The class ratings were based on 1) impact on the program through production and on-field results, 2) balance at the various positions and 3) overall depth in number of major producers.
THE 2003 RECRUITING CLASS
Players Originally Signed: 22 (four transferred) Record at Notre Dame from 2003-06: 30-19 (.612) AP Final Rankings: No. 9 (2005), No. 17 (2006)
A four-year starter, Quinn is statistically the most productive quarterback in school history.
Impact This is the best balanced and most productive class Notre Dame recruited since 1991, mainly because of the way it had to carry the program to Bowl Championship Series bids in 2005-06 after down recruiting years in 2001-02 and the two small and lowest-rated ones in school history in 2004-05. By 2007, only seven players remained from 2004 and 10 from 2005, leading to “self-imposed probation.”
This 2003 recruiting harvest produced one first-rounder (Quinn), three in the second (Carlson, Abiamiri and Laws) and two more in the third (Harris and Zbikowski). A seventh, Samardzija, would have been had tabbed in the first three rounds had he not opted for a pitching career in major league baseball. Two others, Sullivan and Ndukwe, have become prominent starters in the NFL.
Since 1994, Notre Dame has finished in the top 10 in the final AP poll only once (No. 9 in 2005), and this class was the centerpiece toward that end. There were pieces from other classes that assisted, especially linebackers Brandon Hoyte and Corey Mays from 2001, running back Darius Walker from 2004, and lineman Derek Landri, cornerback Mike Richardson, wideout Maurice Stovall and tight end Anthony Fasano from 2002. But this class was the fulcrum of 19 wins and two BCS berths in 2005-06.
Notre Dame’s first 20 players could match up with most anyone in the country in those years thanks to this class. The problem was having more established depth from 21 on.
Balance Just about every position was represented with a major contributor, if not star figure. The passing attack of Quinn to Samardzija shattered previous Irish records in those areas, with Quinn holding career standards in passing yards (11,762) and TD tosses (95), while Samardzija has the most receptions (179), pass-receiving yardage (2,593) and TD receptions (27) in an Irish career. Quinn finished in the top 5 of the Heisman balloting his last two years, and Samardzija was a two-time All-America in head coach Charlie Weis’ prolific air attack.
Meanwhile, Carlson nabbed 100 career passes at tight end, Harris was a four-year starter at offensive tackle, Abiamiri’s 21.5 sacks rank among the top 5 at the school since the stat was first kept separately in 1982, Laws’ 112 tackles in 2007 were one short of the most made in a season by a Notre Dame defensive lineman (Steve Niehaus in 1975), Zbikowski’s 300 career tackles are the most ever by an Irish defensive back, and Ndukwe temporarily held the record in 2006 for most tackles by an Irish DB in a season (98). In 2006, Price’s 45.4 punting average was the highest in a season at Notre Dame, and ranked fifth nationally.
Brockington had 108 stops at linebacker in 2007. Former quarterback/wideout Wooden had his struggles at cornerback in his fifth season when Notre Dame was 3-9, but everything imploded that year. He still made vital contributions during the BCS seasons in 2005-06.
Special teams were well represented with Price, Zbikowski among the nation’s leaders in punt returns in 2005, and tailback/linebacker Thomas serving as special teams captain.
Depth Wideout Chase Anastasio and linebackers Mitchell Thomas and Nick Borseti also made contributions on special teams, while former linebacker Dwight Stephenson saw his share of action as a fifth-year senior along the defensive line. Ashley McConnell started at fullback during his senior year, even catching a TD pass against Michigan.
The depth in this class, though, pertains more to its overall representation along just about every unit.
Summary From the outside looking in, it seems silly, if not ludicrous, to rank a class that was only 30-19 (with no bowl wins) among the 15 best at Notre Dame since the end of World War II. But this group truly had to carry the program amidst a way below average five-year recruiting stretch from 2001-05. The other four classes in that time averaged only two NFL draft picks per group, whereas this one had six alone taken in the first three rounds (not including Samardzija).
Where would Notre Dame football had been this decade without this class?
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