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The lesson may be a harsh one but it is clear: Always be wary of the recruit in your class who is the most boisterous about being a part of your school. On Tuesday afternoon this lesson hit Notre Dame as the unforgiving off-season continues with the announcement that Charlotte running back Elijah Hood decommitted from the 2014 Irish class.
Hood began his recruiting process with a strong affinity for Notre Dame even before visiting campus. When he did make it to South Bend it was believed he might join Notre Dame's recruiting class. However, Hood took trips to Ohio State and Michigan and returned back to North Carolina without making a pledge.
Hood made it back to Notre Dame with his parents in the spring and apparently that was enough to make a decision as the 5-star back joined #GoldenArmy14. Afterwards, there was a lot of love for Notre Dame coming from Hood and he immediately went to work recruiting other players for the class. There was even an infamous Roll Toilet incident that endeared Hood to Irish fans.
Yet, beneath it all the North Carolina Tar Heels continued to lurk. Prior to his second trip to South Bend it was UNC that was coming on strong and Hood was concerned about the distance to Indiana. On Tuesday it appears that distance won out.
BREAKING: Per @TomLoy247, running back Elijah Hood decommits from #NotreDame. http://t.co/zCbsftmm4c via @BGInews @247Sports
— Blue and Gold News (@BGInews) August 20, 2013
Elijah Hood is the No. 5 Composite running back in the country and impressed many during the summer at several all-star camps with his blend of size and speed. His loss leaves Notre Dame without a running back in the 2014 class, and although this position has nice depth right now, the Irish will likely have to refocus and find another commit for the backfield over the next 5 months.
Coming off a 12-1 season Notre Dame appeared primed for a big recruiting haul for 2014 but the loss of Hood weakens a class that was shaping up to be very good but still needs a handful more elite recruits to meet the potential many saw for #GoldenArmy14.