Sophomore Season

Sophomores Tommy Rees, Bennett Jackson and T.J. Ford had impressive freshman seasons.  Tommy will be in the mix for the starting quarterback job, although I think Crist will get the nod. If an opportunity arises, Rees will surely make the most of it.  Tommy won his four regular season starts and the Sun Bowl, leading the Irish to a very strong finish.  Last year, Bennett was the Special Teams Player of the Year and saw action in all thirteen games.   Jackson returned kickoffs and served as a gunner on kickoffs.  T.J. Jones gained twelve games worth of experience at wide receiver (actually at three wide receiver positions).   Ford was actually only the second freshman wide receiver in school history to register a touchdown in the Irish season opener.

What other players from this class will produce on the field this year for the Irish?  There are a number of sophomores that can have impact on both sides of the ball and on special teams.  Some were redshirted last year and some saw limited action.

Austin Collinsworth saw action in every game last year on special teams.  He came to South Bend as a wide receiver but is being moved to the defensive secondary for the fall.   Austin contributed on kickoff and punt returns as well as on coverage.  He will add speed and a football I.Q. to the defensive side of the ball (son of former NFL player and current television analyst Chris Collinsworth).

Although Louis Nix did not see any action in his freshman year (he spent that time on strength training and conditioning), the 6’ 3” 340 lb. nose guard will be competing for a starting position on the defensive line.  He was well touted out of high school and will have a massive presence on the line but can he live up to all the hype?  I for one am looking forward to seeing him reach his potential.

Prince Shembo would be a guaranteed starter on most Division I defenses this year.  He is super athletic and exciting to watch.  He did see action in all 13 games last year (mostly in the nickel package).  He may not see a lot of starting action this year but he will see the field a lot.  Quarterbacks beware…he comes from the outside fast and furious.

Danny Spond played quarterback in high school but was recruited for his tremendous athletic ability.  He can play every position on the field if necessary.  He reminds me of a high school teammate of mine. Greg Pelletier. If you asked me what position he should play, I would just say “football player.”  He’s a guy that players and coaches want on the field.  Spond continues to bulk up to take on the roll of linebacker at this level.

With a logjam at quarterback, Andrew Hendrix may be the odd man out.  However after an impressive spring capped with a solid performance in the Blue and Gold game, it will be interesting to see where he ends up in the mix.  If he does not move up on the depth chart, and after redshirting last year, I would not be surprised to see a transfer after this season.

Luke Massa moved from quarterback to wide receiver at the start of spring practice, and at 6’4”, 220 lbs., he physically fits the role.  He is another example of Brian Kelly moving players around to get them into the best position regardless of prior experience.

Kona Schwenke at defensive end will definitely see playing time this year.  Playing behind seniors Kapron Lewis-Moore and Ethan Johnson at defensive end, a starting role is probably not in the cards, but he’ll definitely get a good amount of playing time.

Finally Lo Wood a cornerback who played in eleven games last year both in the defensive secondary and on special teams could work his way into the rotation if not a shot at a starting job.