This is a view of the Class of 2010 as I see it. I did all of my research through watching their highlight videos and re-watching the BK interview from yesterday to see what he said about each recruit. I figure that each of these recruits will gain the freshman 15, however, any weights I list are as stated by UND.com as of today. I will list the guys I think are tops in this class first, then go from there.

QB Tommy Rees - This guy looks like ND's #2 QB going into next year. Has a great arm and looks like he has the brains to be a strong QB. He has a monster arm similar to Dayne Crist's and he looks like he can make all the throws needed. I definitely think it was a positive for him to come in to ND early and get on the S+C program immediately, because he will definitely be getting some major snaps come spring ball.

OL Matt James - Big, quick offensive lineman with the strength to be a physically dominant lineman. Coach Kelly said he has the ability to come in and get some solid early playing time. I think he can be a dominant OL that solidifies the line and can open up some major space for our RB's.

OL Christian Lombard - Another strong OLineman that has great feet and drives people back with his blocks. His footwork on the inside of the line is great and his strength to kick out interior d-linemen is evident. With Lombard and James on the line, I think we could see some great run blocking and pass protection that ND hasn't seen in a while.

WR Bennett Jackson - Looks like Golden Tate with the ball in his hands. Now, that's a large claim for an incoming freshman, but when this guy gets the ball, whether off a WR screen or down field, he is great at getting to the end zone. His vision with the ball in his hands is great, and Coach Kelly talked about his yards after catch abilities. I think he has a chance to be a great ND receiver....and his godfather is Rocket Ismail. Need I say more?

ATH Austin Collinsworth - He will make an impact on special teams. No doubt in my mind. He has great downfield vision, and his ability to work through the coverage team makes him a major asset. Also, as a wideout, he has a great ability to adjust his body to the ball and get in position to make the catch. He will be an impact player on special teams, promise.

ATH Derek Roback - He played every major skill position in high school, and at 6'3" and 225 lbs, I am hoping that Coach Kelly will stick him in with either the Linebackers or Safties...he is a major hitter with some speed that looks like he could play an outside LB position really well. Depending on his S+C program, if he stayed at 225, I would love to see him at safety, but if he bulked up, which he most likely will do, I think he is destined to be a major player in ND's 3-4 defense as a linebacker.

LB Prince Shembo - Another super quick, hard hitting linebacker. He looks like he can play the outside LB or as he gets bigger and stronger, move up to the DE position and be a terror, similar to a Demarcus Ware type player. His speed is definitely a plus, and his tackles are solid and fundamentally sound.

Now....the guys who I think will be productive, maybe not right away, but soon.

WR Tai-ler Jones - An explosive wideout who has what Coach Kelly calls, "great second level speed". He looks great with the ball in his hands and really works well at getting through defenses en route to the endzone. He is a receiver who fits perfectly into Coach Kelly's offensive system.

DB Chris Badger - A safety prospect who doesn't shy away from contact and does a really great job at keeping his eyes on the QB and in the backfield. His size is a bit of an issue, however I think with the S+C program he can put on some muscle and become a ball-hawking safety. He has good footwork in the safety spot and great field vision that helps him break on any play, run or pass, quickly.

LB Justin Utupo - High energy kid who really likes to tackle. Coach Kelly said he "arrives at the ball with a bad attitude", and following ND's defense lately, a bad attitude is what we need. He looks like an outside backer and has that high level of intensity that definitely makes up for any lack of skill he has. Should be a big playmaker for ND down the road.

OL Tate Nichols - Huge offensive lineman that could make an already solid line class even better. He can be a great blocker with all the tools to be a great player, I just think he needs some refinement with his skills. He has the strength to physically dominate lesser opponents, and I feel that if he gets his blocking techniques perfected, he could be a major component to the OL down the road.

DL Louis Nix - At 6'3" and 315 pounds, Nix could be the anchor at nose tackle ND needs in the 3-4 defense. He is a strong kid who can provide some major size in the middle of the defense and can make plays in the backfield. Even when locked up by blockers, Nix has the ability to look past the block into the backfield and react to the plays. Coach Kelly mentioned his weight and hoped he would stay around the 315 mark. If Nix can't keep the weight down over the summer, this could be a problem in the coming year for ND.

DL Kona Schwenke - Strong kid who is a DE prospect. His tackling ability looks sound, but the video on him was short and really didn't show enough to make me a firm believer in Kona. I think he has the opportunity to become a dominant D-end, but as of right now, I would have to see more video.

QB Andrew Hendrix - Big, tall QB with good arm strength and a quickness that helps him evade rushers in the pocket. He seems like another Brain Kelly style QB, in that he is quick and tall and has the ability to make the right throws. I'm not sure if he will compete at QB this coming year, however, I think he will be a good backup to Crist and Rees and maybe get a start or two in the next couple of years.

TE Alex Welch - TE who is quick and has great hands. Watching his route running, he knew what to do in certain situations and also made some key adjustments to create space between himself and the defenders. I think he could be a hybrid type TE similar to Anthony Gonzalez because of his speed. Will definitely create some match-up problems against slower LB's.

RB Cameron Roberson - Speedy running back who is big enough to take the hits and keep on going. His ability to see downfield is evident in all his highlights, and his size gives him the strength to use that vision through the middle of the line. He is deceptively quick, and has that afterburner speed that creates separation from the defense. He is also very shifty and uses his hips and body to juke defenders very well. Should be a great RB prospect, however his playing time could be limited with the stable of backs ND already has.

WR Daniel Smith - At 6'4", Smith is a go-up-and-get-it type receiver. Could be used mainly for possession and jump balls in the end zone, and his size also makes him a perfect over-the-middle receiver. He could make a great slot receiver, and with his solid hands ability, a go-to guy on third down.

DB Spencer Boyd - Good tackling ability in the open field. He wraps up really well, and can be a solid coverage corner. In his videos he was constantly being beat off the line of scrimmage, yet had the ability to make it up and usually swat the ball away. This may be a problem for him at the college level, as he may not have the physical skills to play catch up all the time.

DB Lo Wood - Coach Kelly described him as having "excellent ball skills" and his coverage abilities were strong. However, his tackling seems suspect at times and he may not have the speed to cover elite receivers. That being said, his skill at coverage is excellent and hopefully Coach Kelly and his staff can develop Wood into a shut-down corner.

And now, my wildcard picks. I have no idea if they will pan out or not, they make you scratch your head a bit.

ATH Danny Spond - Played QB in HS running the triple option. Not sure where he would fit in ND's offense, but he also moonlighted as a Safety. Hopefully he can develop into a safety or even, at 6'3" and 230 lbs, an outside linebacker. Wherever he plays, he will definitely be a work in progress for Coach Kelly for a while.

QB Luke Massa - Another big, tall, quick QB that Coach Kelly likes, but this one kind of puzzles me. Whether this was a "sign him so Matt James signs" move, or even a project signing, I think it will be hard to find somewhere for this guy to play. At 6'5", 205 lbs, Massa is an enigma to me. Coach Kelly seems to like projects, though, so have at it.

LB Kendall Moore - Seems like a LB with the strength to be a great defensive player, but his tackling fundamentals are definitely lagging. Every tackle me makes is with the arms and very high, which, according to the 2009 ND defense, doesn't get it done. Hopefully he can be coached and fix this problem, because he seems like a strong backup that could see significant minutes.

DL Bruce Heggie - The first signed and faxed letter of intent came from Bruce Heggie yesterday, probably because he didn't want ND to rethink the decision to bring him on. I like Heggie's commitment to ND and I really enjoy the fact that ND is taking guys who want to play there, but watching Heggie's recruitment video, I didn't see anything that separated him from the crowd. That being said, I hope he completely makes me eat my words and becomes a superstar at ND.

A couple of points to remember with this class. I think Coach Kelly is desperately trying to rebuild a lagging offensive line. James and Lombard and Nichols are just the start, but I expect some big things from Coach Kelly in the 2011 recruits. Also, I think when these guys are sophomores and juniors and guys like Theo Riddick are seniors, we could have a devastating rushing attack. Secondly, I think Coach Kelly is recruiting guys on defense that are athletic and willing to rip someone's head off. Defense in college football is all about intensity and emotion, and I think that Coach Kelly is trying to fill some gaps with emotion type players. I think there are a few defensive workhorses in this class that will complement Manti Teo on defense, however, I think that everyone else is being brought in because of their desire to go all out. Hopefully the S+C program along with the player development side of things molds these guys into a great team.

Sitting here this week awash in depression, shock, and utter disgust, I can’t get past the fact that we just lost at home – again – to a mediocre Naval Academy squad that likely couldn’t have taken out my high school team (Navy!!!) and followed it up by U.P.S.’ing it for Pitt. And after drinking away most of the sorrows, you can’t help but keep asking just how the fuck we’re not better than we are. How the fuck did we load up a roster with multiple Top Ten recruiting classes and then lose to a Michigan team that’s now 1-6 in conference play? How the fuck is it possible that we have a better-than-50% chance of not scoring when we have a first down inside the 10? How the fuck was this staff able to string together two consecutive B.C.S. appearances and create arguably the best offense in school history, then backfill the roster with far better raw material, and be sitting here five years later with a very real chance of winning six games? There’s not one answer, and there aren’t really any easy ones, but here’s The Can’s best stab at how the fuck we got here: 1 – The 2006 Recruiting Class While this was probably most touted class the program had reeled in since Bob Davie’s earlier years (#6 in Scout’s Rankings), we’ve reached the point where we can pretty safely give this group a collective label of “bust.” Ironically, this class is quite reminiscent of some of Davie’s: Loaded with “stars,” lauded by the Tom Lemmings of the world, and filled with guys who don’t remotely seem to fit the big picture. While there have been some good players to come out of it, far more haven’t panned out, especially at critical positions. Read more...

Scratch and sniff the ramblings of any supporter of the current college football postseason format and you’ll learn that the numero uno reason that the B.C.S. – or some other non-playoff scenario – remains the best option is that it preserves the sanctity of the regular season. “College football already has a playoff system! It’s called the regular season! Add a playoff at the end, and you’ll make the regular season meaningless.” That’s why B.C.S. advocates are full of garbage. The notion that the regular season would somehow become devoid of relevance and excitement and that it already represents an in loco playoff system in and of itself is so patently and craptastically absurd that I want to slam my hand in a fucking car door.