The HLS positional preview continues in the trenches, moving this time to the defensive side of the ball. For the Irish, the departure of Aaron Lynch has left the position of top dog on the line up for grabs. As for our opponents, it appears that it is a Notre Dame tradition as of late to face some absolutely superb defensive line talents. 2012 will be no different.
Louis Nix (#9, center) seals a hole during the 2011 Stanford game, allowing for a loss of yardage.
Louis Nix III
Position: NG
Year: Sophomore
Height/Weight: 6’3″/340 lbs.
Despite Lynch’s departure, the Irish still have some great candidates on the line. There is experience in Kapron Lewis-Moore and all kinds of potential in the young and talented Stephon Tuitt. However, Louis Nix, aka “Irish Chocolate”, stands out.
In any 3-4 scheme, a talented nose guard is essential. They are the unsung heros of the defense, plugging gaps and drawing extra defenders in so others can make plays.
Nix however, goes a step beyond that.
In his freshman campaign, Nix notched 45 tackles (12 solo, 33 assists). The total placed him at 8th on the team, tops among any defensive linemen, and two spots above Lynch. Additionally, 4.5 of those tackles were for losses, ranking him fifth on the team.
Nix doesn’t just plug holes, he’s an established playmaker–that is only a sophomore. He demands attention from the defense that will allow for the rest of the defense to wreck havoc.
Nix will only improve this season and, while he may not put up jaw-dropping numbers, will be the reason the defensive line sees continued success in 2012.
Kawann Short draws a double team while rushing Dayne Crist in 2010
Kawaan Short
School: Purdue
Position: DT
Year: Senior (RS)
Height/Weight: 6’3″/310 lbs
I was able to narrow this down to two solid choices. At first, I considered the merits of William Gholston, a 6’7″ absolute freak of nature, DE at Michigan State. However, the Junior still has a bit to prove, especially after losing his cool against Michigan last season (to be fair, those two plays shouldn’t define him).
Kawaan Short though is a more of a proven commodity. And although there isn’t a lot that the Irish should fear from the Boilermakers, Short will definitely command some respect. If there is anyone that can throw a serious wrinkle into that game, it will be him.
Furthermore, his stat sheet, especially sacks, looks like it belongs to a DE and not a DT:
| Year | Sacks | Tackles for Loss |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 0 | 4 |
| 2010 | 6 (4th Big Ten) | 12.5 (6th Big Ten) |
| 2011 | 6.5 (6th Big Ten) | 17 (5th Big Ten) |
| Totals | 12.5 | 33.5 |
Short is currently projected as a 1st round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and Phil Steele has him as a 3rd-team All-American, 1st-team Big Ten, and the 3rd best draft-eligible DT in the nation.
Short is poised for his third consecutive year of statistical improvement and will be one of the few highlights on an otherwise pedestrian Purude team.
How dare you imply that LNIII would be 2nd fiddle to Lynch if he were still here! I pray that Irish Chocolate shows mercy on you and spares your life for such insolence!
Okla, USC, scUM, MSU, don’t have a better D-lineman than Pudue?! Really?!
As I mentioned in the post, I damn near picked William Gholston in this battle. To be frank, I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes out and proves me wrong on the stat sheet in comparison to Short.
However, considering Short has been able to put up the numbers that he has on a pretty pedestrian defensive unit is incredible. Short often draws double teams to contain him, yet he still puts up great numbers.
As a comparison, as much of a beast that Lynch was last season, he put together 5.5 total sacks which would rank him behind Short. Lynch also had the benefit of playing next to the monster known as Irish Chocolate and had Manti Te’o drawing a lot of attention as well.
It may seem odd, but trust me, Short is a freakin’ beast. I could only imagine the havoc this guy would cause on a better team.
Last year ND ran all over Purdue at Lafayette. Thank goodness Braxton Cave is back! Our O is better with him in the lineup!
Pretty tough call on the best DL from ND for the upcoming season. I’m in agreeance that I’d tag Nix out of the gate because he simply got better at the season wore on and he was so disruptive in the Blue & Gold game that we’d like to hope it’s the beginning of a season where he’s in the backfield on 1st and 2nd down early and often.
He may not rack up the sacks that either Lynch or Purdue’s Short can, but like the DE’s on this squad Nix can disrupt passing in other ways.
Kudos to Tex on obviously doing the work required to make an intelligent argument here. It’d be pretty easy to just look at the rosters of MICH, USC, OU & MSU for the stud over scouring the lower tiered programs on the schedule.
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