The thing the naysayers, and panic stricken forgot is this is bigtime football recruiting- period. There will be a lot of kids taking looks when you're in the top 100 and EVERYONE wants you. For the first time in 14 years, it seems virtually all of ND's recruits are wanted by names like Bama, Oregon, UGA, USC, OSU, TAMU, LSU, Michigan, and Oklahoma. Prior to the arrival of Freeman, and him taking over and assembling this great recruiting staff when could we have ever said that? It speaks to the quality of recruiting...sure we landed a couple each year that probably had a couple of the offers listed above, but they were obvious ND guys, and those schools knew it early and never pressed hard. We haven't been accustomed to this level of poaching in quite a while.
We're battling toe-to-toe with the elite, the consistent national playoff contenders which is how we become a serious playoff contender. We're neck and neck with Clemson for Hanafin, and that was after he decided against Bama, Love is between us, Bama, and TAMU, Ausberry we're right there. Cooper Flanagan had a USC, Oregon, and Bama offers. NO ELITE PROGRAM is immune to poaching, as we can see with Malachi Nelson visiting TAMU this weekend. It is understood among the elite that the elite will continue to recruit the elite even if they're committed because that is how you stay elite. The goal of an elite program is to keep as many of those elites committed and be prepared for the contingency to do some elite poaching yourselves- hellow Caleb Herring.
I can go on, and on, but when you choose to be elite...and everyone wants to win National Titles...you have to contend with the big boys. That means there is a lot of uncertainty that will go on until they sign on the dotted line. Be prepared because I also believe we've done a wonderful job of talent evaluation the past couple years. I could see other guys having amazing senior seasons and blowing up as other big schools lose their targets. I look at an Adon Shuler who's done very little camps and I think he's taller now then the 6ft list, and is a workout king...I think if he blows things up and has a great post season he's a guy you could see an Alabama, UGA, and PSU make another run at, ditto for Vernon, Bell, Paige, and James...Peyton Bowen will continue to have programs begging him because he is truly elite, so is Keon, and Gray, and Jagusah because they are program changers. No program will stop recruiting a program changer until he changes his number. That's just the facts.