SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Talk about a late shot of adrenaline.

Notre Dame’s recruiting class, which hadn’t added a commitment since early December, added one of the biggest names still standing when Honolulu linebacker Manti Te’o, considered one of the nation’s top players, picked the Irish over USC and UCLA.

"There’s a linebacker that’s going to make an instant impact for us," Irish coach Charlie Weis said Wednesday afternoon during his signing day press conference.

Prior to Te’o’s signing, the day looked like another limp to the finish for the Irish, who have not exactly been major players on signing day, when many of the nation’s top recruits make known their choices.

Notre Dame did receive faxed letters-of-intent from the 16 players who had previously committed, but Los Angeles-area safety Byron Moore provided a mid-morning downer.

Moore had recently decommitted from USC, and there was speculation that ND would land the four-star prospect. But Moore, who visited Colorado over the weekend, surprised many when he inked with the Trojans. Later, Tallahassee, Fla., safety Jawanza Starling also picked the Trojans over the Irish.

But Te’o’s announcement energized ND’s signing day. Out of the Rivals.com top 25 in the late morning, Te’o’s signature vaulted the Irish to the No. 19 spot in the span of an hour.

Despite Te’o’s signing, however, there are shortcomings. The key area of need was on the defensive line, and the Irish were able to sign only tackle Tyler Stockton. As a matter of fact, the Irish signed three times as many specialists — kicker Nick Tausch, punter Ben Turk and snapper Jordan Cowart — as they did defensive linemen.

There were a number of theories why this year’s class didn’t measure up to the previous three groups that Weis has signed (his first class was a hybrid combination between the Tyrone Willingham and Weis staffs). First, it was a smaller group, and strength in recruiting rankings often comes in numbers.

Second, during the time when the groundwork was being laid for this group, their junior year in 2007, the Irish were slumping to a 3-9 record. A good chunk of the coaches’ recruiting time was no doubt spent trying to ease the concerns of the seniors who at the time were committed to ND. It worked, as the players who just completed their freshman years at Notre Dame were ranked the No. 2 recruiting group nationally, but with a cost.

And there was the matter of Weis’ job security. His 2009 status was quickly addressed following the season, but opposing coaches were no doubt dropping hints about Weis’ status beyond next season.

There were also questions pertaining to the class itself. Where is the dominating left tackle that this class needed? He’s headed to Gainesville, Fla., in the person of Xavier Nixon, ND’s top target at the position.

And what about quarterbacks? Weis would have been considered Houdini had he been able to make it back-to-back-to-back success stories at the spot with Jimmy Clausen and Dayne Crist on campus, but the top-flight guys were able to see who was ahead of them, and instead went where there was less congestion. Still, ND remains thin at the spot with Clausen and Crist likely the only two scholarship QBs on campus next year.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t talent beyond Te’o. Running back Cierre Wood is the flashiest and next-biggest name. He averaged 11 yards per carry for Santa Clara High in Oxnard, Calif., and is considered one of the nation’s top backs.

Receiver Shaquelle Evans from Inglewood (Calif.) High, was a one-time USC commit who could work his way onto the two-deep. And offensive lineman Chris Watt of Glen Ellyn, Ill., was recently named the Detroit Free Press’ Best of the Midwest No. 1 recruit.

But there was one headliner in the class. And Te’o created a lot of them on Wednesday.

"We are just absolutely delighted," Weis said, "that he joined us here today."

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