Both teams see this game as an opportunity to add a notable, significant win to their postseason resume. For the Spartans, a win essentially guarantees them a top-ten ranking in next week’s polls, especially with #2 Florida State vs. #10 Louisville and #3 Ohio State vs. #14 Oklahoma also on this week’s schedule.

For the Fighting Irish, they need to seize any opportunity they get against a top team in the country. After a heartbreaking loss to Texas in week one, the Irish cannot afford another loss this early in the season. The Spartans are coming off a bye week and had two full weeks to prepare for this game. Let’s see how the Irish stack up against Sparty as we dive into this week’s matchups.

Top: Richard Shiro / Associated Press
Bottom: Mike Carter / USA Today

Torii Hunter Jr. vs. Darian Hicks

Senior captain Torii Hunter Jr. may not be the leading receiver for the Irish so far, but is still the number one receiver. Hunter did not play in Notre Dame’s game against Nevada due to a concussion he suffered in the third quarter against Texas. Hunter is very confident he will play against MSU, as he was basically a full participant in practice this week, going through one-on-ones, seven-on-sevens, and 11-on-11. Hunter acted as a leader, as he did not make this about himself. He said: “It was also a good time for the younger guys to make some plays and put some pressure on them, get them some experience and everything like that.”

Equanimeous St. Brown stepped it up with Hunter on the sideline, as the sophomore grabbed six balls for 85 yards. Even though St. Brown has better numbers than Hunter, MSU senior cornerback Darian Hicks will still focus on Hunter. DeShone Kizer and the offense will probably go after Hicks, who is prone to pass interference penalties for Michigan State. It’ll be fun to watch this matchup of seniors all night.

Mike McGlinchey & Offensive Line vs. Chris Frey

Senior tackle Mike McGlinchey and the offensive line will have figure out how to stop linebacker Chris Frey. Frey was all over the field for the Spartans in their only game this season, totaling nine tackles in the MSU victory. McGlinchey is excited about the matchup saying,  “It’s why I play college football. It’s a really great opportunity against a really great defensive front. They’re a hard-nosed, well-coached football team, and they’re going to do a fantastic job of competing and playing hard.”

The offensive line will have their hands full with a terrific linebacker trio that includes Frey, Andrew Dowell, and Byron Bullough, along with standout defensive tackle Malik McDowell.

Notre Dame’s Nick Coleman (24) breaks up a pass to Massachusetts’ Shaquille Harris (14) during the Notre Dame-Massachusetts game. SBT Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Young Irish Secondary vs. Young MSU Receiving Core

The Irish secondary got thinner last week as they lost sophomore cornerback Shaun Crawford, who went down with a torn Achilles. Cornerback Devin Butler remains suspended indefinitely. Safety Max Redfield was dismissed from the team. Sophomore Nick Coleman and freshmen Julian Love and Donte Vaughn will be thrown into the fire in this big game. With R.J. Shelton banged up but ready to go, sophomores Felton Davis III, Madre London, and freshman Donnie Corley will have their chances to make plays against the young Irish secondary. Corley was recently suspended for prioritizing the Yankees schedule over Notre Dames. The Irish secondary has allowed 439 passing yards in two games this season.

The Irish have more at stake in this game, as they can’t afford another loss this early in the season. The offensive line will be challenged up front, along with the young secondary. Brian Kelly will have to instill confidence in his young team, in what will probably be a playoff atmosphere at home on Saturday night.

The post Key Matchups Against Michigan State appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Cowherd likened the differing punishments handed down by Brian Kelly – the dismissal of Max Redfield and indefinitely suspended Devin Butler juxtaposed to the internal discipline of Te’von Coney, Kevin Stepherson, Dexter Williams, and Ashton White – to the way Nick Saban and Alabama generally handle disciplinary actions. Essentially, Cowherd attempts to draw the conclusion that players of less value are often scapegoated in regards to discipline, whereas players of value are treated and disciplined differently. Cowherd’s direct comments are as follows:

Remember when Alabama’s left tackle got in trouble in Louisiana – pot, guns, whatevs. What did I say on the air that day? I didn’t react. I was proactive, I said no way in hell he’ll miss game one. Oh, he didn’t, because ‘Bama was thin at left tackle and I knew it. What they use is the old, ‘We will punish him internally, we’re not worried about the optics.’ But yet, Alabama is loaded at guard – Alphonse Taylor got in trouble and they suspended him indefinitely. Oh, you guys are tough there. Why don’t you suspend the left tackle? Because you’re thin at left tackle.

Notre Dame kicked Max Redfield off the team – a senior who has massively underachieved and been in trouble before. For the record during spring practice, freshman Devon* Studstill replaced him anyway. Brian Kelly was tired of him. Devin Butler – we will suspend him! He’s already got a broken foot – wasn’t going to play the first month anyway. What you will find is, the underachieving senior, ‘You’re outta here!’ Guy that can’t stay outta trouble at a bowl game, Max Redfield, underachiever, you’re outta here. The guard at Alabama, Alphonse Taylor, who kept putting on weight, frustrating Nick Saban, deep at the position, you are suspended indefinitely. Left tackle at Alabama, young players at Notre Dame, we’ll take care of it internally. C’mon guys, don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.

Notre Dame taking a page right out of Nick Saban's playbook https://t.co/KNvnwfADjR

— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) August 23, 2016

In the name of full disclosure, I personally agree with Cowherd just as much as I disagree. If you are unfamiliar with Colin Cowherd, it is important to note that his “hot takes” are rarely middle of the road in nature. He continually finds himself at the margins of issues, which, to his credit, is one of the reasons he hosts one of the most popular sports radio shows in the country.

On this specific comparison, I disagree. Cowherd is wrong to liken Notre Dame and Brian Kelly to Alabama and Nick Saban. Yes, Alabama and Saban habitually slap players on the wrist for wrongdoings that range from violations of team rules to breaking laws. Yes, Alabama does this in favor of preserving talent and in favor of future potential wins. Brian Kelly’s decision to dismiss Max Redfield was despite future potential wins. Cowherd conveniently neglects to mention that Redfield logged 64 tackles in 2015 – most of any returner on the 2016 defense. He has 143 career tackles and played in 27 games. This experience is invaluable to a young defense such as the 2016 group the Irish will be fielding.

I don’t believe it is farfetched to make the conclusion that there is no way Nick Saban and Alabama would dismiss a player of Redfield’s caliber and experience, especially when you consider that the Notre Dame defense is remarkably thin at the safety position. Cowherd himself would agree with this notion when he concludes that Saban was quick to suspend a guard, a position they are deep at, yet go easy on a tackle, a position they are thin at. Cowherd, however, contradicts his own logic, neglecting to mention how thin Notre Dame is at safety. Instead he inaccurately pronounces true freshman Devin* Studstill’s name and inaccurately implies that Studstill was slated as the starter for the opener. If Cowherd had done his research he would know what we (Domers) all know: Studstill has been cited as very talented and has shared time with the 1’s in practice, but has also been victim of a nagging hamstring injury. Make no mistake, Redfield was the starter and Kelly dismissed him regardless of talent, experience and wins.

I concede the fact that the disciplinary actions between Redfield and Butler differ with their peers – no doubt about that. However, Cowherd also neglected to reference Brian Kelly’s statement where Kelly addresses these differences, “The expectations we set for the members of our team are high, but they are especially so for the upperclassmen who are expected to provide leadership and a positive example to the other members of the team. Max and, at least at this stage in the review of his case, Devin, have failed in that regard and so have lost the privilege of continuing to be part of our team.”

Yes, Max has had issues in the past which also contributed to Kelly’s dismissal decision. Shouldn’t a repeat offender be treated as such? In regards to Butler, the prosecutor in the case has formally charged him with two felony counts. Per ND’s representative, any student faced with felony charges is subject to dismissal from the university, let alone the football team.

To conclude, Cowherd misrepresents the intentions of Brian Kelly and disingenuously correlates them to the purposely low standards set by Nick Saban and Alabama for the preservation of wins.

The full clip of the above transcription from The Herd can be found here.

Cheers and Go Irish!

The post Cowherd: In punishments, ND & Bama no different appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Here’s a look back at a roller-coaster career for the Mission Viejo, Calif. product:

2012

Credit: SB Nation

July 18: Redfield commits to the USC Trojans, saying he felt “almost giddy” and “so excited to be part of the Trojan family. I’ve been talking to Lane (Kiffin) the past two days about when I should make my announcement and I decided now was the perfect time. I’ve known I wanted to go to USC basically ever since they offered me and I’ve always liked USC football. It feels great to be a part of this loaded recruiting class.”

Oct. 13: The high school senior visits for Notre Dame’s thrilling 20-13 overtime victory vs. Stanford. Afterward, he tells Fox Sports Next that his commitment to USC is “soft,” adding, “The thing that really separates Notre Dame, is other than athletics and academics, how much that degree really means and how meaningful it is to have a Notre Dame degree in the business world, once you’re done with football.”

Nov. 4: Redfield officially re-opens commitment.

2013

Committing to the Irish at the Under Armour All-American game

Jan. 4: During the Under Armour All-American game, the 6-foot-2, 195 pound five-star safety chooses the Irish over USC. “This is another major recruiting victory for Kelly and his staff with more expected to come,” IrishEyes.com’s Dave Berk says at the time.

April 25: Although not an early enrollee, Redfield is expected to compete for playing time in nickel and dime packages according to IrishEyes.com’s Tim O’Malley.

Aug. 13: O’Malley proves prophetic, as he writes: “There’s going to be a mental end of it that he’s going to have to progress there. But we feel like physically he’s got the ability.”

Redfield plays in 12 of the Irish’s 13 games, but mostly on the Irish’s kickoff coverage, kickoff return and punt coverage teams. He logs his first start in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl versus Rutgers. For the season, he has 12 tackles – with three each against Air Force and BYU.

2014

May 9: Before the season starts, O’Malley puts Redfield on his list of potential future NFL players: “Size? Check. Speed + quickness = suddenness? Check. Intelligence? Check. Made a play yet on Saturday? We’ll get our initial answer to the most important aspect of the equation beginning in late August 2014. A true sophomore, Redfield should have an outstanding career in front of him at ND.”

June 30: Keith Arnold, writing for Bleacher Report, calls Redfield the Irish’s “X-factor” and “one of the keys to Notre Dame’s season.” A month later, UHND.com will tab the sophomore as “a breakout candidate.”

Aug. 9: Coach Brian Kelly is impressed with the sophomore during fall camp: “He’s made a good jump. Max is an extremely, as we all know, a very gifted player. We’ve just gotta continue on the learning curve. We have days where you miss and assignment here and you can’t miss an assignment back there. That’s where some of our inexperience, we have to be vigilant in making sure that we’re clean back there. But he is, as we all know, an extremely gifted player.”

Nov. 15: Redfield loses his starting position to freshman Drue Tranquill. Kelly observes, “We’ll evaluate it from week to week, but no, we felt like we weren’t getting the kind of production we wanted there, and that’s why we went with Drue.” O’Malley later calls it a “curious…benching.”

Nov. 29: Redfield suffers a broken rib in the season-ending finale against USC, a 49-14 drubbing.

On the season, Redfield plays in 13 games and starts 11. He’s second on the team in tackles with 68, despite logging just 1 against Northwestern and none against Louisville. His big games are against Michigan, where he registered six tackles, one interception and one de-cleating of a quarterback and the bowl game versus LSU, in which Redfield logs 14 tackles and gives every Irish fan hope that the sophomore has turned the corner for real.

2015

Max Redfield (UND.com)

June: Phil Steele, a highly respected college football analyst, names Redfield to his pre-season first team. “With the season that I had last year, I don’t feel really that deserving,” Redfield will say later. “But I feel like I’m definitely that kind of player, and I want to prove that every day in practice. I’m just happy to be on the radar. That’s all I can ask for.”

Aug. 11: In what is probably the quote of his career, Redfield says he’s struggling more with defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s schemes than he is with learning a foreign language. As Blue & Gold Illustrated’s Lou Somogyi writes:

An eloquent and confident speaker, Redfield has carried 18-credit academic course loads at Notre Dame per semester, most notably learning Mandarin Chinese. When asked whether VanGorder’s defense or Chinese was more difficult, he paused.

“That’s a pretty good question,” he responded. “I would say consistently being successful in that scheme is harder than learning Chinese.

Sept. 5: Redfield breaks his wrist in the season opener against Texas.

Sept. 12: The wrist is operated on prior to the Virginia game, and Redfield struggles.

Sept. 19: Redfield is benched and does not play against the option-heavy Georgia Tech offensive attack.

Sept. 26: Redfield starts and plays against UMass.

Oct. 2: The junior records what Kelly calls Redfield’s “best game since he’s been here,” with 14 tackles – 11 unassisted – in a close loss to Clemson. (In a monsoon!)

Notre Dame’s Max Redfield (10) intercepts a pass tipped by teammate KeiVarae Russell (6) and USC’s JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) during the Notre Dame-Southern Cal football game on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. SBT Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Oct. 16: Redfield records his second career interception in a game against USC.

Dec. 29: Redfield is sent home from the Fiesta Bowl for an “unspecified violation of team rules” – later revealed to be multiple missed curfews. He issues an apology, in which he says he understands that not following rules is “unacceptable.”

On the season, Redfield logs 64 tackles – four best on the team and second among defensive backs.

2016

Entering the season, the senior has 23 career starts – trailing only cornerback Cole Luke (26) and defensive end Isaac Rochell (25) for most career starts on defense.

March 16: “The future is now for Max Redfield,” writes NBC Sports’ Keith Arnold.

Press Notre Dame’s head coach a little bit harder and Kelly might also concede that never in a million years did they think Redfield would be the type of player to stick around for five years in South Bend. Nor did they think it’d take a full four years to develop Redfield into the cornerstone that this unit desperately needs on the back end.

While his athleticism has never been questioned, Kelly discussed some of the offseason priorities for the rising senior, namely some physical tweaks to Redfield’s game— lengthening his backpedal, smoothing out some of his movement skills. But the real work will likely come with the immediacy of the situation and an extra dose of maturity, as Redfield has only one more shot to prove his worth on the football field.

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

March 23: Blue & Gold Illustrated’s Andrew Owens posts an article titled “It’s Now or Never for Notre Dame Safety Max Redfield.” Redfield said he regrets his behavior during the Fiesta Bowl, telling the media:

“If I could go back, obviously I wouldn’t do that — but I learned a lot from it.

“I moved forward from it the second it happened, and try to learn from it and try to become a better person, player, all that kind of stuff. And even though it did hurt, just move forward and just realizing what I can learn from it and how I can grow from it to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

April 20: Tom Loy, writing for Irish247, posts “Now or Never for Redfield.” The same day, Slap the Sign’s Bobby Norrell predicts a breakout season.

June 1: Irish Illustrated’s Tim Prister writes, “There’s a natural inclination to cringe a bit when the up-and-down Redfield is cited this high in returning defensive productivity. Redfield’s 144 career tackles are the most among returning players, but his six passes defensed in 23 starts doesn’t seem like a whole lot for a free safety. … Redfield has his hands full holding off early-entry freshman Devin Studstill. Notre Dame needs him to maximize his playing experience, win the starting job, and play the game commensurate to his playing time accrued/skillset.”

June 1: B.J. Konkle, writing for our site, says: “I believe the light will turn on for Redfield and he will become the commanding leader of the defense’s back end. I won’t give up on him just yet because of his sheer athleticism. Redfield has been his own worst enemy. But if he can put as much effort in the film room as it looks like he does in the weight room, then this upcoming season will be the one where we consistently see what recruiting analysts saw in this five-star talent in 2013.”

July 22: Irish Illustrated’s Tim Prister rates Notre Dame the sixth most talented defensive backfield among 12 Irish opponents and themselves. “It’s now or never for Redfield, who yielded a majority of the first-team reps in the spring to talented early-entry freshman Devin Studstill.”

July 24: UHND.com puts Redfield on their list of “now or never” candidates.

July 28: CBSSports.com’ Rob Rang profiles Redfield as a potential NFL draft pick if he can put together a solid senior season.

While many of the physical traits are there with Redfield, he simply remains too reliant on his talent at this time. Intelligence is not the issue for Redfield, a well-spoken Economics major and Mandarin Chinese minor. Put simply, Redfield has not consistently demonstrated ideal instincts for playing centerfield. Too often he has appeared more concerned with playing the man, rather than the ball, giving up potential interception opportunities in an attempt to land the flashier hit.

Credit: Max Redfield / Twitter

Aug. 6: The Journal Gazette’s Chris Goff tabs Redfield as a player to watch in fall camp. “It’s now or never for the former five-star recruit to live up to everyone’s high expectations,” he writes.

Aug. 11: Kelly again mentions Redfield’s inconsistent work ethic in comments to reporters:

What we want to see from Max is that guy that does the basic things right. He was a guy that was up and down. We saw great flashes and then we didn’t see him for a couple weeks. If we just get consistent play from him, we’ll get really good play. If we went through five days here and we saw a consistent performer, I’d be pretty happy with that.

Saturday: Redfield is arrested alongside four other players after sophomore cornerback Ashton White’s car is stopped for speeding and a broken taillight on U.S. 31. Redfield is one of three student-athletes within an arm’s length of the handgun; all three receive the additional handgun charge.

Sunday: Kelly releases a statement about the arrests:

I have decided to dismiss Max Redfield from our football team.  …

At Notre Dame, where we place so much importance on the integration of students who are athletes into the broader university, the primary responsibility for discipline lies, as it should, with the University’s Office of Community Standards. But even within that system, there are times when a player’s conduct so clearly fails to meet the standards I have set for our football team that it is appropriate to take action independent of any decision that might be made by the Office of Community Standards. This is such an instance. The expectations we set for the members of our team are high, but they are especially so for the upperclassmen who are expected to provide leadership and a positive example to the other members of the team. Max … (has) failed in that regard and so [has] lost the privilege of continuing to be part of our team.

The post Max Redfield At Notre Dame, 2013-2016 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

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!

The post Analyzing the Fall Camp Depth Chart appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

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.

The post HLS Review: The 2016 ND Insider Football Preview appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

1. Brandon Wimbush (II Staff: #2)

Credit: UND.com

If you consider the question, you’ll notice it’s a little tricky.

“Who among the three dozen will have the best careers at Notre Dame?”

Brandon Wimbush is a quarterback with all the tools: strong arm, fleet of foot and accurate. I’m not certain that he’s going to demonstrate that talent at Notre Dame, however.

Here’s what the quarterback depth chart could look like in 2017 (in alphabetical order):

IAN BOOK – Redshirt freshman; 4 years eligibility remaining
AVERY DAVIS – True freshman; 4 years eligibility remaining
DESHONE KIZER – Redshirt junior; 2 years eligibility remaining
BRANDON WIMBUSH – Redshirt sophomore; 3 years eligibility remaining
MALIK ZAIRE – 5th year; 1 year eligibility remaining

I put Wimbush at No. 1 because I’m betting he gets two years as a starter. Here’s my guess: Kizer beats Zaire for the starting job this year and does well enough to declare for the NFL Draft. Zaire graduates and transfers to another school for a one-year shot at making an impression on NFL teams. Wimbush starts 2017 and beats out Davis, Book and true freshman Phil Jurkovec to be chief signal caller in 2018 as well. Is this an optimistic view of Notre Dame football that does not include quarterbacks getting injured or struggling? You bet it is.

2. Tommy Kraemer (II Staff: #3)

Tommy Kraemer is a five-star offensive lineman who enters Notre Dame with more hype than Ronnie Stanley, who just got picked sixth overall in the NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 310 pound right tackle is praised for his “outstanding wide base, combined with a low pad level while showing balance every step of the way.” He’s also impressed scouts for his ability to “sustain and finish his blocks” and his “comfortability” with playing either the right or left side.

I picked Kraemer because the decks have been cleared for him to make an immediate impact. Stanley and Nick Martin are in the NFL. Steve Elmer has left football to join the business world. Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson probably have the left side locked down, but the middle and right is still an open competition. I see Kraemer pushing Alex Bars, Sam Mustipher and Hunter Bivin and Tristen Hoge and making the two-deep at some point in the 2016 season. It’s a guarantee if there’s injury to one of the six “incumbents” mentioned.

3. Shaun Crawford (II Staff: #1)

Credit: UND.com

I really like Shaun Crawford. I like his hustle. I like his doggedness to play as hard as he could during the spring game although he was supposed to be taking it easy. He always seems to be where the ball is going to be – and half the time it seems like he’s sticking his hand out before the ball can even get to the receiver. After tearing his ACL his freshman season, Crawford dedicated himself to studying film and learning the playbook. I like that he didn’t lose focus.

Here’s what concerns me about Shaun Crawford. He’s 5-foot-9, which is small in a position where getting vertical is essential. And he’s a largely unknown commodity, having never played a down of real college football. I’m almost 5-foot-9 myself, so I always root for the little guys. Crawford will be no exception. But for the Irish Illustrated staff to say he’ll have the best career out of three dozen (plus) guys? I think that’s a tad too optimistic.

4. Corey Holmes (II Staff: Unranked)

Credit: UND.com

If the Irish Illustrated guys are too high on Crawford, then they are definitely too low on Corey Holmes. Now removed from the shadow of Will Fuller and Chris Brown, Holmes is poised to have a break out year. I’ve written extensively on why I believe Holmes should start this year, and that was before we learned he clocked a 4.41 second 40-yard dash and jumped 41 inches vertically (which is 7 inches higher than Will Fuller at the NFL Combine).

I’m expecting Holmes to be the Irish’s No. 1 or No. 2 receiver for the next two years. The beat writers are higher on Torii Hunter Jr. – and many still like the attributes of Equanimeous St. Brown. But Holmes has remained healthy, unlike Hunter and St. Brown, and he’s my fourth pick for a great Notre Dame career.

5. Donte Vaughn (II Staff: #10)

I love Donte Vaughn because he is so freakin’ tall for a cornerback. Six-foot-three?! He’s as tall as Richard Sherman, with beautiful long limbs that can frustrate wide receivers trying to get a jump off the line. Forget about the end zone corner fade. Unless he stumbles or is slow to make a redirect, Vaughn is going to have a good chance in any jump ball situation.

Even if Vaughn doesn’t develop the loose hips or backpedal needed to excel at cornerback, he could easily find a home at either safety or outside linebacker. I’d love to see him develop as a guy who can just neutralize a team’s best receiver, however.

6. Daelin Hayes (II Staff: #4)

Credit: Tim Sullivan / Detroit Free Press

I honestly considered putting freshman defensive end Daelin Hayes at the top of this list. I also strongly considered leaving him off the list entirely.

Hayes’ high school career can be summed up in one phrase: brief flashes of brilliance. The 6-foot-4, 250 pound power pass rusher attended four high schools and saw limited action because of two shoulder injuries, a custody battle and some transfer rules. When he did play, people were impressed with his “innate quickness,” “low center of gravity,” and mental toughness.

Hayes wore a no-contact jersey throughout Notre Dame’s spring practice, as he was still recovering from shoulder surgery. Writers were impressed with what little they saw of Hayes during drills. Notre Dame desperately needs a pass rush to complement whatever Isaac Rochell can produce from the other end. Look for a healthy Hayes to push junior Andrew Trumbetti for playing time.

7. Devin Studstill (II Staff: #8)

Scout.com photo

Max Redfield once quipped that learning Mandarin Chinese was easier than understanding the full complexities of Brian VanGorder’s defense. To my knowledge, Devin Studstill doesn’t know a lick of the world’s most popular language. But the 6-foot, 190 pound product ingested enough of the Notre Dame scheme to take first team reps away from Redfield this spring.

Although VanGorder denied promoting Studstill to put a fire under Redfield, I still think the safety position is the senior’s to lose. Redfield was nursing a minor ankle injury this spring, which hopefully won’t extend into the summer.

Besides Studstill’s ability to interpret the scheme and translate it to others, he’s been praised for his excellent ball location skills. There’s a lot of bodies in the defensive backfield. But, so far, Studstill is standing shoulders above the rest.

8. Chase Claypool (II Staff: #7)

Chase Claypool is a guy with tremendous upside who hasn’t had the opportunity to prove himself against the best competition. He runs a respectable 4.6 second 40-yard-dash for a man that is 6-foot-5, 215 pounds. It’ll be interesting to see where he shakes out. He could be a tight end or a wide receiver. Or, if neither pans out, he may make a respectable linebacker. Claypool has been able to rely on his physical gifts in a weaker Canadian high school league, so he’s got room to improve – especially when it comes to route running. But because of his versatility, his size and his hands, he makes my list.

9. Jay Hayes (II Staff: Unranked)

Credit: UND.com

We’ve come a very long way from Jay Hayes tweeting in frustration over his perceived lack of advancement on the defensive line. With Grant Blankenship’s future very much in doubt, Hayes has one less competitor at the weak-side defensive end position. Hayes provides more power than speed, which will likely force him to split reps – at least initially – with the quicker Andrew Trumbetti. Daelin Hayes could compete for playing time here or slide into Rochell’s spot for the 2017 season.

Hayes is one of the bigger, more jovial presences on the team. Surely moving from defensive tackle to defensive end has been tough on him. But he’s got three more seasons of eligibility left to prove himself as a presence to be reckoned with on the line.

10. Troy Pride Jr. (II Staff: #5)

Photo: 247sports.com

I put Troy Pride Jr. at the #10 position mostly for his achievements not on the football field, but in track and field. Pride took home 4 South Carolina Class AAA track titles last month, including the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash events. His fourth medal was in the 4-by-100 relay event.

Pride Jr. was listed at 160 pounds when he committed in December, but seems to have added about 15 pounds since then. He’s average height for a cornerback at 6 feet, but I’m worried it’ll take him a little while to adjust to his newer, beefier frame. It’s going to be a necessity, though, if he wants to win those physical matchups at the line.

By including Crawford, Vaughn, Studstill and Pride in my “top rookies” list, I’m almost assuredly wrong about someone in defensive backfield. But, hey, let’s hope they all work out!

TIDBITS

Irish Illustrated put freshman wide receiver Kevin “K.J.” Stepherson at #6 on their list and freshman offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg at #9.

So who is on your list? Here are the candidates to consider, per Irish Illustrated:

• Redshirt sophomores Brandon Wimbush, Justin Brent, Jay Hayes and Corey Holmes
• 10 redshirt-freshmen from 2015: Josh Barajas, Asmar Bilal, Miles Boykin, Shaun Crawford, Micah Dew-Treadway, Tristen Hoge, Trevor Ruhland, Elijah Taylor, Brandon Tiassum, and Ashton White.
• The 23 players in the class of 2016.

Leave your rankings in the comments below.

The post Notre Dame Football’s Most Promising “Rookies” appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Max Redfield’s three years at Notre Dame has been an absolute rollercoaster ride.

The highly treasured 5 star 247 sports composite ranked recruit from sexy recruiting hotbed Mission Viejo, Calif. was originally committed to play football at the University of Spoiled Children U$C.  He rescinded this commitment fairly late in the recruiting cycle in November, and committed to Notre Dame in early January of 2013. Sporting an impressive offer list (LSU, Oklahoma, USC, Ole Miss, Tennessee, UCLA, and Ohio State among others), the 30^th ranked recruit in the country had many choices, but chose to sign with the Irish and be a member of #IrishMob13 (the clever hashtag/nickname characterizing the 2013 recruiting class).

Redfield saw action as a true freshman, registering 12 total tackles in former defensive coordinator Bob Diaco’s defense. The controversial decision to start Redfield against Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl prevented the chance to preserve a year of eligibility. Hindsight is always 20/20, but preserving a year of eligibility may have been a more conservative and beneficial approach.

Enter 2014, and with it a new defensive coordinator in Brian Van Gorder. Redfield worked his way into a starting role, starting 11 games and playing in all 13 games – contributing 68 total tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception.

Redfield, however, didn’t mince words about the difficulties within the new defensive system, as he told Lou Somogyi of Blue and Gold Illustrated:

An eloquent and confident speaker, Redfield has carried 18-credit academic course loads at Notre Dame per semester, most notably learning Mandarin Chinese. When asked whether VanGorder’s defense or Chinese was more difficult, he paused. “That’s a pretty good question,” he responded. “I would say consistently being successful in that scheme is harder than learning Chinese.”

Redfield rode the rollercoaster throughout 2014, with a low point coming during the Arizona State loss when he was criticized for his overall lack of effort. Consequently, he found himself benched and in the Brian Kelly doghouse the next two games, which were incredibly frustrating losses to Northwestern and Louisville.

Season ending injuries to Austin Collinsworth (shoulder) and Drue Tranquill (1^st of 2 ACL injuries) forced Redfield into a starting role once again during the impressive Music City Bowl victory against LSU. The bowl win was indisputably Redfield’s most productive individual performance, recording 14 tackles. Many believed the former five-star safety had turned the corner and was destined for a monster 2015 season – including college football pundit Phil Steele who named Redfield a 2015 First Team Preseason All-American.

Unfortunately, this prediction did not come to fruition. 2015 was not a monster season, nor was it an epic failure of a season. It was every bit of luke-warm mediocrity.  Redfield failed to surpass his sophomore totals in tackles, making 64 total tackles in 2015, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and notching another interception (much in thanks to a tip drill executed by KeiVarae Russell, now of the Kansas City Chiefs). Redfield ended the season on a low point when he was sent home from the Fiesta Bowl for allegedly missing curfew repeatedly. Redfield took to Instagram to post a (backhanded?) apology leaving many to wonder if he had played his last down with #NDFB. Thankfully, Redfield is still enrolled at Notre Dame and participated in the 2016 spring practices.

Moving into the summer and eventually into fall camp, this is undoubtedly a do or die season for the senior.  There isn’t a coach or fan that would claim Redfield is lacking in the department of athleticism. The criticisms often come from mental breakdowns and lapses that consequently result in big plays for the offense. These errors in judgement and off the field issues must be put to bed.

If there is a proverbial switch to be flipped, then it better happen quickly because true freshman (early enrollee) Devin Studstill was one of the most highly praised defensive players of the spring and reportedly took first team reps – relegating Redfield to some second team reps. Perhaps this is a motivational ploy instrumented by the coaching staff, or maybe Studstill is simply that good. With that being said, don’t count out Redfield just yet. The Irish have a history of producing high performing safeties late in their collegiate career. It took former #NDFB safety Harrison Smith, current Minnesota Viking and recent Pro Bowl performer, years of growing pains before the light eventually turned on and he recorded an astonishing and team leading 7 interceptions his senior year (most since Shane Walton also picked off 7 passes back in 2002).

Max Redfield has obviously had his fair share of highs and lows aboard the #NDFB rollercoaster.  Here’s to hoping he can learn from his past hardships and develop a mature outlook on his upcoming senior year.  With all of the intangible pieces in place, he needs to add and maintain a mental consistency to allow his five-star athletic frame fly around and make plays.  I’m well aware that this is an overly simplistic solution, but the truth is that Redfield has one final season to answer the questions: Did the recruiting analysts whiff on this five-star? Or, like Harrison Smith, did Redfield need to endure a few years of growing pains to develop into the game-changing and potential NFL safety we all thought he could be?

I believe the light will turn on for Redfield and he will become the commanding leader of the defense’s back end. I won’t give up on him just yet because of his sheer athleticism. Redfield has been his own worst enemy. But if he can put as much effort in the film room as it looks like he does in the weight room, then this upcoming season will be the one where we consistently see what recruiting analysts saw in this five-star talent in 2013.

Cheers and go Irish!

Previous “5 Questions” Posts

• Will The Irish Defense Improve Its Pass Rush?
• Will Another Star Receiver Emerge in ’16?

The post Will Redfield Prove Five-Star Talent? appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Courtesy of ESPN

This entry is part of Her Loyal Sons’ continuing Fiesta Bowl preview series: Defensive preview, Ezekiel Elliott accident, Costume Gameday, offensive preview, Injured Irish returning, comprehensive bowl overview. Today, we examine the coaches.

By almost all metrics, Ohio State’s Urban Meyer has had a more successful career recently than Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly. Let’s compare:

HEAD-TO-HEAD (ON THE FIELD)

Kelly and Meyer have never faced each other. The pair were on a collision course to the 2010 Sugar Bowl, with Kelly’s Cincinnati squad emerging as a undefeated Group of 5 powerhouse and Meyer’s team blemished only by a loss to #2 Alabama in the SEC title game. Kelly scuttled those plans, however, when he left the university to accept the job at Notre Dame. Meyer’s Florida squad dismantled the Bearcats, 51-24. Jeff Quinn, now an offensive analyst for Notre Dame, replaced Kelly as Cincinnati’s coach that day.

CURIOUS CONNECTIONS

@CoachBrianKelly/Twitter

Meyer announced an indefinite hiatus from coaching before the Sugar Bowl, citing health and family reasons. (Kelly reached out to the departing coach after he was hospitalized.) During that break – and under the auspices of Kelly at Notre Dame – Meyer was the featured presenter at the university’s football coaches clinic.

Meyer had strong ties to the university, having once served as an assistant under both former Irish coaches Lou Holtz and Bob Davie. Then-athletic director Kevin White had a meeting with Meyer to discuss the Irish’s head coaching vacancy after Ty Willingham’s dismissal, but Meyer had already made up his mind to coach at Florida for “family reasons.”

As recently as 2008, Meyer still considered being Notre Dame’s head coach to be his “dream job.” Although never officially confirmed, Meyer allegedly asked Notre Dame to consider relaxing academic requirements so that he could recruit better players.

Meyer also holds strong ties to Cincinnati, where Kelly coached before Notre Dame. It’s his alma mater. It’s his father’s alma mater. He met his wife there. His sister, Gigi Escoe, is vice president of undergraduate affairs. Meyer even attended practices at Cincinnati while Kelly was coaching there.

Four of Meyer’s current coaching staff have worked previously for Kelly.

Kelly knows that he coaches in the shadow of Meyer, as some Irish fans wonder what could have been. He even joked about it, in a press conference soon after the bowl pairing was announced:

We’re going to wrestle, arm wrestle before the game, and whoever wins gets the Notre Dame job. No, I mean, I think that’s just great talk for the fans, and Urban is a great coach. Who knows; I’m not going to be here forever. Maybe he’ll get a chance one day to coach at Notre Dame if that’s what he wants.

JUST WIN, BABY

Here’s a welcome coincidence for comparison purposes: Urban Meyer and Brian Kelly have coached 77 games against FBS-level opponents in their last six years of coaching. For Kelly, this encompasses his entire tenure at Notre Dame. For Meyer, it’s his last two seasons at Florida and his first four at Ohio State.

Urban Meyer is a more successful coach than Brian Kelly in that 77 game stretch.

Urban Meyer teams scored more points than Brian Kelly teams in that period.

Urban Meyer teams won more games against ranked opponents than Brian Kelly teams in that time.

Urban Meyer teams won more big games than Brian Kelly teams.

Ranked vs. Opp Ranked
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Vs. Teams Over .500
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Via ESPN

But as Lou Holtz is fond of saying, “You don’t have to be the best team in the country. But we do have to be the best team in the stadium today.”

Kelly does have one statistical advantage. He’s 12-3 in games played on neutral sites, while Meyer is just 8-3. That’s a bit misleading. Kelly’s neutral site games were mostly against Navy and underwhelming competition in the Shamrock Series. Meyer’s teams were playing for conference titles, big bowl wins and national championships.

HEAD-TO-HEAD (OFF FIELD)

(Photo via @NDfootball)

Brian Kelly’s student-athletes are more successful in the classroom than Urban Meyer’s, although Meyer has been trending up.

In the early 2000s, the NCAA created the Graduation Success Rate for Division I colleges. Here’s a quick explanation before we get to the numbers:

The GSR holds colleges accountable for those student-athletes who transfer into their school. Second, the GSR does not penalize colleges whose student-athletes transfer in good academic standing.  Essentially, those student-athletes are moved into another college’s cohort.

Meyer’s Florida team from 2009-10 scored a 67, while his 2010-11 team scored a 76. At Ohio State, he’s logged GSRs of 75, 78 and 81.

Kelly’s team remains among the standard bearers for successful student-athletes. Since 2010-11, Kelly’s teams have scored 97, 97, 93, 94 and 93.

***

Since Meyer joined Ohio State on Nov. 28, 2011, he and Kelly have battled repeatedly for prized midwest recruits.

In total, 77 student-athletes held offers from both Ohio State & Notre Dame and ultimately chose one of those two schools. (My data is collected from Scout.com.)

Urban Meyer and his recruiting team have won 43 head-to-head battles, while Brian Kelly and his staff have prevailed in 34 contests. Winning a national championship has certainly helped: Meyer has landed 13 commits who also held a Notre Dame offer since taking the trophy; Kelly has landed 8 in the same time period.

Meyer’s big splash in his return to coaching also convinced many high schoolers to sign on the dotted line. Ohio State won 9 consecutive recruits against Notre Dame between December 2011 and February 2012. (The player to break that streak – Davonte’ Neal – is no longer with the Irish.)

Notre Dame’s best run against Ohio State was 5, which occurred between April 2012 (Mike Heuerman) and January 2013 (Max Redfield). It’s likely no coincidence that this was also the time the Irish made its bid for the championship.

Ohio State has done an excellent job of keeping talent in state, landing 20 commits that also held competing offers from Notre Dame. Notre Dame has just six commits from Ohio who also had Buckeye scholarship offers.

Notre Dame and Ohio State have each grabbed five recruits from Florida, Meyer’s old stomping grounds and three each from Michigan, which borders both universities’ homes. Notre Dame has dominated Illinois, picking up four recruits to Ohio State’s one. The Irish also lead in their home state of Indiana, two recruits (Jaylon Smith & Josh Barajas) to one (Austin Mack).

Ohio State has grabbed five 5-star talents to Notre Dame’s 2. The Buckeyes also attract more 4-star talent: 38 commits with competing Notre Dame offers to the Irish’s 29.

The post Urban Meyer Better Than Brian Kelly In Most Ways appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Keeping wonder phenom Jaylon Smith home was an important signing in the Kelly era, but there’s a strong argument that Redfield was an even more impressive – quite possibly the most impressive – get for the current regime. While Smith was higher rated, Redfield wasn’t that far behind. 247 Sports Composite had Redfield as the #30 overall prospect in the 2013 class, and #2 in Notre Dame’s class behind Smith. That class included Greg Bryant, Tarean Folston, Malik Zaire, and Cole Luke just to name a few. However, Redfield is a California kid who was heavily recruited by USC. To go into California and beat an in-state rival for the top talent is always as good as it gets on the recruiting trail. All questions about Redfield’s intelligence were instantly answered when he chose the Irish over the Trojans.

Just how important is Redfield from a recruiting standpoint? 247 Sports has data going back to 1999 on composite rankings. During that time period, no secondary defender had a higher composite or overall ranking than Redfield. Only four defenders total eclipsed Redfield’s composite score of 0.9852 (1.000 would be a perfect score). Those players: Manti Te’o (2009), Aaron Lynch (2011), Ishaq Williams (2011), and Smith (2013). With that type of back ground, it’s no surprise that many expected a lot from Redfield early.

Redfield’s freshman season had him see limited action in 12 games, but he never made the instant impact that many hoped for. The coaching staff made comments throughout the season that Redfield’s understanding of the playbook and preparation had a ways to go to catch up to his raw physical gifts. Given the uneven play of safety mates Austin Collinsworth, Mathias Farley, Elijah Shumate, and Eilar Hardy, that Redfield wasn’t quick to adapt to the college game seemed like a massive disappointment. In reality, 2013 was going to be a year of transition for the secondary regardless of what Redfield could accomplish.

However, Redfield finally started alongside Austin Collinsworth in the Pinstripe Bowl to close out the year, and so the buzz began anew that 2014 would be Redfield’s break out party. Bob Diaco’s departure and the hiring of more aggressive but also more complex Brian Vangorder complicated the game plan early. The academic suspensions which caused KeiVarae Russell to miss the entire season and Eilar Hardy to miss a substantial portion thinned the secondary before the season ever got going. For a player like Redfield who supposedly struggled to adapt quickly as a freshman, a lot was being thrust upon him to not only learn a new playbook but perform basically from day one.

The early returns were promising. The defense altogether was an excellent, ball hawking unit through the quarter post, which included Redfield making 6 total tackles and recording an interception in the 37*-0 shutout of Michigan. Sadly, the asterisk is because it was Redfield who got called for the crack block during Elijah Shumate’s interception return to end the game. Redfield would follow up in the next game by getting ejected for targeting in the first half versus Purdue. Some of the game understanding issues that were cited for Redfield’s lack of playing time during his freshman year appeared to be rearing their head again. If there was a common vein to Redfield’s early play, it was that he was not quite as crisp and quick to ball as many expected him to be.

Continued struggles adjusting to the Vangorder scheme along with several nagging injuries led to Redfield being demoted from the starting safety spot for Northwestern and Lousiville. And, to complete the cycle of history repeating itself, Redfield appeared to take a step forward during the Music City Bowl versus LSU. Redfield had a career best 14 total tackles and was named by multiple media outlets to their various “All Bowl” teams. Lost in all of the uneven play was the fact that Redfield finished second on the team in total tackles (68) and tied for fourth in solo tackles with 40. The issue remained that it felt hollow compared to what Redfield’s gifts continue to suggest he could do. Consider that every other member of the “normal” starting secondary unit (Shumate, Luke, Riggs, and Farley) all recorded more tackles for loss than Redfield’s 0.5, and he neither forced nor recovered a fumble. His play remained extreme potential rather than converted on field performance.

Coming into 2015, the pressure Redfield will feel to produce is matched only be Zaire. Eilar Hardy, Austin Collinsworth, and Mathias Farley (Updated 6/24/15: As I was reminded by reader Archangel: Farley has a 5th year and is expected to receive a scholarship for the coming season) are all gone. The starting roles firmly belong to the highly touted tandom of Redfield and Shumate, and the number of excuses fans will be willing to tolerate mirrors the number of points Michigan scored versus ND last season. KeiVarae Russell’s return should help. The trio of Cole Luke, Cody Riggs, and Mathias Farley played very well in 2014 for the most part. Luke in particular filled Russell’s absence better than just about anyone could have expected. However, Russell is a pre-season All-American type of talent and if Vangorder feels confident that Russell/Luke can both serve as shutdown corners, the chance for Redfield to get aggressive increases immensely.

While conditioning expectations on the play of others applies to every member of a football team, Redfield’s potential feels particularly entwined with the other members of the defensive unit. The Notre Dame pass rush was so poor last season, that teams had time on demand to stretch the field and wait for the secondary to break down. An injury depleted linebacking corp didn’t help. 2015’s set up for Notre Dame to start two All-American caliber corners and have a deep, athletic linebacking group that just might free Redfield’s natural gifts. A full year in the Vangorder system and perhaps some confidence knowing he’s going to be starting, hell or high water, barring injury, are additional factors in his favor.

BK’s comments following the Blue & Gold game provide additional reason for optimism:

I think Max has really stepped up as a leader. I think he’s a lot more comfortable in his role, and a lot more comfortable with the playbook. I think when you’re younger and you come into a starting position, it’s harder to be vocal because there are a lot of guys older than you. He’s really taken that next step of establishing himself as a leader, being demonstrative and brining everyone to a higher standard with his play.

So what to expect? Assuming health, the most noticeable difference may be in his chance to impact on ball plays through interceptions and fumbles. He seems ideal to disrupt and cause big plays in the Vangorder system. I don’t expect him to be flawless. His lapses though are of the mental type, and that’s the type of thing a good offseason can correct. His trajectory might be more linear than many hoped it would be, and it may still not be put altogether before his senior season, but the chance for drastic improvement is there. His teammates will go a long way towards the final grade on Redfield’s season. If the pass rush does not improve, Redfield will get exposed, like any secondary, forced to cover for extended periods of time. I’m not ready to be more than cautiously optimistic, but that’s okay. Sometimes progress is just slower than we’d like.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nick Gonzales/The Elkhart Truth

The post Straight Expectations: Chapter Four – Max Redfield appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Courtesy of Neon Tommy (via Flickr)

Good morning! Our accomplished author, Lisa, who helms the very popular “Where Are They Now?” series is back with a special feature on the Notre Dame fantasy camp. She talks to a two-time participant about his experiences interacting with coaches and players – and having a lot of fun in the process. Click on “Become part of the team” to read more.

FROM OUR SITE

• Become part of the team

GREAT TWEET

.@D_Brut30 and @salaams_from_68 leading the Colorado Symphony through the Notre Dame fight song! #TasteOfBroncos pic.twitter.com/QlHkPuEuRj

— Broncos Off Field (@BroncosOffField) June 17, 2015

CLICK-BAIT HEADLINE OF THE DAY

• Chicago Tribune: Notre Dame football camper aims for Malik Zaire’s head – The headline suggests intent, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

RECRUITING

• Blue & Gold Illustrated (F): Recruiting ‘states’ of Notre Dame: #29-#25
• Blue & Gold Illustrated (F): Recruiting ‘states’ of Notre Dame: #24 Tennessee
• Bruin Report Online ($): Video: Trevon Sidney at B2G Elite camp (4-star WR Trevon Sidney from California)
• Irish247 ($): Analysis: Andrew Pryts (4-star S from Pennsylvania)
• Irish247 (F): Irish Invasion: Top safety targets headed to South Bend
• Irish Illustrated (F): Top Ohio junior in for Invasion (S Tyrell Ajian, no rating yet)
• Irish Sports Daily (F): Irish Invasion is big for Sparco (QB Dante Sparco from Colorado, no rating yet)
• ND Insider ($): LB recruit Elysee Mbem-Bosse puts Notre Dame in top seven (3-star/4-star from Georgia)
• Scout (F): Visits on tap for Claypool (4-star TE Chase Claypool from Canada)

CURRENT TEAM

• Chicago Tribune: Notre Dame receiving duo considered top in college football
• Goshen News: Early look at freshmen on offensive side of the ball
• Inside the Irish: Irish A-to-Z: Hunter Bivin
• Irish247 (F): Zaire’s leadership quality fueled by energy, self-belief
• Irish Illustrated (F): ND A-to-Z: Max Redfield
• Irish Illustrated (F): ND A-to-Z: Corey Robinson
• UHND: KeiVarae Russell’s return a windfall for Notre Dame

SCHEDULE

• Inside the Irish: Offseason Q&A: Texas
• Irish Illustrated (F): First rate: Quarterbacks
• Irish Illustrated (F): Trouble spot #1 – USC

MISC.

• 247 Sports (F): Top five facilities in college football (ND is #5)
• CT Now: From a famous tailgaiting family, the Golic cooler
• DNA Info Chicago: Check out Darius Fleming’s Super Bowl ring
• Irish247 (F): Jerome Bettis: “You will be successful in life”

The post Morning Roundup: June 17, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.