Asmar Bilal Archives - Her Loyal Sons

Notre Dame Roster Top 25 Countdown 2019

Ryan Ritter — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 11:15:45 +0000

It’s an annual tradition that puts my name in between Pete Sampson and Tim O’Malley: Inside the Irish’s countdown of the top 25 players on the Irish Roster. HLS was once again asked to be a part of thirteen Notre Dame reporting outlets to vote and I was happy to once again represent our little corner of the internet.

Now that Douglas Farmer has unveiled the consensus top 25, much like last year, I was ready to defend my picks and hot ranking takes…except I don’t think I really need to.

This was perhaps the toughest year to rank the Irish roster and for the best reasons. When I looked back on the consensus rankings, I really didn’t have much of a problem with any variance and was surprised how much I was in line with this little Irish think-tank.

Top 25 Irish for 2019

HLS Rank	Player	Consensus	Delta
25	Kyle Hamilton	NR	n/a
24	Kevin Austin	NR	n/a
23	Houston Griffith	NR	n/a
22	Kurt Hinish	16	-6
21	Tony Jones Jr.	22	1
20	Myron Tagovalioa-Amosa	17	-3
19	Michael Young	21	2
18	Tommy Kraemer	13	-5
17	Ade Ogundeji	24	7
16	Aaron Banks	15	-1
15	Shaun Crawford	23	8
14	Asmar Bilal	19	5
13	Robert Hainsey	12	-1
12	Chris Finke	8	-4
11	Daelin Hayes	14	3
10	Cole Kmet	10	0
9	Chase Claypool	5	-4
8	Liam Eichenberg	8	0
7	Jalen Elliott	7	0
6	Troy Pride Jr.	6	0
5	Jafar Armstrong	11	6
4	Alohi Gilman	4	0
3	Ian Book	2	-1
2	Khalid Kareem	3	1
1	Julian Okwara	1	0

Consensus Top 25, HLS Unranked

#25 Jayson Ademilola – Ademilola was in a group of five players that just missed my ballot. Really, this was more of a matter of “should I really rank another D-lineman over someone else?” than anything. Yeah, the big guys up front are indeed that good and I already felt like ranked damn near the whole two-deep and that’s just really wild to say.

#20 Jeremiah Owusu-Kormamoah – The downside to this year’s ballot is that we didn’t get the benefit of practice reports or film to watch before we submitted our ballots. Owusu-Kormamoah was absolutely on my radar being the first true rover recruited, but just didn’t have much data on him. I’m quite happy that people more plugged in where already in on him before the reports that he is progressing as hoped so far early in fall camp.

#18 Jarrett Patterson – Patterson was also in my group of five players that I just left off. At the end of the day, again, I didn’t have enough data even though internal scuttlebutt was already rather high on him. Another case of me deciding to take a shot on someone else.

HLS Top 25, Consensus Unranked

Kyle Hamilton (HLS #25) – I believe that this is the first time that I’ve ever done this exercise and only put in one freshman. This is also the first time that my “bottom” three in my ranking were the only ones that didn’t make it. This is also the first time that I believe I’ve grossly under-ranked a freshman.

Unless y’all have been living under a rock, Kyle Hamilton is the damn truth. Ryan Harris dropped by our annual ND Dallas Kickoff event, had the crowd repeat his name over and over, and then said he was going to win a Heisman.

You know what, I wouldn’t doubt it.

Kevin Austin (HLS #24) – I wasn’t the only one that had Austin, who is this year’s double-secret-probation award winner much like Kevin Stepherson and Dexter Williams before him, on their ballot. While I don’t think he’s going to make a Dex-like impact when he finally gets some touches, this kid has loads of talent.

I’m just hoping he gets out of the dog house enough to flash it. Even if he doesn’t, the crew of Chase Claypool, Michael Young, and Chris Finke (all consensus top 25) will be more than enough firepower.

Houston Griffith (HLS #23) – I only worry that Griffith is lost the Kyle Hamilton shuffle right now. There’s good talent there, but it’s a matter of figuring out where to put him and, right now, my gut is the focus is getting Hamilton on to the field first.

Don’t sleep on Griffith though, I’m still expecting a big impact from him before he leaves ND.

Closing Thoughts

How in the world was Jafar Armstrong (Consensus #11, HLS #5) rated so low?! My best guess is there is both a concern of durability from last year’s injury and the fact that he’s a converted WR.

From where I sit, Jafar is a key cog in the Irish offense not just on the ground, but in the passing game as well. Only Dexter Williams had more receptions than Jafar did last season and that kind of a reliable target is key in a spread offense to counter…let’s say a strong front seven of an SEC East favorite on the road.

The biggest variance I had with the crowd was with Shaun Crawford (Consensus #23, HLS #15) which I somewhat expected, but perhaps not with an eight-spot difference. Yes, I understand the health concerns, but that wasn’t the ask. It’s if they play, who’s got the talent.

Bottom line: Crawford makes plays.

In the two games he saw action in 2016, Crawford had a pick. In 2017, he had two INTs, a forced fumble that prevented a Sparty TD (and basically was the turning point in the game), had another fumble recovery against BC, and had 1.5 sacks and 1.5 TFLs to boot.

He’s not going to be the standout stud in the secondary, but there’s a reason why he’s cross-training at nickel and safety right now: ND wants him on the field.

I’m happy to see I’m not on an island this year in ranking Asmar Bilal (Consensus #19, HLS #14), but I’m going to keep stumping for him like I did last season. People see the shifting in positions as a downside of “hasn’t found a fit”, but I see “Bilal plays his way into the starting lineup.”

The only returning players with more TFL in 2018 than Bilal are Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara–not too shabby for playing a position that’s a linebacker/safety hybrid that wasn’t his “natural” position.

Finally, I would like to take a victory lap from 2018 in being one of the four that had the courage to rank Ian Book (Consensus #2, HLS #3) in their top 25. The only thing I regret was not being the one that had him ranked the highest last season.

The post Notre Dame Roster Top 25 Countdown 2019 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Analyzing the Fall Camp Depth Chart

BJ Konkle — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 09:00:05 +0000

Fall camp produces the perfect mix for any college football junkie – immeasurable aspirations coupled with unlimited potential. The 2016 Fighting Irish are no exception. Many positional battles follow #NDFB into fall camp and understandably so with the solid depth at all positions. Let’s do a quick rundown of what to expect.

Depth, baby! Everything this fall will revolve around the exceptional depth that has slowly been built year over year. The coaching staff has recruited exceptionally well over the past few years (the 2017 class aka #IRISHEL17E and the 2018 class aka #IrishBouND18 are stacking up quite nicely as well) especially addressing specific positional needs.

The depth is far and above where it has been in years past. The offense returns multiple assets at every position. Proven running backs Tarean Folston and Josh Adams will lead the ground game along with Dexter Williams guaranteed to be fighting for carries.

The offensive line depth is nothing short of incredible considering it lost two future NFL starters from last year in Ronnie Stanley and Nick Martin. Junior guard Quenton Nelson has been named a Sports Illustrated preseason All-American and senior tackle Mike McGlinchey is garnering elite status as the 64th best player in the nation – according to ESPN. These two woolly mammoths will anchor the left side of the offensive line, and the right side anticipates a battle between junior Alex Bars and seniors Hunter Bivin and Colin McGovern.

Tight end, once a surging position of depth, took a hit in the academic ineligibility ruling against Alize Jones. As reported, Jones will miss the entire 2016 season. The return of transferring/not transferring Tyler Luatua provides the group with a huge (255 lbs. pun intended) veteran h-back, and his decision to not transfer now proves to be vital to the position group. Nic Weishar and Durham Smythe are both capable and consistent targets from a three point stance and split wide – this groups presence and overall utility within the red zone should not be understated.

Credit: Matt Cashore

The wide receiver cupboard is full – yet unproven. The only shoe-in to start is senior Torii Hunter Jr. Behind him will be an intriguing battle between Equanimeous St. Brown, Corey Holmes, Miles Boykin, C.J. Sanders, and potentially true freshman/early enrollee Kevin Stepherson. Finishing on the offensive side of the ball, who could forget the quarterback situation, in which the Irish arguably have the most collective talent at the position in the entire nation (including Brandon Wimbush)? *Insert your own opinions about the QB situation* and find my own here.

The defensive line (also unfortunately known as the Irish’s Achilles heel in recent years) is loaded with talent and (FINALLY) depth. Isaac Rochell, Jarron Jones and Daniel Cage are battle tested veterans while Andrew Trumbetti, Jay Hayes, Jerry Tillery, Jonathan Bonner, Micah Dew-Treadway and Elijah Taylor all look to make significant impacts and potentially break out. Also, look for the word “sub packages” to be thrown around as highly talented true freshman defensive ends Daelin Hayes and Khalid Kareem could be utilized as pass rushers in such schemes.

Nyles Morgan (Credit: Chicago Tribune)

Nyles Morgan is an automatic upgrade at the Mike linebacker position, and while replacing the “once in a century” freakish athleticism of Jaylon Smith is no small task, the linebacker corps is well stocked with young talent. Te’von Coney saw limited action last year and is reported to be fully recovered from a shoulder injury suffered in the Fiesta Bowl. His classmates and other blue chip linebacker recruits, Asmar Bilal (2015 defensive scout team player of the year) and Josh Barajas redshirted last year. This young talent will push upperclassmen, Greer Martini and James Onwaulu for reps.

The secondary returns Jekyll and Hyde aka Max Redfield along with sixth year Cal transfer Avery Sebastian and fan favorite Drue Tranquil – all at safety. Garnering spring ball notoriety was true freshman and early enrollee Devin Studstill, who was my “most likely to make an immediate impact” of the 2016 recruiting class.

Rounding out the secondary at cornerback is senior multi year starter Cole Luke along with juniors Nick Watkins and Devin Butler. They are surrounded by younger talent in sophomore Nick Coleman and Shaun Crawford, who was slated to be the team’s starting nickel back last year until suffering a torn ACL in fall camp. Crawford drew incredibly high praise during the 2015 fall camp before his injury, and his return provides a massive athletic boost to the secondary.

Credit: UHND.com

Over the past few years the Notre Dame special teams have often been regarded as the “not-so-special teams.” Last year, however, the group made great strides and improvements. Returning “The Big Three” key specialists in kicker Justin Yoon, punter Tyler Newsome, and long snapper Scott Daly should pay dividends for the special teams in 2016. DeShone Kizer has been relieved of his holding duties and he will be replaced by Montgomery VanGorder. The Irish also have the luxury of Sanders’ electric and ever-elusive return skills. As a true freshman, Sanders returned both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown last season. The special teams should continue to build off of last year’s success.

With the well-rounded depth in place, #NDFB is primed for an entertaining fall. Don’t forget that it is your civic duty as a Domer to recite one Hail Mary each day of camp for the shake of keeping this vital depth healthy!

Cheers and Go Irish!

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HLS Review: The 2016 ND Insider Football Preview

andrewwinn — Sat, 23 Jul 2016 10:00:07 +0000

The South Bend Tribune’s 96-page preview of Notre Dame’s football team is an invaluable resource for the Irish fan looking to get informed before the 2016 football season kicks off Sept. 4.

Mike Vorel wrote the magazine’s cover story, “Avoiding A Split Decision,” on the quarterback competition between redshirt sophomore DeShone Kizer and redshirt senior Malik Zaire. Vorel interviewed former Texas head coach Mack Brown, former Notre Dame quarterbacks Joe Theismann and Brady Quinn and ESPN’s Austin Ward, who covered a similar competition at Ohio State last season. These experts have all previously endured summer-long speculation on who starts and who sits, and know how the student athletes will be evaluated, what intangibles will give one the lead over the other and importance of establishing an identity around the player ultimately chosen.

Brown’s probably got the most interesting tidbit, in explaining to Vorel how Vince Young got the starting nod at Texas in 2003.

Chance Mock was the No. 1 passing efficiency quarterback in the country, but we were really young up front and we couldn’t pass protect. … Chance wasn’t a great runner. So we put Vince Young in when we had the No. 1 passing efficiency quarterback in the country, because we needed to run the ball. We just couldn’t throw. Then we won 30 games and lost two. Was it fair to Chance? Probably not. But it was the best thing at that time for our football team.

Eric Hansen, the Tribune’s ND Football Insider, writes about middle linebacker Nyles Morgan, who was blocked from playing time by captain Joe Schmidt. Now that Schmidt has graduated, great things are expected of Morgan at the middle linebacker position. Morgan, from Crete, Ill., told Hansen:

Even though I was playing behind him, people assumed we had bad blood, but I loved Joe. If I had a question, Joe would answer it anytime.

I love Hansen’s writing style, especially when he described Morgan’s practice partner, Quenton Nelson, as a “garage with arms and a snarl.”

In a separate article, Shane Walton shares with Hansen what he sees from the current Notre Dame secondary. Walton, a 2002 graduate, is the Irish’s last All-American at cornerback. Will this be the year that senior Max Redfield consistently displays the talent that earned him five stars from recruiting services in high school?

Hansen also got an one-on-one interview with Coach Brian Kelly, including his insights on quarterback gurus, academic suspensions and playing the Shamrock Series overseas. Tyler James, the Tribune’s football recruiting expert, offers a piece on the risks and rewards of offering scholarships to three-star recruits. He also talks to three of the recruiting world’s most respected analysts about how Notre Dame can become a consistent top 10 powerhouse.

The magazine also includes smaller stories written by Vorel, Hansen, James and Tribune columnist Al Lesar about freshman quarterback Ian Book, senior running back Tarean Folston, sophomore wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, nose-guard-turned-tight-end Jacob Matuska, junior offensive guard Alex Bars, junior defensive tackle Jay Hayes, sophomore linebacker Asmar Bilal, freshman safety Jalen Elliott, redshirt freshman cornerback Shaun Crawford and fifth-year senior long snapper Scott Daly. There’s also a preview of all 12 teams on Notre Dame’s 2016 schedule.

Lesar has a lead-off column that, frankly, befuddled me. He argued that, in light of a “dead heat,” that Kelly should pick Zaire because he is “brash,” the “biggest talker” and has “attitude” and “swagger.”

Trailing Michigan State by five with four minutes to play and the ball at the Irish 20, the Notre Dame offense won’t be able to look at a blueprint of how to mount a comeback. It’s going to take a unit determined to get the job done, led by a guy who defines the word moxie. He might not always have the most accurate passes or the most seamless execution, but Zaire isn’t timid about improvising his way to a successful outcome.

Perhaps Lesar missed last year’s Virginia and Temple games?

The digital edition contains audio and video segments that just can’t be included with the magazine. I’d definitely recommend paying the $4.99 for the digital version, although I’d do so only if you have an iPad or comparatively sized tablet. Even with a generous text size, it’s impossible to read the stories on an iPhone without zooming in, which in turn makes scrolling a hassle. If you’re old school, the magazine is available for $9.95 on local racks in the South Bend area. (It costs $12.95 for a mailed copy.) I’ll definitely be dog-earing my copy as the season progresses.

Buy the digital version (Android or Apple) and the hard copy here.

Disclosure: The South Bend Tribune provided Her Loyal Sons with a complimentary hard copy. I paid for the digital version.

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Don’t “Trade” Malik Zaire

andrewwinn — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 21:11:24 +0000

If you were the general manager of Notre Dame, would you trade Malik Zaire for Florida Gators’ linebacker Jarrad Davis and wide receivers Joshua Hammond and Dre Massey?

David Kenyon, a Bleacher Report columnist, suggested this in “Ten College Football Trades We Wish Could Happen This Spring.” Kenyon acknowledges there’s no such thing as trading college football players (although Kyler Murray & Trevor Knight did a switcheroo that looked like one.)

Kenyon’s caveat was that his trades were “subjective” but “made as fairly as possible.”

I can’t argue with the subjective part, but this is a terrible hypothetical deal for Notre Dame.

THE IRISH PERSPECTIVE

Malik Zaire (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Malik Zaire is a talented quarterback who is returning from a season-ending ankle injury. Under Zaire’s brief leadership, the Irish offense was more productive than it was under DeShone Kizer (when comparing equal playing time). Zaire hasn’t fumbled the ball or thrown an interception. He’s also a charismatic fellow who may well become a team leader. A recent poll of Blue & Gold Illustrated readers picked Zaire as the second most-likely captain this coming year.

I don’t know who Coach Brian Kelly will tap to start the season at quarterback. Even if it’s Kizer, it’ll be nice to have Zaire if Kizer struggles or is injured. Even if Kelly decided not to redshirt sophomore Brandon Wimbush, his options for backup would be Wimbush (who has attempted five passes in his college career) and true freshman Ian Book, a three-star prospect.

Jarrad Davis is an outstanding weak-side linebacker who registered 98 tackles, 4 hurries, 11 hits & knockdowns, and 3 sacks last year. The Irish lost talented junior WILL (weak-side LB) Jaylon Smith to the NFL. Smith had 113 tackles, five pass breakups and six QB hurries last year.

Smith’s backup was Te’Von Coney, who saw limited action before replacing the injured Smith in the Fiesta Bowl. Coney then injured his shoulder in the same game and was replaced by the now-departed Jarrett Grace. Coney will likely battle redshirt freshmen Josh Barajas and/or Asmar Bilal for the WILL position, with Coney the favorite if he’s healthy.

THE GATORS’ PERSPECTIVE

Jarrad Davis / Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports

Davis would undoubtedly start if he was Irish. But his absence would hurt the Gators tremendously. Davis’ backup at Florida is senior Daniel McMillian.

In a GatorBait.net article, writer Thomas Goldkamp writes:

Beyond those two [Davis and senior Alex Anzalone], the depth really drops off quickly. Both McMillian and Rolin have some experience now as fourth-year players, but neither has been productive at all on the field. Injuries have kept Rolin from getting up to speed, while McMillian frequently finds himself in the wrong position to make a play.

For the Gators to be good at linebacker in 2016, Anzalone must stay healthy and some of the younger players like Jackson, Reese and the other freshmen coming in this summer need to be able to play some snaps.

Joshua Hammond is a freshman wide receiver who plays the X (split end) position, where the Irish also lost a player to the NFL Draft – Will Fuller. But the Irish have the gifted Equanimeous St. Brown, senior Corey Holmes and freshman Kevin Stepherson at that position. Javon McKinley, who could also play there, was rated higher than Hammond in 247Sports’ composite rankings. Chase Claypool, another Irish signee, was rated one slot lower than Hammond.

Dre Massey plays a mixture of slot, running back and kick returner. He was Scout’s 22nd best junior college player in 2015; Notre Dame, to my knowledge, has never recruited a junior college player. Massey is expected to challenge for a starting role in the Y (slot) position at Florida; the Irish have Torii Hunter Jr. and the speedy C.J. Sanders there already.

CONCLUSION

Joshua Hammond

Thankfully, David Kenyon is not the general manager of the Notre Dame football team and there are no trades. Because this would be a lopsided one in favor of the Gators.

Zaire’s departure would leave the Irish in a tenuous position if Kizer struggled or was injured. With Kizer running the ball nearly 120 times last year, his chance of being banged up is pretty good. Add in the fact that only one QB has played a full season under Kelly (Tommy Rees in 2011), and you could see why the Irish would be reticent to deal Zaire.

What they give up – stability at the most important offensive position – would not be worth what they got back – a stud linebacker and two wide receivers with great potential (but not much else). The move would hurt the Gators at linebacker, although their wide receiver corps would function fine without Hammond or Massey. The Irish have plenty of depth at wide receiver. What they need is an explosive edge rusher or a shut down corner.

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