Irish Recruiting Class Grows to Seven!

Shortly after Andrew Hendrix committed to Notre Dame on Thursday afternoon, the class of 2010 grew by one as Blake Lueders gave his word to head coach Charlie Weis.


Lueders is a 6'5'', 250 pound middle linebacker from Zionsville, Indiana and chose the Fighting Irish over other top-notch academic schools Northwestern, Boston College, Wake Forest, and Stanford.

Lueders plays middle linebacker at Zionsville High School but is expected to move to defensive end once he arrives in South Bend next summer. With Lueders now joining Chris Martin in the class of 2010, the defensive end position is becoming a very strong point.

At 6'5'' we will see Lueders have the body frame to be a potentially great defensive end, his athletic ability will factor in to be a major plus for the position. I wouldn't expect an instant impact from him once he arrives on campus but after a year or two at the position he will likely turn into a bright spot. There is no question that the Irish have struggled in having a consistent pass-rush in recent years and the way the defense is shaping up, this may not be an issue for that much longer.

Blake Lueders, welcome to Notre Dame!

Written By:
Nick Shepkowski
Bleacher Report
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Irish Land Ohio QB!

Welcome to the class of 2010, Andrew Hendrix of Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. After the Irish lost out on Nick Montana a few weeks back it was Hendrix who became very important for the Irish to lock down in the class of 2010.

A few facts on Andrew Hendrix:
- 6'3'', 220 Lbs. - Room to grow
-Listed as a pro-style quarterback, ranked as the 11th best in the nation by Rivals.
-Comes from the pistol-offense in high school, shows ability to throw on the run and take ball down to pick up yards on his feet.
-Must add strength and some speed if he hopes to be able to run much in college.
-Arm strength not great but accuracy looks to be superb for a high school senior to be.

It doesn't appear to me that Andrew Hendrix is likely going to be considered by any to be the best quarterback in the nation or anything along those lines. He's solid but not outstanding. However, put great talent around him like the Irish seem to be doing and he may just look that much better.

Hendrix was recruited to Notre Dame by Ron Powlus and becomes the sixth commitment to the class of 2010, you can catch up learning about the other five right here. Care to see Hendrix at his best during his junior year?



Welcome to Notre Dame, Andrew Hendrix!

Written By:
Nick Shepkowski
Bleacher Report
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Notre Dame's Biggest Game of 2009

It seems like Notre Dame fans all over the country feel that 2009 will be a success not if the Irish go 11-1 and end up in a BCS game but instead, if they are able to beat USC for the first time since 2001. Beating USC would go a very long way in showing that Notre Dame is back, something they have been trying to prove for far too long in Fighting Irish Country. Is the battle on October 17th the most important game on the schedule for the Irish in 2009 though?

With the way the college football gods lined up the the 2009 season schedule, October 17th could turn into the most important regular season weekend of the season. If Florida is to go unbeaten like so many expect, then USC and Notre Dame as well as Texas and Oklahoma could be playing elimination games for the other berth in the national title if all four teams remain unbeaten up to that point.

"If" is the keyword in that entire last paragraph for the Fighting Irish. If the Irish prove many of their supporters right by not laying an egg against Nevada in week one. If Charlie Weis can pick up his second win in three tries in the Big House against the University of Michigan on September 12th. If Jimmy Clausen and company can avenge their first defeat of the 2008 campaign by getting by Michigan State in week three in South Bend.

Over the course of time and into the future, yes, USC does in fact weigh more in possible recruiting battles that may face the Irish down the road and a win over the Trojans would show signs that a corner has been turned much more than a win over Michigan State would do. However, for the success that many envision the Irish having in 2009, a win over the Spartans on September 19th is a must.

A win over MSU could swing momentum to the BCS. A loss could mean very bad news for ND.

How important is this game for an Irish team who should be growing as each week gets scratched off the schedule? Notre Dame hasn't defeated Michigan State in South Bend since before any current player was a teenager. If the Irish get by the Spartans and improve to 3-0 then the BCS will seem like a very likely end result to the 2009 campaign for the Fighting Irish. Lose and the end of the Charlie Weis era in South Bend may be upon us.

Based on talent and experience levels there is no reason that Notre Dame shouldn't enter this game 2-0 and really, they should exit it 3-0. For some odd reason though, Notre Dame beating Michigan State in South Bend has turned into rocket science for the Fighting Irish.

In 2007, it was a young Irish team that hung with Michigan State for a short amount of time before falling. In 2005, it was an Irish team which wound up in the Fiesta Bowl that fell to the Spartans in OT after trailing by as many as three touchdowns. 2003 would have been a win...had the Irish gotten in the end zone a time or two instead of settling for three Nick Setta field goals, all from within 35 yards. 2001 was another case of the Irish forgetting to get in the end zone in a 17-10 defeat at the hands of a Michigan State team that featured Charles Rogers and TJ Duckett.

Outside of 2005, every year the Irish have lost at home to Michigan State, the season has turned into a quick downward spiral. We all remember 2007 where we saw the Irish finish with only three wins. Other cases?

2003: 22-16 Loss, second of three straight defeats and six losses in seven contests during the season - No Bowl Appearance
2001: 17-10 Loss, second of three straight to start season, before finishing only 5-6 on the year - No Bowl Appearance
1999: 23-13 Loss, third straight for the Irish after winning in week one vs. Kansas - No Bowl Appearance
1997: 23-7 Loss, Second loss in a row, finished regular season 6-6 after starting 1-4 - Independence Bowl: 27-9 loss vs. LSU

Bad things tend to happen when Notre Dame loses to Michigan State in South Bend. Sure, in 2005, they were able to bounce back and still make a BCS game, but in every other case over the past decade the Irish have either missed a post-season bowl berth altogether or just barely sneaked in. If the Irish get by Michigan State on September 19th then it should be full steam ahead to the BCS. If they don't?

Charlie Weis will be making his farewell tour the rest of the 2009 season from the Notre Dame sideline.

Catching up on the Recruiting Trail

Nick Shepkowski, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Football
Recruiting

It's still very early in the world of college football recruiting. Early in the sense that most players are still taking their time in making a final decision as to where they will spend their time after high school, but late in a sense that if you (as a school) are not on somebody's watch list then you better get kicking.

For those who are unaware, the Fighting Irish currently have five commitments for the incoming class of 2010 . Is it loaded with talent or is it on its way to being an elite class? That part is tough to say exactly; the groundwork is there with one five star defensive player in place, but there is plenty of work to still be done.

A quick rundown of the class so far:

Bennett Jackson: 6'1'', 165 lbs. - WR, Hazlet (Raritan), NJ
Seen as a three star recruit by most, Jackson has spent time both catching and running the football in high school. He will have to get bigger to be much of an impact but from everything I have read he seems to be along the path of a George West.

Christian Lombard: 6'5'', 290 lbs. - OL, Palatine (Fremd), IL
Was the first Irish commit back in January and chose Notre Dame over such rivals as Michigan, Purdue, and Stanford as well as plenty of others. Lombard committed to Notre Dame at the Army All American Game this past January, a game he will participate in next year.


Chris Martin: 6'4'', 240 lbs. - DE, Princeton (Hun School), NJ
If Manti T'eo was the first major defensive recruit that Charlie Weis was able to bring to South Bend then consider Martin to be the second. Martin was said to be the "most physically impressive defensive player" by one scout in attendance at a recent Nike summer camp on the campus of Stanford University. From the way people talk it seems that Martin has the potential do things at defensive end that haven't been seen at Notre Dame since Justin Tuck was on campus.

Daniel Smith: 6'4'', 205 lbs. - WR, South Bend (Clay), IN
The hometown choice to fill one of the available scholarships has the size to compete at the division one level but could use to get a step or two quicker with his fastest 40 time coming in at 4.6 seconds. The Irish landed Smith who had several offers from Big Ten teams.

Alex Welch: 6'5'', 225 lbs. - TE, Cincinnati (Elder), OH
Consider to be one of the top tight ends in this years class, Welch was offered by nearly every school under the sun. Its too early to tell if he will be able to step in immediately and play a role in the fall of 2010. If he is, think back to 2005 when Anthony Fasano, John Carlson, and Marcus Freeman all earned valuable time for a Notre Dame offense that was lights out good. I'm not saying to expect Welch to be able to perform at that level right away but if he can show the ability to block when he has to and be able to catch the occassional pass or two, this may end up being the biggest offensive commitment in the 2010 class.

Hopefully, that catches you up on where the Irish sit in the recruiting world at this point of the summer. Lots of camps are coming up soon where players make unofficial visits and, in turn, many commitments come about as well. Hopefully, only more good news comes in during the next few weeks for the Irish.

Written By:
Nick Shepkowski
Bleacher Report
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109.7

No that's not the frequency of a new radio station, its the most important number from last year that Irish fans can use to look forward to the 2009 season. The fate of Notre Dame in 2009 relies on them vastly improving their running game which played a large part in defeats at the hands of North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse last fall. Had the Irish been able to run the ball, control the clock and keep their defense off the field the 6-6 regular season mark probably turns into a 9-3 season with a trip to Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl instead of the Hawaii Bowl this past Christmas Eve.

I have very little doubt that this year will be Jimmy Clausen's coming out party and it will only be that much greater if there is a running game there to compliment him. He has the gift of having perhaps the most talented receiving core in the nation with Golden Tate, Michael Floyd, Duval Kamara, Robby Parris returning while potential newcomers to on the field action Shaq Evans and Deion Walker both have the potential to turn into playmakers quickly.

Throw in more experience at the tight end position with Mike Ragone returning from injury while Kyle Rudolph promises to remain a threat after a stellar freshman campaign. Missing two solid tight ends over the past two seasons has made Charlie Weis lose much of what his offense is based around, much of the offense that was so lights-out in 2005 as well as 2006. It helps not only allowing for extra receivers to throw to but also in putting in an extra blocker or two in the running game.

I have made the claim that running the football will be the key to this team finding their way to a BCS game this fall. Broad statement alert but its the truth. The inability to run the football the past two falls in South Bend has cost the Irish a good four or five games over the past two seasons, four or five games they should have won.
Four of the five starting offensive linemen return from last years team, a squad that gave up only 22 sacks after allowing 58 in 2007. Can they improve that much in the running game? Time will tell but there is no question that the addition of Frank Verducci as the offensive line coach/running game coordinator will bring changes, but will those changes bring more success?

That is the multi-million dollar question in South Bend this off season. Multi-million dollars in the fact that if it does not the university will likely spend several millions to buy out the rest of Charlie Weis' deal. Multi-millions in the fact that if this offense plays to its full potential in both the passing and running games that the school could be looking at a multi-million dollar check from the BCS.

I understand that many feel this Irish team could win as many as eleven games this coming season while some of the skeptics have the win total closer to seven. Its not time for me to be making any predictions yet, heck, NCAA '10 hasn't even come out for my PS3 yet (Username: NickShep10 if you ever want to play).

What I can predict is that if the Irish are going to be playing in a BCS game like so many predict, it is up to the running game of the offense. Sure they will likely put up a good 30+ points per game but will they be able to bury anyone by running down the field on them? It's not going to matter win/loss-wise unless they do.

Written By:
Nick Shepkowski
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Top Ten, an Introduction to me as an Irish fan

Salud! While my name is Italian, I swear there is at least a little Irish running through my blood (thanks, maternal Grandpa). I must admit, my love for Notre Dame far outweighs the actual percentage of Irish blood in my system. I thought I would introduce you to me through my top 10 of Notre Dame sports (I will only be picking from games that I witnessed either in person or on TV). The first football game I remember watching was a Notre Dame vs. Michigan game when I was 5 or 6. I was visiting my cousin and his dad had graduated from ND law school. Coming from Michigan, I think I was expected to root for U of M. Instead, I rooted for Notre Dame that day and have ever since. Here we go...


Honorable Mention

Notre Dame @ Ferris State. Hockey, 1998.

This was the first Notre Dame game I was in attendance for. Unfortunately they lost, 4-2 - to the school that I was attending. This was the worst game I attended. Ever. I wanted both teams to win; I spent the whole game hating myself. I only went to Ferris State for my freshman year and this was one of the few standout moments of attending a school with a 3-1 guy/girl ratio (seeing Notre Dame in person).

#10. Notre Dame vs. Michigan. Frozen Four, 2008.

Yes, another hockey game. We will get to balls very soon, I promise. Notre Dame wins in Overtime, 5-4. The Irish raced to a 3-0 lead only to see Michigan come back with a freshman goalie and force OT. While Calle Ridderwall has not exactly become a known name in Irish lore, his goal will live on forever. Notre Dame would go on to lose in controversial fashion to another hated rival in the final. Boston College escaped when the referee ruled that a goal by Notre Dame had been kicked in. That goal would have cut the BC lead to 3-2. Instead, BC scored seconds later and would win, 4-1. Yes, it still hurts that ND lost to BC because of a kicked object.

#9. Notre Dame vs. UCLA. Basketball, 1994.

Not the last time that UCLA makes this list, but the only basketball game that affected me greatly. This is one of the first ND basketball games I remember watching. Before this game I was a Notre Dame football fan and Michigan State basketball fan. Ever since, Michigan State moved to number two in basketball and it's not very close to number 1. Notre Dame routed the #2 Bruins, 79-63, while I was putting together a wardrobe with my dad. This was my introduction to Monty Williams and the over-rated chant. UCLA missed all 16 of their three point shots and Notre Dame ran away and hid.

#8 Notre Dame vs UCLA. Football, 2006.
Welcome back, Bruins. The day of Game 1 of the 2006 World Series. My hometown Detroit Tigers would play in their first World Series game since 1984, all well and good, but first the Irish had a home game against UCLA. The second year of Charlie had seen some chinks in the armor, most of them dealing with the state of Michigan. I finally showed up with friends at B-Dubs, for the 4th quarter of this terrible football game. While rooting for Iowa to upset the Wolverines, I was also watching ND on the smallest screen possible.

The Irish got the ball back down 17-13 with 1:02 left in the game and 80 yards to go. Out routes to Samardzija and Grimes for first downs took 25 seconds off the clock. Then came THE PLAY. Ball on the UCLA 45, Samardzija lines up in the wide slot and runs across the field. Brady Quinn gives the pump fake and then hits Samardzija perfectly and he does the rest. One cutback and he's into the end zone. I explode while sitting on my stool and heard one other person in the bar who enjoyed the ND comeback as much as I did. I ended up disappointed in the day overall because the Tigers lost, but Notre Dame kept me from freaking out, with the comeback.

#7 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State. Football, 2006.

The MSU game is always interesting for me. Most of my close friends graduated from East Lansing, as well as both of my sisters. Plus, the Spartans are the not-so-close second team I root for. The Irish played terrible for more then half of this game and I was slowly drifting away from the game and more towards alcohol. My roommate had a lot of friends in town to attend a wedding the next day and the booze was flowing. There were multiple drinking games going on and I was half-heartedly watching the debacle unfolding on the TV. At some point during the MSU scoring bonanza, I received a text message from one of my friends that didn't attend MSU, ripping Notre Dame. My MSU friends would not appreciate this later.

As for the actual game, it had a lot of trash talk heading into the game, due to MSU planting the flag at Notre Dame Stadium the previous year. Notre Dame was coming off an ass-kicking the week before by Michigan that I barely remember. The score was MSU 31, Notre Dame 14 at halftime. Then the comeback happened. I was running around the condo losing my mind. Delaying my group leaving for the bar as long as possible, once the final INT happened I was able to leave and have a good evening. I didn't know it got reviewed until the next day. I sent a text message to every MSU fan in my phone that said how much I didn't care for State when the game ended. One of my State friends thought I was just mad about ND losing as he had stopped watching at halftime. And, of course, this rant from a State fan on local radio.

#6 Notre Dame vs. Boston College. Football 1993.

I don't remember all of this game, but I remember the important things. I was watching the comeback happen in my bedroom on a tiny TV. A 4^th quarter from Kevin McDougal, a great two point conversion to take the lead. Then it was dinner time and I had to switch from watching the game alone in my room (LL Cool J) to the family room on a bigger TV. Gross. Penalties and a lucky field goal later, Notre Dame had been eliminated from the National Championship conversation. This play is on par with the Bird steal from Isaiah as plays I hate watching. Another reason for my hatred of all things Boston.

#5 Notre Dame vs. Michigan. Basketball 2002.

The only sporting event I've ever attended by myself, and the only time I've given the University of Arrogance money. I bought a ticket behind the basket opposite the tunnel. Notre Dame ended up shooting at my end in the second half. I sat next to good Michigan fans, the only ones ever. As I remember it, Notre Dame played terrible basketball was lucky to be close and blew a lead in the final minute. Chris Thomas had a shot to win it at the buzzer and had it blocked. I responded to the older couple next to me that the better team lost in football and in basketball. ND had won the football game that year thanks to Darius Walker.

#4 Notre Dame vs. West Virginia. National Championship. Fiesta Bowl 1989.

I don't remember a lot of watching this game when I was younger, but I do remember my parents making a big deal about it. Making nachos (Fiesta) and letting me enjoy Notre Dame win their last National Championship. This is one of the greatest teams ever, not just ND teams. They won 10 of 12 games by double digits and only the Miami and Michigan games were close. A complete domination of a season in which they beat the number 1, 2 and 3 team. The “Rocket” put the Irish up 23-3 to pretty much end the game in the first half. Lou Holtz won his National Championship and got himself locked into Irish lore with this win.

#3 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State. Football 2002.

This was the first time I saw Notre Dame football in person. I was visiting friends that were attending State and staying with my sister that night. It was a great time, tailgating before the game, a random State fan asking me how many Heisman's Ron Powlus was supposed to win. He had mistaken my #33 Courtney Watson jersey for a #3 jersey, typical State fan, drunk by 1:30 (tongue in cheek). Michigan State had dominated the Irish since Lou Holtz left and won 5 games in a row. The Irish took over the game in the first half, leading 14-3 at the half. Michigan State came charging back, or should I say Charles Rogers took over the game, using insane athleticism to catch a touchdown pass with less then two minutes left in the game that gave MSU a 17-14 lead. I had to deal with an old man sitting right in front of me yelling, “Six in a row, six in a row.” He was using his thumb to signify the sixth win, which is obviously not very cool.

The Notre Dame offense had stalled out in the second half, which was due in part to Carlyle Holiday getting hurt (how bad was the QB situation in 2002 that Carlyle was missed? No offense CH). The Irish got the ball back and needed little time to take it to the house. 2^nd down with 1:26 left Pat Dillingham, a walk-on that followed Ty from Stanford, threw a perfect slant pass to former QB Arnaz Battle who took it 60 yards for a touchdown. I got a hug from a random ND who was behind me, but I knew that Charles Rogers and Jeff Smoker could get high (pun intended) for another touchdown at almost any moment. For some reason, State showed little to no urgency when they got the ball back, and in the final 20 seconds got just one play off, a Hail Mary the Notre Dame intercepted to end the game. I left Spartan Stadium the happiest I've ever left a Notre Dame football game (1-3 record when I'm in attendance).

#2 Notre Dame vs Michigan. Football 2008.

The last win over Michigan is always my favorite, and this was a game that was a domination. From Michigan struggling to catch kicks and committing penalty after penalty, Notre Dame was able to jump to an early lead and continue to build on it. Golden Tate (for Heisman) exploded onto the scene this day and dominated the Wolvey defensive backs. The offensive explosion that was shown in this game led to expectations growing for the 2008 season, even though everyone knew that U of M was going to be terrible (now no one knew that they would lose to Toledo, NICK MOORE, but still). This is how the offense has to look in 2009 or Charlie will have been doing something wrong. After the San Diego State debacle of opening week, we saw glimpses of an offense that could dominate. The second half got bogged down due to a rainfall that meant no one could pass and just made the game ugly. A great half of football that showed how much promise a very young team had. This game shows that there is a lot of Gold to come.

#1 Notre Dame vs Florida State. Football 1993.

The Game of the Century. One of the greatest programs of all-time versus a great program that was new on the scene. Number One versus Number Two. Heisman Favorite versus Back-up Quarterback. Even Florida State's kicker had been recruited heavily by both schools. One of the great openings to a football game, that is sorely missed now a days. A game that, even as a eighth grader, I knew everyone would be watching.

The game lived up to it's billing with Charlie Ward cementing his Heisman Trophy even in a losing performance. Just a great game, that Notre Dame led 31-17 in the fourth quarter, which led to Ward throwing a TD pas to Kez McCorvey, FSU forcing a three and out and getting the ball back with limited time for their final drive. A Shawn Wooden knock down of a pass as time expired, knocked the number one team out and made Notre Dame number one for the last time as we speak. FSU only dropped to number two and a re-match in the Orange Bowl was expected. Somehow Notre Dame lost to BC and dropped past Nebraska and out of title consideration. But for at least one day Notre Dame was the NUMBER ONE TEAM IN THE NATION.

That's my top ten list and says a lot about who I am as an Irish fan. Follow me on twitter @dascenzo. Lot's of sports talk and pop culture references. I try to be funny, let me know if I am or not. Hopefully you'll see more of me on here.

We Are Still Here - Help Wanted

I just wanted to alert everyone that Domer Sports Report is still here and active. As soon as we have any news regarding Notre Dame football we will update the site.

We are also looking for help. So, if you like Notre Dame sports, we are looking for writers for many areas. This includes football, men's basketball, women's basketball and the history of Notre Dame. Please drop me an email if you are interested in joining us. mkallen3@sbcglobal.net

Signing Day 2009

By: Nick Shepkowski
Recruiting Analyst

It seemed as if the recruiting process for Notre Dame was heading down the shoot this off season. Marlon Pollard and Nyshier Oliver have both de-committed from their verbal commitments to Notre Dame and things seemed to be quickly heading down a slippery slide this offseason. Couple that with poor showings by a few Notre Dame recruits in their post season games and the ratings for the Irish went soaring downhill.

That changed this morning. I went to bed last night thinking of anyway possible that the Irish were able to land Manti Te'o, the star linebacker from Hawaii. After researching a bit I stumbled across rumors that he had promised a commitment to Pete Carroll. Of course that was on USC message boards but I pressed on and began thinking, if he didn't commit on his final visit, then would he?

The question was answered this morning as Manti Te'o made the announcement that he is going to be a member of the University of Notre Dame this coming fall. What does this mean for Notre Dame?

Well, despite the fact the final ranking will not be as high as last season, but it shows that despite an underachieving 2008 on the field, Notre Dame is able to go into what has been a USC hot bed and take away the hottest commodity from the islands this season. Te'o, a five star recruit, chose the Fighting Irish over USC and UCLA.

With this signing the Irish will finish recruiting likely in the top 20, perhaps in the top 15 depending on which source you use. That ranking is not what is important though, what is, is the fact the Irish have to do a better job manufacturing their recruits talents into becoming better football players. We saw at times this past season that the offense was coming around until hitting a wall since halftime of the North Carolina.

This class brings in immediate help to Notre Dame's linebacking core:

Carlo Calabrese of Verona, New Jersey has played on the inside during his high school career and will in all likelyhood stay there at Notre Dame. Because of a depth chart that is finally having some actual depth at linebacker now it is hard to imagine he sees much of the field in the fall but down the road he will likely be looked upon to fill holes. Of the four, Carlo will likely see the least amount of time on the field this season.

Dan Fox of Rocky River, Ohio chose the Fighting Irish over such chasers as Pittsburgh, Stanford, and Boston College and could also be in the mix on the outside come the fall. He is listed as a four star recruit and among the top 15 outside linebackers in this years class. Fox will need one heck of a start to fall practice to get on the field since Zeke Motta has already enrolled at Notre Dame.

Zeke Motta, a four star outside linebacker from Vero Beach, Florida could very easily be starting on the outside in the fall. Extremely athletic and quick, the hard hitter enrolled early and will be participating in spring practice. Motta could in all honesty end up being just as big of recruit as Te'o.

Manti Te'o of Honolulu comes in with much glamour but also in all likelyhood taking the spot that was filled by Maurice Crum, Jr. Te'o is said to be as good as any at sniffing out and stopping the run, something Notre Dame needs much help in as they gave up an awful 4.1 yards per carry a season ago.

Through the coming days and weeks I'll take a look at all the positions and give a breakdown of who we may hear from early in their careers and who may have the biggest impact before their Fighting Irish careers are all said and done. Here is your class of 2009:

EJ Banks, ATH, McKees Rocks, PA
Alex Bullard, OL, Brentwood, TN
Carlo Calabrese, LB, Verona, NJ
Jordan Cowart, OL, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Tyler Eifert, TE, Fort Wayne, IN
Shaquelle Evans, WR, Inglewood, CA
Dan Fox, LB, Rocky River, OH
Jake Golic, TE, West Hartford, CN
Zach Martin, OL, Indianapolis, IN
Zeke Motta, LB, Vero Beach, FL
Theo Riddick, RB, Somerville, NJ
Nick Taush, K, Dallas, TX
Manti Te'o, LB, Honolulu, HI
Ben Turk, K, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Chris Watt, OL, Glen Ellyn, IL
Cierre Wood, RB, Oxnard, CA

Good luck to all the newest Irish. I will be in the chatroom for the majority of the afternoon, feel free to stop on, say hello, ask questions and argue points with me. We'll have a good time.