In the practice videos, he looked very good. I figured depth kept him on the bench but he definitely needs to be on the field now.

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Biscuit's impression of him while attending a few of his HS games was that he had a bit of god-complex on the field.

My impression of the kid watching him at the open practice was that he A) looked like he had a hell of a lot of natural ability and B) was actually buying what Weis was selling.

ND can make a lot of kids feel small-time that first year, whether they're all-American HS football recruits or not.

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Hopefully Shaq Evans is settling in, too.

Seems like every year there are kids who go through the freshman blues (in any program). As I recall, Zibby left school temporarily. Chris Stewart drove back to Texas before calming down and returning. I guess the trick is, as a coach, getting the kids over the hump and into a comfort zone. Looks like Wood is in the groove.

Kelly had redshirted plenty of kids. I assume he meant Wood had a hard time after Weis told him we would be redshirting, or else he just had a hard time with not playing in general.

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I don't think he was criticizing Weis for not playing freshmen, only asserting that freshmen in general have a hard time adjusting to college and to the football program when they don't play. He simply used Wood as an example of someone who struggled in adapting to ND because he didn't play. I've seen it as well in my teaching career. Some freshmen who redshirt seem to have a more difficult time with academics and the culture of a school. They feel like outsiders in many cases. I'm sure it also affects their training as well.

I was more focused on the claim that Wood is doing better now. But yeah, I'm not sure exactly what he was trying to get at with that other bit.

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riddick was a freshman - and he played.

charlie had no issue with freshman and playing them - if he thought they were prepared and ready.

and lord knows - i'm no CW apologist.

I'm pretty late in the game with the recruiting news/comments what with Snopocalypse 2010 1/3rd approaching, but this just caught my eye. Sort of in line with a lot of rumblings I'm sure most heard last fall, but it's good to hear something like this today...

"I'll give you an example - (running back) Cierre Wood last year. He had a hard time not playing as a true freshman. He is doing much better knowing now he's going to play. He's got a routine. And I think that's important for those freshmen, to get them in a good routine."

http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20100204/SPORTS13/100209658/1021/XML

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