The coaching staff doesn’t get a free week when it doesn’t have a game to prepare for during the season. There are still practices and an upcoming opponent to get ready for, but more time is allotted for recruiting, and the Irish staff took full advantage of the opportunity.
Notre Dame landed four new commitments during its off week. Two of them were pretty much locked up coming into the week though.
Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon kicker Joshua Bryan and Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale cornerback Philip Riley had done everything but publicly announce their commitments to the Fighting Irish. Riley posted about his decision to flip from USC Monday, Nov. 16, while Bryan’s switch from Colorado came the following day.
Those two prospects knew a week or two in advance that they’d be announcing to the Irish, but recruiting can change at the drop of a hat. A “silent” commitment is nice but even a public commitment doesn’t lock a prospect in, as we’ve seen Notre Dame lose pledges and flip others. Just think how much less a “silent verbal” means (and it’s an oxymoron).
