Notre Dame Football: Looking at the 2012 Recruiting Cycle; Secondary
The following is part five in an ongoing series breaking down 2012 recruiting cycle. Some of the athletes have been offered scholarships, others are on the radar.
The Notre Dame secondary has been the topic of speculation for some time now, as at times it seemed like the secondary was depleted daily for one reason or another—injury, transfer and Mormon mission included.
The Irish were able to secure four recruits for the secondary for the upcoming season, but it is still a position of concern.
Tee Shepard: Fresno, CA
1 of 6
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 180
Speed: 4.7 ('09 combine)
Rankings: Scout 4-Star, ESPN 150 Watch List
Offers: Notre Dame (verbal commit), Alabama, Auburn, UCLA, USC, Washington and others.
Preview: Tee Shepard became the first verbal commit of the 2012 recruiting class last Wednesday, spurning offers from other big time schools. Shepard is possibly the best cornerback in the 2012 class and could create a domino effect with other top-rated players.
Shepard instinctively seems to know where the ball is going to be thrown and takes the best possible angle to break up plays. He delivers big hits, especially in the open field. Don't be alarmed by the 4.7 speed, that was at the '09 as a sophomore and I would be willing to say 4.5 would be a more accurate time by 2012.
Tee Shepard will make his initial visit to the Notre Dame campus the weekend of the Blue and Gold game. With all the festivities and enthusiasm in mid April, Shepard should walk away knowing he made the right choice.
Elijah Shumate: Ramsey, NJ
2 of 6
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200
GPA: 3.0
Speed: 4.5
Offers: Notre Dame, Arizona, Michigan, Michigan State, Boston College, Rutgers and others.
Preview: Elijah Shumate can step into the linebacker position when needed and just as easily slide back into the slot. He has a nose for the ball and seems to always be creating havoc. Shumate takes on blocks well and has great hip and footwork.
Shumate wraps well and finishes the play with driving leg force, and his tackling technique is far above average. One word to describe Shumate would be versatile.
One school to keep an eye on in the race for Shumate could be Rutgers, which has had a rebirth in recruiting in state with the recent addition of Savon Huggins.
Travis Blanks: Tallahassee, FL
3 of 6
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 180
Speed: 4.4
Ranking: Scout 4-Star
Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Clemson and others.
Preview: Travis Blanks is a pure athlete on offense, defense or punt returns. He is a young man that any coach would want on the field as much as possible.
Blanks appears to have great vision, seeing the whole field and covering ground with effortless strides. He can also deliver a bone crushing hit.
His angle of pursuit covers vast amounts of ground with minimal effort and uses the entire field to his advantage.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Deon Bush: Miami, FL
4 of 6
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185
Speed: 4.4
Vertical: 41"
Rankings: ESPNU 150
Offers: Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, LSU and others.
Preview: Deon Bush plays long, meaning that he covers a lot of space with minimal movement. His long arms and 41" vertical allow him to break up plays that look indefensible.
With the ball in his hands, Bush reads the field well and uses the whole field, sideline to sideline. He is elusive.
Not surprisingly, Bush is a talented track and field athlete also, with a 11.7 time in the 100 meter dash. These track skills are evident in his punt returns. This young man makes it look easy.
Brian Poole: Bradenton, FL
5 of 6
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 195
Offers: South Carolina, South Florida and Texas Tech
Preview: Brian Poole is tough and he has a burst of speed that creates a physical car crash at the line of scrimmage. Poole recorded 65 tackles and four interceptions as a sophomore.
Poole is a physical cover corner that added four more interceptions as a junior. He stated to Gator Country, "I'm a physical corner. I get that weight behind me and use it to my advantage."
With limited film to review, I can say that Poole likes to jam people at the line and supports the run well.
Geno Smith: Atlanta, GA
6 of 6
Height: 6'
Weight: 165
GPA: 3.0
Speed: 4.4
Offers: Notre Dame, Auburn, Alabama, USC, Ohio State, Georgia and many others.
Preview: The first thing that jumped out to me was Geno Smith's weight, 165 pounds. The second thing that was noticeable was the list of schools that have made him an offer. Almost every one of the heavy hitters has called on Smith, and for good reason.
Upon impact, Smith unleashes vicious, almost spring-loaded hits. He uses great wrap around technique and finishes well, driving his opponent into the turf. Smith stays with the play from start to finish.
As an open field tackler, Smith reads hips well and once again wraps and finishes. He uses his 31" vertical leap to his advantage, intercepting passes and breaking up plays at the height of his leap.
Don't read too much into Geno Smith's weight, he has a body that will fill out well and packs a powerful hit.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
