If you are not yet excited about Notre Dame commitment Derrik Allen, it’s about time you become excited about the young man. Allen has been in Oregon at Nike’s annual finals for The Opening this weekend and the young man has been putting on a clinic. Sunday we posted a ridiculous one handed interception that has been the play of the weekend so far. Allen shared a couple more clips of him doing what he does best – make plays.
Here’s the first.
? another one pic.twitter.com/wbU342HZ3w
— Derrik Allen (@DsmoothAllen) July 3, 2017
And here’s another one.
Part 2? pic.twitter.com/3bpbM8Jz1X
— Derrik Allen (@DsmoothAllen) July 3, 2017
Again, I said this year but it’s worth repeating. Derrik Allen is really good at football. His cover skills are off the charts for a safety and he has the athleticism to play corner. He has all of the makings of being a ball hawking, dominating safety for the Fighting Irish – especially in Mike Elko’s defense.
There are other Notre Dame commitments and targets at The Opening Finals such as Jayson Ademilola, Ja’Mion Franklin, Kevin Austin, and Shayne Simon. We’ll have plenty of them as well as The Opening wraps up, but so far the biggest story for Notre Dame has been the standout play of Derrik Allen.
At this point, it should be surprise anyone to see Allen pick up a 5th star from some of the services. He’s playing against the nation’s elite recruits and he’s making play after play.
Notre Dame has a really one on their hands here.
One game at a time is what coaches preach to their teams. As a fan I can’t help but look ahead. 5-0 in September/Go Irish.
That is exactly what we need, Southside…and we have the talent on both the team and the coaching staff to do it.
Bruce G. Curme
La Crosse, Indiana
Why are 5 STARS athletes shunning Brian Kelly and Notre Dame?
Because right now they want to play in the SEC, concentrate on football without having to worry about academics, and win big time. It’s been twenty some years since ND won a major bowl game and almost thirty years since we won a national championship. Your so called 5 star athletes were not even born then. They have NEVER seen ND do those things in their lifetimes! Also, ND is no longer the only team you can see on TV every weekend.
But it’s simple to cure it all – just win, baby, just win. In 2012 and again in 2015 I had great hope that we were back – solidly back. But both times we were exposed the following season. This is it people. If we flop here, or even do an 8-4 again, I think ND may be in real trouble long term. I mean, what is 8-4 really? ANSWER: It’s Dan Devine’s worst year. Is that to be our new standard for success?
I hope Coach Kelly goes 9-3 or 10-2 or better and WINS a MAJOR bowl. I believe we can do it with the boatload of 4 star players he has recruited (that’s his saving grace). I even think a lot of major pieces are now in place to do it, including a solid coaching staff and a favorable schedule (though far from an easy one). But if we flop, and go into October with two losses, which has happened three times out of seven under Coach Kelly, Notre Dame as a great football power will be an actual memory possessed by less than half the people living on this planet. To the young, we will be known as a football school somewhat like Michigan State or Georgia Tech – sometimes pretty good, and sometimes stinking up the field – and that’s not where most “5 star” guys want to go.
So that’s my answer to your cogent question. If we pull this off, Kelly will be remembered as the coach who brought us back into the public’s imagination (where we belong), and probably pick up a few of those five star recruits for 2018. If we lose big, or even turn in an average 8-4 season, that’s how were are going to be perceived – as “average”. And why should we expect any other result to form in the minds of the young?
Bruce G. Curme
La Crosse, Indiana
Why do trolls care?
What is a troll anyway. I’m new to posting and I keep hearing in the media about trolls. What does that mean?
Bruce G. Curme
La Crosse, Indiana
I think the premise of your “question” is flawed. Your implication is that 5 stars shun ND on a regular basis, but in reality, 5 stars are very rarely even in the equation any longer.
George,
If we win big this year, I predict ND signing two 5 star players in the 2018 class…but we must win a minimum of 9 or 10 regular season games along with a New Year’s Day bowl, or get into the playoffs. I’m not going to “name names” here, but there are several 5 star prospects who would like a viable, defendable reason to come here…they’d like to play in a Notre Dame program that is functioning right (with its new assistant coaches and schemes, its new training program, and its new facility.
Bruce G. Curme ’77 ’82
Sorry George,
In my reply I should have said win a “major bowl”, not a New Year’s Day bowl, because of the day that New year’s Eve is on – a Sunday.
Bruce G. Curme ’77 ’82