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(Photo Courtesy: USA Today Sports)
Who knew appearing in a BCS title game would cause all this drama?
That drama of course surrounds the University of Notre Dame, which has seen all the good vibes of the 2012 season washed away by what could only be described as an off-season from hell since the calendar turned to 2013. First it was the Manti Te’o melodrama. Then it was Gunner Kiel’s transfer. Followed by Everett Golson’s season-long suspension, which was just announced last week.
And on Tuesday the hits continued to come.
This one came courtesy of five-star defensive tackle recruit Eddie Vanderdoes, one of the jewels of the Irish’s 2013 recruiting who, umm, will no longer actually be attending Notre Dame. He was released from the school on Tuesday and now will be able to attend UCLA, a school closer to home and one he nearly signed with back in February.
Vanderdoes shared a statement with the Sacramento Bee on Tuesday which, in part read as follows:
"I would like to thank the University of Notre Dame for lifting the recruiting ban and allowing me to sign an athletic scholarship with UCLA. Over the past four months, circumstances have changed for me and my family. For very personal reasons, I feel a strong need to remain close to home and be near those who are most important in my life."
No one is quite aware what those circumstances are, but it is very clear that they do involve Vanderdoes’ family. From Northern California originally, Vanderdoes will now only be a short plane ride away from home, rather than a full day’s travel in South Bend. Whether he’ll be able play immediately or not remains to be seen; Notre Dame didn’t officially release Vanderdoes from his Letter of Intent, meaning that he might not be allowed to step on the field for the Bruins in 2013.
Whether he does or not, this should officially end what was truly a wild recruitment for Vanderdoes, one which started with nearly a year-long commitment to USC, before he decommitted just before Signing Day and eventually signed with the Irish. Even the move to Notre Dame was a bit surprising; up until he put pen to paper with the Irish, most thought Vanderdoes would end up at UCLA. Well now he has…albeit in quite a circuitous route.
Meanwhile back in South Bend, it’s starting to feel like all that luck which propelled the Irish throughout the 2012 season may have officially dried up, since 2013 has been one headache after the other for Brian Kelly and his staff.
We mentioned the BCS title game debacle and the suspensions and transfers which have followed. And now…well, there’s this.
Looking at it all in the big picture, a case could be made that Vanderdoes’ decommitment (wait, is it technically a “decommitment?” Whatever!!) actually won’t hurt the Irish all that much in 2013. It’s very rare that true freshmen defensive line play at all, let alone have an impact, and with the return of Stephon Tuitt, Louis Nix and others, that’s one spot on the field where the Irish should be ok. Vanderdoes could’ve provided helpful depth, but his presence was never going to make-or-break the 2013 Irish.
At the same time it’s hard to argue that this one stings, mainly because it’s just another blow for a program which seemed to turn a permanent corner in 2012.
Furthermore, it just continues a bizarre and somewhat disturbing trend of particularly high-profile players leaving South Bend before their presence could ever be felt on the field. An argument could be made that over the last two years the Irish have lost their top recruit from both the 2011 (Aaron Lynch to South Florida) and 2012 (Kiel to Cincinnati) classes, not to mention Davonte Neal, a five-star receiver who transferred to Arizona to be closer to an infant daughter. Add Vanderdoes into the mix and that’s four five-star talents who’ve departed South Bend in a 24-month timeframe, a high-level of talent even for such an elite program.
Now in the long-run, Notre Dame will obviously be fine. Brian Kelly has recruited well since he arrived in South Bend, and the loss of four players won’t collectively impact the Irish collectively as a program, no matter how talented each of the players is individually.
However, it’s also safe to say that the luck of the Irish seems to be running out.
If it hasn’t already.
For all his opinion, insight and analysis on college football, be sure to follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres.
Follow Crystal Ball Run on Twitter @CrystalBallRun.
