The offense fell basically as predicted on Tuesday. The two-deep for the defense also fell with few surprises. Perhaps not a surprise but a definite endorsement for Shaun Crawford that he’s listed as a starter at corner. I had not separated out the corners on my depth chart and instead listed them based on my “confidence” in them hitting the field. I had Crawford at #2 behind Pride. Not only because Crawford’s just awesome but the fall camp reports have suggested him floating around at corner, nickel, and safety. In general, the defense seems poised to go very deep this year.

No need to belabor things, let’s get to the players.

Defensive End

Good lord is this position loaded. In 2016, Nyles Morgan led the Irish with 4 sacks. Jarron Jones’ 2 sacks was the most by a lineman, and things seemed remarkably bleak. Two seasons later, the Irish boast one of the most talented and deepest groups in the country. The rotation starts at being six deep, and that’s before considering a couple of true freshmen.

#42 Julian Okwara – Okwara unsurprisingly finished as the top player based on the collective pre-season wisdom of the nerds who vote on such things. He’s on every watch list you’d prefer your best player to be on. He’s apparently added a little more weight and was viewed as “unstoppable” at times during fall practice. I choose to take that that Julian’s more God than mortal rather than a worry sign for the play of ND’s tackles.

#53 Khalid Kareem – Were I to do one of those “Bold Predictions” articles, my most Lays with Ruffles (BOLD!) prediction would be that Kareem ends up with the better season than Okwara. Kareem finished third on the team in sacks (4.5…which would’ve LED the team in 2016), but consider this disruptive fact: Kareem had the same number of pass break ups as Alohi Gilman (5) which was one more than Drue Tranquill’s 4. I am already salivating about the 3rd and long game the team could play by lining up Okwara, Kareem, and….

#9 Daelin Hayes – While not quite the year of Tillery, Okwara, or Kareem, Hayes is still an extraordinarily talented end. Honestly, I still think his Batman announcement thing was kinda cool too.

#91 Ade Ogundeji (O-gun-day-gee) – For many teams, he would be a starter that folks would be happy about. 1.5 sacks and 3 TFL last season got lost in last year’s stat lines, but for a rotational player that was fine. He’ll finally get an opportunity to make a larger impact this campaign. Tillery was extremely disruptive on the interior last year, and there is a big void to fill from a pressure and plays perspective. Lea’s job should focus on finding different combinations of these ends to deploy in creative ways. There’s no Tillery this year, but there’s plenty to work with.

#19 Justin Ademilola – Ademilola played in just 4 games last year meaning the sophomore still retains 4 years of eligibility entering the season. Can we agree that he gets 20ish tackles, 3 sacks, and learns some neat tricks from the top 4?

#44 Jamir Jones – The converted linebacker is still best known for shaming mortal men with his pregame blazer and no shirt attire. From a rotational standpoint, it’s tough to see where he’ll find a lot of snaps except in blowouts or perhaps on special teams? There was some speculation over the summer he might even be redshirted to retain a season of eligibility as a 5th year. The ladies of ND nod approvingly.

#94 Isaiah Foskey – Foskey made a large enough impact during the summer and fall practices to gain some reps versus the first and second team players. He seems like an obvious candidate to be used sparingly to get him 4 games without losing a year of eligibility, which will probably be similar for….

#18 NaNa Ossafo-Mensah – We’re seriously on defensive ends still. I find this enjoyable. Re-read the Foskey description and get a sip of water.

Defensive Tackle

No Tillery and no James Bonner. No problem. As mentioned above, there’s no obvious Tillery on the roster, but the two guys most likely to help fill his void are:

#95 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa – A broken foot cost MTA most of last year. It’s unfair to compare him directly to the man he’s being asked to help replace, but given the end depth mentioned above, he does not need to be. The larger goal is to keep everyone fresh. Which means a heavy rotation with…

#57 Jayson Ademilola – If we just made each lineman responsible for sacks commensurate with the number of syllables in their last name, the team would be record-breaking.

#41 Kurt Hinish – Hinish is the direct Bonner replacement in terms of position but not style. Bonner had one task and that was take up space and blockers to let the others do their thing. This year’s team will certainly want Hinish to do some of that, but he’s a far more athletic and versatile nose and in the absence of a dominant interior presence, I anticipate them doing more things with Hinish.

#54 Jacob Lacey – Lacey is a freshman. He’s also a man. Take it away Tyler James

He’ll play, and in the next year or two, he will be a cult hero.

#55 Ja’Mion Franklin – Just shy of 6’2″ but over 300 lbs, Franklin provides the type of prototypical girth you like in a nose. Coming off a serious leg injury made the Lacey time share an easy one.

Linebacker

I’m not even sure how to approach these positions. There is one obvious and clear starter at Rover. Everything else seems to be very fluid. So, let’s take these in loose position groupings.

Buck (Weak-Side)

#22 Asmar Bilal

#2 Jordan Genmark Heath

#31 Jack Lamb

Bilal is the ostensible starter, in a situation where down and distance seems like it will play a very big role. At the beginning of camp, Bilal was playing Mike with Jack Lamb moving up to the starter spot. By the end, Bilal appeared to establish himself as the starter here with the Week 1 depth chart confirming as such.

Bilal’s in perhaps the toughest position on the roster. As the 5th year in a position of uncertainty, he seems like the guy many would prefer take a leadership role, but the team cannot even decide where best to play him. Reports suggest that in passing/nickel situations, we should expect to see more of Lamb as the superior cover guy.

Genmark Heath has less certainty about exactly when we might see him play, but there’s reason to assume he’ll be incorporated fairly routinely in the early rotation until the defense lands on something they are more comfortable with.

Mike

#40 Drew White

#33 Shayne Simon

#52 Bo Bauer

White gives off some not overly re-assuring Joe Schmidt vibes. The way the staff talks about White, he seems to be the guy who “gets” what they’re trying to do. If he was surrounded by Jaylon Smith or Nyles Morgan, or Drue Tranquill, I’d be fine with that. I’m less comfortable given the other uncertainties. When the 2-deep was initially released today, Shayne Simon’s name was missing. Twitter picked up on this and panicked until the information staff quickly released a new one with Simon as the back-up. Simon’s the superior athlete but has yet to separate in terms of scheme knowledge. I keep hoping that might be corrected.

Rover

#30 Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah (“Wu”) – I wanted him to be JOK, but I lost that battle. The team, coaches, and Wu have spoken. Aside from some guy named Hamilton and perhaps Keys, no one did more in the lead up to week 1 to improve his stock than Wu. By now you’ve probably heard – Wu was basically recruited to play this exact position. Injury in September last year caused the Irish to re-adjust plans. Season lead up provided glimpses of an uber athletic guy who’s competent enough in pass coverage to provide additional flexibility in games where the team faces a no huddle offense.

I am running his fan club, and y’all can’t stop me.

#13 Paul Moala

#24 Jack Kiser

Ideally, we see these guys making special teams tackles and that’s about it.

Cornerback

This is a bit like the linebacker group but with a lot more talent. What we know:

#5 Troy Pride – Is the man. Sure, we ALL would have loved to love Pride playing with Love while the score was 40 – Love, but we’ve been scorned. Instead, we’re left with an outstanding corner who is expected to be the primary boundary corner. One thing I’ll be interested to watch is whether he simply stays on the boundary side or whether they flip him to remain with a team’s best receiver in larger games. In the meantime, there’s this:

#20 Shaun Crawford – He will be on the field. Let me repeat that. HE WILL BE ON THE FIELD. And, really, that’s all we need. Please stay healthy, my man.

Okay. That’s what we know. The other 4 corners likely to play, in some combination, based on who’s healthy, etc….

#28 TaRiq Bracy

#3 Houston Griffith

#8 Donte Vaughn

#4 Avery Davis

It felt as if Davis fell behind the other three as practices progressed. Griffith and Vaughn both come with some lingering injury questions. But your guess is as good as mind about how the snaps wind up at the end of the day. Griffith still feels like an obvious contender to move to safety to pair with Hamilton come next year.

Safety

Two more Top 10ish roster players for 2019 along with ND’s most eligible freshman make this situation feel calm, reliable, and tested. Add in a number of snaps for Crawford back here and you have the position I feel most comfortable with on the entire roster.

#11 Alohi Gilman – If he plays how we want him to, he won’t be back for his final year of eligibility, probably. So, enjoy it folks.

#21 Jalen Elliott – A near perfect centerfielder. Elliott led the team in 2018 in interceptions and had more pass break-ups than Gilman. No, he’s not the run supporter of Gilman and isn’t asked to be. If things are going well, he’ll be the team leader in interceptions again.

#14 Kyle Hamilton – He hasn’t played a game yet. No, YOU have a custom ordered Fathead of him on YOUR wall.

#12 DJ Brown – This should probably be Derrik Allen, but it’s not.

Alright, we’re creeping towards 1800 words. Is is game day yet???

The post Who the _______ am I Watching? ND’s Depth Chart (Literally) by the Numbers (Part II) appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

No need for fancy introductions. Here’s your guide for the players you’ll most likely see on Labor Day playing against L’ville.

Quarterback

#12 Ian Book – He’s good. Use the words I’m saving you from reading to think of new puns. Book’s a senior. The pun in your head has already been used.

#15 Phil Jurkovec – I am nothing, if not an optimist. Therefore, I’m including Phil assuming the Irish will get up by enough to get him some 4th quarter snaps. As many have alluded to, there’s likely to be a time this year that Jurkovec is needed so getting him right is more important than we might wish to believe. Similar to previous ND QB’s, the culprit assigned for many of his issues is being described as “a matter of confidence.” With that in mind, is there a way for Phil to get some reps inside the Backer at 2 AM after a few Long Islands and Bud Lights because I’ve never seen a dude lack confidence under those conditions.

Runningback

#8 Jafar Armstong and #6 Tony Jones – It seems appropriate to lump these two together since the consensus coming out of fall camp appears to be a 1a/1b situation (Coach speak for “damned if I know who’s better”). With the injuries to receiving targets (Young and Kmet) and the lack of game snaps for basically everyone aside from Claypool and Finke, there’s a good chance Chip Long will continue some of what he was doing during the summer with multiple back sets. In particular, Armstrong’s ability as a pass catcher provides the offense some extra wrinkles where he can shift between the backfield and a wideout spot as necessary.

#34 Jahmir Smith – Power option near the goal line appears to be the preferred role for Smith.

#23 Kyren Williams – Williams has some of the same flexibility that Armstrong provides. Training camp reports focused similarly on his ability as a pass catcher and ability to split out wide when needed. If he’s getting a lot of snaps, things are either going really good or the team’s already experienced another not so great injury moment.

Wide Receiver

#83 Chase Claypool – He was supposed to be slowly eased into practices after some ankle issues. Instead, he departs camp with people making Michael Floyd comparisons. I’m for it.

#10 Chris Finke – Did you know Finke is a former walk-on?

After the top two, things get far more cloudy. At some point, this’ll be #87 Michael Young‘s place, but a broken collarbone has delayed that. And while Kevin Austin was highly unlikely to play versus Louisville anyways, the now confirmed season long suspension for Possession of John U. Bacon book has ensured some new faces will get more chances to shine. Soooo……

#13 Lawrence Keys – At 5’10”, 173 lbs, Keys is still much larger than me, but from my own college recruitment, I can tell you that’s not necessarily anything to be wowed by. By contrast, Keys’ stock’s been on the rise since spring practice and with Young’s injury, Keys is the clear third choice receiver. His inclusion likely slides Finke out wide with Keys playing the slot role more often. However, it won’t surprise me to see these guys interchange with one another a good amount. If your primary attribute is shiftiness, embrace it, man.

#25 Braden Lenzy and #18 Joe Wilkins – I’m placing these guys together as they’re both sophomores with more promise than known results. Lenzy came in with more fanfare and can (hopefully) be used to stretch the field with his speed. The staff wants to get both of these guys on the field, and my guess is will have a package or two that they’re apart of.

#88 Javon McKinley – The 6’2″ senior never made the impact for the Irish some thought he might, but he’s continued to work and has received positive reviews this fall. He’s more a possession guy, but I wonder if they might try to use him around the goal line in some capacity. Given the diminutive statures of Finke, Keys, and Lenzy, perhaps he finds his reps as a poor man’s Daniel Smith. Either way, happy to see his name being mentioned in a positive light this Fall.

Tight End

#89 Brock Wright – Despite playing in 24 games over his first two years, including all 13 last year at tight end, Wright’s grand total of 2 receptions for 12 yards leaves a lot of mystery for how he can fill in during #84 Cole Kmet’s absence. Wright was also a highly regarded recruit coming out of high school but appears to be on more the Nic Weishar path than Kmet. The hope is that Kmet’s back sooner rather than later which would permit Wright to return to the second TE option where he slots in more naturally for this roster.

#24 Tommy Tremble – His name is Tommy Tremble. OF COURSE I WANT TO SEE HIM PLAY AND SMASH THINGS AND DRINK FROM THE SKULLS OF HIS ENEMIES.

Offensive Line

The starting 5 seems set:

• LT – #74 Liam Eichenberg
• LG – #69 Aaron Banks
• C – #55 Jarrett Patterson
• RG – #78 Tommy Kraemer
• RT – #72 Robert Hainsey

A lot is expected of this group primarily based on normal progression and continuity. Four of the five are returning starters with Patterson moving in the center job left vacant by Sam Mustipher’s graduation. Banks had foot surgery over the summer. Everyone, understandably, was/is concerned about how a surgically repaired foot will hold up under the weight of a 325 pound man. However, the reports are that he is not limited in any way. Despite that optimism, Banks’ position along with the other interior positions will be backed up by #57 Trevor Ruhland. The graduate student Ruhland is his own medical mystery. Some thought he might have to take a medical retirement but here he is as the primary back-up for the interior positions.

The tackles feature captain Robert Hainsey and senior Liam Eichenberg. How Hainsey and Eichenberg can perform in the team’s biggest road battles at Athens and Ann Arbor is one of the most underwritten about super big storylines of this season. There were practices out of fall camp where both had apparent struggles versus the defense’s pass rush. While no one will fault them for struggling with the likes of Okwara and Kareem, the truth remains that ND’s perceived physicality has waned in the team’s big road matches. They need these guys to take that step forward from day one this year.

The other two linemen to know right now are #75 Josh Lugg and #60 Cole Mabry. Prior to Ruhland’s status working itself out, Lugg was thought to be the primary back up at perhaps all five positions. He spent a lot of the fall camp along with Mabry (when not resting) with the second team line. Ideally, the line depth is not tested more than these 8 guys. If it is, there are other posts to be written.

Alright, make your flash cards. I’ll be back with the defense and special teams later this week.

The post Who the _______ am I Watching? ND’s Depth Chart (Literally) by the Numbers appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Simply put, there’s an interesting summer ahead in terms of Notre Dame’s depth chart. But, in a surprising plot twist, most of the questions are positive in nature. There are enough names and enough talent cluttering up the squad that Brian Kelly and his staff will be forced to make some difficult decisions. Decisions that the Kelly tenure, and Notre Dame in general, have not dealt with previously. As Kelly enters season six, he is finally seeing the payoff of recruiting efforts that far exceeded his immediate predecessors. While certain positions still lack optimal depth, there is little doubt that the 2015 team will be the most talented team, top to bottom, first string to third string, that coaches and fans have experienced in quite some time.

Indulging my offensive fixation, I took a look at the Notre Dame depth chart on the scoring side. First, let’s run through the positions to see what’s returning, what’s coming in, and what was lost (namely from a scholarship perspective):

QUARTERBACK

Where ND was last year: Tommy Rees’ graduation, Andrew Hendrix’s decision to transfer, and Golson’s re-admittance created quite the dynamic last spring. While spring practice was nominally made a battle between Golson and Zaire, the expectation was that Golson would get the gig if he didn’t fall flat. Zaire opened up some eyes at the Blue-Gold Game but not enough to dethrone Golson who was eventually named starter.

Where ND stands now: Golson and Zaire are once again engaged in a starter battle, but this one is legitimate. Golson’s uneven 2014 accompanied with a strong bowl game performance by Malik Zaire led Brian Kelly to open up the starting job again this spring (I bet BK is just drooling for a chance to not have a quarterback battle). Rising sophomore DeShone Kizer provides nice third string depth, and Notre Dame landed a top 5 quarterback recruit in Brandon Wimbush to make quarterback deep….perhaps too deep. Time will tell.

RUNNINGBACK

Where ND was last year: Cam McDaniel experienced a break out year as a junior including being introduced to the World as America’s next great heart throb. Reliable but not ideally the centerpiece of a rushing attack. George Atkinson’s decision to enter the NFL draft early was an unexpected hit to the depth chart. Greg Bryant, coming off an injury shortened freshman campaign, and Tarean Folston who emerged late in his freshman year were the centerpieces for what was expected to be a renewed rushing attack.

Where ND stands now: The always reliable McDaniel has now graduated. All eyes will be upon the Folston/Bryant duo. No longer the up-and-comers, Folston and Bryant will both be expected to be significant contributors. Depth remains an issue, but C.J. Prosise’s spring which drew rave reviews from the coaching staff should relieve some of that concern. A Signing Day commitment from 4-star running back Dexter Williams was also a substantial get. Williams could easily see playing time immediately.

TIGHT END

Where ND was last year: Troy Niklas’ decision to enter the NFL Draft should not have come as a total shock, although the coaching staff seemed surprised. Alex Welch followed Coach Chuck Martin and Andrew Hendrix to Miami (Ohio) leaving the position thinner than it had been in some time. Ben Koyack’s strong second half in 2013 made him the obvious heir to the tight end throne though some expected that Durham Smythe could push him for playing time. Commits Tyler Luatua and Nic Weishar were both Composite Top 10 recruits at tight end but with an unclear time table for contribution.

Where ND stands now: Koyack’s graduation leaves a hole at starter. Spring practice seemed to suggest that Durham Smythe will inherit the crown, but as opposed to previous years, the tight end lineage is far less clear than it’s been in the past. Yesterday, Keith Arnold provided his break down of the tight end stocks post spring practice. The x-factor in the equation is Aliz’e Jones who is expected to see playing time immediately and has the natural pass catching ability to be intriguing. While the Jones commitment provides intrigue, this is the most unsettled the tight end position has been in quite some time.

WIDE RECEIVER

Where ND was last year: Leading receiver TJ Jones graduated after having an outstanding senior season. The only receiver returning with even 300 yards receiving was DaVaris Daniels whom many expected to finally take the leap to stardom during his senior season. In late summer, that plan would be de-railed by off-field issues. Brief but promising playing time from Corey Robinson and Williams Fuller provided some optimism, but with the lack of obvious options and playing time at a premium at running back, Notre Dame switched Amir Carlisle to the slot position.

Where ND stands now: While technically the squad loses Daniels, the reality is Notre Dame returns every reception and start it had from the receiving position in 2014. Will Fuller not only stepped up but had one of the most prolific seasons in Notre Dame history. Justin Brent was far more interesting off the field than on it but remains highly talented. Add to that all world speedster C.J. Sanders and highly regarded recruits Equanimeous St. Brown and Miles Boykin and Notre Dame is left with a roster so deep that there is a very real question whether Amir Carlisle who had 6 starts, 23 receptions, and 3 touchdowns a year ago will even have a scholarship come fall. I like Carlisle and remain convinced he’ll keep his scholarship, but the WR depth is just that good.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Where ND was last year: Losing the all-time starts leader in Notre Dame history, Zack Martin at offensive tackle and 11 game starter Chris Watt left some considerable questions along the offensive line. Ronnie Stanley moved from right tackle to left tackle and Nick Martin, Matt Hegarty, and Christian Lombard’s returns all gave the team continued experience. Steve Elmer’s 2013 also showed some promise. A prolific and highly skilled recruiting class which included Quenton Nelson, Alex Bars, and Sam Mustipher suggested help was on the way, if unproven.

Where ND stands now: Ronnie Stanley’s decision to return for a final year was an instant boost to line. Stanley, a possible first round NFL talent will give the Irish at least four straight seasons of superb play from the left tackle position. Nick Martin also returns at center. Hegarty’s decision to transfer is the most telling aspect of the line. By the time the Music City Bowl rolled around, the Irish showed an ability to dominate an SEC defense that left many in the fan base amazed and excited. While the incoming class is smaller than previous years, Tristen Hoge was an early enrollee and regarded as the number one center prospect in the country. No obvious holes exist.

Composite Recruiting Rank

Another way to assess the returning depth chart is to consider the recruiting rankings that these players received. While a rough gauge, recruiting rankings on total provide a picture of how much talent is coming in and out of a program. For this chart, I used the 247Sports Composite rankings which were averaged together for each of the position groups. The results are as follows:

From a sheer recruit rankings standpoint, the running back position lost the least (save quarterback which did not lose anything at all). Of the players that have seen significant game action at running back since 2013, Cam McDaniel was easily the lowest rated. This is not to devalue or degrade his excellent career. If anything, he provides a strong example of why all recruiting rankings should be taken with a grain of salt. However, on aggregate, the presence of Folston, Bryant, and incoming freshman Williams is an exceedingly talented backfield group.

By contrast, what is currently on the Notre Dame roster at tight end is not as good as what just left (Koyack) and what will arrive this summer (Jones). People might be shocked to see that Koyack had a higher recruiting grade than Jones, but Koyack’s pedestrian (by Notre Dame standards) college career undersells what type of recruit he was. It also won’t stop Koyack from getting draft this weekend.

Finally, I’d be remiss to fail to note that the two strongest aggregate groups returning are the running backs and the offensive line. The coaching staff has noted throughout the spring that the big uglies upfront have been impressive. #RTDB, #RTDTF.

Percentage of 2014 Starts Returning

Finally, I alluded to it earlier, but Notre Dame returns 100% of its starts from 2014 at 2 of the 4 position groups: quarterback and wide receiver. (aside: I await Tex and Elvis’ remarks about how I conveniently left the fullback depth off of this analysis). Folston ended up starting 10/13 games for the Irish at running back to Cam’s 3. Ben Koyack started every game at tight end. One start was credited to Tyler Luatua for a (gasp) two tight end play to start the game. All starts data was pulled from UND.com.

The result is that for the first time in quite a while, not only is tight end unsettled, but it’s arguably the shallowest position on an otherwise amazingly deep offense. There is plenty of talent though, and the additional options provided to the coaching staff by all this depth should be, in the vernacular of Mike Mayock, “fun.”

The post Putting the “Depth” in Depth Chart appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.