Recruiting
2009 ... Ind.
Ranking the Independent classes
Army |
Navy |
Notre Dame
-
CFN Recruiting 2009
1. Notre Dame
CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank: 1
The class is heavy on ... talent. There isn’t any one need here
that needed a desperate filling, so Notre Dame went national and brought
in some superior talents. Manti Te’o is widely considered to be the
nation’s best linebacker prospect, Chris Watt might be the nation’s best
offensive tackle, and guar Alex Bullard, RB Cierre Wood, and LB Carlos
Calabrese are among the best at their respective positions.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... LB Manti Te’o
The player you might care about this year ... RB Cierre Wood
What it all means to the real world of college football ... If
Charlie Weis is on a hot seat, this recruiting class doesn’t necessarily
show it. Getting Chris Watt and Cierre Wood weren’t real shocks, they
committed early on, but snagging Manti Te’o made a great class special
and might have been the signing that signals the official turn upwards
for the program. Notre Dame went toe-to-toe with the big guys and got a
superstar. The question will now be whether or not this group can
contribute right away. It’s BCS or bust for Weis, and it would be a
shame if he burned a few redshirts in desperation mode.
2. Navy CFN’s 2008
Conference Recruiting Rank: 2
The class is heavy on ... quarterbacks and running backs. This
was a huge class for Navy loaded with linebackers, receivers, and mostly
players for the backfield. There are four quarterback prospects and all
of them can move. Kenneth Cluley fits the mold, while Jarvis Cummings is
even faster. At least two of the signal callers will move to another
spot. Also coming in are seven running backs, and outside of Matt
Warrick, they’re all smallish and quick. There isn’t a thumping fullback
in the group.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... C Matt Couch
The player you might care about this year ... QB Kenneth Cluley
What it all means to the real world of college football ...
Strength in numbers. Navy knows what it is, it knows what it needs to
do, and it loaded up on the important positions. There are more than
enough runners in the mix to develop, the defense loaded up with
athletic linebackers, at least for Navy, but this class also went big on
receivers with four big ones to try to add more balance to the attack.
3. Army CFN’s 2008
Conference Recruiting Rank: 3
The class is heavy on ... receivers. The program went from being
all about running, and then it became about throwing the ball, and then
it tried to be Navy. Now the team needs players to fit the system, which
will be an option running attack that still throws the ball, and while
plenty of running backs were brought in, the team needed pass catchers.
Five wide receivers were signed with Scott Williams, a speedster out of
southern California, a potential field stretcher.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... C Trevor
Rothstein
The player you might care about this year ... DE Julius Warmsley
What it all means to the real world of college football ... New
head coach Rich Ellerson comes in after leading Cal Poly’s offense, the
best in the FCS, and he needed offensive playmakers. He’ll need time to
develop them, but he’ll have plenty to choose from. What should everyone
expect? Navy with a passing game … by 2010.