ADVERTISEMENT

CJ Williams

Its been coming for some time and only really frustrating due to the complete lack of alternative options.

Walker likely headed to Michigan also.

WR recruiting is a catastrophe this year
 
Its been coming for some time and only really frustrating due to the complete lack of alternative options.

Walker likely headed to Michigan also.

WR recruiting is a catastrophe this year
Peace out. I think he made up his mind weeks ago. Waiting til the night before ESD is a total diva move.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IrishMike409
I second San Francisco. Also Alameda too. Drive up the mountain by the Golden gate Bridge and go to Muir woods. Bike around if you can the golden gate shoreline, cross the bridge and go south to Sausalito. Beautiful area.
Have your niece get you on Stanford golf course, it's fantastic.
 
If we lose walker along with Williams I’ll chip in to send del and tommy to lsu
 
The Rivals ND board has a report that CJ will sign with USC. He has decommitted from ND
You love this, don’t you, lol. I’ll be sure to let you know every time ND wins a recruiting battle with USC. I know that sounds dick to some, but those of us who have been here long know exactly how long you’ve been absent, and it lines up perfectly with USCs trash seasons. Welcome back…happy for you and that USC is finally. FINALLY turning it around
 
CJ Williams was just OK for me to be honest. kid is already at his ceiling. Walker on the other hand, is going to be really good. If we lose him we are in real real trouble. Del should be canned on the spot if we don't sign a WR this cycle and Rees put on notice.
 
You love this, don’t you, lol. I’ll be sure to let you know every time ND wins a recruiting battle with USC. I know that sounds dick to some, but those of us who have been here long know exactly how long you’ve been absent, and it lines up perfectly with USCs trash seasons. Welcome back…happy for you and that USC is finally. FINALLY turning it around
USC hasn’t turned anything around yet. They’ve been mediocre for 10 years. A lot of work to do before it’s turned around.
 
Kid's a diva. Enjoy.
He is, On3 has pegged him well. He’s a high level possession receiver. CJ is also already 19 years old. He turned 19 in October so he is an older advanced player dominating among the high school ranks at an elite school. This is why when the scouts look at him they talk about how college ready he is at this juncture. He will be nearly the age of a sophomore when he plays his first college football game. He will be productive the moment he steps on campus anywhere because of his advanced level of preparation and receiving ability, but he does not possess elite college level separation Skills. Stick with Tobias Merriweather who is a year younger in age and maturity and already has elite level size and speed and the extra gear CJ does not.

ND’s concentration should be getting Walker with Tobias…both have far greater upside to CJ. My money is CJ ends up being just a solid college receiver and probably will see his peek value as a freshman and sophomore. Then becomes a rotational guy as an upperclassman when Riley brings in a bigger stable of more explosive, twitchy receiving athletes he is accustomed to getting at Oklahoma. Honestly, Merriweather and Walker break the mold of the typical Kelly receiver they’ve recently brought in…so did Colzie too.

Right now the focus needs to be getting Austin, Lenzy, Wilkins and Davis if capable, to return. That provides everything and more that CJ would next season, with the freshmen, Merriweather, and hopefully Walker to develop. Best scenario for 2022, and all the staff to better evaluate and change the recruiting mold of receivers in 2023 and beyond.
 
He is, On3 has pegged him well. He’s a high level possession receiver. CJ is also already 19 years old. He turned 19 in October so he is an older advanced player dominating among the high school ranks at an elite school. This is why when the scouts look at him they talk about how college ready he is at this juncture. He will be nearly the age of a sophomore when he plays his first college football game. He will be productive the moment he steps on campus anywhere because of his advanced level of preparation and receiving ability, but he does not possess elite college level separation Skills. Stick with Tobias Merriweather who is a year younger in age and maturity and already has elite level size and speed and the extra gear CJ does not.

ND’s concentration should be getting Walker with Tobias…both have far greater upside to CJ. My money is CJ ends up being just a solid college receiver and probably will see his peek value as a freshman and sophomore. Then becomes a rotational guy as an upperclassman when Riley brings in a bigger stable of more explosive, twitchy receiving athletes he is accustomed to getting at Oklahoma. Honestly, Merriweather and Walker break the mold of the typical Kelly receiver they’ve recently brought in…so did Colzie too.

Right now the focus needs to be getting Austin, Lenzy, Wilkins and Davis if capable, to return. That provides everything and more that CJ would next season, with the freshmen, Merriweather, and hopefully Walker to develop. Best scenario for 2022, and all the staff to better evaluate and change the recruiting mold of receivers in 2023 and beyond.
Break the mold? You mean slighter?
 
Break the mold? You mean slighter?
No, I mean bringing in more southern type of athletes that are super twitchy that are explosive off the snap and gain separation through their breaks and cuts. Under Kelly to many times he seemed to target receivers looking at them more as blockers then players he desires to iso and create mismatches with separation. Only a fool looks at Tobias and Amarion and concerns themselves with their slender build….a true evaluator sees the explosiveness out of the snap, and their breaks. Tobias almost glides through his cuts, which makes him twice as fast on a football field and at a full 6ft 4 that is nearly impossible to stop once he develops a full appreciation for the sophisticated route trees Tommy wants his receivers to be able to run. For Tobias, much like Styles and Colzie it is more about their ability to learn the playbook and routes…the explosive athleticism is there.

The few super exceptional athletes he has signed have been Austin, Fuller, and guys like Claypool (but Claypool and Boykin developed out of the Kelly mold but make no mistake they came in as the big body versatile blocking types Kelly
Loved). For every Fuller or Austin, or Tobias, or Styles signed Kelly seemed to sign two of Cory Robinson, or McKinley.
 
You love this, don’t you, lol. I’ll be sure to let you know every time ND wins a recruiting battle with USC. I know that sounds dick to some, but those of us who have been here long know exactly how long you’ve been absent, and it lines up perfectly with USCs trash seasons. Welcome back…happy for you and that USC is finally. FINALLY turning it around
I posted this because someione asked me about CJ. I have no doubt ND will win manhy of these recruiting battles and I am fine if you post them. Despite wht you think I have the upmost respect for ND. Also, when he decommitted he said it was between SC and UCLA. It was the Rivals ND mod who thught it was USC. To be honest I never heard from the people I know he was decommitted.

Your are also right about my absence. I have posted less in the past few years. But that has nothing to do with ND. It is just that I was less interested since we have been so bad. If you wnt to take that as a fault in me, that is fine.
 
Last edited:
Well this sucks. What stings about this is the timing. There's no time to get anyone else right now and even if they could, they'd probably end up with someone who would never see the field. However, if Walker and Merriweather end up becoming stars, then Williams not joining will be an afterthought.
 
Well this sucks. What stings about this is the timing. There's no time to get anyone else right now and even if they could, they'd probably end up with someone who would never see the field. However, if Walker and Merriweather end up becoming stars, then Williams not joining will be an afterthought.
The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that he made up his mind when he talked to Riley the first time, and Riley wanted him to wait til the 11th hour to decommit. He really couldn't have made it worse for ND if he tried. Maybe I'm overly paranoid, but I wouldn't put it past him.

Something about LR just doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it's how he left OU, maybe it's how he had double agents on the recruiting trail, maybe it's the massive ego that declared that USC will be the "Mecca of college football." He's ambitious, and I think he may do the same thing to USC if he gets a shot at the NFL.
 
Maybe you could go back on the Ohio State board again for us and see if there are any updates on what they think will happen with Coach Freeman's future.
 
ND needs to stop going after kids far away. They should focus real hard on kids that are only a car ride away and not a plane ride. Sure you can get a player here and there from Texas or Florida or California. I know they’ve done well with Hawaii over the last few cycles. However, it’s still extremely difficult to consistently get those players to come across the country. Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey , Michigan and Illinois should be the focus. Lots of really good players in those states. My guess is Williams was never going to ND. He probably committed and waited to see how SC did. Then Riley gets hired and it was done after that. Why go to ND when you have a coach who is known for high powered offenses ?
Rees offense isn’t exactly prolific. Anyway. It is what it is.
 
I’m going to get killed for this but I firmly believe that WR is the easiest position to fill … there are loads of athletic quick guys that can learn to run routes, catch the ball and get in the way on running plays. Great WRs are made by offensive lines that can pass block, RBs that can pick up blitz, QBs that can deliver the ball and OCs who call the plays. Sure there are a few true difference makers but most great WRs are made not born. In modern history of ND we’ve had plenty of good WRs and a few true difference makers (TB81, Rocket, Tate, maybe Floyd)
 
If we lose walker along with Williams I’ll chip in to send del and tommy to lsu

CJ Williams was just OK for me to be honest. kid is already at his ceiling. Walker on the other hand, is going to be really good. If we lose him we are in real real trouble. Del should be canned on the spot if we don't sign a WR this cycle and Rees put on notice.
It's too early to declare this staff unfit but not to say they aren't particularly b exciting.

Maybe the WR coach should be @bullpride9
 
If we don't get walker between 19-22 recruiting, 4 years we will have landed 5 WRs that you could hope would make any impact on the field on offense. 3 of those would be in 1 year. We have been terrible at recruiting WR 19-22 except for last year.
 
The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that he made up his mind when he talked to Riley the first time, and Riley wanted him to wait til the 11th hour to decommit. He really couldn't have made it worse for ND if he tried. Maybe I'm overly paranoid, but I wouldn't put it past him.

Something about LR just doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it's how he left OU, maybe it's how he had double agents on the recruiting trail, maybe it's the massive ego that declared that USC will be the "Mecca of college football." He's ambitious, and I think he may do the same thing to USC if he gets a shot at the NFL.
Don't think so. the decommitt came right after his official visit. In any event he isn't annoucing his decision until January at the Army AA bowl, although I think he sign tomorrow. So we won't know anything for sure for a while.
 
ND needs to stop going after kids far away. They should focus real hard on kids that are only a car ride away and not a plane ride. Sure you can get a player here and there from Texas or Florida or California. I know they’ve done well with Hawaii over the last few cycles. However, it’s still extremely difficult to consistently get those players to come across the country. Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey , Michigan and Illinois should be the focus. Lots of really good players in those states. My guess is Williams was never going to ND. He probably committed and waited to see how SC did. Then Riley gets hired and it was done after that. Why go to ND when you have a coach who is known for high powered offenses ?
Rees offense isn’t exactly prolific. Anyway. It is what it is.
Yeah, like Manti, Foskey, Book, Clausen, Hamilton... are you f-ing kidding me?!

Yikes, and we become Northwestern. Keep fighting for every single kid.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ike Beard and r2p2
The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that he made up his mind when he talked to Riley the first time, and Riley wanted him to wait til the 11th hour to decommit. He really couldn't have made it worse for ND if he tried. Maybe I'm overly paranoid, but I wouldn't put it past him.

Something about LR just doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it's how he left OU, maybe it's how he had double agents on the recruiting trail, maybe it's the massive ego that declared that USC will be the "Mecca of college football." He's ambitious, and I think he may do the same thing to USC if he gets a shot at the NFL.
How he left? He didn't speak to SC until after his last game. It is true his agent had dicusion with some teams during the year but he didn't speak to a single person at USC until after the last game. Doube agen?. One guy had a recruitin meeting set for the near same time Riley asked him to come to SC. He told the kid he was leaving for SC. Did you want him to lie and say he was staying and would be the kid's postion coach? Do you think the player would never have found out?

He did nothing different from what every coach who left did. Kelly, Lanning, Cristobal.
 
Don't think so. the decommitt came right after his official visit. In any event he isn't annoucing his decision until January at the Army AA bowl, although I think he sign tomorrow. So we won't know anything for sure for a while.
it's a done deal. He always wanted USC, but it was such a train wreck with Helton.
 
How he left? He didn't speak to SC until after his last game. It is true his agent had dicusion with some teams during the year but he didn't speak to a single person at USC until after the last game. Doube agen?. One guy had a recruitin meeting set for the near same time Riley asked him to come to SC. He told the kid he was leaving for SC. Did you want him to lie and say he was staying and would be the kid's postion coach? Do you think the player would never have found out?

He did nothing different from what every coach who left did. Kelly, Lanning, Cristobal.
I was referring to Roy Manning, who Domani Jackson claimed talked to him about USC while still employed at OU. Looks like USC is going to hire him now that it has died down a little bit.
 
Yeah, like Manti, Foskey, Book, Clausen, Hamilton... are you f-ing kidding me?!

Yikes, and we become Northwestern. Keep fighting for every single
Yeah, like Manti, Foskey, Book, Clausen, Hamilton... are you f-ing kidding me?!

Yikes, and we become Northwestern. Keep fighting for every single kid.
No need curse. Just my view is that working on kids closer would result in less decommits . I know they get kids from all over. I just think it is less likely a kid who being recruited from a neighboring state to decommit than a kid from far out west or Deep South. There are always exceptions as you pointed out. This is only my opinion. I respect yours.
 
No need curse. Just my view is that working on kids closer would result in less decommits . I know they get kids from all over. I just think it is less likely a kid who being recruited from a neighboring state to decommit than a kid from far out west or Deep South. There are always exceptions as you pointed out. This is only my opinion. I respect yours.
Sorry for the tone. Yup, we need to go everywhere to compete with the big boys. But I agree, keeping those close to home in the fold is key. Maybe if Harbaugh jump back to the NFL we'll win more of those battles.
 
I was referring to Roy Manning, who Domani Jackson claimed talked to him about USC while still employed at OU. Looks like USC is going to hire him now that it has died down a little bit.
So was I. But maybe I missed something. What do you think he did and what is your source for it? He's already been hired.
 
No need curse. Just my view is that working on kids closer would result in less decommits . I know they get kids from all over. I just think it is less likely a kid who being recruited from a neighboring state to decommit than a kid from far out west or Deep South. There are always exceptions as you pointed out. This is only my opinion. I respect yours.
Kevin Austin, Tyree, Diggs, Buchner, Colze, Lenzy…..next years O is loaded with guys who aren’t from the Midwest.

I see your point, and there’s merit to it, but to have difference making athletes, I think we need to recruit all 50 states.
 
Sorry for the tone. Yup, we need to go everywhere to compete with the big boys. But I agree, keeping those close to home in the fold is key. Maybe if Harbaugh jump back to the NFL we'll win more of those battles.
Agreed. I think Freeman will give it his next shot too . We’ll see in the next few cycles. Keep the faith. Go Irish!!
 
the source was a quickly deleted Domani Jackson tweet. This is the first you're hearing of it?
Nope. What I heard was that Domani and Manning was in regular contact with Manning and that when he accepted the job he told Domani. After Domani tweeted some message board guy look on the OU site and saw Manning was still listed as a coach. Then complaince was called to check and found nothing to file about. Also when he visted Domani Bob Stoops was with him.

What did I miss?
 
I posted this because someione asked me about CJ. I have no doubt ND will win manhy of these recruiting battles and I am fine if you post them. Despite wht you think I have the upmost respect for ND. Also, when he decommitted he said it was between SC and UCLA. It was the Rivals ND mod who thught it was USC. To be honest I never heard from the people I know he was decommitted.

Your are also right about my absence. I have posted less in the past few years. But that has nothing to do with ND. It is just that I was less interested since we have been so bad. If you wnt to take that as a fault in me, that is fine.
I never had that problem. In 2007 when the Irish were 0 and 6 I paid $25 to see the Irish beat UCLA on ppv.
 
it's a done deal. He always wanted USC, but it was such a train wreck with Helton.

So you go play for a guy who didn't offer you when he was at Oklahoma ?

I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Riley was justifying that one. :):):)
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT