Player Roulette – What’s best for the team

We know Brian Kelly plays the best players where he thinks they will help the team the most.  This is not always what the player planned on or what they were recruited as from high school or even have been playing in South Bend.  Several players have switched positions in preparation for the 2011 season.

Austin Collinsworth was recruited by the Irish as a wide receiver out of high school where he not only played receiver but running back and defensive back as well.   As a freshman, Collinsworth saw action on special teams, making a lot of tackles and made the switch at the beginning of spring practice.  Austin has an open mind and a positive attitude about the move and has the football IQ and athleticism to play several skilled positions on the field.  Starting is out of the question for this year, but playing time is definitely in his future this season.  More reps and experience in practice will result more game time.

Another second year player, Bennett Jackson, was also recruited out of high school as a wide receiver and has moved to add depth to the defensive backfield.  As a freshman,  Jackson saw most of his action on special teams, returning kick offs and making tackles on punt coverage.   Bennett was named the Irish special team player of the year and with his great athleticism and quickness, he will no doubt make an impact on the defensive side of the ball.

With so much talent and potential at the quarterback position, sophomore Luke Massa moved from behind center to the wide receiver position.  At 6’4” he will be a big target for whoever is throwing the ball.  As freshman, Massa served on the scout team and did play some receiver in addition to quarterback.   It will take some time to make the transition, but I do expect to see him on the field occasionally this season learning the role.

There has been and will be movement along the offensive and defensive lines, which is usually a standard among interior linemen.  Bruce Heggie is a sophomore who did not see any action during his freshman year, but is switching from the defensive line to the offensive line to serve as a backup center and guard.  Troy Niklas played offensive guard and defensive end in his senior year of high school where he won the LA Times Lineman of the year award, but is listed as a tight end for the Irish this season, a position he played until his senior season in high school.  Although I wish we would redshirt, he is a man-child and will see reps.

Player Roulette – What’s best for the team

We know Brian Kelly plays the best players where he thinks they will help the team the most.  This is not always what the player planned on or what they were recruited as from high school or even have been playing in South Bend.  Several players have switched positions in preparation for the 2011 season.

Austin Collinsworth was recruited by the Irish as a wide receiver out of high school where he not only played receiver but running back and defensive back as well.   As a freshman, Collinsworth saw action on special teams, making a lot of tackles and made the switch at the beginning of spring practice.  Austin has an open mind and a positive attitude about the move and has the football IQ and athleticism to play several skilled positions on the field.  Starting is out of the question for this year, but playing time is definitely in his future this season.  More reps and experience in practice will result more game time.

Another second year player, Bennett Jackson, was also recruited out of high school as a wide receiver and has moved to add depth to the defensive backfield.  As a freshman,  Jackson saw most of his action on special teams, returning kick offs and making tackles on punt coverage.   Bennett was named the Irish special team player of the year and with his great athleticism and quickness, he will no doubt make an impact on the defensive side of the ball.

With so much talent and potential at the quarterback position, sophomore Luke Massa moved from behind center to the wide receiver position.  At 6’4” he will be a big target for whoever is throwing the ball.  As freshman, Massa served on the scout team and did play some receiver in addition to quarterback.   It will take some time to make the transition, but I do expect to see him on the field occasionally this season learning the role.

There has been and will be movement along the offensive and defensive lines, which is usually a standard among interior linemen.  Bruce Heggie is a sophomore who did not see any action during his freshman year, but is switching from the defensive line to the offensive line to serve as a backup center and guard.  Troy Niklas played offensive guard and defensive end in his senior year of high school where he won the LA Times Lineman of the year award, but is listed as a tight end for the Irish this season, a position he played until his senior season in high school.  Although I wish we would redshirt, he is a man-child and will see reps.

What to do with Freshmen

With 28 freshmen on this year’s roster, many won’t see any action and many of them should not.  Why waste a year of eligibility on a handful of reserve or special teams play when you can learn, develop grow and contribute more down the road?   With a solid base of returning starters and good depth in second and third stringers with plenty of game experience, the Irish don’t need a lot of help from freshman.  Making the transition to college life is difficult enough without the added pressure of having to prove yourself on front of millions of fans every Saturday.  There are, however, a few freshmen who could play and contribute this year.

With only Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray having any real playing experience, George Atkinson III will be needed and I believe able to help get Wood and Gray some rest.  Atkinson is talented and physically developed enough to play right away in a support role.

Wide Receiver DaVaris Daniels will probably add some more depth to a receiver corps with a lot of talent but not a lot of experience.  Because of his athleticism, Daniels will probably be able to contribute immediately on special teams.

With a log jam at quarterback, Everett Golson is so physically talented you have to find something for him to do.  I suspect there will be special plays and situations where Brian Kelly will have plans set in place for Golson to provide shock and awe.

At 6’6’ and 265 lbs., Aaron Lynch had been a man among boys and showed why he could start at the Division I level right away at the Blue and Gold game in the spring.   With seniors Ethan Johnson and Kapron Lewis -Moore returning to anchor the defensive line at the ends, Aaron will have no chance of starting for the Irish unless an injury knocks someone out.   Lynch will see solid game action rotating in to keep the attacks from the end fresh.

Because of the lack of depth at running back, Cam McDaniel will probably see the field, rotating with Atkinson so that Wood and Jones can catch some breaks.  Although Cam is not as ready as George Atkinson, he can hold his own.

Another defensive end who is physically ready to play as a freshman is Stephon Tuitt.  At 6’5” and 295 lbs., he could make an impact.  Again, with two proven starters at defensive end, Stephon will most likely rotate in with Aaron Lynch to give the line a rest and fresh legs. 

Outside linebacker Ishaq Williams is another great athlete who has a great physical presence at 6’5” and 255 lbs.  Again, he is not really needed in this area immediately, but will be able to rotate in and keep the defense fresh.

With the exception of being able to relieve starters in a blowout and giving them a little rest during games and the opportunity to gain game experience, I would love to redshirt all freshman this year.  I believe the above players will definitely see the field, contribute and be better for it with my blessing. The following players have the ability to play and may also see action, but will do so without my approval.  

At 6’5” 253 lbs., freshman tight end Ben Koyack  is a perfect physical prototype for that position.   The Irish already have seasoned tight ends and are quickly becoming Tight End U. Let’s save this guy for the future, in case the well dries up. 

Wide receiver Matthias Farley, who could also play as a defensive back, is a gifted athlete who could contribute on special teams, but why waste a year of eligibility on special teams?   Since he did not start playing football until his junior year of high school, a year of football development could take him to the next level.

Troy Niklas (6’6.5” 250 lbs.) was recruited as a tight end but is ideal for defensive end or outside linebacker.  Brian Kelly loves to get great athletes and move them around to get the best match.  Let’s figure out where he belongs first.

On the offensive line, freshmen Matt Hegarty and Conor Hanratty could both serve as backups on a second or third string line, but again, why waste a year of eligibility sitting on the sidelines?

Starting Battles

As fall practice enters its second week and the Kelly system enters its second year, most starting roles have been decided and even back-ups are pretty well cemented.  There are, however, some battles going on for first team spots.   Of course, we all know about the quarterback situation, and I have already stated my thoughts on that.

Starting on the defensive side of the ball, the nose guard position has options and excitement.  With Louis Nix being the heir apparent but still a work in progress (mostly in conditioning), I don’t think there will be a solid number one this season.  While the same player may “start” every game, there will be a lot of rotation getting fresh legs in between plays and series.   Although Sean Cwynar is listed as a defensive tackle, he spent the final four contests at nose guard, filling in for the injured Ian Williams.  That, along with 24 games of playing experience, makes him a valuable veteran who will see a lot of time on the field.  The nose guard position will be determined by committee this season.

Darius Fleming has one outside linebacker spot secured, but the other is still up for grabs.  With 13 games of playing experience, junior Dan Fox has the edge and is my pick to be the other starting outside linebacker.  However, sophomore Danny Spond also has some game experience, mostly with special teams, and has a great upside.  I like Spond to push Fox and may even get a few starts, definitely seeing significant playing time.   Throw 6’5” 255 lb. freshman Ishaq Williams into the mix, and the depth at this position will keep the defense fresh and solid.

Future All-World linebacker Manti Te’o is locked and loaded at one inside linebacker position, and junior Carlos Calabrese’s breakout sophomore season last year makes him my favorite at the other inside linebacker slot.  Sophomores  Prince Shembo and Kendall Moore are knocking on the door and will push and motivate Calabrese to play hard every down, and both will see playing time and keep the inside linebacker position fresh.

Danny Spond and Prince Shembo are also interchangeable between inside and outside linebacker positions and can be moved around for defensive packages.

At the safety position, Harrison Smith solidified his role as the lead man with a dominate performance in the Hyundai Sun Bowl.  The other starting safety position is up for grabs and the battle is between junior Zeke Motta and senior Jamoris Slaughter.  However, there are several other players in the mix for solid playing time.  Senior Dan McCarthy, brother of former Irish Captain Kyle McCarthy, has two years of game experience while sophomore Austin Collinsworth, son of former NFL wide receiver Chris Collinsworth, who moved at the beginning of spring practice to the secondary, may see some significant playing time.

On the offensive line, there is a guard battle between graduate student Andrew Nuss and junior Chris Watt for the starting role opposite of Trevor Robinson.   Right now, it’s a toss up, and with freshman legacy Conor Hanratty waiting in the wings, this may be a battle that goes down to the last week.

Ready to Drink the Kool-Aid?

I am almost ready to drink the Brian Kelly Kool-Aid.  When Lou Holtz left and Bob Davie took over, you kind of knew that excitement was off the table.  Having Davie as your head coach was fine if you wanted to be content, but Irish fans want a frenzy.  Davie was a defensive minded coach with a sound football pedigree, but no head coaching experience.  Ty Willingham was closer to what I was looking for in terms of confidence, experience and attitude.  Willingham also had more offensive experience and had been a college head coach at Stanford.  I would have liked to have seen Ty stick around a little longer, but the powers that be wanted a faster return to glory.

Charlie Weiss came in and we were all hypnotized by his four Super Bowl Rings.  We figured he would turn the Irish into the New England Patriots and thought that if it weren’t for Weiss, Tom Brady would just be another quarterback.  When it came to offensive genius, Charlie was considered the gold standard, which was music to the ears of Notre Dame fans and alumni.  We thought having Charlie walk into recruits’ homes flashing Super Bowl rings players would result in immediate commitments. After finishing his first season at 5-2, the University drank the Kool-Aid, locking in Weiss with a new 10 year deal supposedly worth upwards of 40 million dollars.  That made me a little nervous, and what did not sit right with me is when I had the opportunity to meet Weiss at a golf event sponsored by Xerox, and he came across as cocky, not confident.  Looking back at the Weiss era, I think his biggest shortcoming is that he is not a head coach (he never was, even his high school coaching days)…he was and still is a great offensive coordinator.

From Grand Valley State to Central Michigan and into Cincinnati, I feel that Kelly has refined his ability to be a top level, top notch head coach.  Kelly, an Irish Catholic himself, seems to be much more personable than Weiss and while the Irish Nation loved Weiss, I don’t think it was a two way street.  Kelly is loved and he seems to love the fans back.  Each week Brain Kelly does pre- and post-game press conferences where I thought he was genuine, informative and honest, whereas Weiss was like a robot.

It’s not only the winning record, the big win over USC or the beating the Irish gave Miami in the Sun Bowl - it’s how he did it.  It was not an easy year and could have been worse.  After beating Purdue, the Irish suffered a close loss to Michigan, then Kelly was upstaged by Michigan State with an overtime fake field goal.   After the first 5 games, the Irish were 2-3, but Kelly rallied the troops to improve to 4-3.  With all that going on, Kelly’s team lost to Navy, had Declan Sullivan (a student assistant) die while operating a camera during a practice, and had his starting quarterback go out with a season ending injury.  Again, he rallied the team, mentored a freshman quarterback and won out the regular season, including a much needed win over USC and a bowl game win against the rival Miami Hurricanes.

I have enjoyed seeing how or more so who he is recruiting.  His recruiting matches his coaching…get players who belong on a football field in South Bend and put them where they need to be to win.  Kelly’s character wasn’t shown by what happened in his first season but how he responded to what happened. 

What’s in a number?

Last year’s preseason AP Poll had Alabama ranked one and Auburn ranked 22^nd.  At the end of the year,  Auburn was undefeated and ranked number one with a National Championship while Alabama was ranked 10^th with three loses.   The story was similar in the USA Today Coaches Poll, with Alabama receiving a preseason number one ranking and Auburn ranked 22^nd.  When it was all over, Alabama was down to 11^th.  Just because Oklahoma is the preseason number one this year doesn’t mean they will finish that way, but it doesn’t that they won’t either.  So when Brian Kelly says he doesn’t worry or pay too much attention to the Irish’s preseason 18^th, I have to believe him.

I am, however, excited to be in the preseason rankings - there are positives to it.  First, it’s always recruiting season and being ranked is attractive to high school players.  Some may say that Notre Dame get a few extra votes for being Notre Dame.  That may be true, but don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.  Pollsters may have some reverence for the echoes of the past but teams facing the Irish on the field this year don’t care about South Bend’s history, they aren’t intimidated by touchdown Jesus or the Golden Dome.  This is why Kelly and his team need to keep their perspective on what is written and said about them and do their talking on the field of play.

What’s in a number?

Last year’s preseason AP Poll had Alabama ranked one and Auburn ranked 22^nd.  At the end of the year,  Auburn was undefeated and ranked number one with a National Championship while Alabama was ranked 10^th with three loses.   The story was similar in the USA Today Coaches Poll, with Alabama receiving a preseason number one ranking and Auburn ranked 22^nd.  When it was all over, Alabama was down to 11^th.  Just because Oklahoma is the preseason number one this year doesn’t mean they will finish that way, but it doesn’t that they won’t either.  So when Brian Kelly says he doesn’t worry or pay too much attention to the Irish’s preseason 18^th, I have to believe him.

I am, however, excited to be in the preseason rankings - there are positives to it.  First, it’s always recruiting season and being ranked is attractive to high school players.  Some may say that Notre Dame get a few extra votes for being Notre Dame.  That may be true, but don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.  Pollsters may have some reverence for the echoes of the past but teams facing the Irish on the field this year don’t care about South Bend’s history, they aren’t intimidated by touchdown Jesus or the Golden Dome.  This is why Kelly and his team need to keep their perspective on what is written and said about them and do their talking on the field of play.