Let me start by saying I'm getting excited about recruiting. I haven't been this optimistic about recruiting since Charlie Weis was hired. MF's best chance, his only chance, is to be an elite recruiter. So what about Rees? It's not a secret I'm not a huge Tommy Rees fan. Never was. Didn't like him in 2012 when he played for us. Seeing Golson play made me hate watching TR play even more. It's not that I don't like him as a person. I don't know him. He's probably a cool guy. It's not even that I think he's a terrible OC. The issue is that he's ND's OC in a new era. This new era begins and ends with recruiting. The lack of experience means RECRUITING IS IT. To be honest, I'm kind of excited to see what MF can do with recruiting. How absurd can it get? Can we be #1?
Last year we paid $2 million to bring in the hot, new DC. We beat out LSU in a bidding war. MF is known as an elite recruiter. We made a good hire in Stuckey, maybe that will help? We just hired Al Washington, known as an elite recruiter (both excellent hires IMO). I expect us to hire a killer recruiter as DC (MF's MO), hence the slow process of not yet naming anyone. Perhaps why he didn't hire Heacock. Yet, to me, the glaring issue is still sitting there. The offense hums along at the same hum drum boring level as when BK was here. Despite what some will argue, our offensive recruiting is NOT even close to as good as our defensive recruiting. We are never in the mix for an elite 5 star quarterback (before you say Dante Moore, he's very probably going to UofM). These offensive players like putting ND in their top 5, but when it comes down to it, they go elsewhere. We are not at the top of the list for 5 star running backs or WR's, something we used to pretty well at. We might do fine at TE and OL, but not skill positions. Did TR recruit some good players the past couple years? Sure. But is it championship level? Is it up to MF level?
The D recruiting is starting to rival Ohio State. 2023 is shaping up to be tremendous defensively. What about the offense? Should the expectation be that TR needs to recruit as well as the defense? If I take a more open minded approach to Tommy Rees, understanding he's the youngest, or second youngest, OC in the country, it doesn't really make me any more tolerant of the fact that he is not an elite recruiter. MF's MO is being an elite recruiter. He is essentially staking his job on this recruiting schtick. How do I know? He's hiring young coaches that are great recruiters. He's forgoing experience, for recruiting. What is happening defensively through recruiting is really impressive. We are getting commitments from kids out of Ohio and elsewhere that traditionally never would consider ND. Not happening on offense.
Regardless of what I say, TR is it. He's going nowhere. SO, what the hell can be done to match the defense? Should we expect better? Is TR an elite recruiter to you? Is it okay that he's not? I have to believe the MF is aware that TR is a weak link in recruiting. Do we need an elite offensive recruiter on staff? Who could we hire that would be that? Could we hire a QB coach? Let TR sit in the booth and draw up plays like Weis. I foresee a future top 5 defense talent wise and a 15-25 ranked offense talent wise. Again, MFs MO is recruiting. He knows that recruiting is where he's going to build this program and secure his legacy. He's not going to out experience BK, Kirby Smart, Nick Saban, Dabo. His legacy is RECRUITING. He wants to out recruit everyone in the nation. I like that plan and it's without a doubt his best shot at being an elite coach as his lack of experience IS going to hurt him (hence the bowl game). IF he recruits as well as Ohio State, he can learn on the job and create something special. So far, I am pretty happy, impressed really, with his recruiting of the defense. It could end up being our best class in history. I like that MF isn't too big of an ego to realize he needs to recruit better than everyone if he's going to have a shot. He's not dumb enough to think he's going to beat Gundy again with x's and o's. Should MF expect more out of TR for 2023?
Last year we paid $2 million to bring in the hot, new DC. We beat out LSU in a bidding war. MF is known as an elite recruiter. We made a good hire in Stuckey, maybe that will help? We just hired Al Washington, known as an elite recruiter (both excellent hires IMO). I expect us to hire a killer recruiter as DC (MF's MO), hence the slow process of not yet naming anyone. Perhaps why he didn't hire Heacock. Yet, to me, the glaring issue is still sitting there. The offense hums along at the same hum drum boring level as when BK was here. Despite what some will argue, our offensive recruiting is NOT even close to as good as our defensive recruiting. We are never in the mix for an elite 5 star quarterback (before you say Dante Moore, he's very probably going to UofM). These offensive players like putting ND in their top 5, but when it comes down to it, they go elsewhere. We are not at the top of the list for 5 star running backs or WR's, something we used to pretty well at. We might do fine at TE and OL, but not skill positions. Did TR recruit some good players the past couple years? Sure. But is it championship level? Is it up to MF level?
The D recruiting is starting to rival Ohio State. 2023 is shaping up to be tremendous defensively. What about the offense? Should the expectation be that TR needs to recruit as well as the defense? If I take a more open minded approach to Tommy Rees, understanding he's the youngest, or second youngest, OC in the country, it doesn't really make me any more tolerant of the fact that he is not an elite recruiter. MF's MO is being an elite recruiter. He is essentially staking his job on this recruiting schtick. How do I know? He's hiring young coaches that are great recruiters. He's forgoing experience, for recruiting. What is happening defensively through recruiting is really impressive. We are getting commitments from kids out of Ohio and elsewhere that traditionally never would consider ND. Not happening on offense.
Regardless of what I say, TR is it. He's going nowhere. SO, what the hell can be done to match the defense? Should we expect better? Is TR an elite recruiter to you? Is it okay that he's not? I have to believe the MF is aware that TR is a weak link in recruiting. Do we need an elite offensive recruiter on staff? Who could we hire that would be that? Could we hire a QB coach? Let TR sit in the booth and draw up plays like Weis. I foresee a future top 5 defense talent wise and a 15-25 ranked offense talent wise. Again, MFs MO is recruiting. He knows that recruiting is where he's going to build this program and secure his legacy. He's not going to out experience BK, Kirby Smart, Nick Saban, Dabo. His legacy is RECRUITING. He wants to out recruit everyone in the nation. I like that plan and it's without a doubt his best shot at being an elite coach as his lack of experience IS going to hurt him (hence the bowl game). IF he recruits as well as Ohio State, he can learn on the job and create something special. So far, I am pretty happy, impressed really, with his recruiting of the defense. It could end up being our best class in history. I like that MF isn't too big of an ego to realize he needs to recruit better than everyone if he's going to have a shot. He's not dumb enough to think he's going to beat Gundy again with x's and o's. Should MF expect more out of TR for 2023?
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