Manti Te’o’s commitment to Notre Dame added some last minute lipstick to what was otherwise a very disappointing class for the Irish. In the boom-bust cycle that afflicts Irish recruiting by position, Notre Dame busted at the Defensive End, Quarterback and Defensive Back positions.

As we’ve seen from past history, these misses often come back to haunt the Irish. Ty’s negligent recruiting on the Offensive Line and in overall talent set the stage for Notre Dame’s historically bad ’07 season. Weis’s early misses on the Defensive Line and Linebacker with Minter leading the defense forced us to play freshmen last year and have left us devoid of senior leadership at those positions heading into ’09.

You cannot afford off years in recruiting simply because kids mature physically and mentally at unpredictable rates so you need to keep the pipeline full. Even the success rate for five-star recruits is low. The hit rate for four-star recruits is considerably lower and three-star recruits had better study hard while in school. Don’t get me wrong, there are many two-star recruits who do pan out, but that’s simply a function of numbers and the fact that some kids don’t really grow until they get to college and can be tough to evaluate. The point is, if you leave holes on a team in any year, you can’t count on young recruits to step in and play at a championship level.

And outside of a few players, this recruiting class was not the stuff national championships are made of. On the heels of a number one class, this year’s shortfalls can be offset if the Irish pull in another top 3 class in ’10 which appears likely if Weis can return this team to its ’05 form. Part of this year’s failure was due to the effort the staff had to put into holding last year’s class together. The Irish have laid the groundwork for a ’10 class, that on paper, could be better than last year’s number one class. Chris Martin is a Te’o level recruit. Christian Lombard is a five-star recruit. Anthony Barr, SanTrel Henderson, CJ Fiedorwicz and Justin McCay are just a few of the other tier one recruits that Notre Dame has either a good or great shot at. Much will depend on Notre Dame’s performance next season, in fact for Weis, everything depends upon it.

This year’s class wasn’t great, but for perspective it was better than Ty’s last two classes…. combined. That’s how big the hole was that Notre Dame is currently climbing out from. This class doesn’t just have more four and five-star recruits than either of those classes, it has more than the number of four and five-star recruits as both of those classes combined.

More than proving how good this class is, it highlights just how far we had fallen. At a high level, Notre Dame definitely recruited some great talent and our linebacker recruiting was better than any team in the country.

Here’s a quick breakdown of thoughts and thoughts on other’s thoughts on our top recruits.

Impact Recruits (3)

Te’o, Manti LB 6-2 225 Laie, HI (Punahou) – Te’o is the highest ranked defensive player Notre Dame has recruited since Kory Minor. Not only is he the USA Defensive Player of the Year, but he dominated in practice for the Under Armour All-American game. He is physically ready to play and has the speed, instincts and the attitude to become a Zorich-level leader down the road. He’s a true difference-making recruit. More importantly he wears a backward cocked hat, does the ass bump and plays the hat game, all things ACross looks for in a top recruit.

Stockton, Tyler DL 6-1 290 Linwood, NJ (Hun School) – After Te’o, Stockton was the steal of this class. Notre Dame got on him early and locked him in as an early entry. ESPN ranked him as the defensive tackle with the most upside: “There are some big men who can get moving in this class, but Stockton seems consistently to explode out of his stance. His game has many strong points, but it all starts with his ability to get off the ball. Because he can get moving so quickly, he can beat blockers to the punch and knock them back. He does a good job with his hands and staying low, and he is tough to block because he is so explosive. On film you can actually see him sometimes violently snap his opponents’ heads back because he gets into them with excellent quickness and power. This ability makes him tough against the run and pass. The nation’s No. 2 defensive tackle is a great pickup for Notre Dame, and he should bring some real explosiveness to the interior of the Irish defensive front.”

“I’m nasty and my motor never stops,” Stockton says. “This is the sport I love to play. I told my parents in the sixth grade they weren’t going to have to pay for college.”

Watt, Chris OL 6-3 280 Glen Ellyn, IL (Glenbard West) – Chris Watt gives the Irish offensive line a nasty, tough interior lineman who punishes when he blocks downhill. Rivals #2 rated offensive lineman and Scout’s #1 rated guard, he’s a kid who could see early playing time and was a critical recruit given the age of our current offensive line. ESPN called him “a special player: an old-school tough guy who gives 100 percent every snap while playing two ways. With his athleticism and motor, he’s sure to be a major contributor at the next level.”

Could Play a Role in 2009 (4)

Evans, Shaquelle WR 6-1 203 Inglewood, CA (Inglewood) – Anyone expecting a Michael Floyd or Golden Tate will be disappointed, but not by much. Evans is a very good athlete with light feet and a pretty polished receiver coming out of High School. Because of his feet and elusiveness, he could find a role as a slot receiver.

Martin, Zach OL 6-5 270 Indianapolis, IN (Bishop Chatard) – Martin is a very important recruit for Notre Dame and underrated by most services. Just a three star recruit on Scout, Martin showed very good feet at the Under Armour All-American game. Martin earned the start and played very well against top competition. His versatility will be much needed as the Irish missed out on landing a true left tackle.

Motta, Zeke LB 6-2 207 Vero Beach, FL (Vero Beach) – Motta, Te’o and Filer are three of the most athletic linebacker’s Notre Dame’s recruited in years. Even back to the Lou days we struggled to land athletic linebackers. Motta, a converted safety, really fills the hole quickly with power. He’s another recruit I expect to see on the field this fall.

Wood, Cierre RB 6-0 192 Oxnard, CA (Santa Clara) – Wood put up great numbers again this season, but didn’t fare as well when he went against the best in the Army All-American game. He’s a great player in space with a break your back change of the direction and fantastic acceleration. Those skills translate best into the return game and possibly into the wide receiver role where he could add a YAC element to complement our outside threats.