Blue and Gold Illustrated

Sept. 21, 2015 Issue

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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THE FIFTH QUARTER LOU SOMOGYI sive end by 247Sports, earned Freshman All-America honors after leading the 2011 Irish in sacks (5.5) and QB hurries (14). Less known was how miserable and homesick the Florida native was, prompting his transfer to South Florida the following spring. He played only one season for the Bulls before turning pro. "Cultural fit" is not as sexy to in- clude with 40 times, bench presses and vertical jumps in recruiting assessments. Troy Niklas — His career actually be- gan at drop linebacker, with some work along the line (20 tackles in 2011), but as a sophomore he was shifted to tight end to complement All-American Tyler Eifert as a blocker. After catching 32 passes that aver- aged 15.6 yards each and included five touchdowns, he turned pro and was a second-round pick. He was listed as the country's No. 17 strongside defensive end by 247Sports. Anthony Rabasa — Another top prospect from Florida was designated as a weakside end, a position where Rivals had ranked him No. 11 nation- ally. The graduate appeared in 10 games during his career, recorded seven tackles and was going to use his fifth season of eligibility at Western Michigan before deciding to move on with his life after football. Using your degree … what a concept! Tony Springmann — Redshirted as a freshman in 2011, Rivals' No. 39 strongside defensive end was a valued reserve the next season when he ap- peared in all 13 games and recorded 11 tackles. Back and knee injuries side- lined him in 2013, and in 2014 he was ruled medically no longer able to play football en route to earning his degree. Stephon Tuitt — Easily the standout among the group because he was the only one who played at least two full years on defense. Tuitt, who was rated as a five-star prospect and the nation's No. 2 strongside defensive end, actually played three seasons before turning pro and getting drafted in the second round after his junior campaign. During the 12-1 season in 2012, he became the first Notre Dame defensive lineman to earn first-team All-America notice as a sophomore. His produc- tion ebbed in 2013 while overcoming a sports hernia surgery, but his 121 career tackles (21.5 sacks) turned out to be one less than the other seven combined. Ishaq Williams — Williams finished with one career start from 2011-13 and 45 tackles, six of them for lost yardage. Yet if he can attain his Notre Dame degree, which is his objective, he will have achieved the foremost goal of his college experience. Williams joined the Irish ranked as a five-star talent and the country's No. 2 weakside defensive end. As seniors in 2014, only Hounshell and Rabasa were still at Notre Dame. It reflects just how brutal a game foot- ball can be and how attrition through various means can alter the ratings of a recruiting class. What you see in any recruiting class on a particular February is not always what you get down the line. ✦ Senior Editor Lou Somogyi has been at Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 1985. He can be reached at lsomogyi@blueandgold.com

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