By Brian HamiltonSOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Confident as he may be in his staff's player-development abilities, Brian Kelly was emphatic that no one gets a Notre Dame scholarship offer unless he can help Notre Dame win. So the Irish's 2010 recruiting haul, in his mind, doesn't merely caulk a gap.
But Kelly may have come as close to being honest as a coach gets on Signing Day when he intimated that this group is not the be-all, end-all for Bowl Championship Series berths -- that the dynamics will shift significantly for 2011 and beyond.
"It's a good start for us," Kelly said Wednesday. "I think you'll see a growth in the recruiting process for us next year."
Photo: Brian Kelly discusses Notre Dame's recruiting class Wednesday. (Joe Raymond/AP)
To be clear, Kelly offered the requisite optimism about the 23 names that jumped on board -- five of whom are enrolled already. The new Irish coach said there are players that can help now, and players that can help later.
He knows offensive linemen Matt James and Christian Lombard can bolster that unit immediately. He thinks the Irish found an unpolished gem in Hawaiian defensive lineman Kona Schwenke, the last player to sign Wednesday. He believes California running back Cameron Roberson can be a hit, as no fewer than three coaches visited Roberson to retain his commitment.
But as Kelly pointed out that calls and offers were made to Class of 2011 prospects Wednesday as well, it's clear that he believes the paradigm changes as of now. And that may mean a cadre of more elite targets in sight.
"You need time to recruit," Kelly said. "You need success if you want to be able to continue to recruit the very best. Clearly, we did not have either one on our side this time. We will."
Find a full list of Notre Dame's signing class at und.com
He knows offensive linemen Matt James and Christian Lombard can bolster that unit immediately. He thinks the Irish found an unpolished gem in Hawaiian defensive lineman Kona Schwenke, the last player to sign Wednesday. He believes California running back Cameron Roberson can be a hit, as no fewer than three coaches visited Roberson to retain his commitment.
But as Kelly pointed out that calls and offers were made to Class of 2011 prospects Wednesday as well, it's clear that he believes the paradigm changes as of now. And that may mean a cadre of more elite targets in sight.
"You need time to recruit," Kelly said. "You need success if you want to be able to continue to recruit the very best. Clearly, we did not have either one on our side this time. We will."
Find a full list of Notre Dame's signing class at und.com
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