That's not the point

The poster is implying that 5-star players are more likely than other players to say no to ND due to (1) climate, and (2) coursework. I don't buy that.

Now, 5-star players have a lot more options than 3-star players, and some of those options may be viewed as being better than ND. But I don't think it has much to do with climate & coursework; rather, it's more about the opportunity to win big at a program that also puts loads of players into the NFL. ND hasn't done that consistently over the past 5-10 years (at least not as consistently as Bama, Clemson, Ohio State, etc.).

If you're a 5 star player with your eye on the NFL...

Why would you choose a school with a heavy academic course load compared to a school where your main focus will be football?

I would bet that the number of 5 stars that even consider ND - regardless of what they do on the field - is quite low.

You are making the unfounded assumption that 5-stars....

Can't cut the mustard academically at ND.

Some people do, but this post wasn't.

This post was setting out a premise that there is one line of thinking that comes down to a cost-benefit analysis of doing rigorous academic work as part of your finite 168-hour week versus not doing rigorous academic works as part of your finite 168-hour week.

Let me ask Tim Brown when I bump into him next week. *

Todd Lyght is on our staff

He might not have been a profile fit.

Kelly hasn't assaulted him yet.

This is such a bogus argument

What's changed since Lou Holtz was coach, and ND routinely brought in 5-star recruits?

Or 2006-2009, when ND brought in six 5-star players over a span of four years?

Are you saying we should simply stop trying? It seems Coach Kelly has.

I think it's likely both.

A small, religious, academically focused school with cold weather in the middle of nowhere is going to be a harder sell. That's not to say it can't be done.

There's also the matter of qualification. I honestly have no idea what the numbers are, but how many of the 35ish 5 star players out there every year are unable to qualify for admittance to ND? I'm sure the number is non-zero.