DB depth to suffer.
Chris has applied to have his mission moved up a bit so he could head out in August, prior to the start of what would have been his freshman season. The 2 year mission would bring Chris back to ND in the Fall of 2012, preserving all 4 years of his eligibility.
Chris goes with the support of the coaching staff, and would be welcomed back in 2012.
And while Badger would have been unlikely to crack the 2-deep this year, Safety is hazardously thin at this point, with a re-made CB in Slaughter and up-and-down Harrison Smith topping the chart, and only a few guys behind them (Zeke Motta, true sophomore, and Dan McCarthy).
Whatever he ends up doing, we wish Chris the best and hope to see him back in Blue and Gold in 2012. And we hope Coach Kelly has some serious backup plans in the works should we lose any guys to injury back there.
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TheNDleprechaun
Yes, Safety is scary thin, but look at those two names you just mentioned again. Zeke Motta has tremendous talent but hasn’t had the opportunity to showcase it yet. He could be a prime example of outstanding talent recruited by Weis reaching its full potential with a coaching staff that specializes in player development. McCarthy is another name that Fighting Irish fans should be looking forward to hearing more about, not just because of Kyle but becase Dan has the same toughness coupled with amazing athleticism. I’m looking for both of these young guns to step up big in the near future.
The Biscuit
But Zeke is still just a true sophomore. And Slaughter isn’t even a true S, more of a CB being forced over there. Scary.
Mark
What exactly would be the “up” in up and down Harrison Smith? Easily the worst defensive player on the field last year. Always out of position and consistently missing tackles and assignments.
The Biscuit
His first year, and the first half of his second, was his up. As a true frosh he played meaningful minutes and played them well. His first year as a sophomore starter he had a decent first half of the season, then sort of went downhill. Last year he was as bad as it gets. Which is why I’m nervous about Safety – Smith was bad last year, McCarthy has been around but isn’t his brother (yet), and Slaughter is a convert that doesnt quite fit the mold. Motta will likely be the best of the Lot, once he gets his feet wet.
E-Man
I expect great things from Harrison Smith this year, a-la Shane Walton. This guy was more highly regarded coming out of Tennessee than Golden Tate.
I believe that Slaughter will aquit himself very well as safety. It’s certainly easier to turn a CB into a safety –as long as they have smarts. It’s leathal to try turning a safety into a CB, unless they have some real special skills.