Jaylon Smith |
So when consensus top LB Jaylon Smith, who's rated as the number 4 overall player in the country by Rivals, the number 7 overall player in the country by 24/7, and the number 17 overall player in the country by Scout, it gets you excited about as an Irish fan. And sure, we get excited because he's an extraordinarily elite recruit who is arguably a bigger prospect than Manti Te'o was (more on that later), and thus the biggest commitment since Jimmy Clausen (who was the number 1 player overall in his class). But more than that, it's the reasons why Smith chose the Irish. Watch this video to see why:
Now, Jaylon in that video boils his decision to attend Notre Dame down to a few characteristics. First, he said, was that "Notre Dame wasn't for everyone." In this, he's entirely correct. In order for a recruit to come in and make a name for himself at Notre Dame, he has to accept and embrace both the challenge of living up to the lofty football tradition, but more importantly the commitment to academics. Smith talks about it as a decision for the rest of your life. And that's right - the whole point to college is to set yourself up for life. Most of the schools that recruited Jaylon pitched to him his role on the football field, the multiple national championships he most assuredly would bring to that particular school, and his automatic future in the NFL. But this couldn't be further from the truth. We as fans often get caught up in the star power of college football, and subsequently the NFL, but the fact remains that for the VAST majority of college football players, their careers are over the day they graduate. For Smith, choosing Notre Dame came down to the fact that they graduate 99% of their African-American athletes, and the value of the investment in a Notre Dame degree operates as the most secure insurance policy barring, god forbid, any injury.
Smith and Kelly on a recent visit |
Even better, Jaylon makes it "cool" again to come to Notre Dame in an era where perception is reality in college football recruiting. This concept is why you see recruits go to Oregon because of their jerseys, go to USC because of the flash, and go to SEC schools because of the perceived notion that it's an automatic ticket to NFL paychecks. Smith, and the rest of the "Irish Mob" class of 2013, are going to make the tradition of Notre Dame "cool" again. In fact, most of Brian Kelly's recruiting classes at Notre Dame, beginning with the tail end of 2010, have included several players that recognize the challenges and differences at Notre Dame and strive to change them. The current roster is riddled with players who have come to Notre Dame even though the program has not seen sustained success in most of their lifetimes. Smith is no different in that regard, but his elite status instantly puts him at the forefront of an outstanding 2013 class that is comprised of the same kind of kids. A quick look at the 2013 class, with Smith, shows the makings of a class that can capitalize on the great foundations laid in the previous two classes to really get Notre Dame back on the map. All of these kids, especially QB Malik Zaire, have taken it upon themselves to market the prospects of turning Notre Dame around to prospective recruits. Smith is no different, as he's already spoken about reaching out to other elite recruits in an attempt to persuade them to join him at Notre Dame.
Smith has some big shoes to fill |
All of this talk doesn't even approach the qualities Smith brings to the football field. Quite simply, he is an electric player who could start from the day he steps on campus. At 6'3, 220 pounds with blazing 4.4 speed and ridiculous athleticism, Smith plays all over the field for his high school team. He drops into coverage, he plays LB, he rushes the passer, and he gets lots of carries at RB. And he does each of these exceptionally well. In several camps this offseason, Jaylon has dominated opposing offensive linemen rushing the passer, has excelled at linebacker (where he'll slot in for Notre Dame), and has even dropped into coverage as a hybrid defensive back, shutting down great opposing receivers without much trouble at all. One glance at some of his highlights is all you need:
I understand that he is just one player, and that it is only June. There have been exactly zero games played in the 2012 season. But make no mistake about it. This is a monumental milestone in the Brian Kelly era. It's a sign that the best recruits in the country can still choose schools like Notre Dame, and it gives faith to those fans that coaches like Brian Kelly can still assemble outstanding talent and compete at the highest level. It's also a sign that Kelly has the Irish moving in the right direction, with a couple solid recruiting classes already in the books and the Class of 2013 having a truly special make up already. Hopefully Kelly can translate some of that success into victories this season, even if Notre Dame has the hardest schedule in the country. If that does happen, combined with continued recruiting success, we'll all know good times are right around the corner for Irish Nation.
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