Interchangeable Parts

With the exception of Kapron Lewis-Moore, the defensive line may lack experience in game play, but it also may be the most interchangeable crew on the team.  Next to Louis Nix and Tyler Stockton, nose guard Lewis-Moore is probably the least interchangeable player on the D-line this year.  Going into his last season with the Irish, Kapron will bring leadership and experience as well as good size.

Early enrollee Sheldon Day came in listed as a defensive end, but at 6’2” 286 lbs. his frame is more suited for an interior defensive lineman such as a nose guard or defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme.  So depending on the need, expect to see Day at defensive end, nose guard, and defensive end.

Kona Schwenke was listed as a defensive end last year and as a nose guard this year by the Notre Dame Athletic Department.  Schwenke rotated with Nix at nose guard as he continued his conditioning and development.  Now, with Nix settling in and the departure of Aaron Lynch, he my play both as Diaco rotates in fresh legs from play to play.

Stephon Tuitt came to South Bend as a defensive end with huge potential, which included taking a few snaps in games at nose guard last season.  At 6’6”, 295 lbs. (listed at 295; reportedly he is up to 303) and very athletic, Tuitt can come in from the end position or stuff the middle at nose.  Again, with the departure of Lynch and the development of Nix, he will spend most of his time at the end.

Chase Hounshell was a pleasant surprise, appearing in six games as a freshman last season at defensive end.  I was surprised he even saw the field in his first year as there was seemingly no need for his services.  Although I don’t see him in any circumstance playing the nose, he has put on some weight, and could play at defensive tackle in the 4-3.  And for the record, I really like the way he gets after it when he plays.

Tony Springmann came into Notre Dame listed as a defensive end, but is now listed as a nose guard in the Spring Prospectus.   At 6’6” 290 lbs. (listed at 290, but word is he is up to 300).  Where and when Diaco wants or needs a fresh set of legs in a game will dictate where Springman will play.

Jarron Jones comes to South Bend at 6’6”+, 298 lbs. as a defensive end, but time will tell exactly where he plays in his Notre Dame career.  Several recruiting services had him listed as one of the top offensive linemen in the country.  With his size athletic ability and long arms, he could play multiple positions on either side of the ball; defensive end, nose guard and offensive tackle.  I suspect he will redshirt this year, but depending how he does in camp and potential needs, he may see the field this fall.

These players fit into Brian Kelly’s mold of get a great football player and the positions will fall into place.

Ranking Talent

When it comes to scouting, evaluating and eventually scoring and ranking high school football players, there are plenty of services and websites.  All of these services offer pictures, video highlights, interviews, commentaries, notes and opinions.  Each also uses all their insight to provide stars, rankings and all-star selections.  Most of the top kids find their way onto all of the same lists;with some differences in where they rank, what there score is or how many stars they get.

Recently, I was reviewing 247sports.com and saw they had revamped their scoring and ranking system.  Although each ranking is subject to debate and even argument, I do enjoy seeing where certain (mostly Notre Dame) prospects and commits fall.  After reviewing 247sports.com’s rankings of Notre Dame’s class of 2013, there were two things I found remarkable.  It wasn’t so much the overall rankings of the Irish commits (Notre Dame’s highest overall ranked player was Jaylon Smith at #9), but how groups of their recruits landed within their position rankings.  The five offensive linemen committed all fell within the top 25 for that position (highest Hunter Bivin #9, lowest Mike MiGlinchey #22).  Four of the five linebackers fell within the top 10 of that position (highest Jaylon smith #1, lowest Danny Mattingly #19).  Linebacker Michael Deeb came in at #52.

BlueandGold.com provides a list of where the Irish commitments rank in the 247Composite, with their position ranking noted in parenthesis:

9. LB Jaylon Smith (1)
47.LB Alex Anzalone (5)
98.DL Isaac Rochell (7)
112.QB Malik Zaire (2)
118.OL Hunter Bivin (9)
154.OL Steve Elmer (13)
160.OL John Montelus (14)
163.OL Colin McGovern (15)
231.TE Mike Heuerman (9)
237.OL Mike McGlinchey (22)
292.LB Jacob Matuska (10)
306.LB Danny Mattingly (19)
312.WR James Onwualu (41)
327.DB RashadKinlaw (20)
346.DB Devin Butler (27)
455.WR Corey Robinson (59)
938. LB Michael Deeb (52)

Of course, this is in no way an exact science.  After all, these kids have another year of high school football to play before they get to South Bend. 

Break Out

We know what to expect from players like Manti Te’o, Tyler Eifert, Braxton Cave and others who have already proven their excellence and worth to this Notre Dame program.  We are hoping to see something come from true freshmen such as Sheldon Day, Gunner Kiel and Jarron Jones.  We are expecting continued development from those redshirted last year who performed in practice but did not see the field. There is yet another group of players who have seen the field as freshmen and sophomores, even as juniors that need to go to the next step and have their “break out” year.  Players who have had glimpse of on field greatness and came to South Bend with great expectations and now must fulfill their potential.

Although players like Chase Hounshell, StephonTuitt and George Atkinsin III could fit into this list, I am only going to talk about Juniors and Seniors with a year of eligibility left.  Sophomores who have shown some potential as true freshmen should not be expected or needed to move up to their full potential yet., although I believe all three will.

First; offensive lineman (probably right tackle) Tate Nichols who, at 6’8” 320+lbs. should not have to worry about size, but will his skill measure up?  Tate played tight end and defensive end in high school and spent his freshman year bulking up.  As a sophomore, he learned from Zack Martin and Taylor Dever but has not seen any game action as of yet.  Although he has not shown anything in game action, his size and athletic ability have created a lot of anticipation and he needs to break out right away.  Fans will not give this third year a break.

At wide receiver there are several players who need to step up, but with two years and 24 games of experience, junior T.J. Jones is expected to lead the way in the wake of Floyd’s departure to the NFL.  With his godfather being none other than Raghib “The Rocket” Ismail, the level of expectation has been high since day one in South Bend.  Jones has played well and could continue at his current pace and be considered a decent contributor to the Notre Dame Football Program.  However, the Irish need a break out receiver and T.J. could and should be that guy.

On the defensive side of the ball, Kona Schwenke is in a great position to step up and control his legacy in South Bend.  With Aaron Lynch departing for the comfort of home,the opportunities at defensive end have opened up.  At 6’4”, 286 lbs., Kona has the size, and with appearances in eight games, is not an undersized freshman stepping into a need along the line.  Schwenke had a solid spring and is being pushed by some younger talent like Chase Hounshell, Tony Springman, StephonTuitt, and even incoming freshmen, Day and Jones.  With Kapron Lewis-Moore coming back, Schwenke will have to take it to the next level to get any sort of serious game time.  Schwenke also split time last season at Nose Guard with Lewis Nix.  Now that Nix has developed on and off (conditioning) the field that time may limited.

Many Irish fans would say that Prince Shembo has already had his breakout year last season, having played in 12 games and started eight, but I think that his ceiling is so high I would liken him to Lawrence Taylor (and yes, I know that is a very tall order).  I think Shembo will impose his will along with his freakish athletic ability rushing the quarterback this season.

Here are the 2013 verbal commits to Penn State who also hold an offer from Notre Dame

Dorian Johnson http://pennstate.scout.com/a.z?s=157&p=8&c=1&nid=5867360

Adam Breneman http://pennstate.scout.com/a.z?s=157&p=8&c=1&nid=5415176

Garrett Sickels http://pennstate.scout.com/a.z?s=157&p=8&c=1&nid=5686697

In the Crosshairs

With 17 verbal commits and room for a few more, the Irish have an opportunity to focus in on select prospects with some discretion.  There are a lot of targets in Notre Dame’s crosshairs, and the Irish have a better chance at landing some more than others.  With the O-line and linebackers seemingly set for the recruiting class of 2013, there are some areas that could use more attention than others.  With signing day seven months away, nothing is certain and even long shots committed elsewhere are still in play. Here is a look at prospects I would like to see in South Bend, why and the chances that could happen.

Without a doubt, 5’11 185 lb. five-star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves with 4.41 speed is Brian Kelly’s most wanted and needed recruit.  Tony Alford is recruiting the Florida star, which is no easy task as he is also being recruited by in state powerhouses Florida and Miami.  Getting a commitment from Hargreaves would strengthen the Irish secondary while being a major coup by getting a big prospect out of the football rich State of Florida. With a recent visit and a father (who by the way coaches with Skip Holtz at USF) who is reportedly gushing over the prospect of Vernon playing for Notre Dame, I like our chances.

Another cornerback that could end up in South Bend is Priest Willis, a 6’2” 185 lb. star from Arizona.  Safeties Coach Bob Elliot is recruiting Willis, competing with schools including LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Florida State, among others.  With a long list of contenders and official visits being set, I don’t expect Willis to make a decision anytime soon, but I do believe that the Irish are a legitimate front runner for his services.

Rounding out the cornerbacks would have to be MacKensie Alexander, a 5’10” 175 lb. athlete with 4.4 speed from Florida.  Once again, recruiting coordinator Tony Alford is attempting to pluck a Florida super star from the likes of Florida State, Florida, Clemson and Alabama, all of which have offers in to Alexander. 

Another Bob Elliot recruit is cornerback Cole Luke, a 6’0” 170 lb. 4-star from Arizona who has recently shaved his college choices down to four schools: USC, Texas, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.  Luke may not be the best or most interested in this group of defensive backs, but the position is a need and he is a very solid prospect.

There are kids out there that may not be a need as much as the three cornerbacks, but would be a good addition to the roster and have interest in playing for the Irish.

6’4” 230 lb. defensive end Alquadin Muhammad from football factory Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey is being recruited by Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator Bob Diaco.  Diaco is considering offers from Michigan, Rutgers and South Carolina all of which Muhammad is interested in.  Although I suspect he will end up somewhere else, I would not be overly surprised if he ended up is South Bend.

Wide receiver 6’1” 172lb. Torii Hunter Jr. (yes his father is a Major League Baseball Player).  who had an impressive showing at Nike’s The Opening, has seen his stock rise and has offers from and is interested in schools including Alabama, Oklahoma State, Stanford and what may be his leader, Arkansas.  Co-Defensive Coordinator and cornerbacks Coach Kerry Cooks may have a tough time getting this prospect to commit to the Irish, but Notre Dame seems to be in the running.

Josh Augusta is listed as a 6’5” 275-295 lb. defensive tackle and although his highlight film on Irish Envy shows being a man among boys on the line, it also shows him splitting out and catching passes.  I know he plays for his high school basketball team and would love to see more of this kid.  It is Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach Chuck Martin’s job to get Josh interested in the Irish.  Unfortunately, I think he will end up at Michigan.

On the other hand, I do believe that Notre Dame has a good chance of landing 6’3” 227 lb. defensive end Ebenezer Ogundeko.  Bob Diaco reportedly has help in recruiting Ogundeko by current Notre Dame verbal commits from the class of 2013. Syracuse is rumored to be in the lead for the New York native’s services.

Wisconsin product Alec James is a 6’4” 220 lb. defensive end who has been favoring the Wisconsin Badgers, but is warming up to the Fighting Irish with the help of Bob Elliot.

There are dozens of other prospects with offers from Notre Dame and even more wanting one.  The Irish have good momentum as the focus has shifted from the O-line to linebackers and now toward defensive backs. 

Openingand Closing

Recently 150 of the best football prospects (as seen by ESPN) of the class of 2013 (a few from 2014) gathered in Oregon at “The Opening” hosted by Nike to showcase their talents.  Many have committed to the program of their choice and those who have not have offers line up as far as the eye can see so they have little if anything to prove.  So what did the players get from the experience and what we learned, at least from the Notre Dame commits. 

Overall there are some themes that all participants should have benefited from.  Obviously going against the best of the best allows players to practice with high level athletes because that is exactly what they will be doing in college.  Now most if not all of these kids are a big fish in little ponds and that will change soon and they need to know how it feels.  It also puts them all in the national spotlight something they hope they will be in.

As close as the Irish Mob 13 have become this is another opportunity for these guys to get to know each other even better.  It also gives Irish targets the opportunity to see what kind of players Notre Dame has commitments from.  Several of Notre Dame’s verbal commits used this as an opportunity to do some recruiting themselves as they got in the ears of some undecided Irish recruits about possibly ending up in South Bend. 

There were several specific things I walked away with from the event.  Wide receiver Cory Robinson, (yes David’s son) who is still learning the game as an elite player had an opportunity to go up against top notch defensive backs.  This was important because he has been able to use his high and physical talent to beat at beat average defenders.

I know offensive lineman Colin McGovern took some heat about his performance at The Opening.  I agree he looked out matched and out muscled but it’s not all doom and gloom.  Strength seemed to be his biggest problem and a couple years with Longo he’ll be ready for action.  I did see potential and during an interview I heard a positive and polished young man that could develop himself into what is needed by a big time program like Notre Dame. 

Just having wide receiver James Onwualo attend after breaking his jaw before the event showed the character, drive and fire in the belly of this young man.   Not only does he end a good message to Notre Dame Program, coaches and fans but to other recruits. 

Of course the best thing to happen for the Irish in Oregon was the verbal commitment of linebacker Alex Anzalone making a total of four linebackers from class of 2013.

Less is more?

After each season players and coaches alike look at those who are college seniors but for one reason or another (usually some sort of redshirt) can come back for one more year.  Many factors can come into play as this decision is being made.  Often it depends on the school and the coaching staff having to make the choice of believing their experience will benefit the team (on and off the field) or is it time to cut bait and go in a younger direction (accepting more letters of intent).  However, it can also be the choice of the player who may decide that it may be time to move on, hopefully to the NFL Draft.  One recent exception is Sean Cwyner, who decided not to return to South Bend (and he would have been more than welcomed back to play), and knowing the NFL would not be calling, he chose to take his degree and enter the workforce.

This season has a good news/bad news theme going with many players who will have a year of eligibility left at the end of the year. We need these players to step up and have the type of seasons that would command attention from NFL teams along with their lure of fortune and fame.

Leading the charge is tight end Tyler Eifert.  With the departure of Michael Floyd and no clear cut quarterback, the receiving game starts out behind the eight ball.  Yes, on the roster Eifert is listed as a tight end, but make no mistake about it, he has and will be splitting out wide.  At 6’6” he will dominate defensive backs, at 250+ lbs., he can mix it up going across the middle and with his speed it will be difficult for linebackers to cover him.  Eifert should finish with honors including All-American (first team) and Mackey Award Finalist (possible winner).  Tyler could have left for the NFL last year and would have likely been drafted earlier than later, but chose to stay.  He may have flown under the radar two years ago, but after last season, he will be bulls eyed by all the defenses the Irish face.  

If Tyler Eifert is #1 on this list Cierre Wood would be #1A.  With a question at quarterback and inexperience and unproven talent at wide receiver, the running game will be counted on especially early.  Factor in the size, experience and talent on the offensive line, lesser talent in the backfield could be a 1000 yard rusher. 

There are other players needing to step up and have career seasons that may also shed some light on their talents and abilities to NFL scouts, but would still have a year of eligibility.  However, they are probably a little more likely to come back in 2013. 

Defensively, linebackers Carlo Calabrese and Dan Fox who may have been overlooked due to the fact they play next to super backer Manti Te’o, have to step up even more.  Calabrese has appeared in 24 games with 8 starts during his sophomore season.  Carlo did not so much lose his starting role as Dan Fox won it and they shared time playing next to Manti Te’o.  Dan Fox, who has played in 26 games, starting all 13 games of his sophomore season, should continue his upward development and really could become something special for the 2013 season.

With an amazing 26 games played and 26 games started, there is little debate that Zack Martin will be an NFL lineman, the question is when. He could make a pro roster now in my opinion.   Linemen take a little while to develop and if he were to have a year like last season he would be a mid-round pick.  A great season, or better yet two more, and he could be one of the highest picked linemen in the draft. 

Chris Watt saw action in 26 games with 13 starts as a junior.  Watt was a very highly touted recruit coming out of high school being named to virtually every All-American list in the country, and has steadily developed and grown his talents as well as his 6’3” 310 lb. guard frame at the collegiate level.