Posted: Monday, January 17, 2011, 4:22 PM | 22 comments |
 

Williams' commitment to Notre Dame a stunning blow to Penn State
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Notre Dame got a commitment from star linebacker Ishaq Williams from Lincoln High School in Brooklyn over the weekend because it outworked everyone, including Penn State, which was supposed to get a visit Saturday. instead, the Nittany Lions, formerly known as Linebacker U., got snubbed and stunned.
While Irish coach Brian Kelly and his staff earned the commitment by being there at four in the morning, one can only wonder why Penn State is asleep at the wheel as the net ire recriuiting world, and especially the recruits, say that the uncertainty of octogenarian coach Joe Paterno's future hangs over the program like a guillotine, especially with top recruiter Tom Bradley interviewing for every opening for a head coach.
  Williams is a 6-6, 230-pound pass rushing phenom. Former Temple coach Al Golden and his top assistant Mark D'Onofrio went straight to Coney Island on their way to Miami, knowing that Williams is a difference maker.
  The Irish certainly have stepped up their game where it counts the most: recruiting. Forget the Sun Bowl win. That's ancient history now and it was a walkover anyway because Miami, with a lame duck staff, quit before they even played the game. And the Irish had loads of talent this year, don't let anyone tell you differently.
   The Irish had a terrible year, with no one else to blame.
    

 

Notre Dame got a commitment from star linebacker Ishaq Williams from Lincoln High School in Brooklyn over the weekend because it outworked everyone, including Penn State, which was supposed to get a visit Saturday. instead, the Nittany Lions, formerly known as Linebacker U., got snubbed and stunned.

While Irish coach Brian Kelly and his staff earned the commitment by being there at four in the morning, one can only wonder why Penn State is asleep at the wheel as the entire recruiting world, and especially the recruits, say that the uncertainty of octogenarian coach Joe Paterno's future hangs over the program like a guillotine, especially with top recruiter Tom Bradley interviewing for every opening for a head coach.  

Williams is a 6-6, 230-pound pass rushing phenom. Former Temple coach Al Golden and his top assistant Mark D'Onofrio went straight to Coney Island on their way to Miami, knowing that Williams is a difference maker.  The Irish certainly have stepped up their game where it counts the most: recruiting. Forget the Sun Bowl win.

That's ancient history now and it was a walkover anyway because Miami, with a lame duck staff, quit before they even played the game. And the Irish had loads of talent this year, don't let anyone tell you differently.  

The Irish had a terrible year, with no one else to blame.    
Posted by John Quinn @ 4:22 PM  Permalink | 22 comments
22
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:16 PM, 01/17/2011
    Eh. Williams made a fine choice but no need to shed any tears for Penn State. They've recruited half a dozen players of Williams' caliber the last two years. As long as Coach Johnson is around, they will continue launching hordes of defensive linemen into high rounds of the NFL draft. Williams will be a big fish in a small pond at Notre Dame, so good for him, but he won't be competing with the best every day in practice.
    — tomB
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:28 PM, 01/17/2011
    Penn State v. Notre Dame - 2011 - I can see it
    — Ed Sullivan
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:25 PM, 01/17/2011
    Really? Worst blog on this site. Who cares about Notre Dame in this area besides those who also are Yankees and Cowboys fans.
    — ResponsibleAmerican
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:47 PM, 01/18/2011
    ND knows too. At least they did 22 years ago, 2 years after PSU's last championship.
    — seconnol
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:25 PM, 01/23/2011
    Same too clowns always responding. I am sure you are also devoted to Keith olbermann. You seem to be the type. He probably went to nortre dame because he knew academically he could not even qualify at penn state. At ND a 100 on the sat and a ged will get you in. And then he better hope he never gets hurt and can become the big star that he thinks he is because if not it will be picking corn in that field in indiana for the rest of his life. You too should go there too.
    — rich729
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:29 PM, 01/17/2011
    Anouther sign that the Irish are comming back. ND may be in a BCS game this year and the Championchip game soon after.
    — ameadie
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:38 PM, 01/17/2011
    So we lost one. With a youth heavy team that Penn State already has, he might not even get on the field for 2 years. With the pathetic Irish, he'll play right away. He may be a star, but it'll be on another 5-7, 6-6, 7-5 mediocre team. PSU is looking at BCS bowls for the next 2-3 years, minimum.
    — kecward78
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:42 PM, 01/17/2011
    Can't wait for that Championchip game. Is that the Tostitos Bowl?
    — P Even
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:08 PM, 01/17/2011
    JoePa doesn't recruit anymore. He leaves that to his assistant coaches. Hopefully not his Son, who is the worst thing to ever happen to Penn State. Sandusky, turns out, timed his exit perfectly. So it is sad that Bradley is ready to leave for another Program. This is not a good sign and points to Joe running Penn State (but not really coaching) forever. Joe stubbornly hangs on despite pleas for him to set a retirement date and name a successor. It is sad to see him on the sidelines, screaming at McCreary after every unsuccessful play. I don't see Penn State in the top 20 anymore until a new coach is named and please God, not his challenged Son!
    — younged
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:10 PM, 01/17/2011
    I hear he had no interest playing against Temple, Youngstown State, and those pathetic bottom rung Big 10 teams.
    — Wilhelm Von Humboldt
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:49 PM, 01/18/2011
    Maybe he can help win the Commander in Chief's trophy for ND.
    — seconnol
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:45 PM, 01/17/2011
    I hear he had no interest playing against Temple, Youngstown State, and those pathetic bottom rung Big 10 teams.
    — Wilhelm Von Humboldt

    Exactly, when you can play against the three service acadamies, Purdue, Michigan, Tulsa and Central Michigan!
    Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else
    — jrbull66
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:20 PM, 01/23/2011
    That puts them way above a brainless moron like you.
    — rich729


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About John Quinn
John Quinn, 57, is sports editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a third generation member of the Subway Alumni.

His grandfather used to listen to the radio and yell out to his son playing on the hardscrabble streets of Corona, Queens: “Bill Shakespeare just threw another touchdown pass!”
His father used to listen to the transistor radio and yell out to his son playing for Stony Brook on Long Island: “Joe Montana just threw another touchdown pass!”
He listens to the radio and yells out to his son watching Phineas and Ferb on a 46-inch HDTV: “Dayne Crist just threw another touchdown pass!” Meanwhile, Jack, 9, will not be a fourth generation member of the Subway Alumni.
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