Irish rank among top 15 in recruiting, not during season
The Great Debate continues.
In the past few years, conversation on signing day has centered on why the Irish always rank among the top 15 schools in recruiting but then rarely crack the same ranking in the Associated Press and USA TODAY/ESPN polls. There are three basic schools of thought: either Notre Dame's coaches have struggled in maximizing their talent, the supposedly top talent is overrated or a combination of the aforementioned reasons.
The Great Debate continues.
In the past few years, conversation on signing day has centered on why the Irish always rank among the top 15 schools in recruiting but then rarely crack the same ranking in the Associated Press and USA TODAY/ESPN polls. There are three basic schools of thought: either Notre Dame's coaches have struggled in maximizing their talent, the supposedly top talent is overrated or a combination of the aforementioned reasons.
The argument arose once again after the Fiesta Bowl, when Oregon State, a team that has never ranked high in the recruiting rankings, dominated Notre Dame.
"You tell me how Oregon State can beat you (Notre Dame) by 40 (actually 31) points in a bowl game?," recruiting analyst Max Emfinger said on Tuesday. "I can't understand it. They (Oregon State) don't have anybody that I've ever heard of. Oregon State has nobody. And Notre Dame has All-Americans at every position. It's hard to understand."
Although he did not intend it, Emfinger's statement proves the unreliability of the "experts" rankings. Obviously, the Beavers had some talent. But because their roster was not full of high school All-Americans, many believed they overachieved.
On the other hand, Notre Dame's coaching staff has been constantly criticized for not correctly utilizing and developing their superior recruiting classes.
The Irish signed 19 high school seniors on Wednesday, all of whom have impressive résumés and good reputations. Four of the players (tight end Mark LeVoir, offensive lineman Zach Giles, offensive lineman Dan Stevenson, and linebacker Corey Mays) were named to either the Parade or USA TODAY All-American squads. And LeVoir, Mays, Giles and receiver Carlos Campbell ranked among recruiting analyst Tom Lemming's top 100 national prospects.
But even Irish coach Bob Davie admitted that the current predictions have little significance.
"We've all been through this before," Davie said. "None of us know exactly what we have, if we're honest. I always refer to it like having that Christmas present. You've got that thing wrapped and you think it's pretty good. But we won't know until August and it'll probably be a long time after that until we know for sure. There's just so many things that have to happen for a player to be productive."
During his four years as head coach, Davie has seen certain players surpass their high school reputations while observing others who have struggled adjusting to the faster, more physical college game.
The 1998 recruiting class included a trio of disappointments. Clifford Jefferson was considered one of the nation's best cornerbacks and was named first-team USA TODAY All-American. Three years later, Jefferson is arguably the most criticized member of the Irish team.
Linebacker Carlos Pierre-Antoine, a second-team USA TODAY selection, recorded only two tackles in two games played during the 2000 season. Another highly touted recruit, Mike McNair, has battled injuries and has had trouble changing positions from tailback in high school to fullback at Notre Dame.
Meanwhile, three other current players have exceeded the pre-college expectations of the recruiting analysts. Last year, Carlyle Holiday and Jared Clark were both ranked above Matt LoVecchio in Lemming's list. But while Holiday and Clark did not play in 2000, LoVecchio went 7-1 as a first-year starter. Current junior Anthony Weaver, a three-year starter on the defensive line, was a relative unknown when he came out of Saratoga Springs, New York in 1998. And starting running back Julius Jones garnered only honorable mention high school All-American honors.
"I think sometimes we get ahead of ourselves, everyone wants to rank the recruiting classes," Davie said. "That's impossible to do. Getting them to sign is just a small part of it. What comes next is important."
So if rankings are meaningless and "what comes next is important", then coaching the talent must be crucial for on-field success, right?
The names may change in the future but one thing will remain the same.
The Great Debate will continue for several more years.
All Sports Stories for Thursday, February 8, 2001
