ESPN College Football

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.

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.

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."

ESPN.com's RecruitingNation takes one last look at what to look for Wednesday, when recruits officially put pen to paper to join their new schools.

Jared Shanker wonders if Notre Dame can put the finishing touches on the 2012 class, writing:

The Fighting Irish already have a top-10 class, but they need to add a few more pieces, specifically on defense, to really make this class stand out. The Irish missed out on one of their top targets in ESPNU 150 prospect Arik Armstead (Elk Grove, Calif./Pleasant Grove), but they are not giving up on fellow ESPNU 150 recruit Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md./Potomac), who recently decommitted from the Irish. Four-star linebacker Ken Ekanem (Clifton, Va./Centreville) could sign with Notre Dame if the staff picks up interest and is comfortable with his knee after he tore an ACL during his senior season.

To see what else our recruiting team expects around the nation, click here.

A roundup of the week that was in Notre Dame recruiting:

• Four-star cornerback Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md./Potomac), an Irish de-commit, will announce his decision on signing day, Dave Hooker writes. The Irish are believed to be one of four schools still in the picture.
• The Irish are far and away the leader for three-star cornerback Anthony Standifer (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee), Jared Shanker writes.
• USC was a surprising in-home visitor Tuesday for four-star defensive end Arik Armstead (Elk Grove, Calif./Pleasant Grove), Erik McKinney writes. The Irish remain in the picture.
• Four-star defensive back Yuri Wright (Ramsey, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) is excited about his second chance after committing to Colorado, Greg Biggins writes. Wright, expelled from high school last week amid a Twitter scandal, was on the Irish's radar before he chose Colorado.

Urban Meyer probably doesn't have too many fans in South Bend, Ind.

Three-star offensive tackle Taylor Decker (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) de-committed from Notre Dame on Sunday and pledged to Meyer and Ohio State, joining former Irish assistants Tim Hinton and Ed Warinner in leaving for the scarlet and gray.

Warinner, who will coordinate the running game as Ohio State's co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach, will be Decker's position coach. Warinner had previously served as the Irish's offensive line coach and running game coordinator.

Decker's de-commitment drops the Irish's recruiting class to 16 members. The 6-foot-8, 310-pounder originally committed to Notre Dame in March.

Ohio State now has 20 commitments for the class of 2012, and four since Meyer took over the Buckeyes.

Notre Dame suffered a de-commitment just a week ago when four-star athlete Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md./Potomac) re-opened his recruitment.

Here is the week that was in Notre Dame recruiting:

• Notre Dame has dropped one spot, to No. 14, in ESPNU's Class of 2012 rankings.
• Four-star safety Demetrious Cox (Jeannette, Pa./Jeannette) is visiting Penn State this weekend, our Jared Shanker writes. Notre Dame is among his finalists.
• Things are starting to wind down for two-way lineman Arik Armstead (Elk Grove, Calif./Pleasant Grove), who is taking his last visit, to Auburn, this weekend, our Greg Biggins writes. Notre Dame remains among the finalists.
• Notre Dame is still one of several schools wide receiver Stefon Diggs (Olney, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) is considering, but he's nowhere near making a decision, our Derek Tyson writes.
• Tee Shepard (Fresno, Calif./Washington Union) is excited to finally get rolling at Notre Dame, Biggins writes.
• The offers keep piling up for junior offensive lineman Logan Tuley-Tillman (Peoria, Ill./Manual), Shanker writes.
• For a recap of this past weekend, click here.
• From earlier this week: Four-star cornerback Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md./Potomac; No. 69 in the ESPNU 150) decommitted from the Irish.
• Also from earlier this week: Montini (Ill.) three-star receiver Jordan Westerkamp stuck with Nebraska over the Irish.

Four-star cornerback Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md./Potomac; No. 69 in the ESPNU 150) has re-opened his recruitment after de-committing from Notre Dame, according to multiple reports.

Darby, who committed to the Irish in April and had been their highest-rated recruit for this year's class, is expected to visit Florida State and Clemson, and is considering trips to Ohio State and LSU as well.

Notre Dame's 2012 recruiting class is down to 17 members.

Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl released their rankings and scouting reports of the nation's 25 best freshmen this season, and a familiar face comes in at No. 3: Aaron Lynch.

McShay writes:

Analysis: Lynch's first step, power, hands and range all stand out on film. He is explosive for his size and can apply pressure off the edge when he lines up at defensive end. He plays with above-average pad level and has enough lower-body strength to make him tough to move off the ball when lined up inside. That's impressive considering Lynch is listed at 265 pounds. He's also an effective hand fighter with good upper-body strength who can get off blocks and track down the ball carrier whether he's defending the run or rushing the passer.

Looking ahead, ESPN RecruitingNation's Tom Luginbill names Notre Dame commit Ronald Darby as one of seven incoming recruits who can make an immediate impact on his team next season.

Luginbill writes:

Darby could fill a need both at cornerback and safety, so his position versatility makes him very valuable. Add in the fact that the Irish have some upperclassmen departing from the secondary, and Darby, one of the nation's fastest prospects, could step in right away at safety, corner or nickel back because of that versatility.

Darby is ESPNU's No. 69 overall player and the No. 3 player from the state of Maryland, where he attends Potomac High School in Oxon Hill.

With 14 commits, including six from ESPNU's 150, Notre Dame ranks No. 11 in ESPN's Class of 2012 team recruiting.

And n 0-2 start on the field doesn't seem to be negatively affecting that.

I chatted with ESPN Recruiting's Jared Shanker, who said four-star running back William Mahone (Austintown Fitch High School, Ohio) will be in town for his official visit this weekend.

Shanker said he wouldn't be surprised if Mahone is sold on the Fighting Irish after this weekend.

"*Things are looking good with Mahone after indications are his visit to Penn State left him rather unimpressed," Shanker said. "He didn't get to sit by the other recruits because he arrived late and didn't hang around after the game. With him officially visiting this weekend to the Irish, it could go a long way in the Irish grabbing the reins in Mahone's recruitment,.

"I doubt Mahone would go public with it, though the Notre Dame staff might push for him to possibly create some positive buzz."

Irish commit and four-star athlete Ronald Darby (Potomac High School, Maryland) will also be taking his official visit this weekend.

Darby, a corner/safety hybrid, has publicly said he is "98 percent" committed to the Irish. And though Darby has said he will continue to make other visits, Shanker thinks Notre Dame shouldn't get too worked up over the remaining 2 percent.

"*You never like when a player says he's anything other than 100 percent committed to the team he is actually committed to, but I wouldn't worry with Darby yet," Shanker said. "Yes, he will be visiting other schools and yes, Florida, one of those schools, has done well in Maryland, but that was under Urban Meyer. A Notre Dame win should keep Darby on the bandwagon even though he'll keep visiting.,"

A 0-3 start for the Irish, however, could complicate things for their prospects.

"*I think a loss this weekend and then things could go bad for Notre Dame," Shanker said. "Right now, because of how they played against USF and Michigan, where they should have won, recruits aren't looking at it as the program being in trouble. Lose to Michigan State, and it gets much harder to look past the first two losses as just being because of mistakes,."