The NFL Combine always brings back recruiting memories

by Rob (Rakes of Mallow), Chicago, Sunday, February 22, 2009, 20:15 (6303 days ago)
edited by Joe, Sunday, February 22, 2009, 20:28

<EDIT>: Guess you can't bold in this forum. At least I tried. P.S. thanks for the invite.

for me. As a recruiting nerd, I always like to see how some of the players we recruited but did not sign actually turn out. I think under Davie/Willingham there were a number of players who, at the time, were huge losses/can't miss prospects but who never did anything in college or the NFL. Guys like Kelly Baraka, Rob Schoenhoft, Dan Doering, Wesley Jefferson. I am probably embarrassing myself with the ability to recall some of these names. I took a look at the combine and tried to remember some of the guys we recruited.

QB:
Mark Sanchez - he actually came out to visit us and Off. Coordinator Bill Diedrick was on vacation and didn't make time to see him. Good job, Bill. Actually, in reality, it was probably a blessing in disguise for Mark.
Rudy Carpenter - we recruited him a bit, don't remember much else.
Josh Freeman - also recruited him, but I think I remember Weis telling him he'd be a TE. He was probably right.
Matthew Stafford - Stafford was a target during the Zach Frazer/Demetrius Jones. It seemed like Weis told about 10 guys that they were the "#1 QB in the country". I think Stafford would have done very well under Weis.

RB:
Kahlil Bell - recruited him lightly
Donald Brown - also remember his name, went to UConn and was terrific there.
Chris Ogbonnaya - I recall recruiting him as a WR (I may be entirely off). We thought we had a good chance and then Texas offered. He committed on the spot.
Brannon Southerland - offered at fullback under Willingham I believe.

WR:
Derrick Williams - he was the nation's #1 player during Weis' first class/Willingham's last. We were never really in it with him but I think I remember him telling a reporter that he would come to ND if Urban Meyer went to ND. Of course, he signed with PSU.

TE:
Travis Beckum - he was an athlete we recruited that could have played a number of positions.

OL:
Alex Boone - we recruited him, but he was pretty much a lock for tOSU. Bill Kirk would've loved this guy.
Herman Johnson - we didn't recruit him but I love the story about him being the biggest baby ever born in Louisiana.
AQ Shipley - center that went to play for PSU. Believe we recruited him.

DL:
Zach Potter - another Willingham recruit. Was a TE/DE in high school.
Darryl Richard - went to GTech but I remember us having a good chance at him. Another Willingham guy.

LB:
Brian Cushing - Recruited under Tyrone, probably would've had a better shot if Weis was there.
Anthony Felder - MLB that went to Cal from Seattle. I really thought we had a shot at him. Seemed like a great player in HS.
Marcus Freeman - went to tOSU but I remember us leading for him at some point.
Rey Maualuga - we all know about Rey-Rey. People make fun of his off the field troubles but we recruited him and would've embraced him if he chose us.

DB:
Asher Allen - fast little guy from Georgia. We recruited him as a WR/CB. I really loved his film.
Cary Harris - I remember his name
Derek Pegues - Went to Mississippi but was one of our big targets
Brandon Underwood - picked Ohio State but had some problems there in the classroom and went to Cincinnati.

I'm not sure how big of recruitniks you all are but I thought it was fun to see how some of the guys we targeted are doing now. There are some spots where we didn't recruit very well at (both guys that committed to us and elsewhere). OL and DL jump out at you. Tyrone never was a very big fan of bringing in a lot of linemen...

nice summary -- good memory

by Jay, San Diego, Monday, February 23, 2009, 10:17 (6303 days ago) @ Rob (Rakes of Mallow)

Did you do that off the top of your head? Well done.

Almost all from memory

by Rob (Rakes of Mallow), Chicago, Monday, February 23, 2009, 11:46 (6303 days ago) @ Jay

I have a pretty good memory for stuff like this, which is frighteningly sad.

A lot were guys I became familiar with in college as well, but there were some (Anthony Felder, Derek Pegues) that I had not heard/thought of for a number of years.

Carpenter would have walked on glass to come to ND --

by omahadomer, Monday, February 23, 2009, 09:05 (6303 days ago) @ Rob (Rakes of Mallow)

but he was plan F or G or something after we whiffed on Morelli and Brohm and that Baby Huey kid who went to Ohio State (Schoenhoft or something like that). However, TW and Co. has never bothered to make an effort to get the kid cleared through admissions and his numbers were not that great. With some work they could have gotten him in, but they didn't bother. So we wound up with Wolke and Bragg.

interesting combine training video here

by Pat, Monday, February 23, 2009, 06:42 (6303 days ago) @ Rob (Rakes of Mallow)

Rothstein posted this on his Irish Insights blog. Bruton running the 3-cone drill superimposed over USC's Patrick Turner. Not really susprising that Bruton is faster, but still neat to see the two runs overlayed.

one lousy draft prospect

by Jay, San Diego, Monday, February 23, 2009, 08:38 (6303 days ago) @ Pat

Maybe two, if Turk gets a sniff. (I'm assuming Crum goes undrafted.)

That's it.

What about next year?

by Rob (Rakes of Mallow), Chicago, Monday, February 23, 2009, 11:49 (6303 days ago) @ Jay

Assuming no early entries, it doesn't get much better.

Here's a list of potential guys:

James Aldridge
Sam Young
Eric Olsen
Raeshon McNeil
Dan McCarthy

I might be missing someone, but that's probably it.

I think it goes to show you a few things. First, that Weis' first class was not as good as we thought it would be. Secondly, that this past year's team was a very young group of players.

a few others perhaps

by Jay, San Diego, Monday, February 23, 2009, 12:21 (6303 days ago) @ Rob (Rakes of Mallow)
edited by Jay, Monday, February 23, 2009, 13:25

Yeatman (yeah, I know he's not with the team, but he's still part of that class)
Walls
Stewart
Wenger

perhaps Toryan Smith, Richardson, and Sergio Brown getting tryouts.

That's 12 guys in Weis' first full class who might end up on NFL rosters via the draft, unsigned free agency or tryouts.

I didn't count those guys

by Rob (Rakes of Mallow), Chicago, Monday, February 23, 2009, 12:45 (6303 days ago) @ Jay

since they have a 5th year of eligibility to go.

Walls is definitely a go, as is Wenger probably. I cringe to think of what Stewart would run at the 40 yard dash.

Not all of them do ...

by Savage, Around Ye Olde Colonial College, Monday, February 23, 2009, 18:58 (6303 days ago) @ Rob (Rakes of Mallow)

None of Toryan Smith, Morrice Richardson, or Sergio Brown have 5th years available (aside from if they sit out this year).

Also, above you probably mean Kyle McCarthy, not Danny.

gotcha

by Jay, San Diego, Monday, February 23, 2009, 13:03 (6303 days ago) @ Rob (Rakes of Mallow)

I was looking at it from the POV of "incoming class" -- not eligibility remaining.

I'm surprised Kuntz didn't get an invite to the combine

by Jim (fisherj08) @, A Samoan kid's laptop, Monday, February 23, 2009, 08:55 (6303 days ago) @ Jay

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Bruton was the only guy invited

by Jay, San Diego, Monday, February 23, 2009, 10:47 (6303 days ago) @ Jim (fisherj08)

I bet Kuntz gets a tryout somewhere, but I doubt he'll be drafted.

have Bruton's results been posted anywhere?

by Spesh ⌂ @, Los Angeles, Monday, February 23, 2009, 07:52 (6303 days ago) @ Pat

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he works out on Tuesday

by Pat, Monday, February 23, 2009, 09:58 (6303 days ago) @ Spesh

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You can bold things, actually.

by Joe ⌂ @, Sunday, February 22, 2009, 20:30 (6303 days ago) @ Rob (Rakes of Mallow)

I edited the above post for you -- this forum uses BBcode as opposed to raw HTML (allowing raw HTML can cause security issues). Check the post tacked to the top of the forum for more information.

Welcome aboard!

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