Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/259072
BY DAN MURPHY T he first Wednesday in February came and went in South Bend without any serious theatrics. Notre Dame signed a 23-man class of incoming freshman, adding the final piece early that morning. While the class was void of any major pleasant surprises in the home stretch, experts and analysts from around the country agree that the Irish can con- sider this year's round of recruiting a success. Notre Dame finished no lower than No. 11 in major team rankings for the 2014 class. They were among a very small group of schools that doesn't play in the Southeastern Conference and still managed to hover around a top-10 class. Blue & Gold Illustrated collected thoughts from some of the country's most prominent names in recruiting coverage about how Notre Dame fared in 2014 and what lies ahead for the Irish. JC Shurburrt, 247Sports Director of Recruiting: "It's a top-10 class with a lot of dif- ference-makers on the lines of scrim- mage. On the defensive line, specifi- cally, there's a lot of potential. If you start getting short at offensive line and defensive line — which was the X-fac- tor and the difference in the BCS title A Successful Effort The country's top recruiting experts sound off on a relatively drama-free signing cycle at Notre Dame Signing a half-dozen defensive linemen such as Grant Blankenship, who could also be an in-line tight end, was important to restore numbers at an area that was getting thin. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS