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.

My TV said E! was airing "(500) Days of Summer" last night. I clicked. It was "Kourtney & Kim Take New York."

Let. Down.

• Robert Blanton needs to tone down the physicality in coverage, Scouts Inc.'s Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl report from the site of the East-West Shrine Game.
• Ohio State commit and Irish de-commit Taylor Decker explains his decision to our Jared Shanker.
• Athletic director Jack Swarbrick was pleased with the fall, Allan Joseph writes in The Observer. Joseph has a wide-ranging Q&A with Swarbrick here. Definitely worth a read.
• Tim Brown was victorious amid defeat, Lou Somogyi writes on BlueandGold.com.
• The Chicago Tribune's Brian Hamilton says Gunner Kiel is a landmark get in a pivotal offseason for coach Brian Kelly.

Tuesday?

• From the weekend: Three-star offensive tackle Taylor Decker (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) de-commited from the Irish and committed to Ohio State.
• Dayne Crist is one of several players getting a second chance at Kansas.
• BlueandGold.com's Lou Somogyi takes a unique look at the history of the Irish coaching staff.
• Nick Montana, Joe's son, is transferring from Washington.
• IrishIllustrated.com's Tim Prister examines the top football/hoops combos.

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.