Earlier today it was reported that 5-star running back Elijah Hood had decommitted from Notre Dame. a few hours later, the talented North Carolina native made an announcement via Twitter explaining his decision.
“I am de-committing from the University of Notre Dame. I have a lot of respect for the University of Notre Dame and its coaches. I specifically want to acknowledge Coach Tony Alford, whom I dearly admire and regret to inform of my decision. Over the past couple of months, I have put much thought into the things that are important. What is most important to me is my family – especially my parents and grandparents. They have personally been with my through all my life’s accomplishment. Now as a teenager, I am still learning what it means to become an adult. Making difficult decisions that are important to me is part of this process. This decision has nothing to do with football or academics. This decision has everything to do about my family. I am deeply blessed to have the opportunities given to me. I am also excited to move forward with the next phase of my life and becoming an adult. However, going forward, the importance of family will never waiver in my decisions. I am eternally grateful to my family for their support in this decision.”
That statement certainly seems to back up earlier reports that Notre Dame is in fact no longer an option for Hood as he opens his recruitment back up and his statements about his family would suggest that North Carolina indeed would be the clubhouse leader given their proximity to Hood’s hometown of Charlotte.
I want to say that even though my little cousin did not commit to Notre Dame…….I love the school and was happy that he committed. However Charlotte is in our blood. He is my blood and the Tarheels is a family tradition…..even though some of the family sided with Duke we gotta take the good with the bad. I still follow Notre Dame Ball and the Irish will always be family because they wanted him as family…..Irish love their family!!!!
Even if he definitely rules ND out, his statement shows class. I wish him well regardless.
Greg Bryant will be a monster of a RB. Glad he is here.
Whenever a high profile athlete decommitts from Notre Dame I will always fall back to what Greg Bryant’s father said about his son committing to ND. He said:
“One hundred percent (graduation rate) for minority athletes, 97 percent for team graduation,” father Greg Bryant Sr. said of the reasons behind his son’s commitment. “I like those odds. Everyone else 50 percent or below. It’s bigger than the game of football.”
That was from an article from IrishIllustrated. It shows how a family’s committment to education is a strong pull for recruits.
Every young person has the right to change their minds over such a big life changing decision.
The problem is the system and the process.
The NCAA must set stronger and tighter recruiting standards and reduce the window of verbal commitment time frames.
The new time frame for any highschool athlete to verbally commit should be from January 1st to February 1st.
The student athlete will have all the time he needs to make this important decision, but once he makes it, it’s final.
Also, the NCAA must limit, inact, and enforce recruiting time frames to the student athletes senior year starting in August when school starts.
Schools will just keep recruiting earlier and more aggressively just to keep up with the other schools and recruiters, as the NCAA stands by silently without over site or directive.
New recruiting tactics will become the new normal with no limits.
Another point is how we are hearing the student athelete use distance away from family as their excuse to decommit.
Part of growing up is to learn to be away from loved ones and family members while you find you way in life.
That is what is special about the college life.
Learning to be on your own, out of your comfort zone, meeting new people and being exposed to a different environment.
This problem of decommiting will continue and only get worse as others see this as an acceptable option.
It’s time for the NCAA to assume it’s role as the head and leadership of college athletics and academics for student athletes, instead of the mainstream media and social networks which have taken over the recruiting process.
lou holtz would be sleeping in elijah hood’s house
Sorry, but the thought of that is just plain creepy!
No he wouldn’t.
Lou Holtz would be sleeping in Elijah Hood’s BED.
these kids just dont realize nd is family
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qfgese3lgM
go irish
It seems to me that the biggest hurdle that ND needs to overcome is the distance from their home to the University. I hear it from all the players that is the toughest thing to handle being far away from home. ND needs to come up with a sales pitch to overcome this hurdle. The one thing I see from the players that attend the University is that they are a family. They need to state to new recruits that we will never replace your family but we can extend it.
He could retract his current decision. Such are the decisions of the young.
What can u do. Recruiting is a crap shoot. They are kids.