People forget these are young adults with brains still developing. We love the sport bec of the youthful passion they exude mix with the athleticism of grown men. But they're still youth...
Always wondered why it seemed to be the same thing with ALL the highest rated recruits with Kelly. They always found a way to be in the doghouse for something and the lower rated guys would be playing and seemed to have a much easier time, I always wondered if it was some personal agenda...Just take a look at each high 4* or 5* guy and it seemed to be something at some point and time except with Jaylon Smith who was just used incorrectly most of the time.
Kelly blew it way out of proportion because of the effect it had on the game, that's Kelly though, always looking to point a finger while pretending to take responsibility.
(no message)
(no message)
BVG didnt let them play with flow and instincts to attack! Simply just reacting all the time wasn't beneficial to him or the players on D.
(no message)
There were too many times he was stuck playing deep in "Cover 2" or "Cover 3" and not being utilized like he should have.
During his time at ND, a lot of people were hollering at his being 15 yards away from the underneath receiver, and having to play catch-up, but not realizing that Van Gorder's scheme was a horrible fit for going up against spread offenses that simply picked apart his defenses at short and medium ranges.
Even though the 2014 defense was rated pretty badly, there was a lot of excellent talent on the roster that was badly misused by Van Gorder.
(no message)
he was either in Kelly's doghouse for off field stuff or he was suspended for personal fouls for hitting too hard.
Did he live up to 5* status, heck no, but he was not terrible...I've see worse safety play in last couple years, by someone still on our roster, than what he displayed.
As you stated, he had trouble getting onto the field due to being blacklisted by Brian Kelly or getting in academic or disciplinary trouble.
He turned in a very fine performance against Michigan in 2014, although sometimes I wonder if that were due to Brady Hoke's ineptitude... Still, the way he gave a hard, clean block against Devin Gardener after the last play of the game was absolutely beautiful.
Thanks to BVG scheme keeping him in Cover 2 &3 and Kelly's idiocracies as a leader of men.
(no message)
Jaylon Smith wasn't used nowhere near his ability at ND, more like at about 60%. They never used him to rush the passer despite his blinding speed and left him in the middle most times🤦🤦
Yeah, I know, and agree 100%, it was criminal of Van Gorder to not use Jaylon Smith properly. By all rights, Smith would have been an amazing pass rusher, and mowed down just about any QB or RB in the backfield.
However, Smith playing at the MLB position bailed out the weakest parts of our shitty Van Gorder defenses out too many times to count. He was fast enough to cover almost any receiver, and strong enough to fight it out with any tight end, and had some of the best instincts out of any linebacker at ND I've ever seen. The only one who I could arguably say had better instincts was Mike Stonebreaker.
There were many easy completions over the middle, at medium range that were prevented by Smith, whether it be due to great coverage, or his great positioning.
He was also the reason why Joe Schmidt wasn't exposed too badly in 2014, and especially in 2015. Without Jaylon Smith, that very good 2015 team would probably have had 4 or more losses before the bowl game.
(no message)
(no message)
(no message)
Jimmy Clausen (#1) All-Am/NFL
Jaylon Smith (#2) All-Am/NFL
Manti Te'o (#3) All-Am/NFL
Aaron Lynch (#7) Transfer/NFL
Sam Young (#8) All-FR/NFL
Michael Floyd (#11) All-Am/NFL
Dayne Crist (#20) Transfer/Injuries/Bust
Gunner Kiel (#24) Transfer/All-Conf
Ishaq Williams (#25) Academics/Bust
Mark LeVoir (#27) 2yr Starter
James Aldridge (#27) Injuries/Bust
Victor Abiamiri (#28) Hon Mn All-Am/NFL
Max Redfield (#29) 2yr Starter/Transfer/D2 All-Am
CAM WILLIAMS (#29)
Tommy Kraemer (#26) 4yr Starter/3rd Tm All-Am/NFL
JAYLEN SNEED (#33)
Duval Kamara (#31) 3yr Starter
Mike Mayer (#32) 3yr Starter/All-Am/NFL
Kyle Rudolph (#29) 3yr Starter/NFL
Stephen Tuitt (#32) 3yr Starter/All-Am/NFL
Maurice Stovall (#34) 2yr Starter/3rd Tm All-Am/NFL
7 still have eligibility to play this year and 1 is finished (Gaoteote IV). Of those 7, 3 will be drafted next year so 27/32 would be about close to 85% for that class.
games (i.e. playoffs), the biggest problem was not having a stud QB, and to be honest, better coaching staff to make adjustments. Against Bama, they took away our TE’s and Kelly/Rees didn’t adjust nor know what to do after that. I can remember watching a podcast where Tim Brown said the same thing.
They cant continue to follow good Safety classes with DUDS. Of course a stud QB helps but didnt matter much if you cant stop a team when it matters most.
The only QBs that Kelly put out there that showed any ability to win a game were Golson, Kizer, and Coan
All three of them were either too flawed, too careless, or too streaky to be relied on to win games consistently, let alone shootouts.
Ian Book was the only QB Kelly produced worth a damn and Kelly should owe a royalty fee to Book from his big payday, as the only consistent stretch of winning Kelly displayed in 12 seasons were the four that he had Ian Book as his starter.
Kelly was kryptonite to good QBs...think about it, what was Kelly's base for being a QB coach? ..because he played LB and tackled QBs, or because he read a book about it one time?
(no message)
(no message)
Book was a game manager on good teams, like a Stetson Bennet
He took over some games and they did much more than a typical game manager.
(no message)
(no message)