Notre Dame defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder yells from the sideline during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring football game on Saturday, April 16, 2016, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. South Bend Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Much has been discussed, written, and analyzed of the 50-47 loss Texas handed Notre Dame this past Sunday. Many have called for change among the defensive coaching staff as it relates to the 50 points a young Texas team hung on the Irish defense.

Ironically, the change that is being clamored for is due to the inability to do just that – change. In the ever evolving landscape of today’s college football, it is more important now than ever for coaches to adjust, adapt, and yes – change. The evolution of the spread offense, read option, and dual threat quarterback are prime examples of how defenses around the country have been forced to adapt in order to defend the relatively new, innovative, fast paced offensive systems.

In regards to Notre Dame, changes must be made in one way or another if the Irish hope to salvage the 2016 season. Look no further than the recent game at Texas as an example of the failure to successfully adjust and adapt.

Irish Illustrated’s Pete Sampson offered this interesting stat: Against Notre Dame’s 3-man defensive line, Texas rushed 38 times for 214 yards, or 5.63 yards per carry. Against a 4-man line, Texas rushed 11 times for 38 yards, or 3.45 yards per carry. Hindsight is 20/20, but why the Irish ever went back to the 3-man front in the second half may forever remain a mystery.

I have never been a defensive coordinator – nor do I pretend to be – so forgive me for what may appear as a naive interpretation of the “VanGorder Experiment.” To the common fan, the easiest change to make on defense would be to “simplify the scheme.” This is, and remains, the platitude that Irish fans continue to cling to. It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to suggest that the complexities of Brian VanGorder’s NFL-esque defensive system have become counterproductive to general defensive goals.

Sadly, these complexities continually appear to be far more complex to our own defense than to the opposing offense. The current defensive scheme can be easily characterized by numerous busted coverages, players “overrunning” the ball carrier, failed blitz attempts, and quite simply poor tackling. When these miscues develop into patterns, rather than isolated incidents, you end up with historically poor results as summarized by long-time Notre Dame Football beat writer Lou Somogyi at Blue and Gold Illustrated:

The 132 points Notre Dame has surrendered in its last three games — a 38-36 loss at Stanford, a 44-28 defeat to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl and the 50-47 setback in Austin — set a school record for the most over such a stretch. Those 132 points yielded come out to an average of 44.0 points per game. The previous record was 129, or 43.0 per game, in 2014.

Unfortunately, that also occurred during VanGorder’s first season at the helm when Notre Dame lost 55-31 at Arizona State, 43-40 at home to Northwestern in overtime, and 31-28 versus Louisville. That’s not even including a 49-14 drubbing at USC in the regular season finale, or a 49-39 victory versus Navy the week before traveling to Arizona State. When you add those five games up, it comes out to 43.5 points per game, just short of the current 44.0 number through the past three contests.

Once again, a healthy dose of “simplify the scheme” would appear (on the surface) to be a potential cure to the poor defensive performances. If not a cure, perhaps simplifying a defensive philosophy rooted in NFL teachings could provide a much needed cough drop to the current disease defense.

Perhaps a simplification would allow for less scheme teachings and more fundamental tackling teachings, thus providing better results considering the original tally of missed tackles against Texas reached an inexcusable 24. Maybe even a Bob Diaco “bend don’t break” style defense would more justly fit the current defensive personnel. Comparing the Diaco era versus the VanGorder era provides for a nostalgic juxtaposition:

• Yards allowed per game: 343 (Diaco) vs. 393 (VanGorder) +50
• Points allowed per game: 19.0 (Diaco) vs. 27.1 (VanGorder) +8.1
• ND Offense points per game: 27.1 (Diaco) vs. 34.0 (VanGorder) +6.1 – essentially BVG has the luxury of a 6 point cushion that Diaco wasn’t fortunate enough to have.
• 2012 defense allowed one touchdown drive of over 75 yards (Diaco) vs. 2015 defense allowed 26 touchdown drives of over 75 yards (VanGorder) – also the Irish defense gave up four touchdown drives of 75 yards or more against Texas. (Stats courtesy of @NDMcFLY  & @PeteSampson_)

While these statistics may be superficial, they do make an ND fan appreciate the old adage: “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.”

The upshot is that the coaches can’t lose sight of their overall goal – to put the players in the best opportunities to succeed. This beautifully simple idea has been conflated and overshadowed on defense over the past three years by perplexing gap assignments, stunts, blitzes, and coverage responsibilities.

Looking back at the 2015 team, the lack of success on defense is maddening, especially after considering five members of that defense are currently on NFL rosters (Jaylon Smith, KeiVarae Russell, Sheldon Day, Romeo Okwara and Matthias Farley). Yes, the 2014 and 2015 defenses suffered unprecedented injuries, but would that not then prompt a coaching staff to change and/or adapt their complex philosophy to fit a young and inexperienced personnel? One could argue it certainly would not hurt.

This change needs to be made in order to put the current personnel in the best opportunities to succeed. Drue Tranquil and Avery Sebastian are very talented safeties who lack the physical traits necessary to succeed given their current responsibilities within the current system. Their backups, true freshmen Devin Studstill and Jalen Elliott, also can’t be expected to fully grasp the complex scheme when no one has truly demonstrated a distinct understanding in the three years of its implementation.

The last three years have been a clinic on how to handicap above average athletic talents due to strenuous mental expectations. It is expected that the defense “play fast.” But in order to do so requires less thinking and a more natural read and react style of play. In order to put the players in the best positions to succeed, the coaching staff must adapt and change their philosophies to fit their current personnel.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin

The coaching staff must learn to adapt to the personnel at their disposal. Otherwise, fans can expect more of the same – busted coverages and missed assignments, which put the Irish on a path to a painfully mediocre season. If the coaching staff can’t make a philosophy change, the only other feasible option is to change the philosopher.

The post Defensive “Change” Must Come, One Way Or Another appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

I don’t know anything about each player’s rapping and singing skills, so instead I’m going to assign players based on how similar their personal traits are to each character in the musical.

GEORGE WASHINGTON

“Here comes the general!”

Senior Isaac Rochell is a likely pick for captain of the 2016 Notre Dame football team, which makes him the perfect person to play our first commander-in-chief.

Washington prioritized the health of the country more than his own ambition. In the musical, he’s assured in his convictions and has a strong sense of ethics that he will not violate. Hamilton looks up to Washington, and the general responds in kind by putting Hamilton under his wing.

Christopher Jackson as George Washington in “Hamilton.”

With the graduation of Sheldon Day and Romeo Okwara, Rochell has stepped into a leadership role on the defense. Rochell is also looking to make his mark off the field, securing an internship with Street Bean Coffee. It’s a nonprofit that helps young, homeless individuals receive job training they need to become employed and improve their situation.

Rochell, like Washington, recognizes the platform that he has been given and intends to make full use of it for the greater good.

THOMAS JEFFERSON

I’ll have sophomore defensive tackle Jerry Tillery play the role of Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson rivals Hamilton in intellect. He’s well-traveled, having spent several years in France as an American diplomat. If there’s a word that comes to mind, it’s ambitious. Jefferson drafted a version of the Declaration of Independence, served as Secretary of State during Washington’s tenure and later became vice president and president of the United States.

Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson

Ambition is also a characteristic of Tillery. He has designs to be a doctor and a professional football player.

“Plenty of people have done it before me,” Tillery told NDInsider.com last year. “I don’t think I’m the first one with those aspirations. I’m handling the coursework, and I’m doing pretty well on the field. Why can’t I have both?”

Tillery is an avowed supporter of Hillary Clinton and seems very interested in political discourse, having served as campaign manager on a student body ticket that ultimately fell short. He’s also traveled to Ireland and Germany during his brief breaks from the gridiron.

ELIZA SCHUYLER HAMILTON

Redshirt junior tight end Nic Weishar is my pick for this role. Eliza was Hamilton’s wife, a kind-hearted, moralistic woman who prioritized family over self. She had a well defined sense of purpose, throwing herself into the founding of New York’s first private orphanage.

Weishar helped establish The Andrew Weishar Foundation, a charity in memory of his brother. Andrew, a victim of colorectal cancer, wanted his family to “pay forward” the kindness and generosity he experienced while fighting the disease. The foundation provides financial donations to families who have a member battling cancer to pay bills, take a vacation or whatever they deem appropriate.

The foundation throws an annual WeishFest in Chicago to bring awareness of the charity and to raise funds. About two dozen of Weishar’s teammates attended last year’s music festival and signed autograph for attendees.

ANGELICA SCHUYLER

I choose senior wide receiver Corey Robinson for the role of Hamilton’s sister-in-law. If you’ve heard the musical, you know Angelica has the wattage of Beyoncé. She is a strong, witty, independent woman who is an equal to many men in intelligence and foresight. Angelica is also very well read and, from her introduction onward, is “looking for a mind at work.”

Robinson typifies many of these characteristics. The university’s student body president, Robinson matches his on-field achievements with excellence in the classroom. Robinson has started a non-profit, composed an album’s worth of songs and briefly considered leaving school early to help the homeless of Brazil.

Robinson is an obvious choice for the role of Angelica.

AARON BURR

My choice for Hamilton’s chief adversary and our county’s third vice president is redshirt junior DeShone Kizer. Unlike the outspoken Hamilton, Burr is decidedly more reserved. Burr, an artful and intelligent man, is a man of fewer words. But don’t mistake his silence for a lack of ambition. Burr definitely wants to be in the mix and to get ahead. Burr is also a man who is proud of his accomplishments and wouldn’t stand for anyone slighting them.

I see a lot of these attributes in Kizer, who is more soft-spoken than his counterpart at quarterback. Like Burr, Kizer didn’t exactly know what he wanted – until opportunity presented itself. Both made the most of it when given their shot.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON

My choice for the protagonist of the show is senior quarterback Malik Zaire. The musical is a story of an ambitious, driven individual who surprises adversaries who continually underestimate him. Hamilton is a leader, unafraid to offer his opinion even when it may be politically advantageous to hang back and see which way the winds blow. The Founding Father was obsessed with leaving his mark on the young country and being remembered long after his political career ended.

It’s no coincidence that I’ve cast Kizer in the Burr role and Zaire in the Hamilton role. Burr and Hamilton were friendly, although they approached similar challenges in different ways. Hamilton and Burr began to grow apart when Burr defeated Hamilton’s father-in-law for a U.S. Senate seat. Hamilton would vigorously campaign against Burr whenever the latter sought political office. Their acrimony was settled on the dueling grounds, with Burr fatally wounding Hamilton.

OTHER ROLES

• Jarron Jones as James Madison – frequent collaborator with Jefferson (Tillery).
• Corey Holmes as Lafayette – Who is faster? Holmes on the field or Lafayette with the raps?
• Torii Hunter Jr. as Hercules Mulligan – Smooth, fun fellows who can command a presence
• Cole Luke as King George III – Ruler of an island; keeps close tabs on enemies

Thank you to Lin-Manuel Miranda for inspiration.

The post Recasting “Hamilton” With ND Football Players appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 11: Jarron Jones #94 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish rushes against Jon Heck #71 of the North Carolina Tar Heels at Notre Dame Stadium on October 11, 2014 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

It has been no secret that the Irish defense has significantly lacked a strong and consistent pass rush the past few seasons under Brian VanGorder’s defensive system.

Yes, there have been flashes of well-designed blitzes and convincing individual performances. We all remember the thorough dismembering and countless cans of whoop ass that were opened on Michigan in 2014. How could anyone forget this marvelous shutout? (Quick update: Michigan still hasn’t scored). This was the game we were all formally introduced to the mustache riding, fist pumping, turn down for what defensive coordinator we collectively crushed on for a week.

It was also just a year ago that Romeo Okwara recorded three sacks in one game against Wake Forest. Okwara lead the team with 8 sacks, which was 45th best last year. Alabama, the reigning national champion, lead the country in sacks with 52, more than double Notre Dame’s lackluster output of 25. The Irish were tied for 74th in the country. As explosive as the Irish offense was last year, #NDnation drools at the thought of 10 more sacks potentially putting the offense in even better positions to light up the scoreboard. Since 25 sacks won’t cut it, is there any reason to believe this number will improve?

Yes – the defense will generate a better pass rush than last year. In terms of pass/fail, I would set the goal at 33 sacks. That output last year would have put the Irish in the top 30. I believe they’ll have a more effective pass rush than last year for two main reasons: depth and upgraded athleticism at key pass rush positions.

DEPTH

The defensive line has been a frustrating group to follow over the past few years. Depth has been a nagging issue. Sheldon Day and Romeo Okwara have left behind large voids, but there is still reason to be optimistic about the defensive line. There’s an intriguing mix of inexperience and veteran presences.

Daelin Hayes (und.com)

Daelin Hayes and Khalid Kareem, two early enrollees, provide much needed depth, talent and overall star power. The pair, who both hail from Michigan, were top rated defensive linemen within the recruiting class. Hayes was once a U$C commit and Kareem was pledged to Alabama. They’ll be pushing redshirt freshmen Elijah Taylor and Michah Dew-Treadway, big bodies that are expected to compete for supporting roles.

Sophomore Jerry Tillery – star of Showtime’s “A Season With” documentary series – and battle-tested juniors Daniel Cage and Andrew Trumbetti will be staples on the defensive line this year. All three will be crucial to the group’s success and bring a different attribute to the line. Tillery is a highly cerebral defensive tackle with above average athleticism, giving him the ability to wreak havoc in opposing backfields. Cage is a 315-pound defensive tackle that often requires a double team in the middle of the defense, thus allowing linebackers to roam more freely. Trumbetti has seen two years of work at defensive end and has shown bursts and flickers of becoming a true rush end.

Unproven junior Jonathon Bonner finds himself in a curious grey area. Brian Kelly explained that Bonner was one of the “impressive up-and-comers” of the 2015 spring season; however, Bonner was unable to translate this praise onto the playing field on Saturdays.

Moving into 2016, Bonner explained to Blue and Gold Illustrated that he has settled in and become far more comfortable with his position.

“I do (feel myself getting better).  I actually feel a difference this year compared to even the end of last year. Workouts are much better and you can use everything in your toolbox from last year and really put it into play during spring ball.” Minimally, Bonner provides the defense with additional depth, and has potential to become a solid situational player within the defensive line rotation.

Finally, promising NFL prospects Isaac Rochell and Jarron Jones will set the tone for the group and will likely have the biggest impact on its success.

Jones returns this year after missing the entire 2015 season due to a fall camp knee injury. Jones’ long frame – 6-foot-5.5, 315 lbs. – is uncharacteristic for a defensive tackle. If he can develop an ability to leverage this length against his defenders, he could become incredibly difficult to block.

Rochell has the versatility and experience to play both tackle and end. He is anticipated to fill the leadership void within the position group that departed with Sheldon Day’s graduation. He is also one of my picks as a potential captain.

This evenly distributed amount of talent creates depth that has been dreadfully needed. With this depth in place, it would be a pleasant change of pace to see far more rotation on the defensive line compared to last season. Great defenses, especially defensive lines, have the ability to platoon players in and out, thus keeping the big bodies fresh for key snaps. Notre Dame has not had this luxury in recent seasons, but barring any (*FEROCIOUSLY KNOCKS ON WOOD*) injuries, the Irish should be able to create a steady and fresh rotation of defensive linemen.

UPGRADED ATHLETICISM

The BVG defensive scheme doesn’t shy away from a blitz or two (or three or four or…. you get it).  Sadly, a number of blitzes and a number of sacks are not directly correlated.  Last year, Irish fans witnessed a heavy dose of blitzes that failed to get home – many executed by Mike (middle) linebacker Joe Schmidt. This isn’t the time or place to debate Schmidt’s play, but it’s fair to say that when he blitzed, he rarely got home – twice to be exact.

Nyles Morgan (Credit: Chicago Tribune)

This upcoming year the defense will feature Nyles Morgan at Mike linebacker, and it’s with complete confidence that I conclude this will be an upgrade at the position. Morgan was named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team, and to the Sporting News Freshman All-America Team in 2014. Many (including myself) were clamoring for Morgan to get more reps last year, but this simply didn’t happen. Many assumed it was due to a lack of totally understanding defensive schemes.  Morgan addresses this notion along with other intricacies of his position in a “Close Up” interview with WatchND.

Morgan is primed for a breakout year. His overall athleticism and three-year knowledge of the defensive scheme will produce vast improvements in the pass rush and in the defense as a whole.

Irish fans not only saw a bevy of blitzes from the linebackers, but also from the nickelback position. In the past few years, Matthias Farley often made a living firing off the line of scrimmage as a nickelback into opposing teams’ backfields. Redshirt freshman Shaun Crawford was going to be the team’s starting nickelback in 2015 before suffering a season ending injury in fall camp. He’ll be starting this year for sure. Crawford’s “quick twitch” agility and speed should be a deadly combination enabling him to come off the edge as an unexpected pass rusher. His pure athleticism, similar to Morgan, will be an upgrade at the position and a threat to opposing backfields.

Pairing the depth that has been created on the defensive line with the talent upgrades at other key pass rush positions, the Irish defense is in good position to improve from last year’s performance and inflict chaos on opposing pass protections.

Previous 5 Questions:

Will Another Star Receiver Emerge in ’16?

The post Will The Irish Defense Improve Its Pass Rush? appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys

CHRIS BROWN: There are actually two players named Chris Brown on the Dallas Cowboys roster as of right now. The first is the Notre Dame graduate who was a great complement to Will Fuller in the 2015 Irish receiving corps. The second is a former Cal Poly QB who was invited to a minicamp to prove himself as a wide receiver. In a Tuesday post, SB Nation’s Ryan Ratty wonders aloud if Notre Dame’s former standout could push fellow Cowboys WR Devin Street off the roster.

Obviously, Brown will have a tougher road, as Street has the advantage of knowing the offense and being more familiar with the rest of the roster. But Brown will be given the opportunity to jump right in and prove himself. Brown’s workout numbers were impressive. It’s worth mentioning that he was a stud track jumper and sprinter in high school. If Brown can put on weight to match his speed, which he likely will with an NFL weight room and conditioning program, the Cowboys will be getting a unique player that can do a lot for this offense.

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

AMIR CARLISLE: Carlisle, who is sporting #81 in camp, has survived the first round of cuts with the Arizona Cardinals. SB Nation’s Jess Root, who profiled the former Irish receiver Wednesday for the Revenge of the Birds blog, said Carlisle’s long-term viability with the Cardinals is in doubt: “Carlisle will have a very hard time even sticking on the practice squad. The receiver room is stacked right now. However, his versatility could prove valuable. Nonetheless, he is likely just a camp body.”

MATTHIAS FARLEY: Like Carlisle, Farley signed with the Arizona Cardinals after going undrafted. I haven’t been able to find any news about Farley since his May 1 signing.

EVERETT GOLSON: Golson transferred to Florida State after graduating from Notre Dame in 2015. He started the season for the Seminoles, but was benched by season’s end and skipped the Peach Bowl for personal reasons. He returned to Notre Dame for Pro Day. After the draft, Golson accepted an invitation to tryout with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are low on quarterbacks, so they invited Golson and former Irish adversary, UMass’ Blake Frohnapfel, to throw and “to help the practices function.” I haven’t seen official word on how the event went. But the Colts claimed former Liberty QB Josh Woodrum off waivers on Tuesday, so it’s safe to assume that the Golson/Indianapolis relationship may soon be at an end.

JARRETT GRACE: Grace, who started for the Irish at middle linebacker in 2013 before a devestating leg injury, participated in Notre Dame’s March 31 Pro Day. While his performance was not enough to be drafted, the Chicago Bears have extended a mini-camp tryout invitation. The mini-camp begins this weekend.

Eilar Hardy

EILAR HARDY: Hardy, a former Irish safety perhaps best known for his inclusion in the “Frozen Five” academic scandal, was invited to tryout with the Cincinnati Bengals. That happened May 6. On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Times’ Greg Auman tweeted that Hardy has been offered a second tryout with the Buccaneers. Hardy returned for the final five games of the 2015 season, then spent his senior season at Bowling Green. He returned to Notre Dame for its Pro Day.

MATT HEGARTY: The former Irish center, who finished his career at Oregon, was invited to the San Francisco 49ers’ rookie minicamp, which took place last weekend. The 49ers start organized team activities in two weeks. To my knowledge, they haven’t announced any signings or cuts.

ROMEO OKWARA: Okwara signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants. There’s not much news coming out of camp about him. The Twitter account of Big Blue United, a popular Giants-related site, said Okwara was an “extreme long shot to make it past the first cut at training camp.”

ELIJAH SHUMATE: Undrafted, the former Notre Dame safety signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the conclusion of the draft. Shumate, wearing #41 for the Bucs, had an interception – one of at least three on the day – off former Alabama and Toledo QB Philip Ely during the Saturday session. Shumate, a film, television and theatre major, graduates this weekend from Notre Dame!

Rookie Mini-Camp Check In ?

Elijah Shumate is already making plays in Tampa Bay.#NDinTheNFL
pic.twitter.com/Pl5XVY3KTv

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) May 8, 2016

Shumate told the Essex (N.J.) News Daily that he plans on a career in the NFL.

“That been a dream of mine since I was 6, but I also want to work with inner-city kids and help change the environment to not only a comfortable environment but also a confident one, too. I want kids to feel they have the sources to put them in good standing with kids that are more fortunate. Some of my fondest memories growing up in East Orange was having everything I needed, within a matter of a few steps from my house; a park that I not only had fun in, but also help make me become the person I am today. Stemming from either competing on the court or even as little as talking to a girl, (I) just did not want to lose and that is one of the biggest character traits that I carried.”

New York Giants defensive end Ishaq Williams runs through a drill during NFL football rookie camp, Friday, May 6, 2016, in, East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

ISHAQ WILLIAMS: Williams, whose last competitive game was in December 2013, impressed New York Giants personnel enough to earn a contract at the conclusion of his tryout. In a Giants.com video, the WFAN’s Paul Dottino said Williams may have gotten a look due to a recommendation of new Giants strength and conditioning coach, Aaron Wellman, who worked in a similar capacity for Notre Dame. The only problem with that thought: I’m not sure how much interaction Wellman would have had with Williams, who the NCAA ruled ineligible for the 2015 season. It may have been because Williams was New York State’s 2010 Gatorade Player of the Year and a standout in nearby Brooklyn, N.Y. Regardless of why the Giants invited him, Williams is providing much needed depth for Big Blue at the defensive end position. Williams is currently three classes short of graduation.

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Okwara’s #NDFB career could be chronicled “The Curious Case of Romeo Okwara,” due to his unusual youth.

SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 19: Cody Kessler #6 of the University of Southern California Trojans passes as Romeo Okwara #45 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish rushes at Notre Dame Stadium on October 19, 2013 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated USC 14-10. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Okwara, born in Nigeria, began school at the early age of 3, and he and his family moved to the United States years later. Once residing in North Carolina, Romeo had finished the 6th grade at age 10. He was a 3 star recruit (247sports composite ranking) coming out of Charlotte, North Carolina and turned 17 years old just prior to his freshman year at Notre Dame.

Despite his age, he was pushed into playing time and played in all 13 games in the 2012 season, where he served predominantly as a special team player contributing 7 tackles (4 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, and forced a fumble. He played in all 13 games in his sophomore season as well, recording 19 tackles (10 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, and a half sack. During his junior season, Okwara worked his way into a starting role – starting 12 of the 13 games. He made 39 tackles (15 solo), 4 tackles for loss, 4 sacks (team leader), and forced 2 fumbles. Moving into his senior year, Okwara was 19 and just turned 20 before the start of the season. To put that into perspective, it is common for high school seniors to turn 19 going into their freshman year of college.

Again, despite his youth, his senior year proved to be his most productive, where he (once again) lead the team in sacks with 9, registered 49 tackles (32 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss, and recovered and forced a fumble (all stats credit to und.com and sports-refernce.com). It appeared that a switch was flipped during his senior year, and he provided a much needed rush end dynamic to a defensive that admittedly has struggled getting to the quarterback. Okwara’s most memorable moment came in a November game against Wake Forest, where he leaped a potential cut block and recorded one of his three sacks in the game. He then proceeded to celebrate by showing some love to the nationally acclaimed Notre Dame fencing program, who will be highly represented at this year’s summer Olympics with 5 members joining Team USA. Moving on, let’s jump into Okwara’s NFL combine.

Okwara recorded the following measurables at the 2016 NFL combine:
• 6’5” – 265 lbs. – 34 1/8” arm length – 10 1/8” hand size
• 4.90 seconds 40 yard dash
• 23 reps on bench press
• 33.0 inch vertical jump
• 120.0 inch broad jump
• 7.38 seconds 3 cone drill
• 4.53 seconds 20 yard shuttle

I, sadly, am no NFL scout nor am I a self-proclaimed “draft expert” (if such creatures exist), thus my opinions on these numbers are about as irrelevant as Jim Harbaugh’s opinions on…anything. Instead of my commentary I’ll paraphrase Lance Zierlein of NFL.com and thesidelineview.com. Strengths include above average arm length and hand size coupled with natural upper body strength. Zierlein doesn’t sugarcoat his hesitations of Okwara explaining, “Extremely raw. Slow reaction time off the snap and doesn’t have the twitch to burst upfield and threaten an edge as a rusher.” In summary, Zierlein believes Okwara will need to break out of his normal stiff and mechanical movements, and translate his raw and natural power into on-field production if he hopes to make a roster. You can find Zierlein’s entire profile on Okwara at NFL.com.

In my totally meaningless and unsolicited opinion, I thought that a team would take a late round chance on Okwara, purely because of his intriguing youth. Even though he signed with the Giants, he won’t be legally allowed to celebrate with a cold one because he is only 20 years old (but I’ll fall on the sword and drink his share).

In any event, the Giants are getting an uncharacteristically young, bright, physically and mentally strong defensive lineman that will hopefully be given time to develop into a serviceable contributor.

Happy to announce that I am going to be a New York Giant #GMEN pic.twitter.com/jvLtyB3EZa

— Romeo Okwara (@RomeoND45) April 30, 2016

The post Romeo Okwara Signs With N.Y. Giants After Draft appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

JAYLON SMITH’S INJURY EXAMINED

Courtesy of NY Jets / Twitter

Linebacker Jaylon Smith gave contradictory – or confusing – answers to reporters’ questions about possible nerve damage in his left knee. Smith tore his ACL and LCL during the Irish’s Jan. 1 loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

NFL team physicians were allowed to examine Smith today to evaluate the extent of his injury. Doctors will need to determine what nerve damage, if any, has been suffered – and if Smith will be able to recover from it.

In the media scrum, Smith initially said there was no nerve damage. In later questioning about an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) brace he’s wearing, the junior linebacker said: “It’s helping the nerve heal.” He maintained throughout that the nerve was not “stretched” during the accident.

A FoxSports.com source – who was not named – told the publication that two doctors who evaluated Smith today had diverging opinions. The second doctor, the report said, pegged Smith’s chance at a full recovery at only 10 percent.

Smith was unsure of his own recovery timeline. Ian Rapoport, a NFL Network reporter, said teams – which he did not name – believe the linebacker will miss the entirety of the 2016 season.

Before today, the Fort Wayne, Ind. native was considered a certain Top 15 pick – with at least one mock draft having him as high as #7. If these evaluations cause Smith to tumble out of the first round, he will likely be able to collect on a $5 million loss of value insurance policy he purchased last year.

You can watch Smith walk, seven weeks removed from surgery, in this video shot today.

C.J. PROSISE BLAZES

Running back C.J. Prosise ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds today, which made him the eighth-fastest back at the Combine among 22 participants. The 4.48 second mark tied Prosise with former Irish running back George Atkinson III, who participated in the 2014 Combine.

C.J. Prosise runs an unofficial 4.46 in his first 40-yard run at the NFL Combine. pic.twitter.com/3FHHYrrxLz

— BlueandGold.com (@BGInews) February 26, 2016

Prosise’s overall performance was quite similar to Michael Floyd’s output in 2012.

• Prosise: 6 foot tall, 220 pounds, 4.48 40-yard dash, 35.5 inch vertical leap, 121 inch broad jump
• Floyd: 6 foot 3 inches, 220 pounds, 4.47 40-yard dash, 36.5 inch vertical leap, 122 inch broad jump.

Having seen this comparison, Floyd tweeted:

He making $$$$$$ https://t.co/h5v1gsM7eX

— MichaelFloyd (@MichaelMFloyd) February 26, 2016

Not really the natural hands you want to see from a converted WR. C.J. Prosise was hit and miss in drill work today. pic.twitter.com/XvzdGlXAqb

— Ethan Young (@EthanYoungFB) February 26, 2016

Prosise is projected to be a second, third or fourth round selection during the NFL Draft, which will be held April 28-30 in Chicago.

RONNIE STANLEY BATTLING TO BE FIRST TACKLE PICKED

Ronnie Stanley and Ole Miss’ Laremy Tunsil are widely considered to be the best tackles in the upcoming draft. Many weak teams are looking for a left tackle to protect their quarterback’s blind side and today was an opportunity for teams to evaluate Stanley and Tunsil side-by-side.

While Tunsil opted to skip most timed events, Stanley ran a respectable 5.20 second 40-yard dash (16th out of 47 offensive linemen), took 4.90 seconds to complete the 20-yard shuttle and 8.03 seconds to finish the three-cone drill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tSe2XGaR7E&feature=youtu.be

Tunsil did his best to impress as well, demonstrating absurd athleticism and causing scouts to gush about him more than any other player who participated in drills Friday.

The Rebels top lineman only had one hiccup today. His former teammate, Robert Nkemdiche, said Tunsil was in his hotel room when a drunken Nkemdiche fell 15 feet out a window before the Sugar Bowl. Nkemdiche was cited for marijuana possession, but did not connect Tunsil to the drugs.

Here’s a fun drill that allowed Stanley to play “mad dog” to Tunsil’s mirror:

Tunsil vs Stanley (as the mad dog) pic.twitter.com/BWz8d9Fj2B

— Rolo (@RoloEdits) February 26, 2016

ALSO APPEARING TODAY

• Center Nick Martin ran a 5.22 second 40-yard dash, did 28 reps on the bench press, jumped 97 inches in the broad jump, took 4.72 seconds to complete the 20-yard shuttle and 7.57 seconds to finish the 3-cone drill. His performance is similar to that of former Irish offensive lineman Eric Olsen, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 draft.
• Defensive end Romeo Okwara was measured today – and his results are remarkably similar to former Irish tight end Troy Niklas’ measurables during the 2013 NFL Combine.
  • Romeo Okwara: Height: 6-5; Weight: 265 lbs.; Arm length: 34 1/8″; Hands: 10 1/8
  • Troy Niklas: Height: 6-6; Weight: 270 lbs.; Arm length: 34 1/8″; Hands: 10″
• Will Fuller logged 10 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press. Chris Brown skipped the event.
• Sheldon Day’s measurables: 6 feet tall, 286 pounds, Arm length: 32 7/8″; Hands: 9 3/8″

THIS WEEKEND

The NFL Network will air the Combine from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

SATURDAY

• On-field: Chris Brown, Will Fuller
• Bench press: Sheldon Day, Romeo Okwara & Jaylon Smith
• Measurements, interviews and medical exams: KeiVarae Russell, Elijah Shumate

SUNDAY

• On-field: Sheldon Day, Romeo Okwara
• Bench press: KeiVarae Russell, Elijah Shumate

MONDAY

• On-field: Elijah Shumate

The post Notre Dame At NFL Combine: Early Results appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Simply put: the numbers strongly favor Ohio State. Whether considering the absolute bottom line of points allowed per game, where Ohio State’s been virtually the best in the country, or some of the secondary indicators, it’s tough to find a single area where Notre Dame has any sort of advantage. The Irish defense has been at its best situationally this season. You can read that to mean – in the red zone and on third downs. While the Irish managed to edge out Ohio State in these two categories, it feels like at best this puts the Irish on even footing situationally rather than wielding an advantage which can be exploited.

Perhaps more concerning is the expected showdown between Ohio State’s high powered rushing attack versus the Irish’s rushing defense. ND ranks just 74th nationally allowing 4.5 yards per attempt. Ohio State sits 8th nationally (2 spots behind Notre Dame) averaging 5.6 yards per rushing attempt on offense. Whereas the Buckeyes 10th ranked rushing defense versus ND’s rushing offense feels like a clash of titans, strength on strength, the reverse scenario is the single largest concern for fans hoping for a win.

If you’re optimistic and into talking about psychology and stuff, then Monday’s news of Zeke Elliott being cited for multiple driving violations including Driving on a Suspended License might be enough to persuade you that Ohio State’s most important offensive player might come out distracted or unmotivated. Hey, I hope you’re right. However, the week after griping and complaining and being perceived as a “distraction” following Ohio State’s loss to Michigan State, Elliott went out and averaged 7.1 yards per carry, rushing for over 200 yards and scoring 2 touchdowns versus rival Michigan. He’s got a short, but impressive, track record of Jameis Winston-vision: bulls eye focused on the field, Stevie Wonder blind off it.

Elliott also wasn’t wrong for criticizing the play calling in the Michigan State game. Urban Meyer admitted as much. In the 24 games since Elliott became the primary back for the Buckeyes following Week 3 of the 2014 season, he’s reached 100 yards rushing in 20 of 24 games. The Buckeyes have never lost when Elliott rushes for 100 or more yards.

This is not to say that Notre Dame is doomed to fail. Jaylon Smith and Sheldon Day are both 2015 All-Americans whereas the Ohio State defense, despite all of its team accolades boasts none. The suspension of defensive tackle Adolphus Washington following an arrest for solicitation certainly harms the Buckeye unit as well. Romeo Okwara’s second half of the season has been the best display of pass rushing by an Irish player since Stephon Tuitt’s departure several seasons ago.

However, going much deeper into the personnel game will not improve your optimism. Ohio State has an NFL caliber player at virtually every position led by a strong candidate for number one overall selection (should he elect to forgo remaining college eligibility) in Joey Bosa. Linebackers Darron Lee and Joshua Perry, cornerback Eli Apple, and safety Vonn Bell provide the Buckeyes an embarrassment of talent. You want to make an argument that Jaylon Smith and Sheldon Day are 2 of the 3 best defenders that will play in the Fiesta Bowl, I’m willing to listen. The problem is that Ohio State probably has numbers 4-10 regardless of the order you eventually decide upon.

So, aside from the “inspired performance” angle or the “Ohio State doesn’t want to be here” angle, what can Irish fans rest some hope on when comparing the defenses? Let’s start with the Ezekiel Elliott part of the story.

There’s no question that Elliott is an immensely talented runner who will almost assuredly end up as either the first or second back off the board in next year’s draft. He’s a physical, dominating back who gets better as the game goes on. However, he’s hardly the first dynamic game changing player the Irish will have seen this season. Elliott finished 8th in Heisman voting a couple of weeks ago. If you’re willing to include last year’s Music City Bowl game versus LSU, the Irish defense has faced 4 of the 7 players that finished ahead of Elliott in roughly a year’s time (Christian McCaffrey, Deshaun Watson, Keenan Reynolds, and Leonard Fournette).

The bright side is that in all three games that occurred this season, the Irish defense did a pretty good job of limiting the damage of these game breakers. Neither Reynolds nor McCaffrey found his way to the endzone, and Watson had (monsoooooooooon?) depressed numbers. Fournette, who from a physical and style standpoint, is most similar to Elliott was a different story versus the infirmary defense that was left standing at the end of last season. The key point though is that VanGorder and these Irish players should be well accustomed to preparing and accounting for elite level offensive players. They are battle tested versus the best players college football has to offer, which gets to my second reason for optimism….

While Ohio State will be the 5th opponent Notre Dame’s faced who ranks in the top 30 offensively in points per game, Notre Dame will be just the third such opponent for the Buckeyes. But, it’s not just the points per game piece but the type of team. The other two opponents ranking in the top 30 on the Buckeyes schedule are Indiana and Western Michigan – Two teams who’ve had nice offensive years but are always vulnerable to physical disadvantages that are exposed when facing teams that recruit at a much different level. By contrast, the 4 teams Notre Dame has already seen this season who match the same offensive criteria are Clemson, Stanford, USC, and Navy. The first 3 all being teams that recruit at a higher level than either an Indiana or a Western Michigan.

The Irish will easily be the most dynamic, explosive, and efficient offense the Buckeyes have seen all season. Notre Dame’s 6.9 yards per play offensively for the season is 5th nationally. You have to go all the way down to 33rd nationally to find Indiana which is the top Power 5 team Ohio State’s previously seen. Stanford and Clemson both rank higher than Ohio State on a yards per play basis. Sure, you can’t ignore the relative ease with which Stanford moved the ball versus Notre Dame, but at least the Irish defense has been exposed to an elite offense more recently than Ohio State’s squad.

And, it’s not just that Notre Dame’s seen more high end teams, but also consider that just 2 of Notre Dame’s opponents (Boston College and Wake Forest) ranked lower than 80th nationally in yards per play. By contrast, an astounding 8 of Ohio State’s opponents ranked 80th or worse. Let me re-state that an even more compelling way: Ohio State’s played just 4 teams all year that rank in the top 80 in yards per play offensively…the best of which were Indiana and Western Michigan.

For all the numerical and talent reasons to give a decided edge to Ohio State defensively, there are more than a few reasons to question how substantial the advantage may really be. For an Ohio State team that slept walked through a lot of their season and coasted by on raw talent, Notre Dame will prove to be a different level of challenge. If the Irish can break the Buckeyes defense, they might be able to force the game into a shootout where Notre Dame has a better chance to win outright.

Here’s to (kind of) hoping that maybe both defenses will fail.

The post Apples to Oranges: Fiesta Bowl Defensive Preview appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

PODCAST

• Irish Illustrated (F): Irish hit spring stride (50:55)
• ND Insider: Podcast: ND Insider recruiting update 4-2 (10:42)

RECRUITING – OFFERED

• Bruin Report Online ($): Video: Lucas at The Opening ( AZ RB Chase Lucas)
• Dawg Post (F): Big get for Dawgs – Price commits ( GA OT E.J. Price)
• Irish247 (F): Robinson, family excited about Notre Dame offer ( KY CB Davonte Robinson)
• Irish Turning Point: The buzz buzz
• Scout (F): Offers coming in for Ulmer, Robinson ( KY CB Davonte Robinson)
• Scout ($): 4-star TE Angeline planning Penn State return (PA Cary Angeline)
• Scout ($): 4-star TE Angeline gets Michigan fill (PA Cary Angeline)
• Scout ($): ND history on, off field impresses 4-star TE (PA Cary Angeline)
• Scout ($): Fulton likes LSU’s DB track record ( LA CB Kristian Fulton)
• Slap the Sign: Notre Dame offers ’17 Florida offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons
• USC Football.com: Trevon Sidney steals the show ( CA CB, also CA WRs Tyler Vaughns and Dylan Crawford)

RECRUITING – ND INTERESTED, NO OFFER

• Big Red Report (F): Brendan Scales talks about Nebraska offer ( MO TE)
• Big Red Report (F): D.J. Morgan adds Nebraska offer ( CA S)
• Irish Illustrated ($): LaBruna visits dream school (CA QB Andrew LaBruna, no rating yet)
• Scout ($): Alloway has two on top ( CA WR Damian Alloway)
• Show Me Mizzou ($): Mizzou offer for Scales ( MO TE Brendan Scales)

CURRENT TEAM

• CSN Sportsnet Chicago: Notre Dame won’t be surprised by Will Fuller’s growth
• Inside the Irish: Opportunities await Notre Dame’s running backs
• Inside the Irish: Spring practice breakdown: A look inside (finally!)
• Irish247 ($): Irish staff navigating through quarterback competition
• Irish247 (F): Denbrock: ‘(QB) is going to be a hard decision to make’
• Irish247 (F): Smythe leads the way for Irish at tight end
• Irish Illustrated (F): From a one in a thousand chance to…
• One Foot Down: Notre Dame football – Spring practice recap for April 1
• Rant Sports: 5 questions for Notre Dame football during 2015 spring practice

COACHING

• CBS Sports: Power Five college football coach rankings: The top 25 (Brian Kelly is #13)
• Irish Illustrated (F): The village voice(s)
• Irish Illustrated (F): Sanford scouting style, substance

IRISH IN THE NFL

• Bleacher Report (Monaco): Notre Dame football: DaVaris Daniels, Kendall Moore eye NFL careers
• ESPN: Atlanta Falcons waive safety Zeke Motta
• Irish247 (F): Daniels ready for next step
• Irish247 (F): Boosting draft stock was Koyack’s Pro Day focus
• Irish Turning Point: Pro Day results
• State of the Texans (F): Vince Wilfork is “here for Houston” (Louis Nix)

MISC.

• USA Today: College football playoff will keep weekly rankings

The post Morning Roundup: April 3, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

PODCASTS

• Irish Sports Talk: DaVaris at NFL Combine & Notre Dame scholarship at 82 – Feb 23 IST153 (46:45)
• Irish Illustrated: Insider Podcast #166 – Turnover margins (44:55)

VIDEO

• StudentSports: GoPro: Manti Te’o – Hawaii linebacker coach (2:06)
• WatchND: Tire Wars (0:42)

CURRENT TEAM

• Irish Illustrated: Spring questions: Defensive line (Jarron Jones, Isaac Rochell, Romeo Okwara, Andrew Trumbetti, Grant Blankenship, Jhonny Williams, Jonathan Bonner, Jay Hayes, Sheldon Day, Kolin Hill, Daniel Cage, Jacob Matuska, Pete Mokwuah, Jerry Tillery, Micah Dew-Treadway)
• Inside the Irish: Spring solutions: Wide receivers (Will Fuller, Corey Robinson, Chris Brown, C.J. Prosise, Amir Carlisle, Torii Hunter Jr., Corey Holmes, Justin Brent)
• Athlon Sports: College football’s top 20 running backs on the rise for 2015 (Tarean Folston)
• Bleacher Report: 1 thing opponents should fear about every Power 5 college football team in 2015 (“The defense has figured it out”)
• Slap the Sign: Notre Dame spring battles: Malik Zaire vs. Everett Golson
• UHND: Where’s the rush for Notre Dame football? (Romeo Okwara, Jhonny Williams, Kolin Hill, Jaylon Smith, Andrew Trumbetti, Grant Blankenship)
• The Observer: Seniors share advice with University freshmen (Matthias Farley)

RECRUITING

• Scout: Ohio QB still adding offers (Messiah deWeaver)
• Scout: Pylon 7v7: Auston Robertson
• iSportsWeb: Michigan State football recruiting: Auston Robertson names leader
• The Patriot-News: Penn State 2016 recruiting: ‘All-wish list’ offense includes commits Jake Zembiec, Miles Sanders (Cary Angeline)
• Bleacher Report: 2016 college football recruits who could change a program instantly (Dwayne Haskins, Rashan Gary)
• NJ.com: Cedar Creek’s Ahmir Mitchell, N.J.’s top wide receiver, to visit Rutgers Monday
• Eleven Warriors: Defensive line options abound in 2016, Buckeyes searching for new bullets (Naquan Jones, Rashan Gary, Kyree Campbell, Auston Robertson, Austin Mack)
• TigerNet: 5-star DB: “I love Clemson with all my heart,” commits to LSU (Savion Smith)
• Irish Turning Point: Dwayne Haskins
• Irish Turning Point: Woody Barrett
• UHND: Notre Dame recruiting ’16 needs: Defense (Auston Robertson, Josh King, Damar Hamlin, Eric Monroe, Craig Watts, Devin Studstill, Lokeni Toailoa, Jaquan Yulee and Curtis Robinson)
• Irish Sports Daily: Gicewicz enjoys Irish brotherhood on visit (Paul Gicewicz)

COACHING

• Inside the Irish: All signs (still) point to Keith Gilmore as defensive line coach
• UConn Huskies: Strong coaching ties have influenced Verducci
• ND Insider: Archive photos: Todd Lyght at Notre Dame

IRISH IN THE NFL

• ESPN: Fantasy football combine review: Maxx Williams most likely to succeed in weak tight end class (Ben Koyack)
• Awful Announcing: Fox’s Brady Quinn making a comeback bid?

SCHEDULING

• Official Notre Dame Athletic Blog: Where will the 2015 Blue-Gold Game be played?
• FB Schedules: BYU A.D. talks future football games with Utah & Notre Dame
• Anderson Independent Mail: 2015 lookahead: Pre-spring Clemson football projections

MISC.

• Sportsnet: Greatest uniforms in Sports, No. 8: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• NewsOK: Media report: Oklahoma State receiver Ra’Shaad Samples to transfer

The post Morning Roundup: Feb. 25, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.