Notre Dame Football’s Biggest Recruiting Busts

November 23, 2012; Foxborough, MA USA; Massachusetts Minutemen wide receiver Deion Walker (3) prior to the start of a game against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Konrad Reuland — Tight End — Mission Viejo, California

Reuland was the 3rd best Tight End and 81st best player in the 2006 class. Reuland only played 10 games at Notre Dame before transferring to Stanford. During his time at Notre Dame, he did not haul in a single reception. At Stanford, he had 27 career receptions for 351 yards and 1 touchdown. This performance was good enough to get him signed as an undrafted Free Agent by the San Francisco Giants. He was then waived and now is a member of the New York Jets.

Dayne Crist — Quarterback — Sherman Oaks, California

There has not been a more polarizing Notre Dame player in the program’s recent history. Coming out of high school, Crist was a 5-star recruit. He was ranked as the 2nd best recruit and 25 best player in the nation. Crist had all the physical tools to become a great Quarterback at Notre Dame. However, that never really materialized. In 2011, he was yanked from the South Florida-Notre Dame game in favor of Tommy Rees. This created a Crist or Rees split between Notre Dame fans. Crist only threw for 3640 yards during his career at Notre Dame and Kansas. He also added 20 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

Dan McCarthy — Safety — Youngstown, Ohio

Kyle McCarthy, Dan’s older brother, was only a 2-star recruit when he arrived at Notre Dame. However, he maximized his potential when he started two years at Safety.  Dan McCarthy entered Notre Dame as the more heavily recruited player. He was ranked as the 14th best Safety and the 183rd best player in the country. However, he failed to maximize his potential. He only collected 23 tackles.

Tyler Stockton — Defensive Tackle — Linwood, New Jersey

Stockton was the 16th best Defensive Tackle and the 193rd player overall. He was an All-Star at Notre Dame. Unfortunately, it was on the Scout Team. Stockton only saw the action in 2010 when he had 1 sack. In 2012, he was the Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year. He definitely helped the team but not in the way that was expected.

Deion Walker — Wide Receiver — Christchurch, Virginia

Walker entered Notre Dame in 2008 with enormous potential. According to Rivals.com, he was the 25th best Receiver and the 179th player overall in his class. Walker was an Under Armour All-American. Walker only had 1 catch at Notre Dame. After 4 years at Notre Dame, he transferred to UMASS. He caught 59 passes for 667 yards and 3 touchdowns.