Brian Kelly Improves Notre Dame Recruiting Class

Brian Kelly is off to a much better start than Charlie Weis. The program is more stocked with young talent, and the incoming recruiting class will bolster that talent with depth rather than leave holes all over the field.

Kelly was handed an 18-man list of solid commits when he took the reins from Weis. There were a few initial de-commitments, but for the most part, Kelly reeled in the guys who were already on board.

Once he was assured of keeping the assembled class intact, he then started plucking his favorite recruits from the Cincinnati area, pulling late commitments from Cincy Xavier QB Luke Massa and Waverly, OH QB/DB Derek Roback.

The 6'4", 205-pound Massa will compete with fellow Cincy standout Andrew Hendrix and Lake Forest, Ill. product Tommy Rees for "quarterback of the future" behind Dayne Crist. The quarterback position suddenly has added depth, and despite their lack of experience, a good amount of talent behind junior Crist and returning junior (walk-on) Nate Montana.

Kelly can turn the class from solid to spectacular by landing one of the remaining undecided big fish in the talent sea.

Seemingly ready to commit following a second campus visit last weekend is Cincy Xavier offensive tackle Matt James. The 6'8", 290-pound mountain is regarded as a powerful run blocker, and would not only combine with the already committed Christian Lombard and Tate Nichols to give the Irish line immediate upgrades in talent and depth, but it would steal an Ohio recruit away from Ohio State in what is an increasingly contested recruiting ground.

The other Irish target "big fish" is in fact the biggest fish of them all, Rivals.com's top-rated offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson. Florida and Miami seem to have pulled out front in the race to land Henderson, with Ohio State and Notre Dame still in the hunt. Landing Henderson would be a bigger coup than pulling in Manti Te'o a year ago.

Although Henderson's chances of wearing blue and gold seem a long shot, the attention to the offensive line has been refreshing. The two sure recruits and James, who is probable, have made up for graduation losses and should help make the stable of running backs more productive than they have been in recent years.

The glut of skilled offensive players shows that this class still has Charlie Weis' fingerprints all over it. In addition to the three QBs, the Irish are adding a trio of receivers headed by highly touted Tai-ler Jones, assuring that WR depth shouldn't be a problem in South Bend for a while.

The Irish will also add Cameron Roberson to the stable of RBs and a four-star TE in Alex Welch to the offensive haul.

Anyone who watches the Irish on a regular basis knows, however, that the true mark of this and the next recruiting class need to be made on the defensive side of the ball.

The Irish secondary will get a restocking, with four recruits on their way in. Derek Roback will more than likely make his way into the defensive backfield. It is unclear as to whether any of the incoming recruits will be an impact player, but if nothing else it greatly improves depth.

The linebacker corps will be greatly bolstered with the addition of Kendall Moore and in, then out, then in again Prince Shembo. Both four-star recruits should find early playing time and will be a nice addition to Manti Te'o in the Irish quest to finally stop the run.

The defensive line will also be adding pop in the Irish's most highly touted recruit, Louis Nix. He and fellow tackle Justin Utupo will help with DT depth and ease the transition to the 3-4.

As a class without four-star Matt James, Rivals.com ranks Notre Dame at No. 17. Twenty total recruits and eight four-stars (seven at a position of need). James should be the ninth four-star recruit to sign, and if a miracle happens and the Irish land Henderson, the class could find itself ranked in the top 10.

But Charlie Weis has proven that recruiting class rank isn't a sure measure of how the team will play. Coaching the kids once enrolled is what makes or breaks a program.

Brian Kelly has the opportunity to expand upon his reputation as a coach who improves the talent he's given. Kelly's squads at both Central Michigan and Cincinnati improved their records the year he arrived. Each went on to claim league titles by year two.

If he can replicate his results at his previous two stops, the sky is the limit as to how far up the BCS he could take the Irish. The program has more talent enrolled than either of his Division I stops, and he has a good class on the way in.

More important than being simply a talented group, it seems to have talent where the Irish need help. Charlie Weis may not have figured out when to call a time out, or when to run rather than pass, but he seemed to have figured out how to recruit for need.

When you are dealing with scholarship players, and there is no free agency, you cannot simply take the best player available. You have to anticipate what you will need in two years and then identify the players who will best fit your team and your university.

With the O-line and defensive front-seven recruits in this class, it appears that Weis had learned his lesson. Brian Kelly then held that talent and will get them enrolled.

If he can coach them up and improve upon the players he has, success should follow.