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

VanGorder was hired in 2014, following the departure of Bob Diaco to become Connecticut’s head coach. The criticism of Diaco was his “bend but don’t break” approach made his defenses appear somewhat vanilla or “boring.” So what? They were fundamentally sound, rarely beat themselves and were always in the top half of the nation in total defense.

Much enthusiasm ensued when the Irish brought VanGorder and his NFL pedigree to South Bend. Many media types ballyhooed Van Gorder as an NFL mind that would immediately upgrade the Irish to an SEC style of defense. The media types quickly sold the fans on his various “exotic blitz” packages.

This brought great excitement to the masses.

Apparently no one saw or really seemed concerned with the uneven career of VanGorder prior to his arrival at Notre Dame. For starters: In 34 years as a coach prior to coming to Notre Dame, VanGorder made 18 different stops with various levels of success. Not much was made of VanGorder’s stint as the defensive coordinator at Auburn, which was his college stop previous to coming to Notre Dame. During that season the Tigers went 3-9 and VanGorder’s defense was ranked 81^st in the nation.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder on the sideline during the Notre Dame-Michigan State game. (Photo: SBT Robert Franklin)

VanGorder’s defenses at Notre Dame were inconsistent, undisciplined at times, and often gave up points and big plays in bunches. Trouble was brewing early in VanGorder’s first year. After a very good start, the Irish were scorched for big plays as they stumbled to an 8-5 finish. This included giving up 43 against North Carolina and Northwestern and being lit up for 55 versus Arizona State. We may have gotten some fool’s gold at the end of the year when they played reasonably well vs. LSU in the Music City Bowl.

At that point, we were told that year two of “Uncle Rico” would be better. It was, slightly, as the Irish improved from 69^th in total defense to 45^th. Though the numbers improved and the team went 10-3, they still surrendered a late lead at Stanford and were just beaten down vs. Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Additionally, this was a defense that featured Jaylon Smith and Sheldon Day, two of the better players in recent memory at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly looks back at an official during the Notre Dame-Texas NCAA college football game on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. South Bend Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Despite the experience and high level talent, VanGorder’s defense was nowhere close to a dominating unit. Enter 2016, the Irish are ranked 109^th in the nation, play with zero sense of urgency, and seemingly cannot tackle. Duke was the final straw. But, a fair question is: How did we even get to this point?

In my opinion, the hiring of VanGorder seemed to be a panic move from the get-go, like a gambler in Las Vegas back at the ATM chasing the money he lost. Perhaps Kelly gambled that he needed to change to grab the ring that has eluded Notre Dame since 1988? With the offenses that he features at Notre Dame and the changing landscape of college football, he needs discipline over pedigree and consistency over resume.

Kelly is at his crossroads at Notre Dame. His next hire will likely help define his own tenure at Notre Dame.

The post I Never Liked The VanGorder Hire appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

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.

Junior Defensive Tackle, Sheldon Day (Photo: Andrew Lamping)

Sheldon Day was a formidable defensive lineman and even more cherished leader during his tenure at Notre Dame.

Back in the 2011-2012 recruiting cycle, Day was a four star prospect (per 247sports composite ranking), and was ranked the 111th best prospect in the country. Day was an early enrollee, which helped make him an early contributor in his freshman year where he saw action in all 13 games accounting for 23 tackles (13 solo) and 2 sacks.

In his sophomore season, Day played in 11 games (8 starts), contributed 33 tackles (21 solo), and 5.5 tackles for loss. Day’s junior year yielded 11 starts until a knee injury suffered against Northwestern prevented him from playing in the final 2 games of the season.

In his junior campaign, Day was named a captain and recorded 40 tackles (24 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 2 fumble recoveries.

Day’s senior year was statistically his most productive year, where he played in all 13 games and made 45 tackles (33 solo), doubled his tackles for loss from the year prior with 15.5, and had a career best 4 sacks, while also forcing 2 fumbles (all stats credited to und.com and sports-reference.com). His consistent improvements year over year are undoubtedly a positive trend that NFL teams like to see.

At the NFL combine Day recorded the following measurables:

• 6’1” – 293 lbs. – 32 5/8” arm length – 9 5/8” hand size
• 5.07 seconds 40 yard dash
• 21 reps bench press (at his Notre Dame Pro Day he recorded 26 reps)
• 30” vertical jump
• 102” broad jump
• 7.44 seconds 3 cone drill
• 4.5 seconds 20 yard shuttle

For the non-combine nerd (like myself) these numbers aren’t our gospel to draft projections like they are for NFL scouts. With that being said, let’s summarize someone who can put these numbers and Day’s film into draft perspective.

To paraphrase Lance Zierlein from NFL.com, Day benefits from his experience at both defensive tackle and defensive end, where his quickness of the snap is his biggest strength.

Zierlein highlights his “uncommon athleticism for a squatty body type,” and further displaying this athleticism “with unheard of ability to mirror and match receivers in zone coverage,” (insert Brian VanGorder’s complicated defensive “scheme” comment here). Other strengths include quick hands, lateral quickness and strong motor. Zierlein describes Day’s potential weaknesses this way: “Frame is lacking the pure bulk to make a living inside and length to become a consistent pass rusher off the edge.” The entire profile by Zierlein can be found at NFL.com.

Overall and as previously stated, Day’s year after year positive trends in production throughout his #NDFB career definitely checks a number of boxes for NFL scouts, perhaps even suggesting that his best days are ahead of him. Naturally, Day’s size has always been his biggest criticism, yet his uncharacteristically remarkable athleticism has always prevailed. In summary, the Jaguars are getting an intelligent, athletic, versatile defensive lineman, who has the ability to contribute from day one and could eventually develop into a starting role.

Cheers and Go Irish!

The post Jaguars draft Sheldon Day In Round 4 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.

When Mel Kiper releases a big board, people pay attention (and Frank Caliendo gets an extended lease on relevancy). Kiper released his “way too early Big Board for 2016” ($$) today, and the Irish were well represented in the top 25. The players are unsurprising. Finding himself in Kiper’s top 10 is returning receiver offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley. Stanley’s draft stock rose towards the end of last season and by the time the deadline to declare for the NFL draft neared, Stanely seemed perhaps more likely to go than stay. Many draft professionals/analysts have suggested that had Stanley come out this year, he would have been the first offensive tackle off the board. With players like Laremy Tunsil (Ole Miss) and Jack Conklin (Michigan State) also draft eligible after next season, Stanley may no longer be a lock to be the first lineman off the board, but barring a serious catastrophe (someone please light a candle at the Grotto for me saying this), Stanley’s a near lock to go in the top 10-15 of next year’s draft.

The other player Kiper (and others) are already sold on is favored son Jaylon Smith. Smith’s combination of athleticism and production make him a near lock to go early in whatever draft he decides to wade into. That’s the catch with Smith. I tend to this early in the process be among the people who think Jaylon will comeback for his senior season in order to graduate regardless of what the draft report says about him. He’s had a bright light shone on him for quite sometime being a top national recruit and immediate starter for the Irish following in the footsteps of a similarly touted player, Manti Te’o. It’s a gut instinct based off of Smith’s interviews, but unless his relationship with the university sours, I view him as a guy more likely than not to comeback despite being draft eligible.

Kiper’s colleague and on again, off again lover Todd McShay put out his “Way-too-early 2016 Mock Draft” ($$) recently as well. Similar to Kiper, McShay views both Stanley and Jaylon Smith as early favorites to be first round possibilities.

So I’m not accused of being a corporate shill for ESPN Insider subscriptions, I’ll point you to another early 2016 draft big board that might have ND fans losing their damn minds. Matt Miller over at Bleacher Report’s released his early Top 50 for the 2016 draft, and ummmm…he might be receiving a paycheck from Brian Kelly.

In addition to having Stanley (4) and Smith (8) in his top 10, he also has Sheldon Day (18), Corey Robinson (!)(22), and KeiVarae Russell (28) all as (theoretic) first round caliber players. Both Day and Russell are names that I would expect to gain momentum as the season goes along. Prior to Russell’s off field problems last season, he seemed like a guy in a fantastic position to get himself into the first or second round draft conversation. Coming back to graduate and gain additional exposure while rehabilitating his character has an opportunity to reap major rewards for his stock.

Day’s another guy who I’ve seen written about multiple times. He seems destined to be drafted but has plenty riding on his on field performance this year. No one doubts Day’s technique or quickness. The question will be his weight and durability. Throughout his ND career, Day’s had a propensity to get nicked up at times. Additionally, from what I’ve read, several NFL scouts would like to see him add some weight while maintaining his quickness. A productive and healthy final season in South Bend could lead to him reaching Miller’s lofty rating, but for my taste, his early ranking feels like more of a cap than a starting point.

Then there’s Corey Robinson, who I’ll confess, had my jaw dropping a bit that he was mentioned in any spring early look ahead to the 2016 draft articles. Miller does not have individual write ups, so it’s tough to tell exactly what his thought process was. However, it appears to be based more on Robinson’s potential given his size than on production to this point in his career. At 6’5” and with a strong athletic background, this is not as far-fetched as it may initially seem. After all, Rob Rang at CBSSports also put Robinson into the first round of his early 2016 mock draft. Miller also likes Chris Brown as a potential sleeper candidate.

With all of these write ups, I didn’t even see guys like Greg Bryant, Tarean Folston, or Will Fuller mentioned, and well, that’s fine by me. I will be happy to keep as much talent in South Bend for as long as possible. In the short run though, people legitimately worried about 2015’s 1 draft pick should be able to put those fears to rest because in 2016 it sounds like there’ll be a lot of Irish in attendance wearing flashy suits and hugging the commish.

The post The Irish and the 2016 NFL Draft (Because, Why Not?) appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

via Indystar.com

As andrewwinn mentioned in his daily Morning Roundup, some eyebrows were raised with Ben Koyack was the only Notre Dame player selected in the 2015 NFL Draft–and in the seventh round at that. While some within ND fandom grew concerned about what this meant for the current talent in the Brian Kelly era, some outside of it saw a golden opportunity to take a lazy potshot at the Irish as the draft wound down:

More picks than Notre Dame

Chattanooga
Delaware
Delaware State
Hobart
Northern Iowa
Samford
SIU
Tennessee State
Texas Southern
Towson

— College Football by SB Nation ? (@SBNationCFB) May 2, 2015

Now, there’s the obvious retort: Notre Dame is returning practically every single starter from 2014. This is certainly true, but would it then follow that the level of talent on the field is so poor that it is in every Irish player’s best interest to remain in South Bend?

Every year, we see many posts showing which school/conference managed to draft the most players. This year, I wanted to go a bit deeper–compare the draft results to recruiting rankings as well as recording the star ratings for each pick and which recruiting class they came from.

To do this, I used recruiting rankings and ratings from 274 Sports (with exception of 2010 team rankings as they weren’t available on 247–Rivals was used). The classes of 2010-2012 were examined as all but four picks came from these classes.

The end goal was to see if there is really any cause for concern for a poor draft class and if any other interesting data points/patterns could be found.

Let’s start with the top schools in terms of NFL draftees and compare them to their recruiting rankings from 2010-2012:

The obvious outlier here is Louisville and they have an outlier within their draft class as well, a 2014 JUCO transfer, James Sample (who originally started at Washington). Sample went in the fourth round and the Cardinals also claimed Mr. Irrelevant, the last pick of the draft, Gerald Christian. Still, that’s quite an impressive haul for Louisville, even though their draft rankings are by far the lowest out of the teams on this list.

Mississippi State, Oregon State, and Arkansas all found themselves with a ranking average in the mid-thirties and tied teams with top ten average rankings. So it certainly seems that your draft class isn’t dependent on recruiting rankings, let’s see how this works the other way with rankings sorted by average recruiting class:

Why hello there, Notre Dame, good to see you sticking out like a sore thumb. So, the talent should certainly be there according to the recruiting rankings. ND isn’t alone with solid recruiting marks and low return on draft picks either.

So is ND not developing their talent or seeing a high number of busts? Not really.

The 2010 class saw a few people drafted last year: Louis Nix, Prince Shembo, and Bennett Jackson. Last year’s draft also took Aaron Lynch (albeit not a true Irish pick, but explains the ranking boost) and Stephon Tuitt from the class of 2011. And as for the 2012 class, no one left early for the draft, although Ronnie Stanley and Sheldon Day certainly could have (and probably Everett Golson too if he really wanted to roll the dice).

And really, we should talk about people leaving early. A lot is made about the young guns in the draft, but only 40 of the 256 picks (~15%) came from the class of 2012 (not including one JUCO in the class of 2012). The class of 2010, meaning the fifth years, were the most drafted class this year pulling down 98 picks (~38%). The class of 2011, some of whom did have another available year, had 92 total picks (~36%).

So a strong senior/fifth year crop is what tends to boost the number of draft picks. So young teams like the Irish tend to not put together impressive draft classes. There was notable exception to this standard and that was Florida State who had four draftees come from the class of 2012.

And what about star power? Is the lack recruiting/retaining five-stars hurting the Irish in the draft?

Again, that doesn’t seem to be the case. As there are so few five-stars overall, there isn’t a round in which they dominate. Not surprisingly, the first round is where you see the most, and this year saw eight former blue-chippers drafted; however, there was at least one five-star taken in every round, even the seventh.

This year, the majority of five-star talent came from the class of 2012 (15 out of 24), giving more credence to the argument that the recent attrition of five-star plays might just be expected. After all, if these guys are really as good as their ratings, they are looking for the best route to maximize their potential and exposure in the least amount of time.

As far as those diamond-in-the-rough players that also get their fair share of love, they actually take up a sizable portion of the draft. 61 players were drafted with a rating of two stars or less–that’s almost a quarter of all the players taken in the draft (23.8% to be more precise). Normally, I’d say that Notre Dame would get roasted for taking players like that in their draft class, but these also include walk-ons and the Irish just so happen to have a walk-on that might have an outside shot at landing on an NFL team next season in Joe Schmidt.

Three-star selections account for the lion’s share of the picks in the draft (~44%) with the class of 2011 (your seniors and redshirt juniors) taking up the largest piece of that pie. This all points once again to a strong, developed senior class being the ticket to a strong draft class.

So yes, it’s certainly great to have the ability to brag post-draft that the guys you were watching on Saturdays will start playing on Sundays, but it certainly isn’t a solid measuring stick year in and year out. With eight players departing in last year’s draft and six the year before that, there was bound to be a gap year for the Irish in the draft.

There were simply too many gaps to fill with a lot of young talent who needed to make their mark on the depth chart rather than the draft. A handful of players could have left early to boost number, but they didn’t.

All of that talent is coming back to play another year for Brain Kelly and we should be nothing but over-the-moon excited about it. Don’t convince yourself that this is a sign that Kelly failed to develop talent. On the contrary, this program unbelievably healthy and continuing to move in the right direction.

Now, should next year’s draft see only one player drafted, something went terribly wrong and I’ll be the first to start screaming that the sky is falling. But for now, take a deep breath and get ridiculously excited for the potential that the 2015 squad has.

The post Only One Notre Dame Draft Pick–Should We Worry? appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

FROM OUR SITE

• Step one: Northeastern

VIDEO

• WatchND: Brian Kelly press conference – March 17, 2015 (42:18)
• Blue & Gold Illustrated: Video: Kelly previews spring ball (3:03)
• Irish247: Video: Kelly previews spring practice (3:08)
• Irish Illustrated: Video: Kelly welcomes QB battle (3:03)
• Irish Sports Daily: ISD video: Brian Kelly press conference (3:16)

PODCAST

• Blue & Gold Illustrated: The Irish Huddle (28:15)

RECRUITING (2016 offers / 2017 offers)

• Irish Sports Daily: Oden defines determination (Tylin Oden)
• Rivals: Rivals 100: 61-80 updates (Donnie Corley, Dwayne Haskins, Javon McKinley)
• Scout: Scout 300: Big West movers (Jack Jones, Curtis Robinson, Brandon Burton and N’Keal Harry)
• Scout: South 2016 rankings: 10 big moves (Brandon Hill, Keyshon Camp, Devin White, Patrick Bethel)
• Scout: Midwest recruiting notebook (Brandon Peters, Sean Foster and Donnie Corley)
• Scout: West moves outside the Scout 300 (Troy Warner)
• Scout: New 4-star DL in Florida (Keyshon Camp)
• Scout: Gators impress 4-star RB (Elijah Holyfield)
• Scout: Commitment analysis: WR Theo Howard
• Scout: 5-star Calif. LB wowed by Michigan (Part 1 – Caleb Kelly)
• Scout: 5-star Calif. LB wowed by Michigan (Part 2)
• Scout: No. 1 safety talks recruiting (Brandon Jones, although Notre Dame is not in his top 10)
• Scout: Lewis has special feeling in Baton Rouge (Cameron Lewis)
• Scout: Holmes takes Big 12 swing (Darnay Holmes)
• Scout: Week in review: Chicago area (Julian Love)
• Scout: Houston recruiting notebook (3/18/15 – Eric Monroe, Dontavious Jackson, Deontay Anderson and Devwah Whaley)

CURRENT TEAM

• AP: Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly unsure on starting QB
• Bleacher Report (Monaco): Notre Dame football: What to expect at the start of spring ball
• Blue & Gold Illustrated: Notebook: ND ready for spring ball (Everett Golson, Malik Zaire, Nick Martin, Matt Hegarty, Colin McGovern, Hunter Bivin, CJ Prosise, Matthias Farley, John Turner, Doug Randolph, Chase Hounshell, Jalen Brown and Ishaq Williams)
• Chicago Tribune: Notre Dame enters spring with no clear No. 1 at QB
• CSN Sportsnet Chicago: With depth up front, Notre Dame eyes physical practices (Greer Martini, James Onwualu, Jarrett Grace, Nyles Morgan, Jaylon Smith, Te’von Coney, John Turner, Max Redfield, Elijah Shumate, Nicky Baratti, C.J. Prosise, Tarean Folston, Greg Bryant, Matt Hegarty, Quenton Nelson, Alex Bars, Ronnie Stanley, Nick Martin, Sam Mustipher, Mark Harrell and Chase Hounshell)
• CSN Sportsnet Chicago: Notre Dame LB Jarrett Grace cleared for spring practice
• CSN Sportsnet Chicago: Ishaq Williams not guaranteed to return to Notre Dame
• CSN Sportsnet Chicago: Notre Dame hits the reset button on quarterback competition
• Elkhart Truth: Notre Dame football spring storylines: Wide receivers have top-tier potential; tight ends a mystery
• Elkhart Truth: Brian Kelly believes Notre Dame has great opportunity with Golson, Zaire at QB
• Goshen News: Notre Dame football: Irish start spring practice, quarterback battle between Everett Golson and Malik Zaire
• Inside the Irish: Irish open spring: Five quick updates from BK (Ben Councell, Jalen Brown, Alex Bars, Quenton Nelson, Nick Martin, Matt Hegarty, Amir Carlisle, C.J. Prosise, Tarean Folston, Greg Bryant, Josh Adams, Dexter Williams, Chase Hounshell, Durham Smythe, Tyler Luatua, Everett Golson, Malik Zaire)
• Irish247: Defensive line tandem highlights players to watch (Jonathan Bonner, Jhonny Williams, Jerry Tillery, Jaylon Smith, Max Redfield, Greg Bryant and Tarean Folston)
• Irish247: Irish247 extra points (KeiVarae Russell, Ishaq Williams, James Onwualu, Greer Martini, Joe Schmidt, Nyles Morgan, Jarrett Grace, Joe Schmidt, Josh Atkinson, Jalen Brown, Ben Councell, Anthony Rabasa, Drue Tranquill)
• Irish247: Kelly talks depth chart, position moves, QB timetable (Everett Golson, Malik Zaire, Matt Hegarty, Alex Bars, Quenton Nelson, Sam Mustipher, Tristen Hoge, John Turner, Elijah Shumate, Max Redfield, Chase Hounshell, Mike Heuerman, Durham Smythe, Nic Weishar, Tyler Luatua, Doug Randolph, C.J. Prosise and Amir Carlisle)
• Irish247: Notre Dame releases spring football roster
• Irish Illustrated: From second to first? (Jaylon Smith, Max Redfield)
• Irish Illustrated: Spring finally suits Kelly (Matt Hegarty, Mike McGlinchey, Nick Martin, Alex Bars, Quenton Nelson, Colin McGovern, Hunter Bivin, John Montelus, Jarron Jones, Sheldon Day, Isaac Rochell, Jay Hayes, Kolin Hill, Daniel Cage, Pete Mokwuah, Andrew Trumbetti, Jhonny Williams, Grant Blankenship, Doug Randolph, Jerry Tillery, Ishaq Williams and KeiVarae Russell)
• Irish Illustrated: Of graduates, nuts and realigned roles (Avery Sebastian, KeiVarae Russell, Ishaq Williams, Amir Carlisle, Connor Cavalaris, Matthias Farley, Everett Golson, Jarrett Grace, Chase Hounshell, Nick Martin, and Joe Schmidt, Montgomery VanGorder, Ben Councell, Jalen Brown, Matt Hegarty, Jarron Jones, Joe Schmidt, Drue Tranquill, Nicky Baratti, Will Fuller, James Onwualu, Nyles Morgan, Greer Martini, Te’von Coney, C.J. Prosise, John Turner, Doug Randolph, Jonathan Bonner and Jerry Tillery)
• Irish Turning Point: Brian Kelly spring presser recap (Ben Councell, Jalen Brown, KeiVarae Russell, Chase Hounshell, John Turner, Doug Randolph, Greer Martini, CJ Prosise, Jonathan Bonner, Nick Martin, Will Fuller, Drue Tranquill, Jarrett Grace, Jerry Tillery, Te’von Coney, James Onwualu, Quenton Nelson and Alex Bars)
• Journal Gazette: Brian Kelly: Need basketball team’s unselfishness
• ND Insider: No room for excuses for Notre Dame football (Everett Golson and Brian Kelly)
• ND Insider: Brian Kelly opens Notre Dame spring practice with QB questions
• ND Insider: Notebook: Jerry Tillery, Te’von Coney stir interest for Notre Dame’s spring (Charlie Weis Jr.)
• One Foot Down: CTTCS: Brian Kelly’s pre-spring update
• UHND: Return of Ishaq Williams to Notre Dame in doubt (Jarrett Grace, Ishaq Williams, KeiVarae Russell, Matt Hegarty and Ben Councell)
• UHND: Notre Dame’s Jarrett Grace cleared for spring football (Joe Schmidt, Nyles Morgan, Greer Martini and Jaylon Smith)
• UHND: CJ Prosise cross-training at RB for Notre Dame

COACHING

• AL.com: Alabama adds football staff member with a famous name (Charlie Weis Jr.)
• Irish Sports Daily: Irish begin spring practice with eye on leadership and development

SCHEDULE

• College Football Talk: Notre Dame, Ball State to meet in football for first time in 2018
• UHND: Ball State added to 2018 Notre Dame football schedule

MISC.

• One Foot Down: Crossroads construction progress 3/17/15
• Reign of Troy: USC Football: Paying homage to St. Patrick’s Day (Trojans vs. green jerseys)
• WNDU: Kelly Cares Foundation raises more than $750,000 from gala in New York City

The post Morning Roundup: March 18, 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.