S Elijah Shumate is Irish!
by Jim Miesle on Jan 7, 2012 3:23 PM EST
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Coach Brian Kelly received his 18th commitment for the 2012 recruiting class today from S Elijah Shumate (Ramsey, NJ - Don Bosco). Shumate chose the Irish over Rutgers and South Carolina and is listed at 6'1"/185 lbs with a 4.5 40 time.
He joins Nicky Baratti, John Turner and C.J. Prosise as safety commitments for the class. Shumate was a US Army All-American and announced his decision during the game.
Recruiting Service Rankings:
ESPN - 4 Star (#6 NJ, #14 S), 80 Grade
Rivals - 4 Star (#4 NJ, #7 S), #128 Overall (5.8 Grade)
Scout - 4 Star (#5 S), #60 Overall
247Sports - 4 Star (#4 NJ, #2 S), #82 Overall (95 Grade)
MaxPreps - 4.5 Star, #136 Overall
Highlights after the jump.
Highlights:
Elijah Shumate Don Bosco - NJ (via MrGordon550)
Impact:
Immediate Future:
Shumate joins a big haul at the safety position for the 2012 class, but is the most highly regarded prospect of the group. He could challenge for play right away on special teams and potentially break the two deep at strong safety by mid-season and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in specific packages lining in more of a hybrid linebacker role.
Long Term/Career:
Some of the recruiting services contend that he will eventually play OLB at the next level, but I tend to disagree. His frame and skill-set should keep him in the strong safety rotation for the duration of his career in South Bend.
Elijah is a big hitting, physical presence on film. Additionally, he does a great job shedding blockers and beating the ball carrier to the point of attack. To me, he is the next version of Jamoris Slaughter, and could play a very similar role early in his career.
Welcome to Notre Dame Elijah!
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Only 4 spots left! It's getting tight!
Westerkamp should decide by the end of the weekend.
Rumors about the Armsteads
Rumors about another transfer
Yuri Wright has us as a leader now
It’s crunch time! Will be interesting to see what happens…
Or make it 3...
with Carlisle coming in..
Maybe the Armsteads and Westerkamp then we close the class? Crazy!
"To me, he is the next version of Jamoris Slaughter, and could play a very similar role early in his career."
Excellent. Slaughter at the nickel back was a pretty big part of our defense late in the season. It would be a shame to lose that versatility with Slaughter moving to safety full-time.
One Foot Down
On teh Twitterz
Awesome.
Great to follow up a great Front 7 class with a great group of safeties and corners. The D should be in great shape for the next few years.
whiskey
www.onefootdown.com
How talented is he?
by my name is inigo montoya on Jan 7, 2012 6:39 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Well he was pushing for the starting RB spot - at USC - as a freshman
until he got hurt. Their running back stable is packed like an anchovy jar with four stars. Plus he’s a smaller, quicker type of back that I think will be ideal in the spread. Very pumped about this.
Very
definitely not the power back they lack currently, but a talented smallish slasher and a very good receiver out of the backfield. Reminds me of Riddick. He stands a good chance to be the feature back in 2013 after having to sit out 2012. Too bad he is ineligible this season. I think he would become #2 behind CWood. He is a good character kid, too.
Look for GAIII to move from RB.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Jan 7, 2012 6:52 PM EST up reply actions
He might be featured RB in 2013, only if Woods doesnt come back for a 5th year and we
dont know how good K. Russell is going to be, and for sure Mahone is going to get a lot of play.
CWood in 2013, while possible, seems unlikely
If CWood leaves as most assume he will, that leaves ND with Carlisle, Mahone and Russell. That is a whole better than it was looking like a few weeks ago.
Look for GAIII to move to WR.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Jan 8, 2012 10:59 AM EST up reply actions
Wr can thank Jim Harbaugh for Carlisle.
He wanted to stay home close to his dad who was a strength coach for the 49’rs, and with Harbaugh taking over he was released from his job and since has been hired by Purdue as director of sports performance and Amir wanting to be close to dad is coming to the Irish. ( info from Irish Illustrated) Thanks Jim
If Carlisle wanted to stay close to home
why did he flip from his early commit to Stanford and go to USC in the first place?
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Jan 7, 2012 7:25 PM EST up reply actions
right, because Harbaugh didn't let him go from his spot at the 49rs
while Harbaugh was still Stanford’s coach.
I think that's what he meant.
That if Carlisle had only wanted to stay close to his Bay area family, he wouldn’t have gone to USC 400 miles away. However, the SBT article certainly makes it clear that the family’s relocation to the midwest was really important in Carlisle wanting to transfer from USC to ND.
by fishoutofwater on Jan 7, 2012 8:41 PM EST up reply actions
It isn't
400 miles is not close to home, closer than Indiana, sure, but not exactly close. If being close to home was so important to him, Stanford was the obvious place to go, not USC. At the time his dad said something about Carlisle wanting to get into television at some point and USC’s performing arts program and being in LA seemed to be a better fit.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Jan 8, 2012 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
But why choose a school 400 miles away (USC) over a school 10 miles away (Stanford)
if being close to home is a priority? Being close to home was not a priority this time last year it appears, but that does not mean it is not a priority now. Maybe the kid did not like being away from home. Maybe his injury and inability to play much made him miss home … he would not be the first to feel that.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Jan 8, 2012 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
Does ND have that major?
As I said in another post, Carlisle was thinking about a career in television and or film at some point after (during?) football, so going to LA made a lot of sense. That was the reason given for his flip from Stanford to USC. I assume that is no longer a factor, if it ever was.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Jan 10, 2012 9:00 AM EST up reply actions
The FTT department at ND...
is pretty awesome. If that’s his intended major, it’s no USC, but it’s no slouch either. Cierre Wood is in the program too.
You guys need to get a life.
Sincerely,
Jack In The Box vs. Five Guys Discussion
by Mouth of the South on Jan 9, 2012 6:47 PM EST up reply actions
If the thread is so lame, why are you jumping in???
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Jan 10, 2012 9:00 AM EST up reply actions
Reread the comment.
It’s the hamburger discussion calling the too far/not too far from home discussion lame—i.e. the pot calling he kettle black. The joke is that I’m being hypocritical.
by Mouth of the South on Jan 10, 2012 4:32 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Don't call yourself hypocritical, let others do that
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Jan 11, 2012 9:15 AM EST up reply actions
We now have 4 projected safeties in this class.
Any thoughts on whether that is too many or if there will be any position changes. I could see Baratti getting a look at linebacker. Give him a couple of years to bulk up a little bit and he could be a great drop linebacker playing at around 230 lbs.
That wouldn't surprise me
Baratti could also get a look at QB if we don’t get Fuller, though I doubt the coaches would seriously move him there unless he blew them away. We don’t have a ton of depth at Dog linebacker, and with the success we had with Slaughter at OLB in the nickel, it wouldn’t surprise me to see one or even two guys move to OLB.
One Foot Down
On teh Twitterz
Had heard that Baratti play QB in high school.
However I totally agree with you that unless he is just great there we probably shouldn’t move him. You totally took the thoughts I had in my head and put them down about Slaughter in the OLB spot. With the proliferation of spread offenses and three and four wide receiver sets it is hard to have 4 linebackers on the field at the same time. So if one of them is more of a hydrid that could provide a lot of versitility.
by goldeNDomer0209 on Jan 7, 2012 10:17 PM EST up reply actions
I think he would fit better at Will
He doesn’t quite have the prototypical height for the Dog position. I am not too worried, because Diaco will figure out a way to get the most talented players on the field.
I don't tweet often--but when I do, you can be sure it isn't important.
@jemiesle
Great minds think alike 4PS
I don't tweet often--but when I do, you can be sure it isn't important.
@jemiesle
Some have mentioned that one of this D's weaknesses
is how ridiculously difficult it is to find someone who can play the Dog. Why worry so much about height? If I had to choose, I’d take speed because the dog drops into coverage so much. For coverage, I think speed trumps length. Isn’t the length more for taking on O-linemen? You use one arm to keep them off of you and the other free to make the tackle. Soooo, what am I saying? It’s tough to find an athlete who can play Dog.
by Mouth of the South on Jan 7, 2012 11:15 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Good point
It is probably easier to find a hybrid S/OLB type than it is to find a 6’4" 240 lb athlete who can run, play coverage, and shed blockers. It all depends on what offense they are facing, but I would imagine they will play more of a base nickle look against the spread and triple option teams.
I don't tweet often--but when I do, you can be sure it isn't important.
@jemiesle
I would argue that the Dog plays the run more often than drops into pass coverage...
and the defense is much better off with 4 LBs and 2 safeties than 3 and 3 in those running situations.
Against 4 wide then yea you either need someone like Ishaq who can (hopefully) do it all or you need a nickel back. Just because Shembo sucks (in my opinion) doesn’t mean there aren’t guys who can play the position.
Shembo doesn't suck, he's just not a Dog
He’s much better at rushing the passer than dropping into coverage. He’ll probably take Fleming’s spot at Cat next season.
One Foot Down
On teh Twitterz
I agree--Shembo does not suck. His assignment should be to wreak havoc in the backfield.
And the coaching staff refers to the Dog position alternately as the “Drop” linebacker position. He gotsta be able to cover. Agree that four LB’s is better against the run, of course. The issue is finding a Dog who is fast enough to cover and doesn’t have to come off the field on 3rd down.
by Mouth of the South on Jan 9, 2012 6:50 PM EST up reply actions
I vote Troy Niklas for Dog.
Size and length to stop the run and take on o-linemen. Great in space. Power you want on the field. Move Shembo to Cat.
by fishoutofwater on Jan 9, 2012 7:36 PM EST up reply actions
I know Troy "Jack" Niklas moves well for 6'6" 260 lbs., but does he run well enough to play in space?
We’ll see. I would think T-Nik is a good Dog candidate, otherwise maybe we wouldn’t have seen Councell redshirt.
by Mouth of the South on Jan 10, 2012 12:27 AM EST up reply actions
I am not an expert
but what is the reasoning for needing to have height at the Dog position. Also, I thought that he might be too light for Will b/c he would need to take on offensive guards in that spot. Either way I thought of all of our safety recruits he seemed the most likely to make the move.
by goldeNDomer0209 on Jan 7, 2012 10:19 PM EST up reply actions
They get in more passing lanes
and they can rush against OTs better.
Ok
that makes sense. Maybe b/c i’m on the short side that was just me showing off my Napoleon complex.
by goldeNDomer0209 on Jan 7, 2012 10:44 PM EST up reply actions
It would seem a likley move
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Jan 8, 2012 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
Safeties for next year
for comparison, Harrison Smith, 6’2", 214#
Motta, 6’2", 215#
Slaughter, 6’0, 198#
Collinsworth, 6’1", 200#
Hardy, 5’11", 177#
Badger, 6’0", 178 (2009 stats)
Baratti, 6’2", 215#
Prosise, 6’1", 202#
Turner, 6’2", 205
Shumate, 6’1", 205
by Michael Collins on Jan 7, 2012 11:52 PM EST reply actions
An upward trend at the safety position for 2012
I don't tweet often--but when I do, you can be sure it isn't important.
@jemiesle
No, but
we could try the six degrees of separation with John as the center of the universe.
by Michael Collins on Jan 8, 2012 1:38 PM EST up reply actions
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