Brendon Clark

[theskibro]

This new commitment does not seem to get much attention from this board.
He seems to have a lot of potential and I like his willingness to compete unlike that Cade McNamara.

I would be interested to learn -
1 if anyone knows much about his skills and upside and
2 do you think Kelly gives his qb’s a legit shot?

I am unsure about Kelly because he has a history of using 2 qbs at Cincinnati and started both Kizer n Zaire for basically a game but he seems to have a so/so record of evaluating QB talent Evidenced by Crist, poor development of Golson Considering Kelly has a rep for offense his qb history is not stellar. All is my way of saying I hope this kid gets a legit shot to compete and develop

 

[NDAFArly]

This new commitment does not seem to get much attention from this board.
He seems to have a lot of potential and I like his willingness to compete unlike that Cade McNamara.

I would be interested to learn -
1 if anyone knows much about his skills and upside and
2 do you think Kelly gives his qb’s a legit shot?

I am unsure about Kelly because he has a history of using 2 qbs at Cincinnati and started both Kizer n Zaire for basically a game but he seems to have a so/so record of evaluating QB talent Evidenced by Crist, poor development of Golson Considering Kelly has a rep for offense his qb history is not stellar. All is my way of saying I hope this kid gets a legit shot to compete and develop

There is a lot about him in the other thread.

And you are wrong on the second point. Kelly is known for giving everybody a legit shot. That’s why he is quick up pull kids not playing well for backups.
He took a true freshman low 3 Star QB and won a lot of games. Took a freshman QB to 12-0 & number 1 ranking. Took a Sophomore QB with zero experience off the bench to 10 win season.
Remind me again of Crist’s development under Weis after he transferred?
And you lost me at “evaluating QB talent.” He evaluates & recruits great QB talent.
(Not to mention took Cincy to 12-0 with two QBs.)

 

[stu4don]

Crist had two knee surgeries... Was that Kelly's fault?

Golson was off the team for a year.... Kelly's fault?

I did wonder why Wimbush seemed to go backwards last year... This year will be important to Kelly rep with QB's.

Clark is a good pickup. Haven't watched all of his film. Loved Payne's sophomore! film.... Kid seems to have 'it'.

We've come a LONG LONG way from when Ty had a walk-on playing QB!

 

[justified1]

This new commitment does not seem to get much attention from this board.
He seems to have a lot of potential and I like his willingness to compete unlike that Cade McNamara.

I would be interested to learn -
1 if anyone knows much about his skills and upside and
2 do you think Kelly gives his qb’s a legit shot?

I am unsure about Kelly because he has a history of using 2 qbs at Cincinnati and started both Kizer n Zaire for basically a game but he seems to have a so/so record of evaluating QB talent Evidenced by Crist, poor development of Golson Considering Kelly has a rep for offense his qb history is not stellar. All is my way of saying I hope this kid gets a legit shot to compete and develop

Do you really believe Cade McN is not going to have to ‘compete’ at Michigan. There are already bigger better more highly rated QB’s at UM and I seriously doubt Harbaugh has shut down QB recruiting because he has some secret arrangement with McNamara.

Did phil Jurkovic commit to ND instead of Bama or Clemson because he was afraid to compete?

 

[theskibro]

Do you really believe Cade McN is not going to have to ‘compete’ at Michigan. There are already bigger better more highly rated QB’s at UM and I seriously doubt Harbaugh has shut down QB recruiting because he has some secret arrangement with McNamara.

Did phil Jurkovic commit to ND instead of Bama or Clemson because he was afraid to compete?

It seems the prevailing opinion of this board is that McN left when Phil was signed, hence the knock on him for not competing.

I don’t really know or care about his reason or leaving, he left my team.

I was just retelling what the majority opinion is on Cade. Sure he will have to compete at um. But when he switched there was little competition

 

[theskibro]

There is a lot about him in the other thread.

And you are wrong on the second point. Kelly is known for giving everybody a legit shot. That’s why he is quick up pull kids not playing well for backups.
He took a true freshman low 3 Star QB and won a lot of games. Took a freshman QB to 12-0 & number 1 ranking. Took a Sophomore QB with zero experience off the bench to 10 win season.
Remind me again of Crist’s development under Weis after he transferred?
And you lost me at “evaluating QB talent.” He evaluates & recruits great QB talent.
(Not to mention took Cincy to 12-0 with two QBs.)

Crist flat out sucked which is why I point to him starting under Kelly he was worse under Weis.
I will agree with you that Kelly may start someone or pull an incumbent but I do not see proof of him developing or evaluating qb talent. See Crist. See Golson. See wimbush falling apart from Miami game on

I don’t think for one minute that he took a 3 star qb — assume u mean Rees - and made him successful. No way. Rees has “it. “ Rees is one smart kid schooled by his Dad and if you don’t believe Rees is responsible for his own success, ask yourself why Wimbush can’t read defenses and find open receivers.?

Seems no matter what Kelly drills into some kids they either have it or they don’t

Let’s hope Wimbush develops this year because despite his athleticism, he certainly does not have natural qb IQ

I also do not see another thread that talks about our new qb

 

[francade]

“Crist flat out sucked”

Before he got hurt in the Tulsa game, I thought he was playing pretty well. Never looked the same after that.

 

[justified1]

Crist flat out sucked which is why I point to him starting under Kelly he was worse under Weis.
I will agree with you that Kelly may start someone or pull an incumbent but I do not see proof of him developing or evaluating qb talent. See Crist. See Golson. See wimbush falling apart from Miami game on

I don’t think for one minute that he took a 3 star qb — assume u mean Rees - and made him successful. No way. Rees has “it. “ Rees is one smart kid schooled by his Dad and if you don’t believe Rees is responsible for his own success, ask yourself why Wimbush can’t read defenses and find open receivers.?

Seems no matter what Kelly drills into some kids they either have it or they don’t

Let’s hope Wimbush develops this year because despite his athleticism, he certainly does not have natural qb IQ

I also do not see another thread that talks about our new qb

Kelly=“QB whisperer”

 

[FriedmanIP]

Do you really believe Cade McN is not going to have to ‘compete’ at Michigan. There are already bigger better more highly rated QB’s at UM and I seriously doubt Harbaugh has shut down QB recruiting because he has some secret arrangement with McNamara.

Did phil Jurkovic commit to ND instead of Bama or Clemson because he was afraid to compete?

Michigan does not have a highly touted QB in the class before Cade and does not yet have one in the class behind him either.

It’s well known that Jurkovec and Pyne weighed heavily on Cade’s decision to decommmit.

Unfortunately for Cade, his odds of starting st Michigan were much better if he had signed with ND and transferred to Michigan years later, instead of being a part of Michigan’s recruiting class.

It’s Harbaugh Year 4 and he hasn’t had a QB he recruited start a single game yet....and may not for another 2 years.

 

[echowaker]

“Crist flat out sucked”

Before he got hurt in the Tulsa game, I thought he was playing pretty well. Never looked the same after that.

never thought he was mentally tough either. seemed to fold up at the first sign of adversity.

 

[BGI User 1596]

“Crist flat out sucked”

Before he got hurt in the Tulsa game, I thought he was playing pretty well. Never looked the same after that.

Wasn’t Crist a 5 star?

 

[iupjes2001]

Do you really believe Cade McN is not going to have to ‘compete’ at Michigan. There are already bigger better more highly rated QB’s at UM and I seriously doubt Harbaugh has shut down QB recruiting because he has some secret arrangement with McNamara.

Did phil Jurkovic commit to ND instead of Bama or Clemson because he was afraid to compete?

I believe this opinion of not wanting to compete is based off what Cade said. He gave an interview to a TV station when he decommitted where he said as much with only a little bit of reading between the lines. Been a long time since I watched it but I believe that is what happened.

 

[NDAFArly]

I believe this opinion of not wanting to compete is based off what Cade said. He gave an interview to a TV station when he decommitted where he said as much with only a little bit of reading between the lines. Been a long time since I watched it but I believe that is what happened.

Yep.
I wrote up the entire backstory the mods put out then deleted it because I didn’t have permission to put it here.
But there was a gradual shift in Cade’s attitude as Phil was succeeding & then ultimately when ND was contacted by Pyne.
That’s why ND was sending out offers while Cade was still committed, they already knew he was not coming.

 

[Kelso86]

Wasn’t Crist a 5 star?

Dayne was a 5-Star QB. He started Kelly's 1st year basically because he was the only only with any experience (behind him were Rees, Hendrix, Nate Montana).

He really did not play bad considering Kelly's system was new to everyone, and probably did not fully fit his skill set. But, as someone stated, he really was not the same after his injury in the Tulsa game. And, the 1st half of the South Florida game in the opener (a fumble by a RB that was returned, and INT on another possession), and then getting yanked at halftime probably was not good for his confidence either.

 

[Kelso86]

Do you really believe Cade McN is not going to have to ‘compete’ at Michigan. There are already bigger better more highly rated QB’s at UM and I seriously doubt Harbaugh has shut down QB recruiting because he has some secret arrangement with McNamara.

Did phil Jurkovic commit to ND instead of Bama or Clemson because he was afraid to compete?

"Did phil Jurkovic commit to ND instead of Bama or Clemson because he was afraid to compete?'"

I don't think Phil considered either one of the 2 --

 

[NDAFArly]

"Did phil Jurkovic commit to ND instead of Bama or Clemson because he was afraid to compete?'"

I don't think Phil considered either one of the 2 --

Phil is a life-Long ND fan.
His family made him visit other schools before he was allowed to commit to ND. His father said as long as their is the Golden Dome Phil is going to ND.
Urban at OSU basically promised Phil the job, & didn’t recruit other QBs in the class until Phil called him & told him it was over.
Phil also publicly stated he just wanted to win at ND, regardless of who the QB was. Cade did the opposite. He made it clear to the staff & on local TV he wanted to play first.

 

[iupjes2001]

Yep.
I wrote up the entire backstory the mods put out then deleted it because I didn’t have permission to put it here.
But there was a gradual shift in Cade’s attitude as Phil was succeeding & then ultimately when ND was contacted by Pyne.
That’s why ND was sending out offers while Cade was still committed, they already knew he was not coming.

Thanks for clarifying. I agree with you that under Kelly Notre Dame has been excellent at evaluating and recruiting QB talent. I do believe the jury is still out on whether or not he develops QB talent well. You listed some examples of QB development, but I would argue that they don't close the case on him being a great developer of QB talent. He won a lot of games with kizer off the bench, but kizer regressed in year 2 when he was actually getting the direct coaching. He went to a championship with a freshman QB, not a small accomplishment by any means, but that year was much more about running game and solid defense, but games weren't won on golstens back. And he never really developed much more as a QB. And he often was bailed out that season by the 3* freshman qb who had physical limitations but had a great mind for the position...I can't say whether that was due to Kelly or not. In general it seems, there are as many questions as answers as to Kelly and QBs at Notre Dame even with his success stories. Although he has recruited some great talent.

 

[justified1]

Point is that ND fan lament about ‘afraid to compete’ is really just a bit of ‘sour grapes’ nonsense.

 

[zonairish]

Yep.
I wrote up the entire backstory the mods put out then deleted it because I didn’t have permission to put it here.
But there was a gradual shift in Cade’s attitude as Phil was succeeding & then ultimately when ND was contacted by Pyne.
That’s why ND was sending out offers while Cade was still committed, they already knew he was not coming.

I always thought that. They shut down recruiting for the QB and then suddenly put offers out. I knew Cade was a bogus commit

 

[NotreDomer1]

Point is that ND fan lament about ‘afraid to compete’ is really just a bit of ‘sour grapes’ nonsense.

Who’s lamenting? I have very rarely heard anything about Cade since the decommitment thread. It seems as if UMich fans want us to say how great Cade is and how much we miss him just to beat their chests over us. That isn’t going to happen so they should just give it up already. Nobody here cares that Cade is going to Michigan now. There’s no sour grapes. Good luck to the kid except when he plays us.

 

[LH24ND]

Kudos to the staff for having three young QBs in the pipeline.

 

[stu4don]

It seems (although a small sample) that Ian Book is Rees-like in his understanding of the system with much more athleticism. Remember, he got us that LSU win. Ian was Mike Sanford's recruit., Mike was Kelly's best QB coach to date, don't you agree? I give him credit for Kizer's sophomore year.
Wimbush=2 years
Book =3years
Phil = 5 years

 

[NDAFArly]

Yeah, there is absolutely no reason to complain about QB recruiting. That is the least of ND’s worries.
Really, with the current staff, let’s look at recruiting.
QB: Elite
TE: Elite
OL: Elite
WR: Very Good
RB: Below Average

RB is the head-scratcher. Denson is just not getting the job done. Now he is the reason Holmes left. (We know the full story now).
But as for recruiting, two elite RBs (Melusi & Chambers) had named ND their leader or co-leader, then both left ND out of their top 3. By all accounts it was Denson related. Long & Kelly went after them hard, but ultimately they know (and are told by opposing teams) that they will spend 99% if their time with their position coach. The common theme from former players, recent transfers & some recruits is the phrase “lack of trust” when talking Denson.

If ND can get Elite RBs they will be loaded on offense.

 

[iupjes2001]

Yeah, there is absolutely no reason to complain about QB recruiting. That is the least of ND’s worries.
Really, with the current staff, let’s look at recruiting.
QB: Elite
TE: Elite
OL: Elite
WR: Very Good
RB: Below Average

RB is the head-scratcher. Denson is just not getting the job done. Now he is the reason Holmes left. (We know the full story now).
But as for recruiting, two elite RBs (Melusi & Chambers) had named ND their leader or co-leader, then both left ND out of their top 3. By all accounts it was Denson related. Long & Kelly went after them hard, but ultimately they know (and are told by opposing teams) that they will spend 99% if their time with their position coach. The common theme from former players, recent transfers & some recruits is the phrase “lack of trust” when talking Denson.

If ND can get Elite RBs they will be loaded on offense.

I didn't know the whole story was out on Holmes...where is this from?

 

[NDAFArly]

I didn't know the whole story was out on Holmes...where is this from?

Holmes’ family.

 

[NDAFArly]

I will sumarize the Holmes situation.

1) He didn’t actually shoplift, he just held the bag & knew it was happening. Thus guilty.
2) since it was public it was handled differently than if it was not. Thus his immediate dismissal.
3) BK told him & his family that if he met guidelines set by them he could return.
4) the family & Holmes were embarrassed by the incident & wanted to make right.
5) Holmes had no prior history & stayed enrolled in school & got all A’s & B’s.
6) Denson was furious with Holmes & by most accounts overreacted to this one incident.
7) During Holmes’ dismissal he lost communication with Denson.
8) ND offered Holmes a walk on spot in ‘18 & his scholarship back in ‘19 since he met all the guidelines set forth by ND.
9) Holmes ultimately declined & took the same offer from PSU.
10) Holmes’ family says they aren’t going to spend 50k out of their own pocket to have their kid play for a position coach (Denson) they have zero trust or faith in.
11) this isnt the first player/family to say that they have no faith or trust in Denson.

It’s been universally accepted that Holmes made a mistake, he knows he did, & he fixed it. It’s also universally accepted that Denson overreacted to an isolated incident, the first & only one for Holmes, who also then excelled in the classroom & community, thus having charges dropped.
And now the family & player wants nothing to with Denson for his treatment of Holmes throughout.