Notre Dame Signs Another, Looks For More

Today was a big day for all of the elite programs in the nation. Because of the All-American games, most of the great undecided players commit to a school today. Pittsburgh got linebacker Shayne Hale. Star running back Ryan Williams picked Virginia Tech. Even the Minnesota Golden Gophers got some good news, signing QB MarQueis Gray. Notre Dame also got some news, but it wasn't necessarily good.

Athlete Gerrell Robinson picked Arizona State over Notre Dame and Oregon. Gerrell Robinson has played quarterback and defensive back in high school but will most likely play wide receiver for the Sun Devils. Arizona State got a big signing today. Robinson is the best recruit that they have signed all year, and it gives them another wide receiver in this class, the third to commit. Arizona State has just got a great player, and I'm sure all Notre Dame fans wish him luck. However, he was the only wide receiver to pass on Notre Dame today.

Deion Walker committed to Notre Dame after the ESPN Under Armour All-American Game. Walker is a four star wide receiver coming out of Christchurch High School in Virginia. He is 6-4 and runs a 4.43 forty yard dash. Penn State and Notre Dame were his final two schools, but most Notre Dame fans were confident in him coming to South Bend. He is the third wide receiver to commit to Notre Dame for this class, giving them one of the best receiving corps in the nation. They did not lose one scholarship receiver from last year's squad, and there is only one scholarship player who will be a senior next year. With the addition of John Goodman, Michael Floyd, and Walker, Notre Dame has given Jimmy Clausen some great targets for next year.

With Deion Walker committed, it's time to look at the other recruits that Notre Dame is going after. Here are the three prospects that Notre Dame could get.

Cyrus Gray, RB-Another Gray. Yes, it would get confusing with two Grays in the backfield, but his addition would give Notre Dame another great running back. Cyrus Gray is the fifth ranked running back by Rivals this year, and he compiled 1975 rushing yards in his senior year. He is also considering California, Florida, Kansas, and Louisville. Notre Dame has a chance to get him, but I would put my money on California. California has had a recent history of a good running game, and he would play almost immediately. Florida rarely uses a running back. Kansas is a little bit surprising since they play in a pass-oriented offense. Louisville has some young running backs, much like Notre Dame. With Robert Hughes, Armando Allen, James Aldridge, and Jonas Gray, Cyrus may rather play at a school where could get more early playing time.

Kenneth Page, OG-Notre Dame has four offensive linemen in this class. Page is the most likely target out of the four. He is a four star offensive guard from South Carolina. His speed is amazing for a guard. He runs a 5.08 forty! He is just under 300 pounds, so his size is fairly good for a guard. The other teams in contention for Kenneth are Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina. Georgia Tech, Tennessee, and North Carolina are long shots, so Notre Dame, Clemson, and South Carolina are the most probable targets. Clemson and South Carolina have become the most talked-about schools, but I think the academics at Notre Dame may swing him towards ND. He has a 3.8 GPA and has said multiple times that academics are very important to him. He also knows that he could play immediately at guard or at tackle. I feel good about Kenneth Page, although most Notre Dame fans do not share the same feeling.

Mike Martin, DT-Martin is committed to Michigan, but he is making a visit to South Bend. If Michigan pulls his contract like what Notre Dame did to Omar Hunter, he is Irish. Martin seriously started thinking about checking out some other schools when Rich Rodriguez was hired as the next Michigan head coach. Martin is not very big (6-1, 285), but he makes up for it with his amazing strength. He benches 420 lbs and squats 520. He also won the state wrestling championship in his first year of organized wrestling. Martin is only considering Notre Dame for now, so Notre Dame also has a good chance with him. Now that Omar Hunter is in Gainesville, Martin could get playing time right away at nose tackle or defensive end. He could make Notre Dame fans forget about Omar Hunter.

So, to wrap it up, I believe that Kenneth Page and Mike Martin will both be attending Notre Dame in 2008. The Irish did lose Omar Hunter and just missed on Gerrell Robinson, but Kenneth Page and Mike Martin would ease the hurt. Notre Dame's two biggest weaknesses of last year were the defensive line and offensive line, so Page and Martin would be two of the biggest signings for Notre Dame. This class is already great. Adding these two would solidify it as the number one in the nation. Notre Dame would accept Page and Martin with open arms. Let's see if they feel the same way.

The Omar Hunter Saga

Now it is known. Notre Dame defensive line recruit Omar Hunter of Buford, Georgia is going to take a trip to Gainesville. This has come as a big blow and shock to Irish fans. Hunter has expressed almost the entire year on how solid his verbal was to Notre Dame. Now, he may leave to go play under, of all people, Urban Meyer, the former Notre Dame assistant coach who passed up on the Irish in 2005, a big surprise to everyone around the program. Meyer has been the king of negative recruiting. He is a recruit-stealer with poor tactics. Of course, this means war.

Omar Hunter has been one of the most promising recruits in this phenomenal 2012 class. He was recruited to play defensive tackle or nose guard in Notre Dame's 3-4 defense, but now says he wants better weather and to be closer to home. He is considering Florida and Southern Cal now.

Buford High School went undefeated this season and won the Georgia state championship. Southern Cal seems to be unlikely because of his desire to be close to home, so Georgia and Notre Dame are his final 2.

Wherever he goes, he will be a stud. The question is for how long. At Notre Dame, Dwight Stephenson and Trevor Laws, the tackles for the 2007 squad, have both graduated and Justin Brown has one year left. At Florida, there are four freshman defensive tackles and two freshman defensive ends. At Notre Dame, he would possibly be a starter or at least in the rotation from day one. At Florida, he would probably not be a starter until at least his junior year.

There are many bad things to say about Charlie Weis and Notre Dame, but poor recruiting is not one. Weis and Corwin Brown are going to figure out a game plan for Hunter. Weis, Brown, Polian, and Ianello are going to make a visit to Buford, or else Hunter's scholarship will be given to Mike Martin, a Michigan commit who does not want to play under Rodriguez it appears, or Masengo Kabongo (awesome name, I know) of Maryland. Maybe it is a little hypocritical when 2 Notre Dame recruits were committed to Nebraska earlier, and ND looks to be putting a full court press on Michigan recruits, but Meyer and his staff have been known to negative recruit and visit them almost to the point of stalking.

My take on this situation: Notre Dame had a lot of decommits last year. Greg Little and Arrelious Benn come to mind. The Irish can't afford to lose recruits. Hunter, however, will stay Irish. He has been too solid on Notre Dame to suddenly change. Don't worry Irish fans, he's ours. Urbie, go pester other teams and recruits. You are dead to us Notre Dame fans.

Hunter is still going to be part of the Irish recruiting class. Notre Dame fans can worry about Deion Walker now.