Leading up to the 2012 season, I said that Jamoris Slaughter’s ability to lead Notre Dame’s young secondary would be critical to the team’s defensive success. Well, a popped Achilles, a true freshman running back playing cornerback, and a bunch of Bobby Diaco voodoo later and the Irish put together an excellent season on the back end of the defense. Despite Slaughter being denied a sixth year of eligibility and Zeke Motta being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, the Irish do return the bulk of ...
Jamoris Slaughter
Drafted: How Notre Dame’s Class of 2013 Fared in the NFL Player Selection Meeting
The 2013 NFL Player Selection Meeting a/k/a "The Draft" took place from last Thursday, and The University of Notre Dame did well. Six players were drafted over the course of seven rounds, with TE Tyler Eifert going first as the 21st pick overall and S Zeke Motta going "last" as the 244th pick overall. This was a very good draft for Notre Dame, the most since 2007 when a total of seven Irish got the coveted call. Here's how it shook out: First Round: Tyler Eifert was a lock to go in the first ...
Why Comparing Devin Gardner to Jamoris Slaughter Is Comparing Apples to Oranges
Yesterday, news broke that the NCAA granted Michigan QB Devin Gardner a medical hardship. Gardner, who had a bad back and missed most of his freshmen season in 2010, will now have two seasons of eligibility left instead of just one. This news likely will make many Notre Dame fans quite upset as Jamoris Slaughter recently had his petition for a sixth year denied by the NCAA, with an appeal and #FreeSlaughter campaign ended in the same rejection. The situations look very similar, both were ...
NFL Combine: Eifert Impresses, Te’o Disappoints
Ah, the NFL combine -- the place where tenths of a second in a 40 yard dash and a couple of inches on a vertical jump can translated into millions of dollars. Truth be told, I think it is one of the more overrated and overhyped events the NFL does, but there is no doubt that the combine is a place in which draft fortunes can be made. Eight Notre Dame football stars took to Indianapolis to try and boost their draft fortunes and their results are after the jump. ...
Friday Roundup: The Pretender to the Throne Edition
Heisman. Pulitzer. Nobel. Tony. Roundup. In a Notre Dame sports blogger's life, there are perhaps few honors more sought-after than penning the HLS Friday Roundup. And, because Twibby, Grantland-X, Biscuit, Lisa, Father Sorin, RiverPark Seer and Flannerite were all busy, the moment has fallen to me to recap a week in which, well, this happened: Free Slaughter: word came down Thursday that the NCAA denied Jamoris Slaughter's appeal for a sixth year, closing the door on a fine young man's ND ...
Cierre Wood to NFL, Slaughter Denied Sixth Year
Two veteran presences will be missing from Notre Dame's roster in 2013. On Tuesday, running back Cierre Wood announced that he would forgo a fifth year and enter the NFL draft. Last night, Blue & Gold Illustrated's Dan Murphy reported that safety Jamoris Slaughter's petition for a sixth year of eligibility was denied. ...

BK has some changes to make. Flickr/Neon Tommy
Quick Fixes for the MSU Game
Sometimes you don't have to play a perfect game to get the job done, and that was certainly evident last week in South Bend. But Notre Dame is 2-0 for the first time since 2008, and that's the most important thing, the only thing that Brian Kelly and co. care about. ...

Notre Dame 3-4 Defense Primer
Here at HLS, I have broken down game film and done in-depth analysis of the Notre Dame offense under Brian Kelly; however, I have yet to show similar love to the defense. Bob Diaco (and his flowing locks), has taken the schizophrenic Irish defense from the Weis era (seriously, three defensive coordinators in five years) and molded it into a true 3-4 anchored by a front seven that is a wrecking machine. While it would be impossible to describe Diaco's entire scheme or the intricacies of the ...
Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy: Safety
So far this week we’ve broken down the best players for the Irish and their opponents at punter/kicker, the offensive line and the defensive line. Today we take a look at safety – a position group with starters that have a lot of years at Notre Dame under their belt but a minimal amount of depth behind them. Jamoris Slaughter Position: S Year: 5th Year Senior Height/Weight: 6'0"/200 lbs. Jamoris Slaughter picks off Andrew Luck in 2010 Fifth-year senior Jamoris Slaughter will be ...