Notre Dame Recruiting Class Review: 2012
The previous two weeks we counted down Notre Dame’s 10 best football recruiting classes since the end of World II. What was a little disheartening was that the most recent group to make the list came all the way back in 1990 (No. 2), one that included more than a dozen future NFL players, and a record five drafted in the first round (Jerome Bettis, Tom Carter, Bryant Young, Aaron Taylor and Jeff Burris).
In a new four-part series, we review and assess the current classes at Notre Dame, where they have been and where they might be heading. Today, we look at the group signed in February 2012, which is expected to have at least three players returning for a fifth season of eligibility.
THE 2012 RECRUITING CLASS
Players Signed: 17, but 5 transferred
Rivals Class Ranking: No. 20
The Main Ones Who Got Away: Four different players issued a verbal commitment to Notre Dame but ended up signing elsewhere: offensive tackle Taylor Decker (Ohio State), receiver Deontay Greenberry (Houston), linebacker David Perkins (Ohio State and then Illinois State), and cornerback Ronald Darby (Florida State)
Players Who Transferred: 5. Gunner Kiel (Cincinnati), Will Mahone (Youngstown State), Justin Ferguson (Western Michigan), DaVonte Neal (Arizona) and Tee Shepard (Ole Miss)
WHO SIGNED IN 2012
Quarterback: Gunner Kiel
Running Backs: C.J. Prosise, Will Mahone
Receivers: Chris Brown, Justin Ferguson, DaVonte Neal
Tight End: None
Offensive Line: Ronnie Stanley, Mark Harrell*
Defensive Line: Sheldon Day, Jarron Jones*, Romeo Okwara
Linebacker: None
Cornerbacks: KeiVarae Russell, Tee Shepard
Safeties: Elijah Shumate, Nicky Baratti*, John Turner*
Specialist: Scott Daly*
* Denotes fifth-year candidate in 2016.
IMPACT
None was more important out of the gate than Russell, who originally signed as a running back/slot. But the 2012 cornerback position was decimated by the graduation of starters Robert Blanton and Gary Gray, and a top contender for one of the starting roles, Lo Wood, suffered a season ending injury in August.
Consequently, Russell went through a crash course in defensive coordinator Bob Diaco’s zone-heavy scheme — and ended up earning Freshman All-America honors during a 12-1 campaign that was spearheaded by Notre Dame’s best defense statistically in 32 years. Russell was heralded as one of the nation’s top corners entering his junior season in 2014, but became ineligible because of an academic investigation, and never quite returned to form in new coordinator Brian VanGorder’s more press oriented attack in 2015, although Russell still could make an NFL roster.
Stanley developed into a first-round pick, while Day blossomed into a two-time captain and productive mainstay. Led by Day, the defensive line became the top position group in this class with the senior-year development of Okwara — who arrived as an outside linebacker — and Jones, sidelined in 2015 (knee injury) but expected to be a centerpiece as a fifth-year senior in 2016.
Safety Shumate also will have an opportunity to play in the NFL if he adapts to all the nomenclature. He thrived as a nickel in his freshman year and could hit with anybody during his career, but comunication issues at safety hindered some of his progress.
Brown had flashes his first three years at receiver, and then morphed into a quality FBS wideout his senior year.
The top surprise in the class was the game-breaking Prosise, who began his career at safety, auditioned briefly at oustide linebacker, moved to slot — and then became a 1,000-yard rusher as a senior after the gradution of Cam McDaniel, a season ending injury to Tarean Folston and transfer of Grreg Bryant. Prosise was one of the lowest-rated players in Notre Dame’s 2012 haul (ranked No. 22 overall in the state of Virginia).
BALANCE
Some position reshuffling was needed to create a little better balance, most notably Prosise to running back, Russell to corner and Okwara to weak side defensive end. Otherwise, this group finished with no one at quarterback, tight end or linebacker, only one receiver, one corner and two offensive linemen.
The combination of “decommits” and transfers, coupled with some injuries, ravaged this class more than any other under head coach Brian Kelly.
DEPTH
Signing only 17 players made this one of the five smallest hauls in school history — and that was before Shepard had to leave just two months into his Notre Dame career.
By the time this group became seniors, it was down to a dozen, and then 11 when Jones was declared out in August because of an MCL injury. Baratti, who contributed some quality minutes as a freshman, missed two seasons (2013 and 2014) because of multiple shoulder surgeries, diminishing his effectiveness as well.
Ideally, Okwara — who is still only 20 years old — would have been redshirted in 2012, but lack of volume compelled the staff to insert him on special teams that season.
SUMMARY
Every Notre Dame recruiting class, no matter how lowly rated, will have at least four or five major contributors, or several NFL prospects. Even the abysmal 2004 harvest (ranked 91st by Rivals) had prime contibutors such as Darius Walker, Maurice Crum Jr., Terrail Lambert and Ronald Talley (before he transferred).
Great recruiting, however, is measured by the overall quality of impact, balance and depth. This class had about average impact, led by Stanley, Day and Russell, and then Prosise as a senior, plus complementary figures such as Brown, Okwara and Shumate. Balance and overall depth were limited, unfortunately.
The No. 20 rating from Rivals in February 2012 seems accurate, in retrospect. One never knows how attrition or injuries will work out over the course of four years, and for this group both became huge factors.