Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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I BY LOU SOMOGYI showroom at the time of the pur- chase, but it has provided pretty good mileage for the long road ahead. current senior class, the one signed in February 2009. It wasn't the sleekest car in the n grave economic times, stretch- ing a dollar is essential. That is what Notre Dame has mangaged to achieve with its No. 9 among the five major recruiting services, four of them in the top 10. • The 2008 group, featuring five- stars Michael Floyd, Kyle Rudolph and Dayne Crist, among others, was listed No. 2 (behind Alabama) by al- most every service. However, the point of diminishing returns became evident during the 2009 recruiting cycle. The Irish survived the 3-9 train Notre Dame's 15-man senior class has more than carried its weight despite a disappointing win total thus far SMALL PACKAGE, BIG DOINGS wreck in 2007 by still reeling in the aforementioned star-studded 2008 now lead to help break the cycle of the school-record-tying five straight seasons (2007-11) with at least five losses and zero top-25 finishes. It would have to do so even though it did not arrive with the fanfare of the three previous Irish recruiting classes. In the three seasons from 2006-08, As seniors in 2012, this class must class. However, the 6-6 regular sea- son in 2008 against the NCAA's 89th- ranked schedule was more damaging on the recruiting trail for at least a couple of reasons. First, Notre Dame finished the Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis and his staff re-established that the program still could collect marquee football talent. Back in 2004 and 2005, Notre Dame finished out of the top 20 in the re- cruiting rankings because of both a lack of quantity and quality. It signed a total of 32 players in those two classes — and only one was drafted in the NFL (fourth-round safety Da- vid Bruton). Over the next three years, the Irish became prominent again on the re- cruiting radar: • Weis' 28-man "killer class" in 2006 was a consensus top-10 harvest, ranked as high as No. 3 by Tom Lem- ming. • Led by National Player of the regular season with a demoralizing loss to 2-8 Syracuse on Senior Day with star prospect Manti Te'o in at- tendance, and then it was badly out- classed in a 38-3 trouncing at USC, not even picking up a first down un- til the last play of the third quarter. In the 48 to 72 hours after the de- bacle in Los Angeles, it was uncer- tain whether Weis even would be retained for his fifth season in 2009. By the time first-year athletics di- rector Jack Swarbrick declared that Weis would be back, the damage was unfolding. Throughout the months of December and January, Notre Dame added nobody to its 18 verbal com- mitments — but did have "decom- mitments" from receiver Nyshier Oliver (Tennessee) and defensive back Marlon Pollard (UCLA) to drop to 16. Just like in 2004 and 2005, Notre Year Jimmy Clausen at quarterback, the 2007 haul finished an aggregate Running back/slot receiver Theo Riddick has caught 84 passes the past two seasons, but is still looking to become a true running, receiving and returning triple threat. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA www.BLUEANDGOLD.com Dame was scrambling again on the recruiting trail with a class that at the time was considered maybe top-25 worthy. Then in the 11th hour on National Dame on Feb. 4 during a nationally televised event on ESPNU, the Irish football office exploded in ecstasy reserved for a national title. "I wanted to make a difference, and Yet when Te'o signed with Notre Notre Dame is on the way up," Te'o said on National Signing Day. "I want to help build a dynasty instead of just joining one. That was a big pull for me." The addition of Te'o elevated Notre their version of recruiting bread from heaven. host Hawaii the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve 2008 did more than result in a final 7-6 record. It was also a final promotion to land Laie, Hawaii, linebacker and National De- fensive Player of the Year Manti Te'o, although the smart money at the time probably was on USC. Notre Dame's 49-21 thrashing of MANTI TE'O TO THE RESCUE Dame to as high as No. 14 by ESPNU in its final recruiting tally. Ironically, ESPN was lambasted the previous year for being the only service not to have the Irish in the top two with Alabama — all the way down at No. 9, no less. Collectively, the 2009 class ranked about 18th overall among myriad re- cruiting services, always a disappoint- ing result by Notre Dame standards. But Te'o provided a salve for Weis, who admitted that a 10-15 record the past two seasons, a 2-4 finish to 2008 and constant conversation about his days being numbered at Notre Dame took its toll this time on the recruiting trail. Signing Day, Feb. 4, 2009, the two- month walk in the recruiting wilder- ness for the Irish staff ended with ever known," Weis said during the 2009 National Signing Day. "I might be an axe murderer. I don't know what else I am, but whatever needs to be said to try to turn people away from a school … it's a tough business out there. "I'm about every bad thing you've PRESEASON 2012 25