GCND One on One :- Justin Brent

Photo: Rivals.com

GCND was able to catch up with the second overall 2014 recruit to commit to the Fighting Irish, Justin Brent.

The 6-3 WR from Speedway, IN, is regarded as a 4* wideout by rivals.com.

Justin was kind enough to facilitate GCND staff wtih an interview of his recruitment process, an what he is most looking forward to at Notre Dame.

Measurables

• Ht:6’3″
• Wt:193 lbs
• 40:4.6 secs
• Bench Max:270
• Squat Max:375

GCND: What can you bring to Notre Dame on & off the football field?

Justin: I’ve always been known as a kid that stays extremely polite to all and always has a smile on his face. So off the field I will always be the extremely nice, humble guy. On the field Notre Dame will be getting a kid that will always be the one to work his hardest, and keep a positive attitude. One that loves to do a little extra.

GCND: What played the biggest part in you making the decision to pick Notre Dame and exactly how close was the recruitment process?

Justin: It came down to them and Ohio State in the end. I went to Notre Dame June 22^nd and Ohio State June 23^rd. I performed great at each camp and had one on one talks with both Coach Kelley and Coach Meyer. I’ve always been a huge Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer fan when they were at Florida. But even after being wanted by Coach Meyer I felt that Notre Dame was the place for me, everything felt so comfortable, and with my mom being a teacher, she loved the academic part of things. After the OSU camp I even called Coach Martin and let him know. After they got from vacation ND got my transcript, got me, my little sister, and my mom up for a visit and offered.

GCND: Redshirting, if this situation arises, will it be an issue for you?

Justin: Definitely wouldn’t be an issue, I’m the type of teammate that wants to win and do whatever helps the team the most, so if that’s what the staff thinks would be best, that would be fine. But of course I would love to make a contribution as soon as possible.

GCND: Have you decided what you will Major in ?

Justin: I was always 50/50 between business management and broadcasting but with Notre Dame having one of the best business management schools, the decision became I will do that.

GCND: Have you had a chance to experience game day in Notre Dame stadium ? If so what were the highs & lows of the event ?

Justin: Went to Spring Game. The way they treat and great their recruits was amazing so that was a high. I really couldn’t say there was a low at all. Maybe the need of a jumbotron at some times haha. But seriously no negatives I can really think of.

GCND: What do you think of this years schedule, care to predict the outcome ?

Justin: Well everyone knows I am rooting for ND to win every game haha. That’s what I’m rooting for.

GCND: What are you most looking forward to at ND?

Justin: Building a relationship with my teammates, friends and coaches. Definitely looking forward to winning a lot of football games.

GCND: Tell me a bit about the coach who recruited you, what was he selling that the other recruiters were not?

Justin: I was recruited by Coach Elston in the beginning and Coach Martin sort of took over after camp. Education and the success that a student from ND can have without going to the next level football wise is what definitely sold me.

GCND: So, fill in the gaps between now and settling into campus life at Notre Dame, what is on the agenda?

Justin: Well I have two more years before I will even be able to be there. So on the agenda is just winning football games for my high school and continuing to get better. In the mix will for sure be going to ND practices, game and knowing the coaching staff even better.

GCND: Was there any negative recruiting towards Notre Dame, and if so what made you see past it ?

Justin: Not one negative at all. That’s probably why I pulled the trigger so fast.

GCND: What would you like to improve, academically & athletically before enrolling in ND ?

Justin: Grades have never really been a problem for me so I would definitely like to just keep improving speed and winning games in high school.

Blue-chip CB recruit Hargreaves gets look at Notre Dame

GCND One on One :- Alex Anzalone

Photo 247 Sports

GCND managed to catch up with one of the finest recruits in the nation, Alex Anzalone , to get an inside look into his recruitment to Notre Dame.

Thankfully for Irish fans, Alex de-committed from Ohio State University on May of this year.

He will enroll at Notre Dame early next season and is widely regarded as the heir-apparent to All-American Mike Linebacker Manti Te’o.

Some huge shoes to fill indeed. All at GCND wish Alex the best and look forward to seeing him on the field next season.
Measurables:

• Ht: 6’3″
• Wt: 229 lbs
• 40: 4.73 secs
• Shuttle: 4.34
• Vertical: 29 inches

GCND: So Alex, what qualities do you bring to Notre Dame on and off the football field?

One of the main qualities I can bring to ND is my leadership. I’m always trying to lead by example in the classroom and on the field. My attributes as a player are that I am big and can move well for my size, I have good range and can run side line to side line.

GCND: What played the biggest part in you making the decision to pick Notre Dame and exactly how close was the recruitment process?

Both the academics and my relationships with the commits definitely played the biggest part in my recruitment. After awhile, the decision to chose ND seemed very clear to me so it wasn’t necessarily a “coin flip.”

GCND: Have you decided what you will Major in ?

Business, I’m not sure what kind though.

GCND: Redshirting, heaven forbid, if this situation arises, will it be an issue for you?

If the situation of redshirting arises, I won’t be upset. It will give me the opportunity to get my one year MBA from ND for free. You can’t go wrong with that!

GCND: Have you had a chance to experience game day in Notre Dame stadium ? If so what were the highs & lows of the event ?

No I have not.

GCND: What do you think of this years schedule, care to predict the outcome ?

As always, ND has a tough schedule. I think it’ll only help us with the new 4 team playoff system. To me, this year is up in the air.

GCND: What are you most looking forward to at ND?

I look forward to most getting a great education, playing top tier football, and hanging out with my best friends all the time.

GCND: Tell me a bit about the coach who recruited you, what was he selling that the other recruiters were not?

Coach Hiestand recruited me. You can tell he is a genuine guy from the start. He told me straight up when I first talked to him that he was not going to ask me to call him everyday like some other coaches do. He never talked poorly of other schools.

GCND: Was there any negative recruiting towards Notre Dame, and if so what made you see past it ?

There was. The whole “there’s nothing to do in Indiana, etc.” After my last visit, I knew that was a lie. You make your own fun. If you’re around people who you like, you’ll have fun.

GCND: What would you like to improve, academically or athletically before enrolling in ND ?

Academically, I want to continue what I have done in the classroom to prepare for college. Athletically, I will continue working out and being a leader on my team. I want to compete right away when I first enroll at ND.

GCND: So, fill in the gaps between now and settling into campus life at Notre Dame, what is on the agenda?

I plan on continuing to work out for this upcoming year. My team has a chance to make it to the state championship game so that is one thing I am working hard for. I have the Under Armour All American game in January. I’m not sure the next time I’ll visit ND. I’m definitely going to multiple games though!

Taking a closer look at the Irish recruiting machine

Irish add another commitment from ’14 WR Justin Brent

2nd 2014 verbal

Irish pick up commitment from touted LB Alex Anzalone

Top drawer !

Rumours surround ACC/Notre Dame affiliation grow legs

New home for ND sports ?

I recently posted how a bowl tie-in with the ACC & Orange bowl would be of huge benefit to Notre Dame.

So it is not surprising then to hear that a group of ACC presidents is meeting today with Notre Dame, a source with inside knowledge close the situation tells Tigerillustrated.com.

IrishIllustrated.com have posted on their website; At this point we have not been able to confirm specifics as to the purpose of the meeting. But it is known that the ACC has been courting Notre Dame to join the conference.

This is what Clemson Board of Trustees chairman, David Wilkins, had to say on the issue;

“I’m not surprised, because obviously Notre Dame would be of great interest,” Wilkins said. “I’m not aware of any meetings or contact, but I’ve been out of the country since July 4th.

“The general consensus is Notre Dame would be a great fit. I’m certainly not implying there’s been an offer or anything like that, and certainly I’m not speaking for the ACC or for John Swofford. But my personal opinion is they would be a great fit.”

So what is in the offing ?

All kinds of speculation is rampant on the social media outlets. By far, the most believable and probable is for Notre Dame to shift it’s Olympic sports from the Big East to the ACC and remain Independent in Football.

Of course, there has to be an upside for Notre Dame, the ACC would tie Notre Dame into the Orange Bowl once it met certain criteria…..perhaps 9 wins in a season.

Such a move would be very welcomed considering the fact that out of the major footballing conferences, the Big East has seriously digressed in it’s status since losing Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC.

Adding the Orangemen and Pitt, brought to five (Miami, Boston College & Virginia Tech), the number of teams that have jumped ship from the Big East to the ACC in recent years.

Notre Dame is currently affiliated with the Big East in all sports except football.

Anyone else see a patern developing here?

Stay tuned for more on this as it happens.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the ever changing landscapes of the college footballing world and BCS, we turn our attention to recruiting.

The heir-apparent to the best LB in college football, Fighting Irish MLB Manti T’eo, has been found in Beaverton, Oregon…..of all places!

Rivals.com have LB Alex Anzalone may be only rated as the 49th best player in the nation, but he is already being regarded as the next Teo and will even occupy Teo’s number 5 jersey when he enrols early next January.

The Ohio State de-commit, Anzalone, made the announcement at an ESPN/Nike sporting event known as “The Opening” .

Anzalone becmes the 17th member of the 2013 (known as IrishMob13) class to have verbally committed to the Fighting Irish. As a result, only Alabama and Michigan rank higher than Notre Dame nationally in recruiting, and we are not done just yet!

Finally, while the season is fast approaching, the big boys at the ND cmapus decided to take a day out recently and enjoy themselves away from the classroom. Fighting Irish NG Louis (Irish Chocolate) Nix III posted his a few snippets of the many talents of the players.

Enjoy!

Jason is owner and author of godcountrynotredame.me and writes for both IrishCentral and domersportsreport You can find Jason on twitter at @jayomahony

2013 Verbals Bivin & Kinlaw compete in World U19 Championships in Texas

Fighting Irish 2013 verbal commits Hunter Bivin and Rashad Kinlaw will suite up for the team USA in a few hours, in Austin Texas, to compete and lead their team in the under 19 World Championships.

The International Federation of American Football Under-19 World Championship hosted by USA Football brings together eight teams of high school-age players representing four continents in a celebration of the sport through competition and cultural exchange. The eight-day tournament culminates in a gold-medal championship game.

Standing 6’7″ 288 lbs, Bivin was one of the first players recruited to the Fighting Irish by Chuck Martin this year. He is to lead as one of the team captains for team USA, who get their campaign under way today. Bivin will be joined by future Irish team mate Rashad Kinlaw as they take on American Samoa.

2012 IFAF Under-19 World Championship Webcast Schedule By Time Zone

Saturday, June 30 (all games at Burger Stadium)

Local	Eastern	CET	Japan	Am. Samoa	Game
9am	10am	4pm	11pm	3am	Panama vs. Austria
11.30am	12.30am	6.30pm	1.30am +1 day	5am	Japan vs. France
5pm	6pm	12am +1 day	7am +1 day	11am	Canada vs. Sweden
8pm	9pm	3am +1 day	10am +1 day	2pm	United States vs. American Samoa

Click on the youtube link below to see LIVE action from the tournament.

Jason is owner and author of godcountrynotredame.me and writes for both IrishCentral and domersportsreport You can find Jason on twitter at @jayomahony

Fly Boys Grounded

Cierre Wood

Fly Boy’s Grounded

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame rolled to a 4-2 record and a much needed bye week with a huge win against the nations best footballing service academy, Air Force, on Saturday. The Irish offense exploded for a first half lead of 42-16 behind some outstanding play.

Rees and company scored on all 6 first half possession’s, and ended the game 23/32 261 yards and 4 TD’s. Both teams combined for over 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns on a day in which both defenses would like to forget.

It was also the second game in a row in which the Irish offense had not turned the ball over, an issue that Notre Dame had to address as mistakes in games versus the University of South Florida and Michigan cost them dearly by way of losses.

With such a huge difference in the scoreline at the half, the Irish, for really the only time this season, where able to get some of their much hyped Freshmen and Sophomore players in for much needed game time in the second half

Andrew Hendrix did not fail to shine. Hendrix, the 6-2 220lbs Sophomore QB from Cincinnati, excelled in Brian Kellys spread offense. He was perfect in limited action, 4/4 33 yards and added 111 yards on the ground on only 6 carries, including a 78 yard scamper in the 4th QTR which saw him tripped up just shy of the goal line. Freshman running backs Cam McDaniel and George Atkinson III also saw playing time in the 4th.

Defensive standouts included Safety Harrison Smith, Cornerback Robert Blanton and MLB Manti Te’o.. Each recorded over 10 tackles, with Smith leading the way with 12. Freshman DE Aaron Lynch also saw his first start of the season, while fellow Frosh Stephon Tuitt was kept busy and chipped in with 5 tackles.

On A Point Of Order

Many Irish fans were found pointing fingers at the the defense after the win. The Irish surrendered a total of 565 yards against the number 3 run offense in the land. People need to give the Air Force academy a lot more credit for not given up and always playing full-on until the final gun.

Every team that the Irish have faced so far, probably with the exception of Purdue, are in my opinion, bowl bound. It also needs to be pointed out that the game was over as a contest at half time, and the fact that 141 of the Falcons yards totals came against the Notre Dames second & third string defense, at a time when game, at that stage, registered 59-19 on the score boards.

When you consider the extremely tough schedule that the Irish faced in September, Big East Co-favorites USF and Pittsburgh, Big Ten title Contenders in Michigan and Big Ten Co-Champions Michigan State, the Irish are very unfortunate indeed not to be undefeated thus far!

Next up for the Irish ? A bye week and some time for the guys to tend to their aches & pains in preparing for their annual heated rivalry with the Trojans of Southern California, under the lights and at home in South Bend.

Inside The Locker Room:

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly
On starting off well: “We were able to get some good rhythm offensively. We got two key turnovers by our defense that we were able to set up. Any time you get a chance to turn over Air Force and put points on the board, it allows you to extend away from them. You need some extension from them sometimes.”
On the bye week: “I think we need it, we need a break. Our kids, they have a lot of their plates. …You have to understand, Aaron Lynch, those kids have been up here on campus since June 16. They have not been home since June 16, and that’s hard for an 18-year-old kid.”
On converting 8-of-11 third downs: “It’s been a focus. I think good teams convert at a high rate there. We’ve got very good diversity within our offense. We can run and throw it, but we are hard to defend right now. There’s a lot of things coming together for us offensively with so many different outlets.”

Notre Dame sophomore quarterback Tommy Rees
On the offense finding its groove: “After the first two weeks, I think we just wanted to come out here and prove to everyone how good we can be on offense. Things are starting to come together right now, there’s still work to do but we’ll keep pushing forward.
On Andrew Hendrix’s 78-yard run: “We were really happy for him, we gave him a hard time for not getting in on three straight runs, but he did a great job even before that. They plays he got, he moved the ball and did everything we asked.”

Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd
On the offensive execution: “We know what we are capable of doing. When you’re playing Air Force you’re not going to have a lot of possessions, so whatever you do you have to make the most of it. That’s exactly what we did today.”
On an improved effort: “Our team is making corrections. We’re making sure to never make the same mistakes twice. We have been watching film and learning as the season goes on.”

Notre Dame senior safety Harrison Smith
On the current state of the Irish: “I really don’t think you are ever going to be satisfied with where you are at, but we are still moving in the right direction improving every week on things. I don’t think you’ll ever hear us say, ‘We’re here.’ You’re never going to play a perfect game, but as long as we cut down on mistake and improve every week that’s where we want to go.”
On a bend-don’t-break defensive effort: “That’s never the strategy. You never want to say, ‘Alright, we’re going to give up a lot of yards.’ But, I think that’s kind of how it played out. If you keep a time off the board they’re not going to beat you. When it came down to it we got some turnovers and we didn’t let them get in the end zone very much. That’s what it takes to win.”