ESPN College Football

Our series continues today with wide receiver, where Notre Dame looks to replace arguably the best to ever play the position in blue and gold.

OUT: Michael Floyd. Floyd rewrote the record books during his time in South Bend, Ind. He finished his senior season with 100 catches for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns, none more impressive than his final grab, a 5-yard score in the Champs Sports Bowl that he juggled while absorbing a pair of hits from Florida State defenders. Those blows knocked him out of the game and several ensuing pre-draft showcases with an upper body injury. All healthy now — and with the troubles from three alcohol-related brushes with the law seemingly behind him — Floyd will likely hear his name called on the first day of the NFL draft following a Notre Dame career that featured school records in receptions (271), touchdown receptions (37) and receiving yards (3,686). He was also the team's 10th two-time MVP.

IN: DaVaris Daniels, Justin Ferguson. It would be unreasonable to expect anyone to perform to the standard of someone with multiple school records, let alone expect someone who has never played a down of college football to do it. But Daniels, who redshirted as a freshman, and Ferguson, an incoming recruit, certainly have the tools to earn significant playing time early in 2012. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Daniels, the son of former NFL defensive end Phillip Daniels, was one of the top players in the state of Illinois and an Under Armour All-American while at Vernon Hills High School. Ferguson, a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder from Flanagan (Fla.) High School, was ESPNU's 85th-best player in the Class of 2012. The loss of Deontay Greenberry to Houston on national signing day hurts this unit, which could have used the four-star prospect's explosiveness early on.

Pretty prescient with the Bennett Jackson spotlight today, no?

Jackson's -- and every other defensive back's -- responsibilities just grew significantly in light of the news today that four-star cornerback Tee Shepard, an early enrollee, has left Notre Dame. (And yes, the Jackson post was a complete coincidence.)

Brian Kelly said during national signing day that the focus for the 2012 recruiting class was on wide receivers and players in the secondary. While the Irish notched a number of safety prospects, the loss of Shepard gives them zero cornerbacks for this class, and they now have just four on scholarship. None of those four -- Jackson, Lo Wood, Josh Atkinson and Jalen Brown -- have started a college game.

Once Shepard decides on a new school, he will need a waiver just to play this fall. And this comes after he sat out his entire senior season of high school at Washington (Calif.) Union after transferring from Central East.

The late commitment of Davonte Neal is all the more important now, as cornerback will likely provide the quicker route for the athlete to get on the field, over receiver.

Regardless, following the national signing day de-commitment of Deontay Greenberry, Shepard's cousin, this is one blow Notre Dame will have to recover from quickly with spring practices less than a week away.

Thanks for another strong turnout this week for the weekly Notre Dame chat. A full transcript can be found here.

And onto some highlights ...

• BW (Colorado): Matt,Why is it when a young man like D. Neal waits to sign & then signs with ND do all the haters and others come out and slam
• Matt Fortuna (2:10 PM): BW, Neal was going to get plenty of heat regardless of where he signed. I don't know the full circumstances of the kid's situation so I'm not going to slam him or speculate, but anytime a top recruit waits until after the pack on national signing day to announce his choice he will get some heat for trying to stand out and draw more attention. Add in the fact that he was a no-show without notice to anyone for his morning announcement Tuesday -- and that 600 elementary school kids were pulled out of class for virtually no reason -- and the kid is going to take some criticism, regardless of where he ends up. In the time between his scheduled announcement and actual one, several ND fans had said they didn't even want him anymore because of the circus.

• Casey (South Bend, IN): Hi MattJust wondering what the advantages would be, if any, for "redshirting" Kiel this season?
• Matt Fortuna (2:15 PM): Casey, if multiple guys prove they are more game-ready than Kiel, then what would be the point of playing him just a little bit? The kid's clearly talented, and you'd like to maximize the potential amount of time he could play. Better to have the possibility of four strong years after he learns the offense and playbook on the sideline this year than only three more years after a handful of meaningless snaps.

• Evan (Indiana): Matt, I've been an Irish fan since I was young and I feel Coach Kelly has the program positioned to be a contender. Outside of the question at quarterback right now, do you see an offense that is more talented than the Irish will be this Fall?
• Matt Fortuna (2:31 PM): Evan, I'm not sure I do. Quarterback aside, how do you expect to get better when you lose possibly the greatest WR in school history? Tyler Eifert won't sneak up on anyone again, either. And we don't what's behind Cierre Wood yet. Then again, if this team does a much better job of protecting the ball than last year's, it could have more success.

• Darren (Peoria, Ill.) If you could only take one, between Davonte Neal and Deontay Greeberry. who are you takin?
• Matt Fortuna (2:42 PM): There's no right answer here (at least that we know of yet), but I say Greenberry given the circumstances. Any coach will tell you losses hurt more than wins feel great, and losing a top recruit at a position of need to a school like Houston at the last minute stings.

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.

Thanks to those who stopped by the re-scheduled Notre Dame chat today. We had plenty of questions about QBs and coaches, and even a few of you wishing me a Happy Valentine's Day. (Seriously, I'll be just fine guys. Thanks for your concern.)

Here's a transcript. And a few highlights:

Stephen Donnelly (Franklinville, N.J.): With michael floyd leaving for the NFL, do the fighting irish have any big body receivers to help out in the red zone this year?

Matt Fortuna (2:10 PM): Stephen, this should be a big concern, right behind that of the quarterbacks. We think there is talent at the signal caller position, though -- it's just a matter of nurturing it and making the right choice. At the WR position? There is talent, sure, but nothing like Michael Floyd, and no true downfield threat that we know of yet. That's what makes the loss of Deontay Greenberry hurt so much. Perhaps Justin Ferguson can step in and contribute right away, though that remains to be seen.

Rob Rod (San Francisco): What are your thoughts on the Booker for special teams coach?

Matt Fortuna (2:14 PM): Rob, he has drawn rave reviews from everyone for his work as an intern the past two years. The special teams will be shaken up, sure, but BK said it falls on the staff as a whole, not just one guy. They need a playmaker on punt returns, a threat to make something happen at any given time. Michael Floyd, when given the chance in the bowl game, showed he could do that. Now it's about finding another guy on the roster who can handle that.

Lucas (Indiana): Hey Matt. Thanks for answering my question last time. New questions...What is the schedule of Spring Practice and have they set a date for the Blue and Gold game? Is our RB coach here to stay or NFL bound? And given the history of our new Off. Cord. coach Martin...he seemed to run more than pass when he controlled the offense at other schools. Are we going to see more ground game this year than previous?

Matt Fortuna (2:49 PM): Lucas, spring practice is tentatively set to start March 21. The spring game is April 21. From the way Tony Alford spoke Friday, I'd say he's here to stay. He was very candid, which you don't always see from guys who interviewed at other places, and, most importantly, he hasn't been offered anything yet. As for Martin, I think that may be a wait-and-see approach with how quick the starting QB can develop.

Rich (NYC): Coach Kelly had a track record of player development in his previous stops (if you the equation is <2 star recruits who become NFL draftees). I admit that hearing Jonas Gray sing his praises, and seeing his turn around has peaked my interest. Do you see players who could have a "Jonas Gray" turn around for 2012?

Matt Fortuna (2:52 PM): Rich, just taking a guess here, but let's go with John Goodman, who is reportedly back, to the surprise of some. That speaks to Kelly's faith in him, and with a depleted and relatively young receiving corp, I could see Goodman playing a bigger role and rewarding the staff for its belief in him, much the way Gray did last season.

Gunner Kiel landed at Notre Dame after pledging to LSU and Indiana and now Deontay Greenberry is Houston-bound, after initially pledging to the Irish. The reverberations from both flips will likely be felt more in the years to come than the immediate future, but that didn't stop pettiness from reigning supreme Wednesday.

The video has gone viral, LSU coach Les Miles questioning the heart of Kiel at the Tiger Gridiron Club's annual national signing day "Bayou Bash" in Baton Rouge, La.

"There was a gentleman from Indiana that thought about coming to the Bayou state," Miles said. "He did not necessarily have the chest and the ability to lead a program, so you know."

And here Notre Dame fans were thinking they landed the upset of the 2012 recruiting class.

Adding to the sting of Miles' comments was the fact the coach said it to an audience, one that responded with a roar of approval to the millionaire coach's shot at a high-school kid for changing his mind.

No wonder fans spew so much vitriol to prospects who don't sign with their favorite schools.

If Kiel did not have the chest and the ability to lead a program, Miles sure did a lousy job of recognizing that, too. The performance of his quarterbacks suggest as much, as do his comments the day Kiel enrolled at Notre Dame, which offered a much more reasoned take on the Indiana native's decision to stay in Indiana.

"There's a point in time where young people make a variety of decisions, and for a variety of reasons," Miles said at the time. "The only thing I can tell you is there is a guy in the Midwest who felt staying close to home was the right thing."

Fortunately for the Irish, Miles' foolishness has in some ways overshadowed the lack of momentum Notre Dame had in this class, the Irish losing three commitments in the last month, Greenberry's defection to Houston coming at the very last minute.

But for now, they can take solace in the fact that much of that was salvaged by the last-minute landing of Kiel, chest and ability issues aside.

Greenberry's 11th-hour switch from the Irish to Houston may have been the biggest shocker on national signing day, but Kiel's 11th-hour de-commitment from the Tigers and ensuing early enrollment at Notre Dame served among the biggest shockers of this recruiting season.

Just look at others' reactions.

Thanks again to those who stopped by for the weekly Notre Dame chat. The full transcript is available here.

A sampling:

• Lucas (Indiana): With all the talk about the QB's and who might start...who is going to be the WR's that are going to step up? Is there anyone on the roster that the coaches are looking forward to see play or get more passes thrown their way? And is Theo Riddick a RB next season or WR?
• Matt Fortuna (2:19 PM): Lucas, that's what makes the Greenberry loss hurt so much. Michael Floyd told the SBTribune this week he thinks Daniel Smith is a sleeper. I think TJ Jones is a very good receiver, but he's no Floyd (few are). I wouldn't be surprised if someone was moved there — be it Theo or Atkinson — with the newfound depth at RB.

• Raphael (Chicago): how many players besides Floyd will get drafted this year?
• Matt Fortuna (2:25 PM): Raphael, Harrison Smith definitely. Darius Fleming, Robert Blanton and Gary Gray likely will, too, though you never know when you get to those later rounds. Here's hoping a team takes a shot on Jonas Gray, too, though it's tough to gauge how recovered he will be at that time.

• Andrew (Michigan): Matt you have to look at Golson's high school tape & know hes the guy to lead the Irish next year right? Theres no better athlete or arm in the group.
• Matt Fortuna (2:28 PM): Andrew, you cannot make that assertion based on just high school tape. Sure, the skill set is there, but how will it measure up against elite college defenses, not HS ones? How will the kid handle all of the attention that comes with being the QB at Notre Dame? How will he bounce back from a mistake? None of this is to say Golson can't do it, and I am as anxious as anyone to see how his skills translate to the college level, but you can't say he's "the guy" based off just HS highlights.

• Otto (CA): Do you got Matt Barkley throwing for 400 against ND?
• Matt Fortuna (2:48 PM): Otto, ND probably won't be the only team he has a big day against, though the combination of a POTENTIAL title game spot and POTENTIAL Heisman candidacy up for grabs there could make that game interesting on many levels.

Everything you need to know about national signing day 2012 can be found here.

Notre Dame was among the national headliners, though not in the way the Irish had hoped, Jared Shanker writes:

A commit flipping from Houston to Notre Dame on signing day might not raise eyebrows. Bigger programs snag recruits from smaller schools all the time close to signing day as targets are missed. But a prospect flipping from Notre Dame in favor of Houston? Almost unheard of. That's what ESPNU 150 WR Deontay Greenberry (Fresno, Calif./Washington Union) did, though. He felt as if he was going to Notre Dame only because his cousin and teammate Tee Shepard was. He told ESPN his relationship with Cougars receivers coach Jamie Christian was also a major factor.

There could be a glimmer of hope, however, as the Irish may still be in the running for five-star athlete Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral), the top unsigned prospect from this year's class.

Recruiting update: Neal recently bumped out Miami for Arizona, and Oklahoma is also a new team in the mix. Ohio State is doing well, and Neal is a big fan of Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer. Notre Dame is also very high on his list, and he'll make his decision the week after signing day.

Any other big football-related events coming up?

• Deontay Greenberry tells the Fresno Bee's Andy Boogard that he had committed to Notre Dame for the wrong reason.
• IrishIllustrated.com's Pete Sampson says Notre Dame pitched itself to recruits as a BCS contender, but the class faltered when the Irish weren't.
• The South Bend Tribune's Al Lesar thinks the Irish landed useful pieces but were missing pizzazz.
• Lesar also spoke with Super Bowl-bound Sergio Brown, the former Irish safety now with the Patriots.
• Speaking of the Super Bowl, BlueandGold.com's Wes Morgan looks at Notre Dame alums with NFL rings to show off.
• Meanwhile, ESPN.com's RecruitingNation says the Irish topped the rest of the non-AQs on national signing day.

Biggest need filled: Last year it was fortifying the defensive line, something Notre Dame did with a bang in landing stud recruits Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt, immediate contributors. This year it was shoring up the secondary and receiving corps.

Despite a decommitment from a big prospect in each area, Brian Kelly must feel the Irish did that by adding two receivers, a corner and four safeties. Still, the loss of Deontay Greenberry will sting more than that of Ronald Darby, given the graduation of Michael Floyd and the uncertainty at the quarterback position.

National signing day is in the books. And though it was not without its surprises for Notre Dame, we won't know the true impact of Wednesday's additions until years from now.

With that, we take our best shot at predicting the future while recapping what went down.

Biggest surprise: There's only one choice to make here, and it's the flip of Deontay Greenberry to Houston on Wednesday morning. Notre Dame's 17-man class seemed all but set entering the day, but Greenberry changed that with the last-minute decision. Having his cousin, Tee Shepard, already enrolled at Notre Dame certainly makes this more surprising.

Player you'll see next season: Shepard figures to see playing time in the secondary upon his arrival. Brian Kelly called him the best cornerback in the country, and with the lack of depth there currently on the Notre Dame roster, Shepard will have the chance to earn extended minutes with an impressive spring and summer.

Dark horse contributors: Chris Brown and Nicky Baratti are both three-star prospects, but Kelly thinks they are both steals. Neither has a physique that will help him stand out on the field, but Brown is a versatile threat with the ball in his hands, short or deep. Baratti, labeled an "athlete," projects as a safety but displays the kind of adaptability and attitude that Kelly loves.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Recognizing the length of his question for Brian Kelly about Gunner Kiel, an inquiring reporter could not help but ask the coach if he had just asked a stupid question.

"It's a great question," Kelly immediately responded with a smile on his face. "All questions today are great questions."

The message, one Kelly would repeat throughout Wednesday's news conference, was clear: We won't worry about those who aren't at Notre Dame; we're happy with what we got.

Sporting a dark-grey suit and kelly-green tie, the Notre Dame football coach began his national signing day media session by praising those behind the scenes at the school -- the associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment, the director of admissions, the V.P. for student affairs -- before getting into specifics about the Irish's incoming class, though questions about two players dominated the 47-minute discussion.

Headlining the newcomers is Kiel, the prized quarterback prospect from Columbus, Ind., who enrolled in January. Headlining national signing day, however, is Deontay Greenberry, the four-star wide receiver from Fresno, Calif., who stunned virtually everyone by signing with Houston, nearly nine months after he verbally pledged to Notre Dame.

"Again, I think we painted the picture being clear about what we were about, and we made sure this is what you're gonna get at Notre Dame," Kelly said when asked what happened with Greenberry. "And for me it's hard to be disappointed about something you never had or you never coached. I'm more excited about the guys that signed because they are the right kind of guys."

Greenberry's cousin is four-star cornerback Tee Shepard, who had already enrolled at Notre Dame in January and whom Kelly called the best cornerback in the country. The common belief was that Greenberry would commit to the same school as his cousin.

Kelly said he talked to Greenberry on Tuesday night before finding out he was Houston-bound Wednesday from Jeff Freitas, Greenberry's high school coach. The Irish coach said he knew from experience that he had to brace himself for surprises when dealing with high school kids.

"I don't know that anybody would think differently when 17- and 18-year-olds are making decisions for the next five years," Kelly said. "It's arguably the biggest decision they've ever made and they're putting themselves in that position for the first time, many of them. So I don't think you ever go into signing day and say, 'Ah, this thing's over with.'

"I've been doing it now 23 years, and I've had surprises every single recruiting day. And some are good, some are not so good. As it relates to this one, I'm happy about the guys that signed with us because they know why they're here, and that's really the most important thing."

Greenberry was the not-so good. The good, however, came 15 days earlier, when Kiel enrolled at Notre Dame after previous verbal commitments to LSU and Indiana.

Kelly said the expectations for Kiel, who will be competing with three others for the starting quarterback job, are the same as they are for every recruit. He stressed that he wanted recruits who wanted to compete, not those who wanted a free year to redshirt.

"Honestly, we never really felt like we were done recruiting," Kelly said of Kiel's commitment. "In terms of, even though Gunner had made his decision, there just seemed to be a connection there that we weren't ready to give up on. And we were right, because Gunner's happy, he's happy to be here. Those stories happen. Some don't. Some you know, it's over. We felt like this was the right place for him, and maybe it was our belief that this was the right place, Notre Dame, that kept us involved."

In all, Notre Dame announced the signing of 16 high school prospects, in addition to sophomore running back Amir Carlisle, a transfer from USC. While last year's recruiting centered around the power position, Kelly said, this year's centered on the secondary and receiving corp, something he believes was addressed despite the losses of Greenberry and four-star cornerback Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md./Potomac), who de-committed from the Irish nearly a month ago before signing with Florida State on Wednesday.

By the end of Wednesday's festivities, the Irish had walked away with eight new offensive players, seven new defensive players and a new long-snapper. Nine of them were rated four-star prospects by ESPNU, six were three-stars and one was a two-star. They came from 12 different states and from each region of the country, and they all signed with Kelly and his staff following the vetting process that determined they would be a right fit for Notre Dame.

"I think that our coaches do a great job, and it starts with making sure that we talk about our distinctions and not shy away from them," Kelly said. "We talk about a faith-based education. We talk about, 'You gotta live in the dorms.' We talk about those things as they relate to Notre Dame, because we don't want to get here and you've signed a letter of intent and it wasn't the right fit — you just got sold a bill of goods. It does you no good to get sold a bill of goods, you come to Notre Dame, and it's not the right fit for you. So that's why you have a signing day, because you're going to have to make a decision based upon what we are talking about in the recruiting process.

"So I think it starts with immediately talking about what our distinctions are, and I think I mentioned it earlier: We're not better than anybody else, but you're shopping down a different aisle. And we make sure that's clear in the process."

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Brian Kelly went through each of the 17 new Notre Dame players, one by one, listing their credentials and his expectations for them for the 2012 season and beyond.

Still, the biggest noise came from more than 1,100 miles South, the site of the biggest beneficiary from perhaps the biggest surprise on national signing day.

Four-star wide receiver Deontay Greenberry (Fresno, Calif./Washington Union) chose Houston over Notre Dame on Wednesday, more than eight months after verbally committing to the Irish.

"Again, I think we painted the picture being clear about what we were about, and we made sure this is what you're gonna get at Notre Dame," Kelly said when asked what happened with Greenberry. "And for me it's hard to be disappointed about something you never had or you never coached. I'm more excited about the guys that signed because they are the right kind of guys."

Kelly said he had some conversations with Greenberry on Tuesday night and found out from his high school coach Wednesday that Greenberry had signed with Houston.

Greenberry's cousin, Tee Shepard (Fresno, Calif./Washington Union), is a four-star cornerback who had already enrolled at Notre Dame in January. It was widely believed that the two would commit to a school as a package deal.

National signing day was supposed to be a day of few surprises for the Irish, whose class appeared set entering the date. Still, Kelly said he knows better than to be caught off-guard when dealing with high school kids in these situations.

"I don't know that anybody would think differently when 17- and 18-year-olds are making decisions for the next five years," Kelly said. "It's arguably the biggest decision they've ever made and they're putting themselves in that position for the first time, many of them. So I don't think you ever go into signing day and say, 'Ah, this thing's over with.'

"I've been doing it now 23 years, and I've had surprises every single recruiting day. And some are good, some are not so good. As it relates to this one, I'm happy about the guys that signed with us because they know why they're here, and that's really the most important thing."

Two of the three letters Notre Dame awaited from the West Coast arrived. The other got stuck in Texas.

In one of national signing day's most shocking moves, four-star WR Deontay Greenberry (Fresno, Calif./Washington Union) chose Houston over Notre Dame, the school he initially committed to on May 27.

Greenberry's cousin is Tee Shepard (Fresno, Calif./Washington Union), the four-star cornerback who had already enrolled at Notre Dame in January. It appeared for some time that the two would commit to a school as a package deal.

Four-star offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (Las Vegas/Bishop Gorman) and three-star running back KeiVarae Russell (Everett, Wash./Mariner) faxed in their letters of intent within the past hour and are likely the final pieces to Notre Dame's 2012 recruiting class, barring anything unforeseen.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Greenberry is ESPNU's No. 17 wide receiver and its 106th overall prospect.

The Irish's 2012 class currently stands at 16 players, 13 of whom committed today. Gunner Kiel, Shepard and Sheldon Day have already enrolled.

Notre Dame held ESPNU's No. 9 2012 recruiting class before Greenberry's switch to Houston.

John Turner kicked things off for Notre Dame's 2012 recruiting class shortly after 7 a.m. today, becoming the first of what is expected to be 14 high schoolers to fax in his signed letter of intent.

The names trickled in after — Romeo Okwara, Mark Harrell, Justin Ferguson, C.J. Prosise, Chris Brown, William Mahone, Scott Daly, Jarron Jones, Nicky Baratti and Elijah Shumate.


Gunner Kiel, Tee Shepard and Sheldon Day have already enrolled.

We'll speak to coach Brian Kelly in less than two hours, by which time the Irish hope their three verbal pledges from the West Coast -- Deontay Greenberry, Ronnie Stanleyand KeiVarae Russell -- make their new homes official.