ND lands #2 RB Recruit
Here's the story.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8729286/greg-bryant-no-2…
These are the ESPN 150 Rankings for 2013. Derek Green ranks up there as well. Let's hope we can match ND's recruiting success. It's no secret we need RB and WR (playmakers on offense) now that Denard is moving on...
December 9th, 2012 at 2:53 PM ^
it's that it doesn't help Michigan for Notre Dame to be seen as a go-to program by top players across the country.
December 9th, 2012 at 2:55 PM ^
Great players have been going to Notre Dame for a long time. I don't think one game is going to determine much.
December 9th, 2012 at 3:01 PM ^
But why help them? Especially when they are pulling it together.
And ND year in and year out recruiting top 5 classes is a problem. We go head to head with them all the time.
December 9th, 2012 at 5:58 PM ^
We can't hope everyone is bad, ND has been bad forever they are do a good run. UM just needs to step up in recruiting and on the field. We are top 5 in recruiting this season, just need to finish strong like the other big boys.
At this point I'm down for anyone but the SEC winning. Perception is swayed so far in the SEC's favor that anything to put a dent in that is good for the Big Ten.
If it wasn't for ND we'd have a repeat ALL SEC championship...again. That's just bad for the sport. Prob 4- 5 SEC teams will start preseason top 10 again next year which means they just need 1 or 2 of them to have 1 or fewer losses and they are guaranteed at least one if not two teams in the championship. Thats BS. Only way to stop it is to beat them on the field. In bowl games. In recruiting.
UM is one of only a handful of teams that has any chance at that (OSU, ND, UM, USC, Texas, OU, Oregon). That's about it. Anyone one of these teams is against SEC then I'm pulling for them.
If anything just to change perception and give other teams a fair shake each season.
December 10th, 2012 at 2:57 PM ^
Texas? That must have been thrown in for games only against Texas A&M. Stanford would fair a lot better than Texas, even going forward.
December 9th, 2012 at 9:25 PM ^
Ron Powlus, nodding politely.
December 10th, 2012 at 9:45 AM ^
Hiesmans on the mantle in the Powlus home.
December 10th, 2012 at 11:20 AM ^
ND has not had consistent top 5 classes for a long time. Let's not start now.
December 9th, 2012 at 2:56 PM ^
December 9th, 2012 at 4:45 PM ^
December 9th, 2012 at 6:02 PM ^
Weis was pulling in top classes winning 6 games or 3 games in a season.
The ND brand will always sell. Just like Michigan will always sell.
December 9th, 2012 at 7:46 PM ^
They've been viewed as such since the myth of Notre Dame and its "divine" place in college football took hold in the 30's under Rockne. They carry with them a sense of moral superiority because of the school's religious background, coupled with the perception that they are "doing it right" when it comes to football compared to other schools, which always seems to be short-hand for racial undertones in the perception of each squad.
UM will always have to compete with ND for recruits, and I dobut winning an MNC will change that for either party. And to be frank, I suspect that next year will be a rather pronounced drop for ND nationally, as many of their key players on offense (most of the running backs, Riddick) and defense (Te'o) will graduate, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Nix leave early if the scouts talk him up. Plus, they pulled quite a few games out of their collective butts this year, and that luck won't last.
Unlike the Alabama's and LSU's of the world, who seem to reload and win with a set system each year, I don't see that with ND unless you feel that the massive improvement in defensive rankings is due to some recruiting shift that wasn't in place in the past. I see them regressing to the mean a bit, especially in the backfields on both sides, though their recruiting should stay strong regardless.
December 9th, 2012 at 2:54 PM ^
By the time the kid is any good, if ever, we won't be playing them.......
December 9th, 2012 at 5:54 PM ^
While this is true, ND doing well still means us competing with them and Ohio for the top midwest recruits. A lot of recruits that put academics on the top of their list of thing in a school (and not the Adolphus Washington kind of academics), seem to chose ND. Even though most rankings have Michigan far ahead of ND.
December 9th, 2012 at 2:56 PM ^
And, I'm glad a stud that was not even considering Michigan is going to ND. Now maybe we land a stud that was considering ND, but now goes Blue!
December 9th, 2012 at 3:00 PM ^
Well then it's a good thing we'll be getting the #1 RB recruit.
December 9th, 2012 at 6:21 PM ^
I think it makes a lot more sense to use 247's composite rankings, which draw from 247, Rivals, Scout, and ESPN, rather than just the ESPN rankings (as the OP does).
The composite rankings for RB:
1. Kelvin Taylor (Florida)
2. Derrick Green (undeclared)
3. Thomas Tyner (Oregon)
4. Ty Isaac (USC)
5. Altee Tenpenny (Alabama)
6. Keith Ford (Oklahoma)
7. Greg Bryant (Notre Dame)
...
15. DeVeon Smith (Michigan)
December 9th, 2012 at 3:00 PM ^
He is only 14th on scout, 3 spots behind Deveon Smith. Typical ESPN hype for ND placing that on the front page of their website.
December 9th, 2012 at 4:03 PM ^
Look, I get the hate for ESPN and everything, but how is this some sort of ESPN biased hype? Its the guy they've got pegged as the #2 RB committing to a team with a huge national following tha also happens to be in the national championship game. Its news.
December 9th, 2012 at 4:34 PM ^
The fact that it is on the front of their website is what makes it biased coverage. It isn't front page news on a Sunday afternoon during the NFL season. How many times does ESPN put recruiting info on their front page? If he had signed with anyone else it wouldn't be on there.
December 9th, 2012 at 4:41 PM ^
Unless ESPN had some sort of prior agenda to hype this kid specifically, I don't see how his ranking is tainted by ESPN.
December 9th, 2012 at 4:56 PM ^
My point wasn't how they rated him, it was that they put it on their front page. If he committed to Florida or USC or someone I highly doubt it would be on their front page
December 9th, 2012 at 6:42 PM ^
December 9th, 2012 at 9:02 PM ^
Its because they just LOVE Notre Dame and will put ANY story about them on the front page.
Or its because they have a business interest in putting things on the front page that they think people will click on, and that was something that they thought people would click on. Kind of how this whole making money on the internet thing goes...
December 10th, 2012 at 11:24 AM ^
So they should only cover the Yankees and the Cowboys? There are local TV network affiliates and fan blogs for that.
When you are (supposedly) a national sports media outlet, you act like it.
December 9th, 2012 at 4:49 PM ^
At the time it was posted, there wasn't a lot going on news wise. All of the 1pm games were still under way and there's just not much national type news happening yet today. Give a couple of hours until the 1pm and 4pm games are over and it'll be off the front page. And ESPN has been putting more and more recruiting info on their front page. Reuben Foster was on their the other day, and I've seen things there a handful of other times.
Its a top recruit at a skill position committing to a team with a huge national fanbase. This is how news works. If its the #2 offensive guard committing to Tulsa, then no one gives a shit because its Tulsa, and its an offensive guard. This was on the front page because its something they thought enough people would care about, not because ESPN has a giant hard-on for Notre Dame.
December 9th, 2012 at 5:47 PM ^
He is #10 on 247, #14 on Scout, and #2 on ESPN.
From 247:
Ranked as the nation's No. 10 running back nationally and the country's No. 130 prospect overall, Bryant is the 22nd commit for Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and his staff in the class-of-2013.
December 9th, 2012 at 4:08 PM ^
It was on the front page of my MSN homepage too. Clicked through to learn that a 4 star had signed with ND. Definitely front page worthy pause Not!! Reason # 4,556 that I dont pay a whole lot of attention to national sports media. They hype non stories or borderline non stories about their cherished teams while basically ignoring every team or athlete that is important to me.
December 9th, 2012 at 9:05 PM ^
I swear you people have no idea how national news sites work.
December 9th, 2012 at 3:01 PM ^
/s
December 9th, 2012 at 3:01 PM ^
December 9th, 2012 at 3:03 PM ^
December 9th, 2012 at 3:34 PM ^
Rivals has him as the #2 running back and the #16 player overall.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Greg-Bryant-120…
December 9th, 2012 at 4:02 PM ^
Has Kevin Taylor as their top RB (from FLA and gator commit) and has 7 of their 9 five stars are from the Southeast. Damn you ESPN... SEC! SEC! SEC!
December 9th, 2012 at 3:06 PM ^
Eh, I don't really care. Not that highly rated on other sites, they've always recruited well, and after 2 years they're not really going to be a part of our lives anyway (sad face). Whatever
December 9th, 2012 at 3:33 PM ^
What am I missing? Looks like he's the #2 RB on Rivals as well.
December 9th, 2012 at 3:10 PM ^
December 9th, 2012 at 3:20 PM ^
ND is going to get what they are going to get. UM is also recruiting well along the DL. It is going to be tough to beat UM.
People getting all frothy over recruiting have not followed recruiting very long because ND has recruited well since they first painted their helmets gold.
December 9th, 2012 at 8:44 PM ^
Overall during their history, you're correct. However, to say that their recruiting isn't affected by their on-field success isn't supported by their recent history.
Tyrone Willingham went 10-2 in 2002, and his 2003 class was ranked #5 by Scout.
He crapped the bed at 5-7 in 2003 (including the 38-0 laugher in Ann Arbor), and whaddaya know, his 2004 class is ranked #30 by Scout.
He went 6-6 in 2004, and the 2005 class that he started and Charlie Weis finished ends up at #27 by Scout.
Not only that, but after the reality sank in to recruits that Weis wasn't going to be the savior either, the 2009 and 2010 ND classes were ranked #23 and #19 by Scout.
December 9th, 2012 at 3:23 PM ^
ND's recruiting is largely national so I don't think we recruit against them as much as many people think. We seem to be recruiting against Alabama/SEC much more this year (Poggi, Dawson for BAMA; McQuay, Green, Treadwell for other teams)
December 9th, 2012 at 3:12 PM ^
Anyone have any idea?
December 9th, 2012 at 3:22 PM ^
Well, one upside to their current class being so good is that UM will only play against any of these kids during the true freshman or sophomore seasons.
At this point my only concern with ND recruiting is the impact on UM recruiting. Not upset about this, but would be furious if Treadwell ended up there.
December 9th, 2012 at 3:34 PM ^
I am in Hello post withdrawal.
December 9th, 2012 at 3:38 PM ^
I'm not sure why people are so "meh" on this kid. He has offers from almost every big-time school and is ranked highly. It seems like some of you just don't want to think about Notre Dame getting more talented players.
I realize we won't be playing Notre Dame for very much longer and it's not like Michigan was in the running, but this is a pretty darn good pickup for the Fighting Irish.
December 9th, 2012 at 3:48 PM ^
Not like ND ever does anything with talented recruits anyway. They had like the top LB recruit in the nation a few years ago and that guy hasn't done shit in his career. He didn't even win the Heisman! And that WR Floyd? Didn't even win the Belitnikoff! ND is where talent goes to die.
December 9th, 2012 at 4:09 PM ^
I am meh because Notre Dame recruting isn't something that piques my interest unless we were competing with them for the kid. Even then, getting emotionally involved with recruiting is stupid.
December 9th, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^
December 9th, 2012 at 3:52 PM ^
There are so many things that are dumb about this post...
December 9th, 2012 at 7:38 PM ^