2009 Spotlight: Cierre Wood

Texas' class is nearly finished with 17 commits. LSU is off to a great start with 10 verbals. The USC Trojans easily have the most bang for their buck with all 10 of their commitments likely falling in the AC100. Even Butch Davis and North Carolina have 11 strong pledges for 2009.

Notre Dame - until this weekend - had only one. And it really didn't count anyway.

Jake Golic, son of ESPN radio's Mike Golic, had been committed for a few weeks. Mike played at Notre Dame and Jake's brother, Mike Jr., was a member of Notre Dame's 2008 class. So it really wasn't shocking that Jake committed to the Irish.

This weekend, however, Charlie Weis and company stepped it up a bit.

New Jersey defensive tackle Tyler Stockton jumped aboard. The 6'1" 290-pound tackle is one of the top players in the underrated Garden State. Interior defensive line is certainly a spot of concern for Irish fans so Stockton is a great addition.

But that still was not the news of the weekend in South Bend. Yes, Jimmy Claussen looked good in the spring game but it was a running back from Oxnard, Calif. that made waves.

Santa Clara High School's Cierre Wood, the nation's top running back prospect, was in South Bend over the weekend and announced that he will be attending Notre Dame University.

The 6-foot, 195-pound tailback is something that the Irish desperately need: a home run threat. Charlie Weis has done a great job of adding depth to his backfield. However, names like Robert Hughes and Jonas Gray, albeit highly ranked and very talented, are bigger, more bruising style of runners. They will run between the tackles and do it very well. But none of the current running backs at Notre Dame are big play threats, though. Wood changes that immediately.

Wood has great speed and acceleration. Once he sees the hole, especially if it is on the outside, he explodes through a crease. He can score from anywhere on the field. Although he could add some size and bulk, he has a surprisingly strong lower body that allows him to run through most arm tackles. Balance, vision and cutting are all very strong aspects of his game. He can make people miss in the open field and quickly get back to full speed - generally leaving defenders flailing at air.

Wood will also be a solid receiving option from out of the backfield. He can get vertical in a hurry, putting a lot of pressure on linebackers who will likely be unable to keep up in the open field.

The only issue with Wood's game is that striaght-line, between the tackles yards will be tough to come by in high Division-1 football. As mentioned earlier, he shows good strength, but runs a bit high and is not incredibly thick. The great news for Irish fans is that he will not be asked to fill that role. Guys like Hughes and Gray will be the ones picking up the 4th-and-one's.

Wood in action:

Team Recruiting Countdown: No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

2008 Haul: 23 signees, 9 Athlon Consensus 100

Scouting Report:

It is not difficult to see where improvements need to be made on this Notre Dame team. The Irish finished last (119th) in total offense in 2007. Notre Dame also ranked at or near the bottom in terms of sacks allowed and yards lost (due to sacks). Needless to say, Weis could use a lot of different pieces.

To address the issues of protection, Weis went out and signed four, possibly five, offensive lineman. Trevor Robinson (Omaha, Neb.) and Lane Clelland (Owings Mills, Md.) will add much needed talent to the Sam Young led group. At center, Braxston Cave (Mishawaka, Ind.) could end up as the top center prospect in the nation and Mike Golic (Bristol, Ct.) clearly has solid bloodlines as his father played for the Irish and Philadelphia Eagles.

The O-line was supplemented nicely with two solid tight end prospects. Kyle Rudolph (Cincinnati, Ohio) is arguably the best tight end in the nation and Joseph Fauria (Encino, Calif.) has the skills and size (6-8, 260) to end up at tackle. Both positions could use the help, so a guy like Fauria will prove invaluable.

Speaking of pass catchers, the wideouts that head to South Bend are excellent. Mike Floyd (St. Paul, Minn.) is in the conversation for 2nd best wide receiver prospect in the nation behind Alabama’s Julio Jones. Floyd is the best prospect to come out of the state of Minnesota since Joe Mauer. Deion Walker (Christchurch, Va.) saw his stock slip a bit near the end of the year but is still very talented. John Goodman (Fort Wayne, Ind.) rounds out the trio. All three are 6-4.

The question now becomes who will be throwing them the ball. The nation’s top prospect a year ago was Jimmy Claussen, but he will compete with newcomer Dayne Crist (Sherman Oaks, Calif.). Claussen clearly has the advantage with one year of experience (if you want to call it that) but Crist has the physical tools (6-5 with a rocket arm) and mental make-up to really press Claussen for the starting gig.

The Irish have yet to sign a game-breaker at running back under Charlie Weis. They are, however, stock piling talented, Big 10 style runners. Jonas Gray (Detroit, Mich.), much like James Aldridge and Robert Hughes, is a bigger, more powerful runner. Gray has more talent than both Aldridge and Hughes. Look for the running back by committee theory to only get more muddled in South Bend. The talent is there, though.

The O-line was not the only ‘line’ that needed help in this class. The defensive front got a huge boost from the ’08 class. Five defensive lineman and four linebackers head to Notre Dame this year. End Ethan Johnson (Portland, Ore.) is the top player in the state of Oregon and is the most talented of the group. Brandon Newman (Louisville, Ky.) and Sean Cwynar (Woodstock, Ill.) add two massive bodies to the interior of the D-line. At linebacker, the top player in the state of Illinois, Steven Filer (Chicago), Crist’s teammate in California, Anthony McDonald, and the hybrid talent Darius Fleming (Chicago, Ill.) create a formidable group of tacklers. Former Penn State superstar Paul Posluszny’s younger brother David is also a part of this group. The genetics are unquestionable.

Three solid defensive backs look to sure up a porous secondary. Robert Blanton (Matthews, N.C.) is the most talented. Dan McCarthy (Youngstown, Ohio) is a brilliant leader and heady player but has some serious injury issues that may force him out of football all together. Jamoris Slaughter (Stone Mountain, Ga.) is a very strong blend of size and speed.

It is no surprise that Notre Dame can go out and recruit nationally. Players from 17 different states head to South Bend, Ind – only two from the Irish’s home state of Indiana. The top player in Oregon (Johnson), Minnesota (Floyd), Illinois (Filer), and Michigan (Gray) all picked Notre Dame. In addition, a top-5 talent from Maryland (Clelland), North Carolina (Blanton), Kentucky (Newman), Indiana (Cave), Nebraska (Robinson) and Illinois (Fleming/Cwynar) also will be calling South Bend home.

Top Prospect: Dayne Crist – QB – Sherman Oaks, Calif. (6-5, 225) AC100 No. 20

Crist may be the best pure quarterback in the nation. He is very similar in stature and physical ability to Ballwin quarterback Blaine Gabbert. He is not quite as mobile as Gabbert but does have some sneaky athleticism. Much like Ben Roethlisberger, he has an uncanny way of maneuvering away from the pass rush.

What separates Crist from most quarterback prospects is his superior arm strength and pocket poise. He can make every throw on the football field and does it standing tall in the pocket, even in the face of pressure. Although he has nice snap on the ball, Crist does a great job of throwing softer, catchable balls when the situation calls for it.

When it comes to mechanics and technique, Charlie Weis may want to work on Crist’s consistency. He shows flashes of perfect footwork, throwing motion and movements but will need to work on repeating those perfect reps with more consistency. Crist played as much under center as he did in the shotgun, so the transition to more of a pro-style offense should not be an issue.

Best of the Rest:

Mike Floyd – WR – St. Paul, Minn. (6-3, 200) AC100 No. 13
Kyle Rudolph – TE – Cincinnati, Ohio (6-6, 230) AC100 No. 26
Ethan Johnson – DE – Portland, Ore. (6-4, 260) AC100 No. 36
Deion Walker – WR – Christchurch, Va. (6-2, 186) AC100 No. 67
Jonas Gray – RB – Detroit, Mich. (5-10, 218) AC100 No. 70
Steven Filer – LB – Chicago, Ill. (6-3, 225) AC100 No. 78
Trevor Robinson – OL – Omaha, Neb. (6-6, 300) AC100 No. 85
Darius Fleming – LB/DE – Chicago, Ill. (6-2, 230) AC100 No. 90
Braxston Cave – C – Mishawaka, Ind. (6-4, 295)
Sean Cwynar – DT – Woodstock, Ill. (6-4, 280)

Sleeper: David Posluszny – LB – Aliquippa, Penn. (6-1, 210)

The younger brother of NFL first rounder Paul, Posluszny is much like his older counterpart in terms of recruiting evaluation. Both were underrated by most recruiting services. Little Poz is smaller in stature than his brother but has the same natural football instincts. His solid production comes from great work ethic, coach-ability and persistent attitude. He will be a classic over-achiever in college.

Deion Walker Says Yes to Fighting Irish

This morning Christchurch, VA wide receiver Deion Walker is the first big name on Signing Day to announce his school.

Big Pick up for the Irish - although he is not nearly as good as Mike Floyd.

The very familiar terms ‘tall, rangy wide receiver’ once again applies to this prospect. Walker did play some safety in high school and shows great ability in playing the high point position and patrolling the deep secondary. These strong ball skills also make him a playmaker in the vertical passing game.

He has good speed and has some ability to make people miss in the open field. He is not, however, a ‘quick-twitch’ kind of player. His speed will be more than adequate when combined with his ability to make the big play.

Walker is going to need to add some thickness as Division I athletes will throw him around without added weight. That raises another issue: level of competition. The players he was going up against were nowhere near his equal in athleticism.

Athlon Sports Recruiting Blitz:

This week's edition of the National Recruiting Blitz is up on the site.

Mitch and I break down twenty more prospects from the Athlon Consensus 100.

The overall success of the PAC-10 during this 2008 recruiting class, Florida's controversial recruiting tactics and updates on Terrelle Pryor, Darrell Scott and Julio Jones all highlight this week's edition of the National Recruiting Blitz.

National Recruiting Blitz: 01.23.08

Athlon Sports Podcasts

Every time Athlon releases 10 more names on the AC100, I look a little deeper into those ten names...

Deeper Look: No. 21-30 Notre Dame and the offensive tackle position are very well represented in this group...

Mountain Brook's Tyler Love is just one of the names I break down in this release.

Pre-Signing Day Team Recruiting Rankings:

In the middle of November, the first edition of The UV's Unofficial Team Recruiting Rankings debuted. Notre Dame was the best class in the nation after the first unofficial rankings. Things have changed a bit since then.

Athlon's ranks were USC-1, UGA-2, OSU-3, ALA-4, MIA-5. Our rankings only act as one-fourth of the overall team rankings. Much in the same way that the Athlon Consensus 100 works, these team rankings are compiled using four expert sources. ESPN, Rivals, Scout and Athlon.



Rivals and Scout use a computer system that calculates a point total based on individual rankings and quantities. ESPN's list is a subjective group put together based on one man's opinion. Athlon's rankings are obviously subjective as well. This gives The Unofficial Team Recruiting Rankings equal parts computer and human.

Georgia's consistency at No. 2 across the board gave the Bulldogs enough to overcome Notre Dame's two No. 1's. USC and OSU have the best bang for their buck with the highest level of quality. But schools like Miami and Alabama have put together much bigger classes at the moment so they got the nod in most rankings.

Texas has the top running back class with five nice prospects. They would have one of the best classes at the position in history if land Ventura (Cali.) running back Darrell Scott, whom they seem to be leading for after Longhorn tailback Jamaal Charles declared for the draft. Scott is the No. 1 running back prospect in the nation. If the Gators were to add Jacksonville star Jamie Harper and DeSoto (Tx.) product Cyrus Gray, they might be able to challenge. If the experts want to count USC transfer Emmanuel Moody, Florida might be leading.

USC is pulling off the same feat along the offensive line with six outstanding prospects. Ohio State could challenge if they were to land a kid like Josh Jenkins and Notre Dame might have something to say if they could snag Kenneth Page from the southeast.

The depth of this wide receiver class is special and there is still a lot of work to be done. With names like Muskogee's (Okla.) Jameel Owens and Foley's (Al.) Julio Jones still hanging in the balance, any number of teams could claim the title.

Florida would certainly clinch this position if they can somehow pull the upset and land Jones. Carl Moore, Omarius Hines and Frankie Hammonds round out a very well-balanced class for the Gators.

USC's class is special. D.J. Shoemate is Percy Harvin plus two inches and 30 pounds. Brice Butler might be the most polished wideout in the entire class. Oklahoma would challenge if they land Owens - which seems likely. Notre Dame recently pulled Deion Walker off the east coast and Michael Floyd is a very special player. Miami could join the action if the 6-6 Tommy Streeter gives The U a clean sweep of the Northwestern-7. (Ben Jones would have to commit as well...work with me here)

Spain Park defensive end William Green would give Alabama the best defensive line class. Miami boasts the best interior group led by Marcus Fortson, Texas A&M leads on the edge with six commits. Georgia has the second best overall class. Clemson and Oklahoma bring in the best two defensive line prospects in DaQuan Bowers and R.J. Washington respectively.

Miami has the linebacker class locked up. This class is so deep that the Canes might have five starters in the group: three linebackers, one safety and one defensive end. Michigan and Virginia Tech both have great depth in the linebacker corp. If the Buffaloes can hang onto Lynn Katoa, Colorado will have a dynamite group at linebacker.

LSU is atop the list of defensive back classes, led by Ely's (Fl.) Patrick Johnson. If Rick Nueheisel can hang onto Rahim Moore, E.J. Woods and company, UCLA might get my nod, however. It just seems so unlikely that will happen. The Gators claim the top safety group with New Jersey product Will Hill and Auburn High's Dee Finley.

The final team rankings will be released post-signing day.

New Year's Decommitments: Hunter/Johnson

Two major names celebrated their New Year's with two not-so-surprising resolutions. Both of these kids have had rumors swirling around their recruitment for some time now. They both just made it official this week.

Buford, GA defensive tackle prospect Omar Hunter has decommitted from Notre Dame and Ely High (Fla.) standout Patrick Johnson broke off his ties with Miami. Neither is a shock. Johnson has been rumored to have been decommitted for a long time and stories about Hunter had surfaced a few weeks ago.

Both of these players are considered top-100 type players. Both will be featured soon on the Athlon Consensus 100.

The Hunter loss hurts Notre Dame just a bit more however. Notre Dame's top priority this season in recruiting was defensive and offensive line play. Charlie Weis has done a great job of addressing those issues with names like Trevor Robinson, Ethan Johnson and many others. Hunter was a linchpin of the D-Line class though. With the new 3-4 scheme, it is imperitive that a big, versitile tackle can play head-up on the center. It is just a tough task to find guys like that and Hunter is one of them.

Miami is still loaded on the defensive side of the ball in this class. The-U has the best linebacking class in the nation and recently added top-flight safety and former FSU commit C.J. Holton. Plus, I think Patrick Johnson was a bit overrated. When a kid brings this much turmoil upon himself so early in his career, I back off.

Hunter's finalists: Auburn, Florida, USC (my guess is Auburn)
Johnson's finalists: Florida, Florida St, LSU (my guess is Florida)

Athlon Consensus 100: 91-100

The first release of the AC100 went live this morning...

91. Justin Johnson - RB - Gilmer, TX (Okla)
92. Charles Whitlock - CB - Chester, SC (S. Car)
93. Andrew Sweat - LB - Washington, PA (OSU)
94. Brandon Smith - ATH - New Brunswick, NJ (und.)
95. A.J. Harmon - OG - Louisville, GA (Clem)
96t. Toby Jackson - DE - Griffin, GA (UGA)
97t. Aaron Hester - CB - Compton, CA (UCLA)
98. Tavarres King - WR - Mt. Airy, GA (UGA)
99. Anthony Dye - CB - Corona, CA (UCLA)
100. Trevor Robinson - OG - Elkhorn, NE (ND)

Right off the bat, Georgia and California take an early lead in state race, with Ga, already with three prospects.

Two corners and two offensive guards are in this first ten as well. Do not expect too many more guards. Corners there will be plenty of.

UCLA and UGA each have two kids committed. The UCLA ones we will have to wait and see about. Now that they finally have a new coach.

The SEC jumps out ahead of the other big leagues with three commits already. The Pac-10 and Big Ten/ND both have two each.

Three names really stand out to me. Tavarres King, Aaron Hester and Andrew Sweat. But not all for the same reason.

Andrew Sweat is limited in his top end speed and can be too aggressive. He needs to work on his control and discipline. He will be a solid player but should not be in the top-100.

King and Hester are much different. Tavarres King will be a star. In the open field, he is unstoppable. He will need to get stronger and thicker but has a chance to be great. Aaron Hester is just a really smooth defensive back. He plays wonderful trail technique and shows a burst when the ball is in the air. Both of these kids should be ranked in the 50-60 range.

Athlon Consensus 100

Joe Montana QB Finalists

The first annual Joe Montana Quarterback of the Year Award has its seven finalists. Hall of Famer Joe Montana and QB coaching expert Steve Clarkson, along with the DeBartolo Sports University, will be giving this award to "the nation's best quarterback."

The Finalist:

Dayne Crist - Sherman Oaks, CA (Notre Dame)
EJ Manuel - Bayside, VA (Florida St)
Matt Scott - Corona, CA (Arizona)
Braden Hansen - Charlotte, NC (North Carolina)
Landry Jones - Artesia, NM (Oklahoma)
John Wienke - Tuscola, IL (Iowa)
Matt Barkley - Santa Ana, CA (USC lean-2009)

Matt Barkley is arguably the best prospect in the entire nation next season. USC should have him wrapped-up soon.

E.J. Manuel is the best prospect of the group. He is the most mentally ready quarterback of the group. He is already a leader. Crist and Barkley are the next best prospects not only on this list but in the entire nation.

Landry Jones is a great looking player but when will he get to play?

The interesting thing is that all of these kids are dramatically better passers than Terrelle Pryor. Is that why Pryor does not show up on this list?

If it is about who throws the ball better then sure leave Pryor off, but if the claim is "the nation's best quarterback," how is Pryor not on this list? He is not only the best prospect but also the best athlete and he led his team to a state title breaking records along the way. What does he need to do to get on this list?

With all due respect to Hall of Famers and gurus, Pryor belongs on this list.

The award will be announced on January 1, 2008 during the first half of the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla.

National Recruiting Blitz: 12.18.07

This week's national recruiting blitz is up on the site.

AthlonSports.com

This week I am joined by Gary Ferman of CaneSport.com.

Ferman breaks down the Arthur Brown commitment. Tells us where Patrick Johnson and Matt Patchan will be headed. And dissects the Northwestern-7.

The Shrine Bowl, Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic, Trevor Robinson and much more!!

Athlon Sports Recruiting Blitz 12.18.07

US Army AA Player of the Year Finalist

The US Army All-American Bowl is easily the best national "all-star" event for high school prospects each season. In conjunction with that game, finalist for National Player of the Year have been announced. This list is not necessarily the best six players.

Nigel Bradham LB 6-2, 225 (Wakulla High School, Crawford, Fla.)
Arthur Brown LB 6-1, 215 (East High School, Wichita, Kan.)
Dayne Crist QB 6-4, 225 (Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
Patrick Johnson DB 6-1, 190 (Blanche Ely High School, Pompano Beach, Fla.)
Terrelle Pryor QB 6-5, 230 (Jeanette High School, Jeanette, Pa.)
Darrell Scott RB 6-0, 205 (St. Bonaventure High School, Ventura, Calif.

Technically Patrick Johnson is committed to Miami...technically. He has a wandering eye. Dayne Crist is committed to Notre Dame. I wonder if Charlie Weis pulls a Joe Theismann and adds an H? Nigel Bradham is headed to Florida State. Darrell Scott is supposedly silently committed to Colorado.

Arthur Brown narrowed his list to UNC, Fla, Mia, USC and LSU this week.

The man to beat is Terrell Pryor though. Whose 421 total yard, 7 td performance against Aliquippa a few weeks back was raising question amongst local coaches if he was better than Tony Dorsett. Dorsett is consider to be the best high school football player in the state of PA, ever.

I still say Pryor ends up in Columbus.

The US Army All-American Bowl is on NBC, Jan. 5th, 1 pm EST.

Crespi-Servite Overtime Thriller!

One California Pac-5 division semi-final could not have offered more excitement. Anaheim-Servite lost to Encino-Crespi 13-10 in overtime this weekend. The other Pac-5 final was not quite as exciting as Long Beach Poly beat Orange Lutheran 2-0. Yes, thats right. A safety to nothing.

Crespi-Servite featured five high-level stars.

Crespi sports three of them. UCLA commit EJ Woods, huge OL Joseph Fauria is committed to Notre Dame and quarterback Kevin Prince is liking headed to Washington.

Servite features two future USC Trojans: athlete D.J. Shoemate and offensive tackle Matt Kalil.

Woods, who has said he is going to look around even though he is committed to UCLA, scored a two-yard touchdown in overtime to win the game. Crespi handed him the ball on almost every play in overtime.

DJ Shoemate, a player that should be ranked in the top-5 nationally, scored Servite's only touchdown late in the game as he tied the score 7-7. Shoemate is Percy Harvin plus 3 inches and 30 pounds.

Long Beach Poly used two key defensive stands inside their own five yard line to win the shootout with Orange Lutheran.

Team Recruiting Rankings

As we near the end of the actual football season, we begin to head into the heart of another type of season. The recruiting season. The bowl season, for those teams not practicing for such historic bowl titles as the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, means hitting the recruiting trail. I have searched high and low to bring you the first ever Unofficial Visitor team recruiting rankings. With a little help of course...

Rivals and Scout are both completely computerized awarding points for quality and quantity. Hence Ohio St and USC are lower. ESPN is completely objective (Its just some guy ranking classes).

I will be the BCS of recruiting rankings. It will be two parts computer and two parts human poll. I will input my rankings and come up with "The Unofficial Team Rankings:"