NCAA Recruiting Scoop

For some reason the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and head coach Charlie Weis have been shielded from the normal fallout of a 3-9 season on the 2008 recruiting trail. Maybe it’s because prospects realize that Weis didn’t have a ton to work with last season. Maybe it’s because they simply believe in the coach.

Or maybe it’s just because we’re talking about Notre Dame, here. Anyway, enter Jonas Gray.

Jonas Gray is a 5-foot-10, 213 pound running back from Detroit, Michigan (Country Day High School). Interestingly, early on Gray verbally committed to play for the Nebrasksa Cornhuskers. But then a few things happened. First, Nebraska started playing terribly. Second, Bill Callahan found himself on the proverbial hot seat. Third, Bill Callahan found himself canned.

Then- and who can blame him?- Jonas Gray followed suit with a host of other recruits in spurning the Huskers for what they deemed greener pastures. In Gray’s case, very green pastures if you know what we mean.

But we digress.

Jonas Gray runs the 40 yard dash in 4.44 seconds, so he’s awful fast. He also benches 295 pounds, squats 430 pounds, and rushed for 1,252 yards and 19 touchdowns last season in high school as a junior. Not bad, huh? Then came his Gray’s senior season.

We’re talking 2,485 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns. Nope, it’s not a misprint. Along with this, the word on Gray is that he’s extremely tough to bring down.

Duh.

All of this together has Gray sitting pretty at number 59 on the Rivals 100 of 2008. He’s also considered the best prospect in the entire state of Michigan, the fourth best 2008 prospect in the land, the third best inside runner in the nation, and the second best downhill runner in the country.

In the end, Jonas Gray has decided to attend Notre Dame. The schools he chose them over? The Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Florida Gators, Louisville Cardinals, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, and Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Irish sure did get a good one in Jonas Gray. On the other hand, the Nebraska Cornhuskers sure did have a good one.

Have being the keyword.