Class Reviews: 5th Year Seniors

Good. Better. Best.

That may best describe the first three full-time recruiting efforts under Charlie Weis and recruiting coordinator Rob Ianello’s watch from 2006-08.

A mostly bear market on the recruiting circuit since 2000 was gradually leading Notre Dame from upper-tier affluence to middle-class – or even impoverished – status. But the bull market has returned in that arena of the program.

Some might dismiss recruiting rankings as pure bull. Certainly, enough highly-ranked classes at Notre Dame over the last 30 years have faltered, so one might be cautious about issuing bold statements. Games are ultimately played in stadiums, not on paper. Schools such as Boston College, Michigan State and Purdue are seldom celebrated nationally for their recruiting, yet they’ve routinely defeated top-10 ranked Notre Dame classes over for the past decade.

Nevertheless, better to bring in such revered hauls that elicit future promise than to wonder each February why Notre Dame cannot attract more of the crème-de-la-crème. Here’s an overview of the five Notre Dame classes on this year’s roster and the rise in surplus:

2004 (5th Year)
Number Signed: 17
Number in 2008: 3 (Justin Brown, Maurice Crum, Terrail Lambert)
Recruiting Rankings: Tom Lemming (24), SuperPrep (not in top 30), Rivals.com (32)

Perceived Strengths: Tyrone Willingham signed two running backs who were named Gatorade Player of the Year: Georgia’s Darius Walker and Michigan’s Justin Hoskins. The latter transferred to Central Michigan after his sophomore year, where he has been a reserve.

The Irish also signed five defensive backs, highlighted by their top corner on the board (Terrail Lambert) and coveted California safety Anthony Vernaglia, who was projected to shift to linebacker in college. After graduating from Notre Dame in 2007, where he played mainly in a reserve capacity, Vernaglia will play his fifth season at 1-AA school Hofstra.

Perceived Weaknesses: Other than Walker, Lambert and Vernaglia, the Irish missed out on their top several prospects everywhere else. For the first time since recruiting rankings became mainstream in the late 1970s, Notre Dame didn’t finish among the top 20 schools.

Among the premier prospects who went elsewhere were quarterback Brian Brohm (Louisville), receivers Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech) and Adrian Arrington (Michigan), offensive linemen Allen Smith (Stanford) and Jeff Byers (USC), nearly a dozen defensive lineman that included Daryl Richard (Georgia Tech), and linebackers Dan Connor (Penn State), Brian Toal (Boston College ) and Marcus Freeman (Ohio State).

The consequence is most of the players inked were not quite qualified to have a significant impact at this level – and only seven players remained as seniors in 2007, including no offensive linemen.

Conclusion: This haul set the wheels in motion for Willingham’s ouster 10 months later. No Notre Dame class ever finished with fewer players as seniors, and there’s a chance that not one of the original 17 will be drafted by the NFL (Walker turned pro after his junior year but wasn’t drafted).

It should be an asset for the 2008 defense that end Brown, linebacker Crum and cornerback Lambert return. Crum has had a fine college career and achieved more than probably anyone could have projected. However, the ominous warnings from February 2004 that Notre Dame was not recruiting at an elite level came to fruition.