Coming into focus

We are halfway through spring practice and the Irish are off until Wednesday for the Easter break.  So far there are no big surprises good or bad but we are starting to get a clearer picture in a couple of areas.  Here are some small insights we can take away from spring so far.

Quarterback:  Kiel can at least hold his own and can be at some level competitive.  Rees has done nothing new to eliminate himself from contention.

Running Back: Slot receiver Robby Toma may be coming out of the backfield at times this season.

Tight End:  Eifert could be splitting our wider than we first thought this season.  Troy Niklas seems to be settling in at the tight end position and his hands look good early.

Offensive Line:  Braxton Cave is healing well but has a ways to go.  Nick Martin is looking as if he is moving in the right direction and could develop into a very good lineman like his older brother. 

Cornerbacks:  going more or less as planned, Wood and Jackson leading the way with Atkinson and Brown developing into backup roles.  Safety Jamoris Slaughter has taken reps at safety to as Brian Kelly said; diversify the defensive backfield and be prepared for injuries in a inexperienced stable of backup cornerbacks.

Safety:  Slaughter (when not working out at cornerback) has solidified his starting role.  Austin Collinsworth is doing well, maybe well enough to give Zeke Motta competition for the starting job in the fall.  Matthias Farley has yet to have his great physical talent translate to great play.

Linebacker:  With Dan Fox limping with a knee injury on the sidelines Carlo Calabrese is plating well and making some solid it’s to offensive lineman and running backs.  Prince Shembo is sidelined with turf toe has allowed more rotation of Ben Council, Danny Spond and Ishaq Williams at the outside backer position (Ben looks good).

Defensive Line:  After the rumors were squared about Aaron Lynch leaving there are some other newsworthy developments. Junior defensive end Kona Schwenke has added weight and is giving established defensive linemen a run for their money.

Special Teams:  Former quarterback turned wide receiver Luke Massa has gotten work in has a field goal holder.  Could fake field goals be in our future?

Coaches:  New and returning coaches alike seem to be confident, enthusiastic and connecting well with the players.

Of course, spring practice will only offer a small insight as to what the fall holds.  Until kick off and maybe even the final whistle in Dublin, we may not have a truly clear view of this 2012 Irish Football Team.  Look for Kelly and his staff to check off on their veterans and sure things, and then begin to put players in positions on the depth for fall.  In addition, with the exception of the two early enrollees, fall will bring hungry contenders to prove their worth in the form of freshmen.

What Spring Practice will tell us about Coaches

There may be little question as to Chuck Martin’s overall coaching abilities, but the biggest coaching  question of the 2012 season is how Martin will handle the switch from defensive coordinator to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.  As for Tony Alford, who also serves as recruiting coordinator, the question is how he will do coaching running backs with slot receivers (I like what I have seen so far this spring).  As for Notre Dame’s most solid position (at least in depth and starter) - Tight End - Irish eyes will be on newly hired Tight End Coach/Special Teams Coordinator (spent the last two season as an intern for the Notre Dame Football team) Scott Booker to see how he can improve Tyler Eifert, develop Alex Welch and Ben Koyack, incorporate Jake Golic and what he will do with super monster stud physical specimen, Troy Niklas.  What will NFL experienced offensive line coach/running game coordinator Harry Hiestand bring to practice besides six-time NFL pro-bowler Olin Kreutz who visited  spring practices and how will he evaluate and rotate the Irish’s depth alone the offensive front?  With Kerry Cooks taking the reins of coaching the cornerbacks can he figure out a way to get the most out of what he has to ensure the Irish corners hold their own and don’t become a liability?  Along with Cooks, can new Safeties Coach, (although with 22 of his 33 years coaching experience being in the defensive backfield not exactly new to coaching) Bob Elliott solidify Motta, Slaughter and Collinsworth at the safety positions?

What Spring Practice will tell us about Defensive Backs

First, the question - “Where will freshman and early enrollee Tee Shepard line up, at corner or safety?”  - will not need to be answered as he decided to leave.  At cornerback, will the experience (one year in South Bend; not necessarily game time) of Lo Wood and Bennett Jackson outperform the size of Josh Atkinson and Jalen Brown?  How will Cam McDaniel make the switch from running back to the defensive backfield?   Jamoris Slaughter and Zeke Motta should use the spring practice to go from sharing time opposite Harrison Smith to taking ownership of the two safety positions.  However, Slaughter and Motta also need to use spring to prove or at least develop into safeties that can be respected by opposing offenses.  Austin Collinsworth should be able to show that his speed, abilities and toughness are good enough to make him a legitimate contender for a starting role, but at the very least, a player who should get playing time.  Spring may also let us know if Chris Salvi’s effort and football intelligence is enough to get him on the field.  Overall, we need to leave spring with confidence in Slaughter and Motta as starters (and to some degree Collinsworth) and Salvi (Chris), McCarthy, Farley and the rest as solid substitute options at safety.