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 their 2012 experience in the secondary. Bennett Jackson and KeiVarae Russell will be expected to remain in their starting cornerback roles, while the return of Lo Wood from injury will add some much needed depth at the position. Matthias Farley, another young defensive convert who had a breakout 2012 season following the Slaughter injury, returns at one of the safety positions.

Sophomore Elijah Shumate, who played in all 13 games last year, will compete with incoming 5-star prospect Max Redfield for the last starting spot. Shumate was mighty impressive when he appeared in the nickel package but will be moving back into his more natural safety role this year. Redfield is the top secondary recruit the Irish have had in a number of years and should find a way to contribute early on even if he is unable to beat Shumate out for the starting role. There had been some discussion that Redfield could end up playing on both sides of the ball, but when it comes down to it I expect him to see the majority of snaps on defense.

Irish Player to Watch
Bennett Jackson
Position: CB
Year: Senior
Height/Weight: 6’1”, 185 lbs.

After freshman and sophomore campaigns where playing time was primarily concentrated on special teams, Jackson had an exceptional junior season at cornerback for the Irish. Starting all 13 games, Jackson was 3^rd on the team in tackles with 65 (45 solo), had 4 interceptions, broke up 4 passes and had 1.5 tackles for loss. Maybe most importantly, he was key in turning a unit that was the most notable concern for Notre Dame fans into a unit that was one of the team’s strengths. As the first of the trio of offensive players-turned defensive backs to make the transition, Jackson set the tone and example for Farley and Russell to follow. While in retrospect it would have been nice if he had sat out his freshman year or had moved from wide receiver to corner earlier in his career, Jackson is primed to make his final season in South Bend his most memorable.

http://youtu.be/zhCDDczXbCI

Enemy Player to Watch
Ed Reynolds
School: Stanford
Position: Free Safety
Year: Senior
Height/Weight: 6’2, 205 lbs.

A second or third team All-American (depending on if you ask the AP, Sports Illustrated, or Phil Steele), Reynolds enters his senior season with lofty expectations after being named a first team pre-season all American by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports and being named to the Nagurski Award and Thorpe Award watch lists. Reynolds led the Trees with 6 interceptions in 2012 (most by a Stanford player since 1973) including 3 returned for touchdowns. In addition, his 301 interception return yards were just 1 yard short of the NCAA single-season record. Oh, and we can’t forget his game altering 80-yard interception return against UCLA in the Pac-12 title game ended 1-yard short of being his 4^th touchdown of the season. While it may be unreasonable to expect those kinds of turnover numbers from Reynolds again, especially considering quarterbacks will be more cognizant of keeping the ball out of his hands, he has proven to be a game changer in the Cardinal secondary and we will need to hope Tommy Rees doesn’t float any ducks in his direction.

The post Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy: Defensive Backs appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

First Round: Tyler Eifert was a lock to go in the first round. The only real questions were “when?” and “to whom?” After The Jets and The Vikings passed on him, the Cincinnati Bengals grabbed Tyler with the twenty-first pick overall. You can read more about Cincy’s newest “Ochocinco” here.

Second Round: Manti Te’o should have gone in the first round, but weighed down with questions about his fake girlfriend, he fell to the San Diego Chargers with the thirty-eighth pick overall. Actually, Te’o was never a consensus first round pick and the Chargers traded up to get him. You can read more about San Diago, which of course means “whale’s vagina in German,” and their newest, classiest linebacker here.

http://youtu.be/9NdTuyHog9A

Sixth Round: Jamoris Slaughter ended a multi-round drought for Notre Dame when The Browns grabbed him with the one hundred and sevety-fifth overall pick. Coming off a season-ending Achilles injury against Michigan State and the disappointment of being denied a sixth season by the NCAA, Slaughter was surprised to get called. You can read more about his injury status and his draft experience here.

Sixth Round: Theo Riddick had to wait until the one hundred and ninety-ninth spot to get his call and it came from Detroit, but I am sure he will not let the pain of either hold him back for long. You know that Theoooooooooo did pretty much everything at ND, from returning kicks to catching passes in the slot, but did you know that The Lions’ number one pick sounds exactly like Dikembe Mutombo? And is a recent convert to football? You can listen to him, and learn more about Detroit’s thoughts on Theo, here.

Sixth Round: Kapron Lewis-Moore made it back-to-back Irish. True story, though, the last time Kap heard his name called on draft day, he got sent to Anzio. But, seriously, was there a better pair of draft day stories than Kap and Jamoris getting drafted after everything they had been through? Sure, EJ Manuel made a great story, but he wasn’t the only person in the Bills organization crying when they heard his name. Anyway, after shredding his ACL in the National Championship Game, KLM had every reason to pack it in or doubt himself. His selection is a massive credit to his performance and character over the years. You can read more about Baltimore’s newest Raven here.

Seventh Round: Zeke Motta was the last Notre Dame player selected in the 2013 Draft, going to Atlanta with the two hundred and forty-fourth pick. While getting drafted by The Falcons will condemn him to a first-contract’s worth of disappointment behind The Saints, Motta had a strong senior season and anchored a secondary that you, me, and your cousin thought would cost us at least two games last season. You can read more about Zeke’s new nest here.

UDFAs: Once, or, more accurately, AS the draft was going on, other Irish were getting calls that would ultimately lead them to signing free agent contracts. As of Sunday afternoon, four Irish signed as undrafted free agents: Braxston Cave, Mike Golic, Jr., Cierre Wood, and John Goodman.  Obviously, it’s great that these men get to chase their dream for another day.

Analysis: So, that’s nine total players who signed on the dotted line in the most public and hyped “Match Day” in the world. The six draftees make this the second-best Irish class in the last decade. Still, compared to their peers, Notre Dame had a strong, but not superlative NFL Drat. Florida State saw ELEVEN players get drafted, while Alabama, LSU, and Florida had nine, each. Although D.J. Fluker may count for two. Anyway, good luck to all of them and Go Irish. (Author’s note: this post reflects “passerby”‘s correction in the comments section below.)

The post Drafted: How Notre Dame’s Class of 2013 Fared in the NFL Player Selection Meeting appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

The situations look very similar, both were requesting an extra year because an injury knocked them out for most of the season. I saw no difference either and voiced my own displeasure via Twitter when this news broke. That’s when Jen Vining-Smith, assistant AD for compliance at ND, took me to school and educated me on the difference:

https://twitter.com/jvs3/status/309064313400852481

I was a bit confused on this issue still. Both were injured, both missed over 30% of their seasons because of it. Where is the difference?!

Slaugther’s case, Vining-Smith clarified, was a petition for a “6th year [extending] the 5 year clock based on 2 missed opportunities to participate.” Gardner’s case on the other hand was a hardship waiver which “[gets] a season back (additional season) within the 5 year clock when a student athlete has been injured in the first half of the season and participated in less than 30% of contests.”

Gardner had only played in three seasons and was never redshirted. Michigan went to the NCAA and said that his 2010 season should be granted a hardship because he was injured. The season that the NCAA gave back was still within the 5 year clock that Vining-Smith discribes. This is why Gardner’s case was such a “slam dunk” as she stated to me earlier.

Slaughter on the other hand had a much tougher case to prove. In order to get a sixth year, Slaughter had to show the NCAA that he missed two opportunities to play. While we are all aware of Slaughter’s injury in the 2012 season, that is only one year missed and Slaughter needed two. What Notre Dame argued was that Slaughter’s first season (2008), in which he redshirted, was actually a redshirt due to injury.

As I mentioned in my previous post on this matter, John Infante of Bylaw Blog fame had the following to say on this matter, which now makes a lot more sense:

Slaughter’s sixth year is a classic case of trying to go back and argue about a year well after the fact.

— John Infante (@John_Infante) January 16, 2013

The lack of contemporaneous medical documentation in those types of waivers almost always means they are denied.

— John Infante (@John_Infante) January 16, 2013

Notre Dame didn’t have enough medical documentation to prove that Slaughter’s redshirt year in 2008 was actually due to an injury. Thus, the NCAA ruled that Notre Dame could only prove that Slaughter missed one year and not two due to injury. A normal redshirt year counts against the five year clock as it isn’t a true opportunity missed to play, but rather a strategic decision to purposefully bench the player all season. By doing this, a player retains his four years of playing eligibility, but stays within the five year period that the NCAA allows for athletic participation.

The ruling still sucks for Slaughter, but the NCAA definitely got this one right — even though it pains me greatly to admit so.

The post Why Comparing Devin Gardner to Jamoris Slaughter Is Comparing Apples to Oranges appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Eight Notre Dame football stars took to Indianapolis to try and boost their draft fortunes and their results are after the jump.

Tyler Eifert

Before the combine, Eifert was already thought of as one of the best TEs available in the draft. After the combine, Eifert has likely sealed a spot in the first round.

Eifert remained steady in the top five of every drill that he participated in. No other TE was able to claim such well-balanced top honors. His 40 time and vertical jump alone would be enough to make coaches salivate, but considering that he was in the top three in the bench press was just icing on the cake.

I doubt any team will draft him as a “classic”, smash-mouth TE, but with the way NFL teams are using TEs split wide and as receiving threats (much like Kelly did all season), there will be a team that will gladly snatch Eifert up.

Prediction: 1st Round

Manti Te’o

Let’s just get this out of the way: Te’o didn’t impress at all in the combine. John Harbaugh agrees.

That being said, he still likely didn’t hurt his draft stock. Te’o was always slated as a possible 1st round pick, but in the middle to late part of the round at best. The simple fact is that linebackers just aren’t drafted that high. For Te’o to break that mold, he was going to have to amaze and he didn’t.

Even though it was a storyline during the combine, I think it’s safe to say the entire Leenay/Catfishing thing wasn’t really a focus for most NFL teams considering him.

Te’o didn’t help his draft status much, but I don’t think he did much to hurt it. He still has a chance at ND’s pro day to make a final impression.

Prediction: Late 1st Round – Early 2nd Round

Cierre Wood

Cierre left a potential year of eligibility on the table to chase down his NFL dream. Thus far, it appears that he made a decent gamble.

No one really expected Wood to have a stellar 40 time, yet he turned in a top-15 time. His biggest victory though was tacking on top-5 performances in the vertical and broad jump, showcasing that he has more than enough athletic talent to justify a mid-round draft pick.

Enjoy the payday, Cierre, you’ve earned it!

Prediction: 4th-5th Round

Theo Riddick

There is no doubt that Theo Riddick was just as much a part of the strong Irish running game as Cierre was, perhaps even more so when the tough yards were needed. However, Riddick simply didn’t come up with great numbers in his combine drills at all.

Theo is on the lower end of the NFL’s “draftable grade” rating, coming in at 51.05, with 50 being the cutoff for a draftable player.

The real question is what role a team thinks Theo could fill: third down back? Slot receiver? Backup/third RB for a changeup?

Theo definitely turned a lot of heads this season after a rather mediocre couple of years in the slot. Perhaps he will do so yet again, but most teams may just hope he slides into free agency and use their late round picks for other areas of need.

I have little doubt he’s going to find a way on a NFL roster, but whether that happens during or after the draft is still very much up in the air.

Prediction: 7th Round – Undrafted Free Agent

Braxston Cave

Cave was far from one of the more athletic linemen at the combine and not participating in the bench press makes it impossible to really compare his strength to other top talent.

Of all the Irish players to make a prediction for, Cave is by far the toughest. There were only 9 true centers at the combine so that alone works in Cave’s favor. Hell, I watched I think three centers attempt to play for the Cowboys this season alone*.

(*Do not get me started on how atrocious the Dallas offensive line is…)

Someone will definitely scoop him up. He’ll make a solid addition to a two-deep.

Dallas, please pick him. He at least knows how to pull of a shotgun snap which is already a huge improvement!

Prediction: 4th-5th Round

Kapron Lewis-Moore

KLM was at the combine simply to interview as he is still recovering from his awful ACL injury suffered at the title game.

I feel awful for the guy as he probably would’ve been drafted had that not happened.

Get well soon, Kap. I want to see you destroying people in the NFL.

Prediction: Undrafted Free Agent

Zeke Motta

Saying Zeke could’ve had a better day at the combine is an understatement. He had the lowest bench numbers of all safeties and the slowest 40 time of all DBs; in fact, he only bested linemen, a handful of LBs & TEs, and a couple of QBs & RBs in that category.

He did, however, end his day strong with top performances amongst all safeties with a top-5 performance in the 3 Cone Drill and was just .06 away from a top-5 finish in the 20 Yard Shuttle.

Hopefully, he has a much stronger showing at ND’s pro day because his draft stock absolutely plummeted today. Originally, I thought he would have a chance to be an early round pick…now, I just hope he gets drafted.

Prediction: 6th Round – Undrafted Free Agent

Jamoris Slaugther

Another unfortunate casualty to injury. There’s simply no way a team is going to take a risk picking him with the 2013 draft class being well-stocked with DBs.

Prediction: Undrafted Free Agent

The post NFL Combine: Eifert Impresses, Te’o Disappoints appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

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 career and throwing a pebble into the still waters of Notre Dame’s post-Signing Day football program.

Five Overtimes: I know, it’s still crazy to read, innit? #NDmbb, then ranked 25 in the nation, took on then 11th ranked Louisville on Saturday in primetime and finished Tuesday morning, knocking off the Cardinals 104-101 after FIVE OVERTIMES. 26 lead changes. The most remarkable minute by a Notre Dame cager ever. FIVE OVERTIMES. Which produced the most remarkable HLS recap EVER.

And How About One More? And as if Five OT’s weren’t enough, Notre Dame played one more on Wednesday, beating DePaul 82-78 at Purcell Pavilion.

Scholar-Athlete: Grant Van De Casteele brought home Big East Male Student-Athlete of the Year Honors to Notre Dame, becoming just the ninth Notre Dame student-athlete to win the award.

Eurotrash: if you are or were a student of European history, then this has been pretty much the greatest month ever. Coming as it did on the heels of finding King Richard under a car park, this week saw the first Pope in 600 years step down. 600 years. And you thought 20 years of irrelevance was bad?

More, please: And the cover of the 2013 Swimsuit Edition was uncovered this week. Does that mean it’s time to retire the Cat Daddy? How about no?

Mardi Gras:in the rest of the world, it was Tuesday. Here in the Crescent City, it was Mardi Gras and the culmination of the Carnival season – a magical time of celebration, almost nightly parades down St. Charles Avenue, Fi Yi Yi and Wild Magnolias, and a lot of beads. Next year, y’all come look me up.

The Booze: one of my marching orders for this post was to continue the practice of recommending a beverage for your enjoyment over the weekend.  That understood, you won’t catch yours truly with a beer in my hand at the Roosevelt’s Sazerac Room.  Instead, you’ll find me sipping one of New Orleans’ signature gifts to the world, the Sazerac. Heck, we invented the cocktail with this drink, so you know it’s good. Follow this recipe and you’ll be in business.

The post Friday Roundup: The Pretender to the Throne Edition appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

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.

Wood’s decision really didn’t come as much of a surprise. With a crowded backfield that already includes George Atkinson III, Amir Carlise, and Cam McDaniel, Wood would have likely had to split carries once again in the 2013 campaign. Even if he were to be the featured back in the Irish offense, running back is a position that gives an athlete a short shelf-life. The potential of a horrific injury is always a concern as well, which would simply crush Wood’s future draft potential.

But beyond that, Cierre had another pressing concern:

I had to weigh many factors over the last month, but ultimately it came down to what I felt was the right decision that would most benefit my family.

With a one year old daughter to care for, the risks listed above were likely too much for Wood to risk. Wood is currently projected from anywhere as high as a third-round pick to even going undrafted. Clearly, the Irish running back likes his chances on the higher end of that spectrum.

Wood will leave the Irish ranked seventh in total rushing yards (2,447) with an outstanding 5.4 yards/carry average on his 450 carries which is tops for any ND running back with as many carries.

While I personally would have loved for Wood to make a return in the Irish backfield, I definitely understand his move. The man will have his ND degree and leave a solid career behind. Godspeed to him and his young family.

The news of Slaughter on the other hand, comes as a great disappointment. Especially considering the Irish safety seemed rather optimistic that his appeal to the NCAA would be approved while he was interviewed in Miami.

After rupturing his Achilles tendon against Michigan State, Slaughter was lost for the 2012 season and saw his fifth year cut short. In order to get Slaughter the rare sixth year, Notre Dame argued that Slaughter’s redshirt year in 2008 was due to injury as well. However, the NCAA clearly didn’t agree.

BGI’s Dan Murphy reported that a source close to Slaughter confirmed that the NCAA denied that petition. The Irish can appeal this decision, but, at this time, there is no word as to whether or not Notre Dame will do so.

There’s no other way to say this: if this decision stands, it flat out sucks for Slaughter. Not only does he lose a potential sixth year, but his injury will not be healed in time for Notre Dame’s pro day. At best, Slaughter might be able to work out for an NFL team over the summer. As Dan Murphy reported:

A week ago, he planned to return to his home state, Georgia, and continue to work out if his request was denied. He hoped his ankle would be strong enough for a tryout at an NFL camp this summer. He said he talked to former teammate Jonas Gray, who went through a similar process after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his final home game in 2011.

“I talked to him about it,” Slaughter said in south Florida. “He’s been in my same shoes. You’ve got to have the same type of mentality that you’re playing and you’ve got to put that energy into what can make you better. For me right now that’s rehab.”

The only silver lining would be an additional slot opening for another recruiting in Notre Dame’s 2013 class. This factor alone might keep Notre Dame from appealing. On top of that, to John Infante (of Bylaw Blog fame) didn’t seem too surprised about the NCAA’s ruling. His analysis of the Slaughter’s case on Twitter makes it seem rather unlikely that the NCAA would change their minds:

Slaughter’s sixth year is a classic case of trying to go back and argue about a year well after the fact.

— John Infante (@John_Infante) January 16, 2013

The lack of contemporaneous medical documentation in those types of waivers almost always means they are denied.

— John Infante (@John_Infante) January 16, 2013

Like I said, this flat out sucks for Slaughter. Best of luck to him in the future as well. Get that foot healed up and turn some heads in the NFL (or make them roll), my good man…

…or of course we can all beg the NCAA to #FreeSlaughter. That works too.

The post Cierre Wood to NFL, Slaughter Denied Sixth Year appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

That being said, we have learned a lot about our team in the first two weeks, specifically, that we have many areas that we need to improve on. As such, here are five quick and relatively minor “fixes” that I would like to see starting with the game down in East Lansing.

BK has some changes to make. Flickr/Neon Tommy

Problem: Questionable Cornerback Play

Quick Fix: Move Jamoris Slaughter

This was a problem we all saw coming, especially once Lo Wood went down for the year with an Achilles tendon rupture. Bennett Jackson appears to be a service starter on one side of the defense, but the young KeiVarae Russell has already become a target for opposing QBs. Brian Kelly cross-trained Jamoris Slaughter at both safety and cornerback this off-season, but during camp said that his experiment at CB had officially ended. However, with older players available at safety like Zeke Motta and Dan McCarthy, in addition to young players such as Matthias Farley and Nicky Baratti stepping up, now might be the time to move Slaughter in order to cover up our defense’s biggest flaw.

Problem: Offensive Balance

Quick Fix: Take a few chances deep downfield

Notre Dame’s offensive strength this season is going to be running the ball, there’s no doubt about it. But the defensive blueprint on how to slow down the Irish offensively has already been thrown out there by Purdue: stack eight in the box and dare the young Everett Golson to throw the football.

Notre Dame needs to find a way to back off the opposing team’s front seven…err, eight…and throwing a few deep balls would work wonders for opening the running game back up. Kelly has always been more about quick strikes and getting the ball out quickly, deep throws have never been a huge key to his offenses. But we know that Everett has a cannon for an arm, so it may be time to showcase what he can really do.

Problem: Goal-Line Attack

Quick Fix: Don’t Get Fancy

This may seem like a slightly surprising “problem” due to our solid redzone efficiency so far, but to me those stats don’t tell it all. While we are good inside the 20 in general, once we get within 5 yards of the endzone, we struggle to figure out exactly what we want to do. But it should be easy: stick to your guns and don’t get fancy. Either throw the jump ball up to Tyler Eifert, or pound the rock inside.

In one series last week, Brian Kelly dialed up three straight QB runs on the goal line versus Purdue. Which makes zero sense, regardless of how athletic Golson is. Kelly spent all season convincing people (and rightfully so) that Everett is not a running quarterback, but rather a slinger with mobility. Kelly needs to play to Everett’s strengths rather than force an identity on him that isn’t natural. Additionally, Everett isn’t the biggest guy, so protecting from a few extra hits wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

Problem: Too many RBs, too few touches

Quick Fix: Keep two on the field

Last week it “looks” like we achieved some offensive balance, considering we ran the ball 36 times and threw it 39. However, when you take away some non-designed runs such as QB scrambles and sacks, suddenly you see (you also saw this if you watched the game with your eyes open) that we had no commitment to the running game, and we actually had something like a 47-28 pass to run ratio.. Hell, George Atkinson III, fresh off a 99 yards, 9 carry performance, was given just one touch.

Now Cierre Wood enters back into the mix, and we have to find a way to get three studs the ball on the ground? Looks like we are going to have to use two backs on the field at the same time quite frequently. I’d imagine that due to his receiving versatility, Theo Riddick will be on the field the most, complimented by either Cierre or GAIII. This also allows Brian Kelly to get creative when calling misdirections, fake hand-offs, etc.

Problem: QB Controversy

Quick Fix: Embrace the 2-QB system

Look, I know that nobody in the world likes two quarterback systems (even though somebody may have predicted this coming). But they can be utilized effectively when two quarterbacks have such radically different dimensions that they provide to the offense…which is exactly the case for Notre Dame right now. Going to two quarterbacks makes sense when it comes to managing egos, it makes opponents have to prepare for even more things to be thrown at them, and it allows Kelly to ride the “hot hand” each week. Play well, and you’ll get to run the show.

Everett is undoubtedly the starter, but we saw last week that Tommy Rees has a role for this team, and it is going to be much more than a “closer” role as Kelly dubbed it. That’s just not the way you handle quarterbacks consistently. To lean on Tommy in big situations to alleviate some pressure on EG (say, a night game, on the road, vs a top-10 team) would be the smart thing to do.

The post Quick Fixes for the MSU Game appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

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 3-4 defense in a single post (if you’d like to do that, I suggest some serious reading), I decided to put together a primer instead. Think of it as your cheatsheet to the ND defense, allowing you to know the purpose of the “Cat”, why the “Dog” isn’t found in the nickel, and the benefits that a 3-4 defense brings to the table.

Positions

Below is a picture of the 3-4 defense at its most basic building blocks (aka its “base” formation) with the nomenclature that the Notre Dame staff uses. To better understand the role of each position, let’s take a brief look at each one.

Nose Guard (NG)

Also called the nose tackle (NT) or simply a defensive tackle (DT), the NG is the unsung hero and lifeblood of any good 3-4 defense. The ideal player for this position is a 300+ pound monster–no I’m not exaggerating. The NG is expected to draw a double team every snap to so the inside linebackers can make plays unblocked. They do this by clogging any interior holes that the opposing line tries to open. Good NGs are able to plug these holes at will, but the great NGs are a special breed all their own as they can also penetrate and wreak havoc behind the line.

Irish NGs You Should Know: Louis Nix III (#9, aka Irish Chocolate), Kona Schwenke (#96)

Defensive End (DE)

In a traditional 4-3, the DE is the pass rusher, the sack machine. In the 3-4, they must be more than that. Much like the NG, more often than not, the DE will have to act almost like a DT/DE hybrid that can both draw a double team to free up the linebackers (the outside linebackers in this case) and also have the skill set to rush the passer.

Irish DEs You Should Know: Stephon Tuitt (#7), Kapron Lewis-Moore (#98), Sheldon Day (#91), Jarron Jones (#94)

“Cat” Linebacker

The Cat (also known as the “Jack” on some teams), is the true pass rushing specialist of the 3-4. This is actually a role the Irish have yet to truly fill in previous iterations of their defense as the defensive ends have been the primary sack machines. For an example of an ideal Cat linebacker, think DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys. Often times, you will see the Cat line up as if he were a defensive lineman as seen below:

Much like other positions in the 3-4, the Cat linebacker must also have the ability to preform more than one function as they are expected to drop into coverage from time to time.

Irish Cats You Should Know: Prince Shembo (#55), Ishaq Williams (#11)

“Will” Linebacker

The Will, or weak side linebacker, gets its name from the side of the offensive line that they line up against. This “weak side” of the line is most often the side of the line (bisecting at the center position) that does not have the tight end. The job here is simple: make plays on your side.

Irish Wills You Should Know: Dan Fox (#48), Carlo Calabrese (#44)

“Mike” Linebacker

The “Mike” (traditionally the middle linebacker in a 4-3 front) functions much like the Will. Their job is to make plays on the “strong side” (the side with the TE) of the line. Additionally, the Mike is often the quarterback of the defense, calling audibles and making pre-snap adjustments. The player filling this position is most often the best linebacker on the team and will often lead their squad in tackles.

Irish Mikes You Should Know: Manti Te’o (#5), Manti Te’o (#5), Manti Te’o (#5)

“Dog” Linebacker

The “Dog” (sometimes called the “Sam” or strong-side linebacker) is the coverage specialist of the linebacker corps. Most often matched against an opposing tight end, back, and, at times, a wide receiver, they are somewhat of a LB/CB hybrid in this style of defense.

Irish Dogs You Should Know: Danny Spond (#13), Ben Councell (#30), Romeo Okwara (#45)

Cornerback (CB)

Fairly simple here–these are the guys that try to break up passes and cause all of ND fandom to have heart attacks like we did last year against Michigan (nope, still not over it).

Irish CBs You Should Know: Bennett Jackson (#2), Lo Wood (#23), KeiVarae Russell (#6), Elijah Shumate (#22), Josh Atkinson (#33), Jalen Brown (#21)–yep, all of ’em

Strong Safety (SS)

Part of the last line of defense, the SS plays a bit closer to the line than his counterpart and often lines up on the strong side. They can do a bit of everything: stop the run, cover receivers, and on rare occasions come in like a bat out of hell on a blitz.

Irish SSs You Should Know: Jamoris Slaughter (#26), Chris Salvi (#24)

Free Safety (FS)

The “center fielder” that is almost always dropped back in a zone, serving as the de facto last line of defense.

Irish FSs You Should Know: Zeke Motta (#17), Austin Collinsworth (#28), Dan McCarthy (#15)

Gap Assignments and Wreaking Havoc

So now that we’ve covered the “who” of the defense it is time to examine what exactly they do. In order to properly understand how the 3-4 (or really any defense) works, knowledge of gaps and gap assignment is a must.

As diagrammed above, there are three gaps that are mirrored across the offensive line for a total of six. The “A” gap is the interior gap between the center and guards. The NG is primarily responsible for these gaps, often attacking the center directly and then moving to the gap in which the play is going towards. The “B” gap is the exterior gap of the line in between the tackles and guards, typically falling into DE territory. Finally, the “C” gaps define the area outside the tackle box. While this is usually an assignment handled by the outside linebackers (Cat and Dog), this is also a gap that a DE chooses to attack on a straight pass rush.

Ideally, on a run, the three defensive lineman will attract the attention of all five offensive linemen, which should also plug three gaps as well. This then frees up all 4 linebackers to make a play on the ball carrier with only the TE and possible a FB to worry about.

Let’s put this theory into action with the play diagrammed below:

Moving from left to right, we see the weak-side DE attack the B gap in front of him. As we are going to assume everything is perfect here, this action draws a double team from the weak-side tackle and guard. The NG attacks the strong-side A gap and the strong-side DE attacks the B gap right next to it. This puts the highlighted guard in a very interesting spot as he now has to pick which defender to double team.

This leaves all the line backers unblocked by the offensive line. For the Dog and Cat, they will contain the C gap. The Will has a wide open shot at the weak-side A gap, allowing for easy penetration past the line, which would likely take the FB out of the equation early. The Mike is free to pick either the strong-side A or B gap, depending on how the offense handles the play. Of course should the play move away from either of these two options, he will be free to pursue it as well. The end result here is that all four linebackers have a legitimate shot at disrupting the play before it even crosses the line of scrimmage.

Again, this proposed sequence is an ideal situation, but it shows how proper gap assignments and containment can result in a scarily effective run defense; however, the true joy in my opinion, is how the 3-4 handles a pass rush.

Much like a 4-3, the 3-4 will usually rush four defenders on every play. An example of a basic pass rush with the Cat is shown below:

Unlike the 4-3, in which the defensive line almost exclusively rushes (save for some of the more exotic blitz packages), the setup of the 3-4 shines allows fourth rusher can really come from anywhere. While the Cat may be the pass rushing specialist, that doesn’t mean he will always do so.

To see what I mean, let’s look at another play:

In this scenario, all three defensive linemen are crashing down towards the strong side of the line. This leaves the weak-side tackle with a seemingly one-on-one match up with the “expected” pass rusher, the Cat. However, in this play, the Cat drops back and the Will blitzes through the B gap. Should the tackle’s focus be on the Cat, he will likely be beaten by the much quicker linebacker. As an additional bonus, the Will is shooting through a gap that has a shorter distance to the QB as well, leaving very little reaction time for the backs to pick up the blitz.

This is just one example of the myriad of combinations that Diaco can throw at an offense as the fourth rusher can come from anywhere, including the safeties and corners. This ability to create confusion on just a basic four man rush makes any additional blitzers even more effective. An opposing line that struggles with just the four man rush in a 3-4 will find themselves eaten alive by blitzes.

The final wrinkle is, of course, only rushing three and dropping eight men back into coverage. While this has been seen in 4-3 defense as well, the difference here is that the eighth pass defender is a more mobile linebacker instead of a much slower DE (or God forbid, a lumbering DT).

The Nickel

So all of the above is great, but what happens when the offense tries to spread the Irish out and comes out with three or four wide? The answer: the nickel package. The nickel derives its name from the five defensive backs in the formation (get it, a nickel!), one of which replaces a linebacker. For a 3-4 team like the Irish, this means that the Dog is sent off as shown below:

One of the first things that you will notice is that the Cat is once again lined up in as a defensive lineman, creating a four man pass rush. While the alignment is technically a 3-3-5, in practice, it is practically the same nickel package you’d see from a 4-3 team.

The “$” position replacing the Dog denotes the nickelback (no, not the crappy “rock” band). While traditionally the nickelback is the third CB on the depth chart, the Irish, and many other teams have employed yet another hybrid position in order to make up for a lack of depth. Last season, Jamoris Slaugther filled this role, which Diaco dubbed the “Star” linebacker. This position was a super-hybrid of sorts combining elements of safety, linebacker, and cornerback.

This season, expect the Irish to take a much different route. In his most recent presser, Kelly stated that he was very comfortable with all of his cornerbacks and plans to leave Slaughter at safety unless more catastrophic injures happen (please, God, no). While I do not share in Kelly’s optimism on the CB unit thus far (too many unproven guys), what this tells us is that Notre Dame will likely have a corner fill the nickelback role in 2012.

On the flipside, if you see Slaugther or another safety slide down into this position, start panicking because this means Kelly doesn’t trust CB #3 to cover a wide receiver.

Looking to Navy

So that sums up the basics on how the Irish run their 3-4 scheme against most offenses. How do they apply this to a triple option team like Navy though? Tune in next week to find out.

The post Notre Dame 3-4 Defense Primer appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Jamoris Slaughter

Position: S
Year: 5th Year Senior
Height/Weight: 6’0″/200 lbs.

Fifth-year senior Jamoris Slaughter will be charged with leading the Irish secondary in 2012 following former captain Harrison Smith’s first round selection by the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL Draft. Slaughter played in all 13 games for the Irish last year, registering 45 tackles (25 solo, 20 assisted), 1 interception, and 2 pass breakups. Slaughter also forced a fumble and picked off a pass in a 59-33 win over Air Force. With the Irish graduating the majority of their secondary from last year, and with Austin Collinsworth out for the season with an injury, Slaughter will be called on to be the anchor of a relatively untested unit.

Following the injury to Collinsworth, discussions of Slaughter filling in at corner have slowed though the coaching staff insists it is still a possibility. Along with cornerback, many Irish fans (like myself) would like to see Jamoris spend more time at the hybrid safety-outside linebacker role that he excelled in late in the season, including in the Champs Sports Bowl against Florida State in which he registered two huge sacks (unfortunately he did not sack Tommy before those red zone interceptions).  With Smith and his 181 tackles over the past two seasons out of the picture, we will likely see Slaughter’s statistical production increase drastically in 2012. Possibly more important than the stat line, though, will be his ability to lead an inexperienced secondary and to make sure Bennett Jackson and the Lo Wood/Josh Atkinson/maybe-Davonte-Neal combo know where they’re supposed to be.

I’m also hoping we see a loooooot more of this:

T.J. McDonald

Position: S
Year: Senior
Height/Weight: 6’3″/205 lbs.

All-American T.J. McDonald of USC will be the best safety that the Irish offense will have the task of working against in 2012. McDonald, who is the younger half of USC’s first father/son All-American pair and first father/son captain pair (…….excuse me, needed to go vomit a little bit), returns to the Trojans as a third year starter at free safety. His father, Tim McDonald, played 13 NFL seasons at safety for the Cardinals and 49ers, winning a Super Bowl ring (XXIX) and earning his way into 6 Pro Bowls.

The younger McDonald recorded 67 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt in 2011. He registered 5 tackles when the Trojans visited South Bend, but otherwise had a statistically quiet game. Coming off an excellent past season, McDonald has received some pre-season love in being named to the watch lists for the Thorpe, Bednarik and Nagurski awards. He was also named a 1^st-team preseason All-American by Phil Steele, and we will likely see him on numerous more preseason lists as we get closer to the start of the season (44 days till Dublin!).

Analysis: Among the seniors returning for their fifth season in South Bend, none are as critical to the team’s success in 2012 as Jamoris Slaughter. While you could argue that Kapron Lewis-Moore and Braxston Cave are stronger overall players, the importance of Slaughter’s position as leader in the depleted secondary cannot be understated.  With games against Heisman contenders Matt Barkley and Landry Jones, the ability of Slaughter and the defensive backfield to be competitive will be an essential element to a strong third season for Brian Kelly. Also, while this series of position previews at HLS is focused on the top player at each position, Zeke Motta (who has a knack for being in perfect position to make a play and then whiffing) will need to step in his final season as well if the Irish hope to effectively defend their opponents’ aerial attacks.

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The post Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy: Safety appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.