I wished Tyrone Willingham well. I believe he is a generally well-intentioned person with good moral values. To his credit, he has never said anything against Notre Dame, who finished paying his five year contract last year. Personal beliefs have played a big part in the Willingham firing drama. I want my beliefs up front.
Willingham’s impact on Notre Dame’s offensive line was devastating and contributed to his early departure. Offensive line play is crucial for success in football. The adages – “Control the ball”, “Establish the run”, “Protect the passer” – come down to dominant offensive line play. Successful teams have an experienced offensive line with upper class substitutes when starters are injured.
In Willingham’s first season, 2002, Notre Dame’s Senior offensive line protected new skill position players – Carlyle Holliday at QB, Ryan Grant at RB, Arnez Battle at WR -and kept the Irish in every game. Notre Dame had five talented senior starters on the offensive line. Black, Mahon, Faine and Curtin were drafted into the NFL. Mahonand Faine are still NFL starters in 2008. Black is a reserve and still playing. Curtin played two years for the Packers.
ND's Offensive Line - When Davie Left
2002 1st Team 2nd Team Reserves Davie
Recruits
Seniors - 7 Jordan Black-Sr LeVoir-So Giles-So Bonelli
Juniors - 1 Sean Mahon-Sr Gillis-Sr Mitchell-So Morton
Sophs - 4 Jeff Faine-Sr Gillis-Sr Molinaro-Jr Rairdon
Sean Milligan-Sr Scarola-Sr Ryan
Brendan Curtin-Sr Stevenson-So Santucci
Mattes
Total - 17.
6 incoming freshmen in 2003. 6 departures in 2003.
Willingham started at Notre Dame in the first week of January with only four weeks until Signing Day. The 2002 recruiting class had committed under Davie. Arguably, Willingham won in 2002 with Davie’s players. With a 10-3 year, the Irish should have been very successful on the recruiting trail. Tyrone’s time to step up and continue to fill out the OL was 2003.
Willingham's First Recruiting OL Recruiting Class
2003 1st Team 2nd Team Reserves Willingham
Recruits
Seniors - 2 LeVoir-Jr Ryan-Soph Santucci-Soph Ryan Harris
Juniors - 4 Stevenson-Jr Mitchell-Jr Mattes-Soph John Sullivan
Sophs - 6 Giles-Jr Morton-Soph
Fresh – 2 Milligan-Sr(5th) Rairdon-Soph
Molinaro-Sr Bonelli-Soph
Total - 14
1 returning starter. 2 departures in 2004. 2 incoming freshmen in 2004
The Offensive Line is not only younger in 2003 but has less experience. The pending departures of two seniors are replaced by only two recruits. Willingham banked two quality OL recruits, both from Notre Dame strongholds. Harris and Sullivan have both moved on to the NFL. This OL recruiting class lacked depth, though, and could have been much better. Joe Thomas waited until almost Signing Day to choose Wisconsin. Mike Jones chose Iowa late. Willingham had no backup plans. Willingham’s habit was not to give out his first offers until the summer, way behind the recruiting curve. He and his staff from Stanford were getting used to the Midwest. “Could have been” may be the epitaph on Willingham’s offensive line recruiting at Notre Dame.
The tip of the iceberg of the offensive line – the starters – changed in 2004, but the substantive changes were the melting of the bottom of the iceberg. The second team had less maturity and depth, beginning to limit ability to redshirt freshmen or compensate for injuries. Incoming freshman need 2-3 yrs to bulk up, learn plays, practice fundamentals and play as a unit before being pressed into service.
2004 OL recruiting becomes a priority – or should have been.
Willingham's 2004 Class - OL Recruiting Busts
2004 1st Team 2nd Team Reserves Recruits
Seniors - 2 Harris - Soph Bonelli - Jr Santucci - Jr Chauncey Incarnato
Juniors - 5 Morton – Soph Mitchell - Sr Mattes - Jr John Kadous
Soph – 4 (3-RS) Giles - Sr Sullivan – Fr
Freshmen-3(1-RS) LeVoir - Jr Stevenson - Jr Ryan - Soph
Rairdon - Soph
Total - 14
4 returning starters for 2005. 2 departures. 2 incoming freshmen for 2005.
In 2004, Willingham loses miserably in recruiting offensive line help. Neither Kadous nor Incarnato were sought after by the top programs. Allen Smith, a top tackle who visited the Irish a number of times, chooses Stanford over Notre Dame because he “could nourish my full potential as a football player and a student”. High school coaches are sending their players elsewhere, having not connected with the new staff. Rumors spout up that Willingham is not returning coaches’ calls about their prospects for the Irish. Prospects complain of not hearing from the Irish coaching staff for extended periods and choose other schools. The Irish faithful prepare for spring knowing they will have only ten offensive linemen until the two recruits arrive before football season.
2005 - OL Recruits Go Elsewhere
2005 1st Team 2nd Team Reserves Recruits
Seniors-2 Harris-Jr Rairdon-Jr Incarnato-Fr(RS) Paul Duncan
Juniors-6 Morton-Jr Santucci-Jr Kadous-Fr(RS)
Sophs-1 Sullivan- Mike Turkovich
Freshmen-2 Soph(RS)
Stevenson-Sr Bonelli-Jr
LeVoir-Sr Mattes-Jr
Total - 11
4 returning starters. 2 departures for 2006. 1 transfer. 1 injury. 2 incoming freshmen.
In 2005, Willingham again lost out on top recruits. Especially painful were two from Chicago, one from Cleveland and one from an Irish pipeline in Minnesota (Cretin-Durham) that sent Ryan Harris and Rashon Powers-Neal to Notre Dame. Three chose Iowa. One chose Ohio State. Willingham had no contingency plans.
One recruit, Thomas Bemenderfer, from the South Bend area, badly wants to go to Notre Dame. He goes to Northwestern when he is rebuffed.
What was Willingham thinking? Did he delegate O-line recruiting? Did he place all his eggs in one basket? Was he just planning on fluttering off when his five years were done, leaving the offensive line cupboard bare for the next coach in 2007? Davie had left Tyrone stocked with offensive linemen.
Sports columnists talked about how the Irish are irrelevant, can’t recruit big time players anymore, and have academic standards that are too tough for today’s recruits. The only offensive linemen he had recruited for the 2005 class was Paul Duncan. Willingham is fired at Notre Dame – and hired two weeks later at Washington.
Willingham’s total offensive line recruiting in three years at Notre Dame – three!!! One per year!!! Ryan Harris, John Sullivan and Paul Duncan. The iceberg has melted from the bottom up and is about to tip over.
Charlie Weis Arrives
New coach Charlie Weis immediately acts on the deficiency, reviews ND’s chances with prospects less than six weeks to signing day with most linemen already committed, and gets a commitment from Mike Turkovich. Turkovich is one of Pennsylvania’s top players and had not been offered by Willingham. Weis is still coaching New England prior to the Super Bowl but spending hours after each Patriot day finalizing his coaching staff, reviewing recruits and calling prospects.
Prior to the start of the 2005 season, Kadous suffered a career-ending injury. Incarnato - a 3 star recruit - transfers to Indiana. The Irish get no OL recruits from the 2004 class. The number of football players on scholarship at Notre Dame prior to the 2005 season is at historic lows, exceeded in NCAA history only by a few schools who suffered the NCAA “death penalty” for violations.
One of the incoming freshmen will play on the 2nd team. Ryan Harris does not have a redshirt season. The spring 2005 Blue-Gold game is offense v. defense due to inability to field two offensive lines.
2006 1st Team 2nd Team Reserves Recruits
Seniors-6 Harris-Sr Rairdon-Sr Turkovich-Soph Sam Young(1st team)
Juniors-1 Santucci-Sr Bonelli-Sr Dan Wenger (2nd team)
Sophs-2 Sullivan-Jr Wenger-Fr Chris Stewart
Freshmen-6 Morton-Sr(5th) Duncan-Soph Bartley Webb
Young-Fr Mattes-Sr Eric Olsen
Matt Carufel
Total - 15
6 incoming recruits. 6 departures for 2007
Sam Young is the first freshman in the history of Notre Dame to start on the offensive line from the first game of the season. All Weis’s recruits are four or five star rated except Webb. The new recruits have chosen Notre Dame over Florida, Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma State. Weis crisscrossed the county in the spring, reestablished relationships with high school coaches especially in former Irish strongholds in Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Pennsylvania, and extended recruiting into Florida, California and Texas.
Bemenderfer transfers from Northwestern to Notre Dame. Sullivan comes back for a fifth year rather than go to the NFL. The base of the iceberg is being built with quantity and quality.
But the perfect storm is about to hit Notre Dame’s offensive line in 2007.
The Perfect Storm Hits the Offensive Line
2007
1st Team 2nd Team Reserves Recruits
Seniors - 1 Young-Soph Romine-Fresh Webb Lane Clelland
Juniors - 3 Olsen-Soph Wenger-Soph Carufel Trevor Robinson
Sophs - 4 Sullivan-Sr(5th) Bemenderfer-Jr Matt Romine Braxton Cave
Freshmen - 4 Turkovich-Jr Stewart-Soph Andrew Nuss Mike Golic
Duncan-Jr Taylor Dever Emeka Nwankwo
(to Def)
Total - 12
2 returning starters from ‘06. 1 departure for 2008. 1 transfer. 1 injury. 4 incoming recruits
All of Davie’s recruits are gone. In 2007, Weis’s offensive line consists of three Willingham recruits, Weis’s seven recruits – one junior and six sophomores, and his four incoming freshmen.
Webb suffers career-ending injury. Carufel transfers part way into the season. Even with those losses, Weis has recruited nine top offensive linemen in two years to Willingham’s three in three years.
Weis uses multiple combinations of offensive linemen to find the right mix. The quarterback is a freshman and most skill position players are underclassmen.
Youth and inexperience show against ten bowl-bound opponents. Remember the adages? In 2007, Notre Dame’s opponents had the ball almost four minutes more per game and had 59 more first downs rushing. The Irish averaged 2.1 yards per carry, converted on 31% of their third downs and gave up a record 58 sacks.
Weis redshirts Dever - as well as Nuss and Nwanko, who are both needed on a thin defensive line. Nuss will return to offense in 2008. The spring Blue-Gold game is again offense v. defense due to lack of depth in the offensive line. The offensive line approaches the nadir of 2005 with twelve players, but enthusiasm for the future is on the upswing. Willingham’s effect has almost waned with the end of the 2007 season.
2008 1st Team 2nd Team Reserves '09 Recruits
Seniors - 3 Duncan-Sr Romine-Soph Lane Clelland Alex Bullard
Juniors - 4 Olsen-Jr Turkovich-Sr T. Robinson-Fr Chris Watt
Sophs - 3 Wenger-Jr Bemenderfer-Sr Braxton Cave-Fr Zach Martin
Freshmen–4 Stewart-Jr Turkovich-Sr Nuss-Soph
Young-Jr Dever-Soph Mike Golic-Fr
Total - 14
4 returning starters from ‘07. 3 departures for 2009? 4 incoming recruits (Reserves except Nuss)
Offensive Line Status - 2008
In 2008, Weis has four returning starters with the fifth, Wenger, switching to his natural position, center, to replace Sullivan, after getting significant playing time as guard last year. The three seniors will be eligible to return for fifth years in 2009. Clelland, from Maryland, chose Notre Dame over Michigan and Virginia. Robinson, from Nebraska, chose ND over Nebraska. Cave and Golic were Irish as soon as they were offered.
Notre Dame is now recruiting across the nation. Their multiple football camps in the spring are very well attended by top recruits, including juniors. The high school coaches football camp is packed. Weis and his coaches stay in frequent contact with coaches and recruits, as allowed. Last fall, Weis attended a Cretin-Durham (MN) game not to see his top wide receiver recruit, Michael Floyd, who was hurt. He was there to see a 2010 offensive line recruit, Seantrel Henderson, a sophomore at the time.
The Irish have secured commitments so far in 2008 from two of the top offensive guards in the nation. Alex Bullard chose ND over Tennessee. Chris Watt, a five star recruit, chose the Irish over Ohio State. Three of the nation’s top offensive tackles for 2010, who attended Notre Dame’s summer camp this year, have received verbal offers from Weis. Formal offers will be extended on September 1. Two more top 2010 linemen are sons of former Notre Dame players. The Irish coaching staff have almost completed rebuilding the offensive line from the bottom up.
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2 months ago
Wow, this is the Rosetta Stone for the story behind 2007. I really enjoyed having all of this info laid out in one chronological piece.
My one point of contention would be the 5th year eligibility of the '08 seniors. IrishEyes.com's '07 eligibility chart suggests all three will be moving on after this season.
2 months ago
I have been harping on OLine recruiting and the dramatic affect it had on ND for two years. Great article and thanks for putting it together. Ty was a lazy train-wreck of a coach. Nothing but a figurehead. Veneer.
People want to look at ND's 2007 season as proof positive of Weis' inability to build / develop. How good would USC or Texas be if they recruited offensive linemen like Ty? ND haters will state that SC puts in their freshman on their oline and they perform. Difference is they are sandwiched between 5 star seniors. In 2007 we had ONE senior available. One. One. Thanks, Ty. Dr. White should have been canned for allowing that foolishness to persist. It's like Oreo's running out of stuff for the creme center. Mmmmm, Oreos.
Thank goodness Davie (why did you hug RC at mid-field after that arse kicking?) understood football enough to have a decent amount of Olinemen for CW's arrival for the 2005 season.
When ND has Senior recruits of CW along the Oline, CW's offense will flourish.
from 2 months ago
Great post Jerry but why did you have to bring Ty's rade into this discussion?
from 2 months ago
Stick to your knitting, Sally.
2 months ago
this is perfect. what every hater needs to see, right there, laid out beautifully and objectively. great post, one of the best i've read this year. here come the irish...
from 2 months ago
Take that haters! It was all Ty's fault.
2 months ago
Thanks, all. Sometimes these articles seem to fall into place. I enjoyed putting words to my research and, especially, to what seems to lie ahead for the Irish, Charlie and his staff. Corwin Brown, Rob Ianello and, this year, Brian Polian have done a terrific job. What can't be discounted is the stability provided to recruits by Weis's long-term contract. Sometimes I wonder why Davie's firing is never compared to Willingham's. Davie was let go with four years remaining.
2 months ago
FYI - I believe Clelland is from MD not GA.
Let's hope the Dline this year isn't the Oline from last...
2 months ago
Beautiful use of sarcasm in the first paragraph to suck in the reader.
2 months ago
Very interesting article. But Ryan Grant didn't attend CDH in Minnesota. Grant attended Don Bosco in New Jersey. I think you meant Rashon Powers-Neal.
2 months ago
Michael,
Ty DID throw Notre Dame under the bus on National TV during his interview conducted by hack sport journalist John Saunders. Saunders asked Willingham if racism played a part in getting fired from Notre Dame and the molder of men responded that he could not "rule out" racism as being a factor in him being fired.
Judge for yourself, I guess, if this merits the label of saying something negative in a public forum. To me it is right down the middle of the crooked fairway Saunders and Ty were playing that day. It was a - public lynching - of ND. I wished at that point Bobby Knight was ND's AD and he would rush Ty on that set and demolish him. Didn't happen, though.
Saunders is in the same class as Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton who perpetuate the thought that racism runs everything. That's what puts millions in their collective pockets. Jesse Jackson exists only if America is divided. I digress.
Willingham is a phoney. Saunders is a sad, pathetic figure using ABC as a forum for his hate mongering.
2 months ago
Thanks for the corrections, which have been made.
Jerry,
I prefer to let that interview with Saunders and Willingham, and any criticisms of Notre Dame be judged by the passage of time. Strong feelings existed within the Notre Dame community. As far as racism, after Weis was hired, the Black Coaches Association grade for Notre Dame was a "B" with only five schools getting As. Thirty schools were graded overall and seventeen were less than a B. Both ND's coordinators are African-American and the offensive line coach is Latino, under Weis. Weis is creating a "hiring tree" in which minority assistant coaches can get the kind of resume and experience that will qualify them for any D-I head coaching position. Weis does not hire them if he does not think they are the best qualified.
All would be best served if any discussion on the merits of hiring or firing a coach emphasized how productive a coach had been towards meeting an institution's goals. Afterall, if anyone was on a Board of Directors paying a CEO $3 million a year, that would be the standard for retention.
I still wish Willingham well.
from 2 months ago
That because the BCA membership was aware of Ty's flirtations with Washington BEFORE he was fired and while he was still the coach at ND. Did you ever wonder why the BCA sat on its hands and kept virtually quiet during the whole Willingham firing episode? Do you not think that the primary support group for promoting black coaches for advancement would have gone ballistic over one of their own being fired after 60% of his contract, and with a winning record? The BCA knew the situation, and they therefore said next to nothing.
2 months ago
ND surrendered 58 sacks last year, not 19. 58 is still a record though.
2 months ago
Ty- tanic didn't have to recruit at stanford the same way that is needed at ND. All he had to do out west was get superior students with the ability to play some football. It's a whole new ballgame at ND. The man couldn't sell the university, let alone himself. He told Dr. white after o'leary was hired, "You hired the wrong man, you should have hired me." Five days later, he was hired. And you all know the rest of the story. Not only did he not meet the expectations of the school and the fans, he failed to meet his own, for that matter. He even said so at his firing presser. Does he have any commits yet for 2009? If not, why not! Why can't haters see his lack of recruiting skills? Are they so filled with hate that they're truly blinded by it? What an f_ _ _ _ _ up world!! Sin is so prevelent.
2 months ago
GREAT ARTICLE! Until the O-line has the talent to lineup face-to-face and look the other guy in the eyes with the same talent level, ND will not get back to the top. you did an excellent job breaking down the years and recruits. Too many people dismiss the bad job Ty did recruiting and try to pin everything on CW. Hard to win when you have fr/sophs playing key position players for the first time behind an inexperienced o-line.
This is the research you dont find national sports media talking about. iTs much easier for sports people to- not do the reseach and then bash a team based soley on win-loss records.
2 months ago
This gets my POTD...really outstanding research and explained beautifully! great job!
2 months ago
This is total BS
You forgot to take into account injuries, last minute switches by recruits,as well as how many were on board at the time.
2 months ago
Gee - you back up your argument so well. What facts do you disagree with? Have you done any research at all? Why would last minute switches by recruits even matter... it would still mean that Ty didn't get the guys he was trying for, right?
2 months ago
This is one of the best articles I have read so far since joining. I have had trouble stating what you have. You made it clear and concise, and left little to no room for rebuttal. You will get the luxury I have of the ND haters going on and on about "it's not Ty's fault". When you put it on paper, whose is it? Great work and I look forward to reading more from you.
2 months ago
eye opening article... I now understand why last years line performed so poorly... the future looks bright!
2 months ago
I'm no Willingham apologist, but I think the article somewhat overstates Willingham's fault on this. First, notice how poorly Davie was recruiting. Yes, he could get good recruits, but he never managed for need. How many QBs did we sign in 2000, 4? As you correctly point to Willingham's inability to recruit to needs, note that Davie had 1 Junior OL and his 4 sophomores weren't the strongest. The large class of freshmen probably had an effect on the number of recruits willing to commit in Willingham's first year.
That said, I agree that Willingham's recruiting after his first year was atrocious, though he did manage to get 5 O-lineman rather than the three you suggest. Let's just agree that Weis is doing a better job on the recruiting front and was a far better choice than either Davie or Willingham. Let's just hope he can turn the team around this year and start ND on a huge roll.
from 2 months ago
Davie did not recruit poorly. Willingham won with his recruits. Shane Walton, Vontez Duff & Co were so outstanding the team got on a roll without scoring an offensive touchdown.
Willingham's fault will never ever be overstated, as that is not possible.
2 months ago
If there was any doubt, it should be eliminated now. One would have to be dumb not to understand what happened to the Irish in '07. We will be back...sooner than later.
from 2 months ago
You can't count Shane Walton as a Davie recruit, he came to ND on a soccer scholarship. The fact that ND had to rely so heavily on its D in 2002 is a statement to Davie's recruiting on the offensive side of the ball.
2 months ago
Consafo Says: Great read! Michael Collins your reporting is spot on with your year by year break down. All the clowns that disagree with what you wrote are hate mongers themselves so there no sense to please them. True ND followers know this is accurate, the sad thing is it takes so long to turn other coaches messes around. I have no doubt that Ty will get canned this year and we can all watch how long it takes UW to get back on track, probably 4 years or more. Looking forward to the start of this season!
Go Irish!
Go Fresno State!
2 months ago
It was all Ara Parsegian's fault for not recruiting punters. But for that, the Irish would have won the last 9 bowl games.
2 months ago
This is exactly what I have been telling people ever since I saw the home opener against Georgia Tech last year, except that Collins did a magnificent job documenting everything in a thorough, year-by-year factual manner. I wish I had his specific info when I called sports talk show host and ND hater Dave Kaplan of WGN radio in Chicago to counter his trashing of Weis. Pure and simple, Willingham failed, and he dragged down the whole program in the process. But now we are coming back. Unfortunately, we are not totally done with the process. This year will be much better, but as Collins' article shows, you can't build a team overnight. I imagine we are still a year away.
2 months ago
Great article bro
24 days ago
Oh...I really didn't concentrate on the O-line when writing my article. I was concentrating more on the QB and skill players, who Weis could get more of in time. A lot of my friends in school have discussions about coaches, and this controversy comes up a lot. This info could help with my articles and with my school debates. Thanks for sending me the link for this article.
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