A top-five class again? Probably not. A class better than 90 percent of the schools in the country? Probably.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is again piecing together a highly regarded recruiting class, although this one probably won’t earn the No. 2 ranking accorded last year’s group. The 2009 class, which now includes 14 verbally committed players, will likely finish somewhere in the nation’s top 15, perhaps in the bottom half of the top 10.

While last year’s class was one loaded with defensive standouts, long a need since Weis arrived in 2005, the group that will sign in 2009 has a little bit of everything.

Topping the list is all-everything running back Cierre Wood of Oxnard, Calif. Wood, considered one of the nation’s top three backs, picked the Irish on the day of their April spring game, and for an ND running game that finished statistically among the nation’s worst in 2007, Wood’s commitment was an early shot in the arm.

"I just feel comfortable," Wood said, "and felt like I needed to be there."

The flashy Wood will grab plenty of accolades this fall, but perhaps just as important to the class is the commitment of Glen Ellyn, Ill., offensive guard Chris Watt. Watt, who has been ranked as high as the No. 2 offensive lineman in the country, picked ND over Ohio State and endeared himself to Irish fans when he used a Weis catchphrase upon committing.

"I really have a nasty attitude on the field," Watt said, "and I think that’s what separates me."

One of the surprise announcements of the class came when California cornerback Marlon Pollard, a longtime UCLA commitment, flipped to Notre Dame over the summer. Pollard had been in Chicago at a camp and decided to make the 90-minute drive to South Bend to check out the campus. Pollard’s commitment continues a string of solid cornerback commitments Weis has garnered in his time at ND.

"I’m done," Pollard said. "I’m a hundred percent (committed)."

Wood, Watt and Pollard are ranked among the top 100 players in the country.

Perhaps the most innovative commitment came from Verona, N.J., linebacker Carlo Calabrese, who days before telling his family he had picked ND, told Weis, who was set to leave for the Middle East on a goodwill tour.

Calabrese waited to tell his family until a few days later in order to surprise his mother on her birthday. But instead of just blurting out his decision, Calabrese lugged into the kitchen a new golf bag as his mother was doing dishes. The golf bag just happened to be adorned in blue and gold.

"And I go, 'Does this tell you anything?'" Calabrese said. "She’s like, 'Notre Dame?'"

With 14 commitments in the bag, Notre Dame could sign around 11 more to reach the NCAA one-year maximum of 25 players after inking 23 last year.

Conventional wisdom says that many of the blue-chippers Weis and his staff are pursuing are waiting to see how the Irish perform on the field after last year’s 3-9 disaster. And there are some blue-chippers to be had.

In what is considered a weak year nationally for offensive linemen, ND remains in play with one of the nation’s best in Fayetteville, N.C., standout Xavier Nixon. Nixon projects as a left tackle and, coupled with Watt, would give ND an outstanding haul on the line.

Notre Dame also continues to pursue Chandler, Ariz., defensive end Devon Kennard, who would be a huge catch considering ND’s needs at the position. Also considering the Irish are two of the nation’s best linebackers — Mant’i Teo of Honolulu and Jelani Jenkins of Wheaton, Md.

NCAA recruiting rules prohibit college coaches from publicly commenting on a prospect until the player has signed a national letter-of-intent. Signing day is Feb. 4.

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