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Nick Ruland saw all of the Davonte Neal drama unfold up close Tuesday, and he provides a detailed account of the day's events here.

One thing that certainly stands out from the story is the reason the Neals gave for not showing up to the originally scheduled morning announcement of Davonte's decision:

After Davonte Neal's press conference in front of a handful of reporters on a stage that just hours earlier had seen an array of cameras searching for something to shoot, Davonte and Luke Neal explained why they didn't make it.

"It was a family situation that we would like to keep private right now," Luke Neal said. "We are going to try to deal with it within ourselves first."

Luke Neal said that someone in his family had been seriously injured, though he did not disclose any further details. Just weeks after one of Davonte Neal's cousins was killed in a car accident, Luke Neal said that another tragedy had beset the family in what should have been a time of celebration.

Meanwhile, ESPN senior writer Mitch Sherman talks about Neal's commitment to Notre Dame in this week's edition of RecruitingNation 411.

"Neal starred as a receiver, running back, defensive back and kick-return specialists at Chaparral high school in Scottsdale, Ariz., and he'll get an opportunity to display many of those skills in South Bend. At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Neal ranked as the nation's No. 8 overall prospect and twice won Arizona's Gatorade player of the year award.

Apologies for being a few days late with this, but the Washington Redskins hired former player Phillip Daniels as their new director of player development Friday.

Daniels played 15 NFL seasons, the last seven with the Redskins.

More importantly, at least for Notre Dame fans, he is the father of Irish wide receiver DaVaris Daniels, who redshirted this past season.

Matt Fortuna says the late addition of Davonte Neal provides the Notre Dame program a boost of momentum heading into the spring.

With the NFL scouting combine kicking off today, Scouts Inc. offers some cheat sheets on the offensive side of the ball.

Most notable for Notre Dame fans is the wide receiver position , as former Irish star Michael Floyd could be drafted in the first round. Measuring in at 6-foot-3, 229 pounds, Floyd is bigger than the average receiver of the past four combines, who measure 6-0 7/8 and 202.4 pounds.

Based on the last three drafts, 29.6 receivers have been drafted per year, with 3.6 going in the first round.

While Floyd is listed third among draftable receivers from this year's class, he is not in the top five of any of the main receiver categories: separation skills, ball skills, big-play ability and competitiveness/toughness.

Also worth noting from the offensive line class, is that former right tackle Taylor Dever does not have a draftable grade , despite being invited to the combine.

Poor Northwestern.

• So, um, the Irish landed a pretty good player Tuesday.
• Brian Kelly speaks to Notre Dame athletics about Davonte Neal.
• The Arizona Republic's Scott Bordow says the Neals should be ashamed of themselves.
• BlueandGold.com's Lou Somogyi looks at whether Notre Dame is "a year away."
• Again, here's Michael Silver's GQ piece on Tim Tebow, featuring former Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn's controversial comments.
• The addition of Davonte Neal moves Notre Dame up to No. 9 in ESPNU's recruiting class rankings .

The NFL scouting combine gets started today in Indianapolis, running through Tuesday. A full schedule of events can be found here.

Jonas Gray, Michael Floyd, Taylor Dever, Darius Fleming, Robert Blanton and Harrison Smith will be there from Notre Dame. Among the most pressing questions facing the Irish contingent:

• How will Floyd respond to all of the questions about his multiple off-field run-ins with alcohol? The receiver has answered every question from the media the right way so far, but the environment will be much more intense in Indianapolis. Also, is he 100 percent after suffering a rib injury in his finale? Floyd skipped the Senior Bowl to heal, so there is a bit of uncertainty surrounding him there as well.
• How much can Smith improve his stock? The safety and former Irish captain has received rave reviews since his college career ended, and he was even a first-rounder in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft. Don't expect Smith to be fazed by the circus of the combine.
• How much will Gray's ACL tear hurt him? The running back told the South Bend Tribune that he will not work out at the combine but is confident he'll be ready for Notre Dame's pro day, though whether he will be able to run a 40-yard dash remains up in the air.

Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn apologized Tuesday for less-than-flattering comments he made in a GQ article about Denver Broncos teammate Tim Tebow.

Perhaps the most jarring comment appearing in the GQ story — which was written by Michael Silver — centers on the way Tebow handled the attention surrounding him this year. Quinn, according to Silver, said:

"If you look at it as a whole, there's a lot of things that just don't seem very humble to me. When I get that opportunity, I'll continue to lead not necessarily by trying to get in front of the camera and praying but by praying with my teammates, you know?"

In an apology spanning five tweets, Quinn said the comments were not reflective of his opinion of Tebow or the Broncos, adding that he reached out to Silver to express his disappointment in the portrayal of his comments. Silver later wrote on Twitter that he has audio tape of Quinn's quotes.

I can side with Quinn in one sense — athletes often catch heat for not opening up, then get crushed once they're finally honest. And being the guy to publicly bash Tebow, arguably the most divisive athlete in this country, will make you a target for criticism. But blaming the reporter? We've already seen this played out with Ray Small and James Harrison. Barring lots of misquoting — and, as mentioned earlier, Silver has said he has the tape — it's tough to figure out what Silver could have done to paint a "completely inaccurate portrayal" of Quinn's comments.

Notre Dame has announced that the signing of five-star athlete Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral) is now official, and it distributed comments from coach Brian Kelly.

“Deciding on a college is one of the toughest decisions a young player makes in his life, so we are very pleased with Davonte’s decision to attend Notre Dame,” Kelly said. “Davonte was an electric playmaker in high school and was capable of making the big play any time he had the ball in his hands. He excelled as a receiver, as a running back and as a returner for Coach (Charlie) Ragle at Chaparral High School. I imagine we’ll use him in a similar fashion here.”

Neal is the 17th member of the Irish's 2012 recruiting class, which bumps up to No. 9 now.

“Davonte is a great complement for our 2012 recruiting class,” Kelly said. “As I said almost three weeks ago, we wanted to add more skill players to our team and we did a nice job of doing that. I look forward to coaching Davonte and the rest of his class this fall.”

Nearly three weeks after national signing day and nearly four hours after 600 elementary school kids missed class for an announcement that didn't come, Notre Dame got its man.

Five-star athlete Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral), the last unsigned member of the ESPNU 150 (No. 8 overall), committed to the Irish on Tuesday over North Carolina, Arizona and Arkansas.

Neal is the lone five-star prospect to commit to the Irish, who now come in at No. 9 in ESPNU's 2012 recruiting class rankings. Five other ESPNU 150 players are a part of the class.

At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Neal played receiver in the Under Armour All-America Game, though he was picked for the event as a defensive back. As a senior, the two-time Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year scored 30 touchdowns on offense, added three on special teams and starred in the secondary with 12 pass breakups. He finished as the No. 8 overall prospect nationally.

Neal is recruit No. 17 for Notre Dame, which had dealt with the de-commitments of four-star cornerback Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md./Potomac), three-star offensive tackle Taylor Decker (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) and four-star wide receiver Deontay Greenberry (Fresno, Calif./Washington Union) in the month leading up to signing day. Greenberry, who flipped to Houston on signing day, was the most surprising of the defections, putting a damper on the Feb. 1 signing day for the Irish.

Twenty days later, they're singing a different tune in South Bend, Ind.

While his future position in the blue and gold remains unclear, Neal has the potential to make an immediate impact for the Irish in the return game, where Notre Dame averaged just 0.3 yards per punt return during the 2011 regular season.

Perhaps more importantly, Neal helps Notre Dame close the 2012 recruiting season on a strong note following a disappointing end to the 2011 football season and the ensuing de-commitments leading up to signing day.

National signing day was 20 days ago, but the recruiting drama has yet to die down.

Five-star athlete Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral), the last unsigned member of the ESPNU 150 (No. 8 overall), did not show up Tuesday to his former elementary school, Kyrene de la Esperanza, where he was expected to choose among Notre Dame, North Carolina, Arizona and Arkansas.

After waiting approximately 30 minutes, the assembly ended and the 600 elementary school children were sent back to class and the rest of the crowd dispersed.

It is unknown when he will make his decision now.

Neal is the top-rated athlete in the nation, meaning he can play multiple positions at the next level. In Neal's case, he could play as a cornerback or wide receiver, as well as a return specialist.

I'll have to go with Pac-12 blogger Ted Miller on this one -- Neal should decide on a school, then send a letter of intent there. And that's that.

He's the one who has earned the free ride and will have to live with his decision. And, if he wants to have some fun and enjoy the attention from his community, good for him. But a head's-up to the hundreds there who re-arranged their mornings for him would have been proper courtesy.

Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday ...

• Colleague Kevin Gemmell catches up with USC coach Lane Kiffin here and here.
• Former Notre Dame assistant Bill Sheridan's time with Ohio State lasted ... not long. He's on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Former Irish wideout Jeff Samardzija is fighting for a spot in the Chicago Cubs' rotation.
• Questions await Michael Floyd at the combine, Eric Hansen writes in the South Bend Tribune.
• Everett Golson is CBSSports.com's Bruce Feldman's most intriguing redshirt freshman.

For those who missed it over the weekend, SportingNews.com's Matt Hayes has a tremendous story on former Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist, who is ready to put a rough season in South Bend, Ind., behind him and finish strong with Kansas.

Crist couldn't sleep or eat after losing his job early in the 2011 campaign, which Hayes characterizes as a three-month depression, something Crist supports by saying: "You could definitely call it that."

“It was the worst time in my life,” Crist says now. “You invest so much, and it all happens so quickly … it’s just blindsided me.”

Crist was also days away from transferring to Wisconsin, Hayes writes, before former Irish and new Jayhawks coach Charlie Weis texted him.

The quarterback of course ended up in Lawrence, Kan., after watching consecutive seasons end because of injuries in each knee. After winning back the starting job to open 2011, Crist was benched after the first half of the Irish's season-opening loss to South Florida.

On Monday, Notre Dame offered junior quarterback Malik Zaire (Kettering, Ohio/Archbishop Alter), who may now be just a little more than a month away from making his college decision.

“I don’t have any order, but my top five would probably be Ohio State, Nebraska, Pitt, Notre Dame and Wisconsin,” Zaire said. “… I’ll probably make my decision by the end of March, beginning of April, hopefully, depending on how the visits go.”

An ESPNU Watch List member, Zaire will visit Nebraska in March, with likely trips to Notre Dame and Wisconsin afterward.

To read more on Zaire, check out colleague Jared Shanker's story.

Football Outsiders took a look Friday at the needs of NFC North teams in the upcoming draft . As many have said all along, the Chicago Bears could be looking for a wide receiver, and they may not need to look far.

As for the receiver class, Notre Dame's Michael Floyd is likely to be in play with the 19th pick. Floyd is a bit tight in his routes and lacks ideal suddenness so this might be a bit rich for him, but his downfield ball skills are second-to-none. He's a physical receiver who tracks the ball well and uses his 6-3, 229-pound frame to his advantage in jump ball situations, and Floyd would give strong-armed Bears QB Jay Cutler the quality vertical target he needs.

Earlier this week, Scouts Inc.'s Kevin Weidl examined the Indianapolis Colts' other needs besides a potential new quarterback . He thinks Floyd could help the Colts should they somehow be in position to pick the former Irish wideout.

Colts WRs Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon are headed for free agency, so Indianapolis might also opt to add a weapon for Luck in the passing game. To that end, Baylor's Kendall Wright would provide a dynamic presence on the outside as the kind of receiver who can make things happen after the catch. Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd would also be a consideration should he fall on draft weekend, and he or South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery could provide a big target and ability to stretch the field and make plays in one-on-one situations.

Thanks for another great turn out this week for the Notre Dame chat. You can find a full transcript here.

Some highlights:

• Rich F. (Utica, N.Y.): Does the idea intrigue you to join a major conference , or do you feel staying as an independent helps strengthen your national image?
• Matt Fortuna (2:09 PM): Rich, I take it you mean Notre Dame, not me. Regardless, I like their status as an independent, especially with potential upcoming changes to the BCS. They'll be free to negotiate their own bowl contracts and, of course, hold onto their national image and the benefits that come with that in recruiting and scheduling.

• Aaron (Chicago): Hey Matt, people have asked you before if Notre Dame will ever get back to national prominence because of the academic standards handicapping them. Then to refute, you usually point out Stanford for the last 2 years. Now when I think national prominence I think of the ability to play at the same level of the Alabama's and LSU's. Stanford couldn't beat the best opponent on their schedule both years, Oregon, in fact they gave up over 100 points combined to the Ducks in 2010 and 2011. So I'd have to say while close, they still weren't there and I think it all comes down to the talent gap on defenses, which i can't ever see changing in favor of the Notre Dame's and Stanford's.
• Matt Fortuna (2:29 PM): Aaron, I don't disagree that Stanford isn't at the level of LSU or Alabama, two of the best defenses of recent memory. But it is still a program that has had plenty of recent success, enough that Notre Dame fans would love to have after the last few years. More than anything, I think it proves that you can still have success with strict academic requirements, which some fans seem to think is impossible and blame for the Irish's recent struggles.

• Tim (Nebraska): Happy Friday, Matt! I can't remember the last time the Irish beat both of the Michigan schools. With the way the first 3 quarters in Ann Arbor went, and the front seven coming on strong, plus Michigan State going into what I think will be a down year compared to the last two,could 2012 be the year we can beat them both?
• Matt Fortuna (2:36 PM): Tim, always a Happy Friday. It's certainly possible, but ND is in no better position to do it this year than it was the last three years. I don't think MSU will lose much, though it's not easy to replace a QB and leader like Cousins. And Michigan, well, let's just say they have a certain QB ND may be familiar with ...

• JR (Bloomington): Do you see any of the freshmen making the same kind of impact this year that Lynch/Tuit made last year? Also, I can't imagine a scenario where Rees is the QB to take us to the next level, I don't think Hendrix is either, what are the chances we see Golson or Keil start in Dublin?
• Matt Fortuna (2:42 PM): JR, it's tough to see any freshmen playing that well, and, in addition, getting the opportunity to play that well. So many d-linemen went down and forced those guys to play more than they were supposed to. Rees' lack of mobility certainly holds him back, but you can't discount his experience. I think Hendrix's skill-set is one that could really get the offense moving. Regardless, I doubt we'll see just one QB next season.