Reviewing Redshirt Sophomores

Looking at all the talented freshmen this year, the next three and a half years look pretty good.  With next year’s incoming class of those who have given a verbal commitment,  it gets even better, but since signing day isn’t until February, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  However, if you add on the talent of some of the sophomores that saved year of eligibility by not playing their freshman year, things begin to look great.

There are some impressive linemen that were put on hold.  At 6’5” 280+lbs., Bruce Heggie has a nice frame for a center (although another 20 lbs. could be used).  This is a new position for Heggie, who came to South Bed as a defensive end.   As a two way player in high school he played tight end. I’m not sure we will ever see a lot of Heggie in games but he is a solid football player.  As a freshman Christian Lombard was mentored my Zack Martin and Taylor Dever while working on strength and conditioning, and at 6’5” and over 300 lbs. the potential is there.  Tate Nicholas is a mountain at 6’8” 320 lbs., but we will need to wait another year due to injury and surgery have sidelines Nicholas this year.

Andrew Hendrix has been a question mark since he got to South Bend, not whether or not he was good enough but how to get him on the field.  As a freshman he was in with Tommy Rees and Luke Massa, both of whom were behind Dayne Christ on the depth chart.  This year didn’t make things any clearer.   Andrew was noted for having a very strong arm and being a good runner, and by throwing freshman Everett Golson into the mix the waters only got murkier.  I had a fear that Hendrix may be looking to transfer if he did not get a legitimate chance to show what he can do.  A lot of that was put to rest against Air Force where Andrew went 4 for 4 in the air and had over 100 yards on the ground.  I look forward to having Kelly and his staff develop packages for Hendrix not only this season but for the next three as well.  Oh yeah, he’s also pre-med at Notre Dame which qualifies him as wicked smart.

Luke Massa  came to South Bend as a quarterback but was moved due to the log jam at wide receiver.  At 6’4” 220 lbs., he has the size to be a big target and from what I recall his athleticism will also be a plus in this new role.

Tight End Alex Welch was forced onto the field a little sooner and more often than may have been originally thought due to injuries at his position.  He will continue to gain game time and will contribute in the future.

The most anticipated sophomore who was redshirted last year was Notre Dame’s biggest player, Louis Nix III.  Nix was highly touted coming out of high school as a strong and super big lineman, but when he got to South Bend, he was a physical work in progress.  Nix took his first year at South Bend to focus on conditioning and strength training, and I would say that year of development is paying off.  If his progression and growth continues at this pace, in two years opposing centers may choose not to play.

Choosing which players to sit and develop through strength training, conditioning and learning from the sidelines and the practice squad and which to thrust into action may be one of the toughest head coaches need to make - not only for the player but the program as a whole.  Four years (of eligibility) go by quickly and when they are up there are no second chances unless you can talk the NCAA into giving you another year for injury.

Let’s see where the freshmen are.

Ishaq Williams  At 6’5” 255 lbs. his time will come.  However, he has only recorded one tackle in the Michigan game.  I hope to see him more this season and also hope we did not burn a year of eligibility for one tackle in a loss.

George Atkinson III         He has been a bright spot in a relatively poor special teams year, including a kickoff return for a touchdown.  George only has a couple of rushes and one reception coming out of the backfield on offense. 

Evert Golson      The best thing Golson has done for the team this year was act as the Air Force option type quarterback on the practice squad.  I would be happy if the only other contribution he makes this year is to do it again in preparation for Navy.  He will be a huge part of Notre Dame’s football future, so let’s not limit that by using a year of eligibility for a handful of plays.

Stephon Tuitt    Although I would like to see Tuitt used more, I am very happy with what I have seen so far.  I like the fact that it looks like he can play defensive end and at the nose, and at 6’6” 295 lbs., this kid is only going to get bigger and better.

DaVaris Daniels                  A great athlete who we will see a lot more in the future (not so much this year), but look for him to help on special teams and on the offense.

Ben Koyack         I was hoping Ben would not have to play this year and keep a year of eligibility, but injuries and circumstance forced him into action.  He has played well, more so blocking than receiving, and the game reps will serve him well in the future. 

Aaron Lynch       A very good football player, a great freshman football player.  Lynch is a man among boys in this freshman class.  The scary thing is he is still learning the game at the college level.  He has made an instant impact and is the best freshman on the field right now.  I remember saying “I can’t believe we get to see three more years of guy,” when Manti was a freshman.

Jalen Brown       Don’t expect to see Jalen playing cornerback this season.

Kyle Bindza        Kyle has done more than hold his own on kickoffs.  Kyle is the future of the Irish kicking game for the next four years.  He has a super strong leg and his performance should only improve.

Ben Council        At 6’4” 230+lbs., he has good size for a freshman linebacker.  Kelly seems pretty set with his linebacker rotation so we may not see him on the field this season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him.  I hear good things out of practice about Council and look forward to seeing him in a game.

Cam McDaniel   After watching Cam’s high school scouting footage I was very excited to see him play. However, I wish it would have been next year.  With Wood and Gray being so dominant, I doubt he will see much action.  Even in the case of an emergency, Theo Riddick could help, and George Atkinson III has already burned a year of eligibility for kickoff returns and also could be used in a pinch.

Eilar Hardy  Hardy was a four year starter at the high school level but will have to wait another year to see the field in South Bend.

Eric Lee                As a walk-on, Eric has a long road to hoe and as a wide receiver/running back he also has a line of guys to leap frog to see the field.   Lee was a three-sport, hard working athlete in high school and had interest from Division II and III schools but had his heart set on Notre Dame.  The next Rudy?

Joe Schmidt  A walk-on linebacker who had interest from schools like USC, Arizona, Cincinnati and Air Force, Schmidt has been on the travel list and has a fan in Brian Kelly. “He's a good player. Tough, physical, got a great sense for the ball. He's just in a tough position, but he's going to play for us. That guy is going to be on the field. He's a football player. I like that kid”

Connor Cavalaris  Former high school teammate of Tommy Rees, Connor chose to be a walk-on for the Irish as opposed to taking chances on getting offers from other schools.  He strikes me as the kind of kid whose hard work will pay off, just not this year.

Matthias Farley                  Wide Receiver at the most recognizable college football program in the country who did not start playing football until his junior year in high school (he played soccer).  The fact he is playing at this level with only 2 years of organized football under his belt is amazing enough, but I doubt he’ll play this year.

Josh Atkinson  Brother of George Atkinson III who has already seen action this year, Josh has not hit the field yet but there has been some chatter that may end soon.

Chase Hounshell  Chase is the inspiration for this piece.  Hounshell had his debut against Air Force (4 tackles, 1 solo and 3 assisted) and stood out right away.  I thought we were all set at defensive end and there would be no need to introduce another into game time, especially a freshman.  However, I loved watching this kid play and look forward to seeing more of him.

Brad Carrico  Carrico was an early enrollee from Dublin, Ohio (Brady Quinn’s hometown), which is no surprise because he was the first Irish commit of 2011.  At 6’5” 290+lbs. and watching his scout films he will be an anchor on the O-line for years.

Anthony Rabasa  Anthony has a lot of accolades coming out of Miami, Florida.  All that is moot until spring practice, as he is having season ending shoulder surgery.

Troy Niklas  Man-child.  Out of high school he was recruited as an offensive tackle by USC, tight end by Stanford and defensive tackle by Notre Dame, who is now using him at outside linebacker.   Since he’s been at South Bend he has been nicknamed Hercules.

Jarrett Grace  Another player from Ohio.  Although the word is that he is doing very well in practice, because of depth issues he probably won’t see the field this season.

Conor Hanratty                  I am thrilled Conor has not and in all probability will not play this year.  He comes highly touted and at 6’4.5” 315 lbs., you can’t teach size.  

Tony Springmann  At 6’5.5” 280+lbs., Sprinmann, who attended the same high school as wide receiver John Goodman and Tyler Eifert, has been listed as a defensive end and nose guard.  At either position I hope I don’t see him on the field this season and he saves a year of eligibility for the future.  And the red hair and beard just seems to fit in at South Bend.

Nick Martin  Younger brother of starting junior offensive lineman Zack Martin will save a year of eligibility and surely up the offensive line for the future while getting valuable practice experience.

Matt Hegarty  Another good sized freshman offensive lineman who does not have to be rushed into action and will have four years of eligibility left at the end of the year as well as valuable training and practice.

Jordan Prestwood  A Florida State commit who changed his mind and ended up at Notre Dame will have to sit out this year due to NCAA rules.  He was highly recruited and received offers from many big name schools, but we’ll have to wait to see his abilities at the collegiate level.

Connor Little  Closer than I’ll ever get to playing in South Bend, even though he’ll never see game time.

Overall, the current batch of freshmen are exceeding expectations this season and are setting up nicely for the future.  I am not thrilled about burning a year of a kid’s eligibility for kicks, but I think Brian Kelly has a method to his madness. I just hope he keeps it under control as the season progresses. 

The defensive side of the ball is downright scary with potential with guys who are contributing now.  Add in Louis Nix who redshirted next year, and this defense could be legendary. 

With Matt Hegarty, Brad Carrico, Conor Hanratty, Nick Martin, Jordan Prestwood  and Ben Koyack  the offensive line’s future feels secure.

Moving forward from content to satisfied

A win should have been expected, and a 26 point win should not be a huge surprise. Many will point to the fact it was Air Force, not Oklahoma, but this was a good Air Force team and an impressive one for the Irish.  The first thing that stood out to me on the stat sheet was that nine different Irish players scored in the victory; four rushing touchdowns, four passing touchdowns and one field goal.

Obviously, the statistic that is most important is the final score and that is very true against a team like Air Force.  There were several statistics that did not seem to fit in a 23 point Notre Dame win.  The Irish were outrushed by 97 yards (363-266 yards and 60-29 attempts).  However, Notre Dame averaged 9.2 yards a rush whereas Air Force averaged 6.1 which was enough to help the Falcons gained more total yards than the Irish, albeit by 5 yards 565-560.  Air Force also led in time of possession - 32:26 to 27:34 - running at total of 23 more offensive plays than Notre Dame.  Some other statistics that jump out for a team that lost by 26 points include going 5 for 5 on fourth down conversions, going 5 for 5 in the red zone (3 touchdowns and 2 field goals).  I knew Air Force had a running arsenal but really, 14 players rushed the ball during the game.

Obviously, the Irish had some good statistics as well.   Let’s start with the score - 59 points is their highest offensive output since 1996.  Tommy Rees was very effective, going 23 for 32 for 261 yards and 4 touchdowns, and wait for it…no interceptions.  Hot on his heels was fellow sophomore (redshirted last year as a freshman) quarterback Andrew Hendrix, who was a perfect 4 for 4 with 33 yards, but even more impressive, rushing for 111 yards on 6 carries, averaging 18.5 yards per rush.

After Hendrix’s 111 yards, the Irish did not have another back close to a 100 yard game.  However, both Wood and Gray had good averages for the game.  Wood averaged 6.6 yards on 10 carries (66 yards total and 1 touchdown) while Gray averaged 9.9 yards on 7 carries (69 yards total and 2 touchdowns).  Although no one receiver overly dominated, the receiving corps was great.  The Irish had 7 different receivers catch a pass and 4 different receivers catch touchdowns, for a combined total of 294 yards.

Special teams were led by George Atkinson III with 5 kickoff returns, averaging 24.8 yards per return with a long of 40.  It’s seldom that the stat of 1 for 1 in field goal attempts (39 yards) and your punter averaging 37.5 yards per kick on 2 punts is something to be happy about.

Air Force Game Grades

Quarterbacks: A-         Tommy Rees continues to develop and is making better decisions.  He needs to be more willing to change who he wants to throw the ball to while the play is underway.  Once the ball is snapped he tends to choose his designated receiver and give no one else a look no matter how open they may be.  Obviously, Andrew Hendrix’s 111 yards speaks volumes, but I think it’s the way he carried himself on the field was what really impressed me. 

Running Backs - B+:  Averages were strong and Wood and Gray ran well, just not as dominant as last week. 

Offensive Line – B:  Great job with pass protection.  They could have and should have done more for the running game.  Wood and Gray made them look good.  They did well, it’s just that due to the massive size difference over the Ari Force defensive linemen, the dominance should have been obscene.

Wide Receivers - B+:  Like the running backs, there was no dominant receiver, but great ball distribution.  Tyler Eifert played especially well in my opinion seemingly popping up when you weren’t looking for him.  I also want to recognize Floyd’s blocking.

Defensive Line - C+:  Although they were respectable against the Air Force’s option-like offense, it’s hard to give a high grade to a line that gave up 375 yards rushing.  I would give a B+ to the interior of the defensive line, but the ends could have done a better job containing.

Linebackers – C+:  Again, giving up 565 yards of offense is going to make it tough to give high grades here.   However, the overall play was good.  Mani Te’o had 10 tackles (2.5 for a loss) and a pass breakup.  Daruis Fleming had 7 tackles (.5 for a loss) and 2 quarterback hurries and I liked the pass coverage of Carlos Calabrese.

Defensive Backs - C+:  Overall, giving up 2 touchdowns and 202 yards is a respectable performance.  Harrison Smith led the team with 12 tackles, Robert Blanton had 10 tackles (one for a loss), Jamoris Slaughter had an interception, forced a fumble and had a pass break-up as well.  Gary Grey continues to struggle.

Special Teams - C-:  Everyone saw the fake punt coming and they still ran all over the place. 

Coaching – C:  Personal fouls continue to show a lack of discipline.  General penalties are better but the timing still kills the Irish, point in case was when an Air Force field goal attempt in the 2^nd quarter becomes a touchdown after encroachment on the defensive line.  The defense looked good covering the quarterback during option plays, but there seemed to be no one assigned to who they were pitching to.

Notes:

Navy will score 100 points if the coaching staff does not use this game to learn how to better defend the option (specifically after the pitch).  Underclassmen look good and need to be developed and played appropriately.  I am happy that Everett Golson did not play, save this kid’s eligibility.  Also, I would like to give recognition to Freshman Chase Hounshell.  Hounshell was recruited by several colleges as an offensive lineman but the Irish coaches saw something that made them believe his toughness would serve him well on the defensive side of the ball.  Hounshell looked real good in his first action this year.