Dear every poster that is against the Freeman hire

[BodiTheGreat]

Thanks for that comprehensive and clearly thought out response which I would assume took you more than 15 seconds to produce.

I hear you loud and clear and – as I recall – once got a similar “nuanced” response from when I was active on the other board.

So, here’s how I read what you’re saying:

Even though ND operates on an athlete-preferential basis as well, it does so in a LESS EXTREME WAY. It cuts corners but not as SHARPLY. This results in what you call A LESS RESTRICTED TALENT POOL THAN I IMAGINE.

Fine.

But if this is the case, doesn’t there remain a recruiting impediment that is LARGELY STRUCTURAL? It would seem so, wouldn’t it, since failing to get those same UBER-GUYS every year who wind up at OHIO STATE has been a problem for ALMOST 30 years regardless of ND’s coach?

And how many guys does that amount to a year? Does the consistent lack of 5-star recruits, IN FACT, mean the difference between beating Alabama and getting pounded? History would argue, HEY, IT SURE LOOKS THAT WAY.

So, then regardless of how wide it is – and, again, I don’t know despite my 5-star strikeout example – there is STILL A CRITICAL GAP.

In which case, just how much “TIDE-TURNING” impact can any one coach make even if the consensus is that he’s GOD’S GIFT TO RECRUITING?

Specifically, how does Marcus Freeman go that last EXTRA MILE Kelly couldn’t go unless ND LOOKS THE OTHER WAY A LITTLE BIT MORE! Or maybe A LOT MORE.

Point is, Freeman is still operating WITHIN THE SAME CONSTRAINTS. In which case, the “LAZY RECRUITER” vs. “UBER RECRUITER” dichotomy is not the critical determinant as UBER RECRUITING will only TAKE ND SO FAR.

And that includes even if ND can divert in its direction all of Stanford’s and NW’s best targets or get them to transfer to ND later. Because as I see it, that still won’t be enough to allow ND to DRAW EVEN with schools than can pull in in excess of 5 Five-stars a year. Or to be more accurate, ANYONE THEY WANT.

So, while, yes, Freeman may be able to improve recruiting INCREMENTALLY, I can’t see how – if things are as you suggest – he can improve it DECISIVELY enough to propel ND past Alabama and those of THAT ILK.

You have to play within the parameters you’re given, and of that, ND’s more restrictive talent pools have produced AMPLE EVIDENCE -- RESULTS-WISE -- over the last 30 years, leading to endless parsing exercises on how to achieve the same results as teams with GREATER FIREPOWER. Or as I like to think of it, FOOLS ERRAND NUMBER ONE AS PER ALL ND MESSAGE BOARDS.

Neither FREEMAN ALONE – nor anyone else -- takes this program to greater heights without SUBSTANTIAL ASSISTANCE FROM ND ITSELF. And, personally, I don't think that's coming as too few ND people are inclined to support it. You've said yourself you don't want it.

Me, I'm agnostic on it as I see the entire sport as we know it imploding with the result that ND may need to make its own SEPARATE PEACE. What's coming is TOTAL MONETIZATION which no power in academe can stop even if they wanted to. And they don't. They're a CARTEL and will continue increasingly to operate like one.

443, my friend. It isn't written in stone that we cant change and outrecruit and outplay the best, like Bama.
Jack Swarbrick is a very intelligent man, like yourself, and I hear he very much believes the Irish can win a National Championship in football. JACK is the one who hired Kelly after the Weiss, Willingham, Davie years to get back to winning. Jack also is the one who told Brian he had to change things up after the 2016 season if he wanted to stay on board. And it worked again as he made outside hires like canning his friend the strength trainer (Longo) and bringing on the best trainer in the business Matt Ballis.
After that ND upped their game yet again--winning 10+ games five seasons in a row.
Jack now has the opportunity to take ND one more step--to a NC win. He has his young energetic staff recruiting their as$s off !! #7 in 2022 and #1 in 2023 so far.
My point is--is that Jack has the most clout as athletic director of practically anyone in the Nation and he will know what changes that need to be done to compete with the best including making it more enticing for the super Five star recruits to come to South Bend.
My faith is in Jack--a much smarter man than I am and a just as passionate ND fan to right the ship for ND football !! Have faith !!

 

[4-4-3]

443, my friend. It isn't written in stone that we cant change and outrecruit and outplay the best, like Bama.
Jack Swarbrick is a very intelligent man, like yourself, and I hear he very much believes the Irish can win a National Championship in football. JACK is the one who hired Kelly after the Weiss, Willingham, Davie years to get back to winning. Jack also is the one who told Brian he had to change things up after the 2016 season if he wanted to stay on board. And it worked again as he made outside hires like canning his friend the strength trainer (Longo) and bringing on the best trainer in the business Matt Ballis.
After that ND upped their game yet again--winning 10+ games five seasons in a row.
Jack now has the opportunity to take ND one more step--to a NC win. He has his young energetic staff recruiting their as$s off !! #7 in 2022 and #1 in 2023 so far.
My point is--is that Jack has the most clout as athletic director of practically anyone in the Nation and he will know what changes that need to be done to compete with the best including making it more enticing for the super Five star recruits to come to South Bend.
My faith is in Jack--a much smarter man than I am and a just as passionate ND fan to right the ship for ND football !! Have faith !!

Bodi, it isn't written in stone, and maybe it isn't written at all. But there has always been SOME SORT OF RESTRICTIVE POLICY. As long as there's ANY RESTRICTION at all you have some degree of INHERENT DISADANTAGE.

And the idea that ND will always find the right coach, AD, elite QB or whomever to OVERCOME THIS is basically an UNPROVABLE -- NOT TO MENTION AS YET UPROVEN -- ACT OF FAITH. Yes, ND has MAXIMIZED its output given the SELF-IMPOSED DISCIPLINES it insists on, but on a probability basis alone, that's not going to get them the NC on a regular basis they claim is their "ANNUAL GOAL." In terms of believability, has that aspiration not become little more than a BUMPER STICKER?

WE COMPETE FOR THE NC EVERY YEAR!

Okay, fine, and I try not to eat too many CHIPS WITH SALSA.

But that said, you are a man of FAITH and, as such, I have no intention of arguing with you or DISRESPECTING YOUR BELIEF. I simply don't think it all comes down to Swarbrick or anyone else as long as ND maintains its academic standards, etc. which it has EVERY RIGHT TO DO.

It's just the NC EVERY YEAR MANTRA that I question. IF NOT THIS YEAR, THEN NEXT YEAR gets old. Better just to fight with the ARMY YOU BROUGHT.

 

[BodiTheGreat]

Bodi, it isn't written in stone, and maybe it isn't written at all. But there has always been SOME SORT OF RESTRICTIVE POLICY. As long as there's ANY RESTRICTION at all you have some degree of INHERENT DISADANTAGE.

And the idea that ND will always find the right coach, AD, elite QB or whomever to OVERCOME THIS is basically an UNPROVABLE -- NOT TO MENTION AS YET UPROVEN -- ACT OF FAITH. Yes, ND has MAXIMIZED its output given the SELF-IMPOSED DISCIPLINES it insists on, but on a probability basis alone, that's not going to get them the NC on a regular basis they claim is their "ANNUAL GOAL." In terms of believability, has that aspiration not become little more than a BUMPER STICKER?

WE COMPETE FOR THE NC EVERY YEAR!

Okay, fine, and I try not to eat too many CHIPS WITH SALSA.

But that said, you are a man of FAITH and, as such, I have no intention of arguing with you or DISRESPECTING YOUR BELIEF. I simply don't think it all comes down to Swarbrick or anyone else as long as ND maintains its academic standards, etc. which it has EVERY RIGHT TO DO.

It's just the NC EVERY YEAR MANTRA that I question. IF NOT THIS YEAR, THEN NEXT YEAR gets old. Better just to fight with the ARMY YOU BROUGHT.

So what you say is 100% going to happen? That ND will be forever not competing for Championships? That they are not smart or brave enough to correct the current problems? You sound so sure of yourself--which is GREAT. But I choose to believe that the powers that be at Notre Dame are not stupid and will at least try and make it easier to bridge the gap between ND football and the SEC.
I am not disrespecting your beliefs at all. In fact, I think you have nailed it with what is keeping ND from being at the top.
The only thing I disagree with you is that ND will never change. I believe they see that Nick Saban has been winning NC'S with honor at Alabama. And why cant the Irish compete with honor and win NC'S.
Change can happen ! And will !! Jack Swarbrik is just the man ! Brian Kelly could not win a big game. It just wasnt in him. There is a coach out there who can win the big game--and I believe it will be Marcus !
Go Irish !

 

[Notre Dame du Lac]

So what you say is 100% going to happen? That ND will be forever not competing for Championships? That they are not smart or brave enough to correct the current problems? You sound so sure of yourself--which is GREAT. But I choose to believe that the powers that be at Notre Dame are not stupid and will at least try and make it easier to bridge the gap between ND football and the SEC.
I am not disrespecting your beliefs at all. In fact, I think you have nailed it with what is keeping ND from being at the top.
The only thing I disagree with you is that ND will never change. I believe they see that Nick Saban has been winning NC'S with honor at Alabama. And why cant the Irish compete with honor and win NC'S.
Change can happen ! And will !! Jack Swarbrik is just the man ! Brian Kelly could not win a big game. It just wasnt in him. There is a coach out there who can win the big game--and I believe it will be Marcus !
Go Irish !

Change happens when you get put in a corner and beaten so badly you’ll do anything never to be there again. That’s why we went after BK. Weis hurt ND badly, as did the the previous two. BK built it back up and did about as good as any coach could do based on the restrictions. It’s going to take a tornado for us to get serious again, sadly. Right now is the best time to get desperate. This is the best the program has been since the 80’s. So what do you do? Pretend like it’s feast or famine. As Warren Buffett once said, “be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy.” ND was on the cusp of greatness. Now is the time to go ape shit. Now is the time to pay top dollar. Now is the time to take advantage of a situation that presents itself only once every 20-30 years. Squandering this culture, this opportunity by being cheap is the most tragic decision possible. You got a bargain in MF. Invest and bring in the very best DC in the world and if it means a NC, bring in the best OC too. And if it means changing admissions to match the 1980’s when we used to give underprivileged kids a chance, do that too.

 

[Notre Dame du Lac]

Bodi, it isn't written in stone, and maybe it isn't written at all. But there has always been SOME SORT OF RESTRICTIVE POLICY. As long as there's ANY RESTRICTION at all you have some degree of INHERENT DISADANTAGE.

And the idea that ND will always find the right coach, AD, elite QB or whomever to OVERCOME THIS is basically an UNPROVABLE -- NOT TO MENTION AS YET UPROVEN -- ACT OF FAITH. Yes, ND has MAXIMIZED its output given the SELF-IMPOSED DISCIPLINES it insists on, but on a probability basis alone, that's not going to get them the NC on a regular basis they claim is their "ANNUAL GOAL." In terms of believability, has that aspiration not become little more than a BUMPER STICKER?

WE COMPETE FOR THE NC EVERY YEAR!

Okay, fine, and I try not to eat too many CHIPS WITH SALSA.

But that said, you are a man of FAITH and, as such, I have no intention of arguing with you or DISRESPECTING YOUR BELIEF. I simply don't think it all comes down to Swarbrick or anyone else as long as ND maintains its academic standards, etc. which it has EVERY RIGHT TO DO.

It's just the NC EVERY YEAR MANTRA that I question. IF NOT THIS YEAR, THEN NEXT YEAR gets old. Better just to fight with the ARMY YOU BROUGHT.

Jack made a civil rights move in hiring a 35 year old African American coach with 0 experience as a head coach, and yes, 0 full years of coordinator experience at an FBS school, at NOTRE DAME. Good for him. About time. ND is breaking barriers. I’m all about progress. If we embrace this idea, then who the hell is Jack, or Hesburgh, or the admissions, to deny a kid from the ghetto, that grew up without privilege to pursue a football scholarship and degree at ND? Would ND let a kid like MF the recruit in today? What if a future Black head coach fails a math class because his mom is working a minimum wage job at Walmart and his baby sister gets sick so he stays home from school for a few weeks? Why did Rudy get into ND from a JC? That’s impossible today. No CC kids go to ND. Why has admission at ND gotten harder since Lou? Is that true progress? If you’re going to pretend to be progressive, then at least do it in a way that benefits the kids and fans that pay millions to watch us lose year after year, instead of increasing your own salary. The worst kind of progress is fake progress disguised as such that moves slowly in the direction of an obvious goal. Am I advocating for loose admissions? Not necessarily, but we are already headed towards that end goal. The resistance to it is the issue in Heinz sight. The issue will be 20 years from now when we ask, why was ND so racist as to not let in the same kids as Bama. The kids that did not have the same privileged upbringing as your former coaches and rich white kids. Why not offer bowling class like Bama? Might be a good cultural studies course. While we offer rich kids fencing scholarships. How many black kids from Florida have the opportunity to gain a fencing or hockey scholarship? You want to pretend to be progressive by hiring an unproven AA coach while denying admissions to 60% of the black children that might pick ND if given the chance. Sounds like corporate liberal money making bs disguised as progress at the expense of kids and fans. If you’re going to play progress then go all out.

 

[4-4-3]

So what you say is 100% going to happen? That ND will be forever not competing for Championships? That they are not smart or brave enough to correct the current problems? You sound so sure of yourself--which is GREAT. But I choose to believe that the powers that be at Notre Dame are not stupid and will at least try and make it easier to bridge the gap between ND football and the SEC.
I am not disrespecting your beliefs at all. In fact, I think you have nailed it with what is keeping ND from being at the top.
The only thing I disagree with you is that ND will never change. I believe they see that Nick Saban has been winning NC'S with honor at Alabama. And why cant the Irish compete with honor and win NC'S.
Change can happen ! And will !! Jack Swarbrik is just the man ! Brian Kelly could not win a big game. It just wasnt in him. There is a coach out there who can win the big game--and I believe it will be Marcus !
Go Irish !

In theory, I have an open mind on this because I have to -- given the world we live in runs on the UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE.

BUT BASED ON WHAT I SEE, there's no CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE that ND will ever ELEVATE FOOTBALL to so high a priority as to even SAY the words ND FOOTBALL and NICK SABAN in the same sentence. Let alone seek to have ND's program emulate Alabama's.

I mean, has anyone at ND ever said WE WANT TO DO THINGS MORE LIKE ALABAMA OR GEORGIA? Or we want to MIMIC THEM in as many ways as we can? But unless you have THAT KIND OF COMMITMENT, you're not likely to get where THEY ARE regardless of who your AD or coach is. Because AD's and coaches TAKE MARCHING ORDERS. And few think they're MacArthur or Patton.

That said, MY SUSPICION IS that ND MAY HAVE BEEN BENDING ADMISSIONS/ACADEMICS RULES to some extent as, TO MY EYE, there's been MATERIAL IMPROVEMENT IN TALENT AS RESPECTS BOTH IMPACT PLAYERS AND OVERALL DEPTH. HOWEVER, I DON'T SEE IT AS MATERIAL ENOUGH TO RIVAL THE KINDS OF CLASSES BAMA, GEORGIA, OSU et al pull in as a MATTER OF COURSE, YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.

And why wouldn't they? There's no academic IMPEDIMENT.

When during the Faust backlash, LOU HOLTZ was ALLOWED to bring in HIS PLAYERS, there was NO QUESTION that they were NC caliber. For instance, not only was TONY BROOKS from OKLAHOMA, he was the NATIONAL GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. And he wasn't even the best offensive player on the team!

Rocket, Bettis, Watters, Culver. Where was BK's answer to THEM? But if you're telling me that WE'RE GOING BACK TO HOLTZ LIKE ROSTERS due to Freeman's RECRIUITING "ACUMEN," all I'm saying is SHOW ME! But do it by proving that ND has again OPENED THE FLOODGATES. Do you have THAT KIND of data?

The thing with you, Bodi -- and I'm not being critical -- is that you BELIEVE. I like to see evidence. And sure, ND could win an NC again -- even MULTIPLE NC's -- but they'd have to REOPEN THE THROTTLE FULL BORE. Yet, despite what you may believe, there has been NO EVIDENCE, despite some RECENT BEND, that they are anywhere near doing that.

In addition, with NIL and transfers, the rest of the landscape is UPPING THE ANTE. Read my post on NIL and tell me that ND will DEFINTIVELY encourage or even PERMIT its BOOSTERS to start setting up LLC's to JUJITSU a player's NIL option into a way to FLAT OUT PAY RECRUITS.

Yes, paying recruits has always gone on at other schools, but it's NOW LEGAL FOR EVERYONE. Will ND partake of this? SHOW ME THAT THEY WILL, and I, too, will BELIEVE IT. No problem. But NOT UNTIL.

 

[4-4-3]

Change happens when you get put in a corner and beaten so badly you’ll do anything never to be there again. That’s why we went after BK. Weis hurt ND badly, as did the the previous two. BK built it back up and did about as good as any coach could do based on the restrictions. It’s going to take a tornado for us to get serious again, sadly. Right now is the best time to get desperate. This is the best the program has been since the 80’s. So what do you do? Pretend like it’s feast or famine. As Warren Buffett once said, “be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy.” ND was on the cusp of greatness. Now is the time to go ape shit. Now is the time to pay top dollar. Now is the time to take advantage of a situation that presents itself only once every 20-30 years. Squandering this culture, this opportunity by being cheap is the most tragic decision possible. You got a bargain in MF. Invest and bring in the very best DC in the world and if it means a NC, bring in the best OC too. And if it means changing admissions to match the 1980’s when we used to give underprivileged kids a chance, do that too.

ALL GOOD, but will they do it?

How far are they LIKELY to GO?

What should their approach to NIL be? ALL IN, including STRATAGEMS whereby number one recruiting classes are BOUGHT AND PAID FOR as A&M just did?

To me, these are critical points.

 

[WhySeperateKnob]

Jack made a civil rights move in hiring a 35 year old African American coach with 0 experience as a head coach, and yes, 0 full years of coordinator experience at an FBS school, at NOTRE DAME. Good for him. About time. ND is breaking barriers. I’m all about progress. If we embrace this idea, then who the hell is Jack, or Hesburgh, or the admissions, to deny a kid from the ghetto, that grew up without privilege to pursue a football scholarship and degree at ND? Would ND let a kid like MF the recruit in today? What if a future Black head coach fails a math class because his mom is working a minimum wage job at Walmart and his baby sister gets sick so he stays home from school for a few weeks? Why did Rudy get into ND from a JC? That’s impossible today. No CC kids go to ND. Why has admission at ND gotten harder since Lou? Is that true progress? If you’re going to pretend to be progressive, then at least do it in a way that benefits the kids and fans that pay millions to watch us lose year after year, instead of increasing your own salary. The worst kind of progress is fake progress disguised as such that moves slowly in the direction of an obvious goal. Am I advocating for loose admissions? Not necessarily, but we are already headed towards that end goal. The resistance to it is the issue in Heinz sight. The issue will be 20 years from now when we ask, why was ND so racist as to not let in the same kids as Bama. The kids that did not have the same privileged upbringing as your former coaches and rich white kids. Why not offer bowling class like Bama? Might be a good cultural studies course. While we offer rich kids fencing scholarships. How many black kids from Florida have the opportunity to gain a fencing or hockey scholarship? You want to pretend to be progressive by hiring an unproven AA coach while denying admissions to 60% of the black children that might pick ND if given the chance. Sounds like corporate liberal money making bs disguised as progress at the expense of kids and fans. If you’re going to play progress then go all out.

Wow....just wow....

 

[4-4-3]

Jack made a civil rights move in hiring a 35 year old African American coach with 0 experience as a head coach, and yes, 0 full years of coordinator experience at an FBS school, at NOTRE DAME. Good for him. About time. ND is breaking barriers. I’m all about progress. If we embrace this idea, then who the hell is Jack, or Hesburgh, or the admissions, to deny a kid from the ghetto, that grew up without privilege to pursue a football scholarship and degree at ND? Would ND let a kid like MF the recruit in today? What if a future Black head coach fails a math class because his mom is working a minimum wage job at Walmart and his baby sister gets sick so he stays home from school for a few weeks? Why did Rudy get into ND from a JC? That’s impossible today. No CC kids go to ND. Why has admission at ND gotten harder since Lou? Is that true progress? If you’re going to pretend to be progressive, then at least do it in a way that benefits the kids and fans that pay millions to watch us lose year after year, instead of increasing your own salary. The worst kind of progress is fake progress disguised as such that moves slowly in the direction of an obvious goal. Am I advocating for loose admissions? Not necessarily, but we are already headed towards that end goal. The resistance to it is the issue in Heinz sight. The issue will be 20 years from now when we ask, why was ND so racist as to not let in the same kids as Bama. The kids that did not have the same privileged upbringing as your former coaches and rich white kids. Why not offer bowling class like Bama? Might be a good cultural studies course. While we offer rich kids fencing scholarships. How many black kids from Florida have the opportunity to gain a fencing or hockey scholarship? You want to pretend to be progressive by hiring an unproven AA coach while denying admissions to 60% of the black children that might pick ND if given the chance. Sounds like corporate liberal money making bs disguised as progress at the expense of kids and fans. If you’re going to play progress then go all out.

Provocative viewpoint. And TERRIFIC PINCERS LIKE LOGIC on the race issue as per Freeman’s hire vs. minority recruiting.

But then, not all will agree with your assumptions.

• Should hiring a head coach EVER be a civil rights decision? What if the most qualified and AVAILABLE candidate isn’t black? Are we now applying SOCIAL JUSTICE/EQUITY STANDARDS in sports management? Personally, I’m more comfortable with MERIT BASED HIRES. To me, the person’s race is secondary.
• Is it racist to have academic requirements including for athletes just because specific minority candidates don’t meet them? If so, what’s the point of admissions at all?
• Are you certain ND is moving towards looser admissions? What do you know that I don’t? And I’m merely asking.
• Do you honestly think that ND will be viewed in 20 years as having been racist in trying to maintain academic standards? Might not Alabama be viewed as racist for viewing its football recruits as merely meat on the hoof meant to increase the school’s revenue in a less than wealthy state?

All of that said and regardless of how one views your assumptions – if you boil down your argument, it’s basically one urging ND TO STOP BEING ND.

Personally, I have no problem with that. Nor do I have a problem with ND not changing at all. But what I’m extremely interested in is what ND actually does.

Will it a) refuse to bend; b) try to make do with minimal change; c) try some shrewd hocus pocus; or d) take college football for the CASH-GRAB it is?

Whatever it decides, it’s GUT-CHECK TIME.

 

[4-4-3]

Wow....just wow....

Can you share a little more?

 

[lukeirish]

ALL GOOD, but will they do it?

How far are they LIKELY to GO?

What should their approach to NIL be? ALL IN, including STRATAGEMS whereby number one recruiting classes are BOUGHT AND PAID FOR as A&M just did?

To me, these are critical points.

Let me add to this post if I can. Right now I think Notre Dame has the top class for 2023 or at least it's in the top 5. The efforts by Freeman and the staff have been great. You know what undoes all that work. Money from NIL coming in from the heavyweights like Alabama, OSU, Georgia, USC, etc. That's the lay of the land right now. These other schools could put Notre Dame down a notch simply by targeting their top players with NIL money and by convincing them to swing to their programs. I'm not saying these schools would put their minds to it to take Notre Dame out, but the unintended result of NIL could be that ND actually recruits lower-ranked classes than it did under Brian Kelly. Not because Freeman and his staff are lazy or suck at it, but because the top players they believe they have in the fold are targeted by other schools with the NIL money to compete. I'm left wondering again if ND is going to play in this arena with the big boys or sink to the level of also ran.

 

[Patrirish]

So what you say is 100% going to happen? That ND will be forever not competing for Championships? That they are not smart or brave enough to correct the current problems? You sound so sure of yourself--which is GREAT. But I choose to believe that the powers that be at Notre Dame are not stupid and will at least try and make it easier to bridge the gap between ND football and the SEC.
I am not disrespecting your beliefs at all. In fact, I think you have nailed it with what is keeping ND from being at the top.
The only thing I disagree with you is that ND will never change. I believe they see that Nick Saban has been winning NC'S with honor at Alabama. And why cant the Irish compete with honor and win NC'S.
Change can happen ! And will !! Jack Swarbrik is just the man ! Brian Kelly could not win a big game. It just wasnt in him. There is a coach out there who can win the big game--and I believe it will be Marcus !
Go Irish !

Bodi,

You perceive academic standards as a problem not understanding that academic standards are woven into the fabric that makes Notre Dame special and different from other schools.

You see a “problem” where I see an inherent asset

you want Notre Dame to lower their academic standards so that they can compete with the better teams and I oppose lowering academic standards for any reason.

you want to change Notre Dame into an Alabama and I vigorously oppose any such change

 

[4-4-3]

Let me add to this post if I can. Right now I think Notre Dame has the top class for 2023 or at least it's in the top 5. The efforts by Freeman and the staff have been great. You know what undoes all that work. Money from NIL coming in from the heavyweights like Alabama, OSU, Georgia, USC, etc. That's the lay of the land right now. These other schools could put Notre Dame down a notch simply by targeting their top players with NIL money and by convincing them to swing to their programs. I'm not saying these schools would put their minds to it to take Notre Dame out, but the unintended result of NIL could be that ND actually recruits lower-ranked classes than it did under Brian Kelly. Not because Freeman and his staff are lazy or suck at it, but because the top players they believe they have in the fold are targeted by other schools with the NIL money to compete. I'm left wondering again if ND is going to play in this arena with the big boys or sink to the level of also ran.

Yes, and here's the rub.

What does ND do, as you ask, if OTHER TEAMS USING METHODS ND WON'T ADOPT POACH ND PRIZE RECRUITS?

Take ONE FOR THE TEAM? OR FIGHT BACK USING THOSE SAME METHODS?

It's a SIMPLE EITHER/OR.

And it's critical because REMAINING COMPETITIVE -- as you point out -- COULD HANG IN THE BALANCE.

 

[IrishBeer]

Yet MF has been able to bring in more elite recruits in one year than Kelly had in 12 years. lol. MF is showing how lazy a recruiter BK was.

Is that true? BK recruited several elite QB's including Kiel, Golson, Wimbush, Kizer. Also, some of the best OL in history. Also, some incredible tight ends. I like what Freeman is doing with the defensive recruiting, but the offensive recruiting has been pretty non existent without BK.

 

[john0gaunt]

BK nailed it with skill players on offense for years. His WR's, TE's and even RB's were elite. At a level we hadn't seen, maybe ever. Then these last few years it seemed to drop off. Not sure why that happened?

 

[Notre Dame du Lac]

BK nailed it with skill players on offense for years. His WR's, TE's and even RB's were elite. At a level we hadn't seen, maybe ever. Then these last few years it seemed to drop off. Not sure why that happened?

Tommy Rees.

 

[Golson5]

BK nailed it with skill players on offense for years. His WR's, TE's and even RB's were elite. At a level we hadn't seen, maybe ever. Then these last few years it seemed to drop off. Not sure why that happened?

No