Is it me or is colorado a weird team in that list. Wouldve loved to see a northwestern or something similar in there
with how close the UGA game was, i think he could have been a factor there. i doubt anything could have changed what happened in Miami though
Sinclair's recruiting rundown Spoiler Sinclair’s Mid-Week Recruiting Rundown VIP ByKEVIN SINCLAIR 35 minutes ago 0 Just days ahead of what will be one of the most impactful recruiting weekends of the 2020 cycle, I’ve dug into details of the visitor list along with a few post-visit discussions I’ve had recently. First, here are the top two questions I have heading into the weekend. CAN NOTRE DAME PULL OFF THE DREAM DEFENSIVE LINE PAIRING OF RYLIE MILLS AND BRAIDEN MCGREGOR? (Photo: 247Sports) This is it – Notre Dame’s big chance to fend off Michigan, Clemson, Ohio State, and others for the top two defensive linemen on the board. The way I look at it, Rylie Mills and Braiden McGregor would transform a ‘promising’ young Irish defensive line corps into a ‘potentially great’ group. Of course, athletes who carry that kind of impact aren’t acquired easily. For that reason, much concern has bubbled up throughout the Irish fan base related to McGregor’s recruitment. With that said, the timing of his official visit is important. Coming off a list of campus visits in the South, Notre Dame is afforded the opportunity to hammer home the idea that South Bend is where his best opportunities are presented. Additionally, McGregor’s friendship with Mills should up the enjoyment of his stay. And with nose tackle commit Aidan Keanaaina on the visitor list, Mike Elston can bring that group together to sell a future brotherhood in blue and gold. For those who are fretting over his recruitment, until this visit and others play out, it’s my opinion that predicting McGregor’s landing spot is a waste of energy. But with Mills, I’m doubling down on my Irish pick. Big picture speaking, can the Irish make the kind of splash that will feel unmatched after this group visits other top schools? That’s the question I may not have an answer for by Sunday night. But it will be very interesting to weigh the outcome, nonetheless. AT THE END OF THE WEEKEND, WILL NOTRE DAME FEEL ENSURED THAT JORDAN JOHNSON WILL BE IRISH? (Photo: Steve Wiltfong, 247Sports) Of the Top 50-ranked prospects Notre Dame is battling for, Jordan Johnson represents the athlete I’m most confident in predicting to be Irish. From his cancellation of his unofficial visit to Alabama in order to take his last trip to South Bend to his character and academic match with the culture of Notre Dame, I felt like the coaching staff had a real shot with Johnson from the outset. That said, will Notre Dame manage to conclude his official visit this weekend feeling confident that he’ll announce his commitment to the Fighting Irish on July 28? Will Notre Dame’s tight end commits mesh well with the elite receiver on Saturday? I’m very curious of how this weekend will shake out with Johnson. From everything I know, I predict the Irish will take a big step forward toward closing the deal. DEONTAE CRAIG’S TUESDAY VISIT (Photo: 247Sports With his basketball season complete, Deontae Craig kicked off his spring visits by hitting both in-state schools – Purdue early in the week followed by Notre Dame on Saturday. As we reported on the weekend, Craig’s Saturday visit came with booking a return trip on Tuesday where he attended a class with a member of the football team. “It went well!” Craig said. “I was able to sit in on a class which was really cool. “I was with Julian Okwara and something I thought was pretty cool about the visit was how similar the class was to Culver. It seemed very leadership oriented. The campus was also pretty sweet just getting to look at all the buildings and everything. Made it feel just like Culver.” Notre Dame is clearly positioned very well with Deontae Craig. ZAK ZINTER (Photo: 247Sports) I spoke with Zak Zinter in-depth on his Notre Dame visit and what will come next in his recruitment. For Zinter, he’s made the decision to choose a more academically challenging school in the past when transferring to Buckingham Browne & Nichols School – regularly ranked among the top academic schools in the country. In that, the degree at Notre Dame is a serious factor for the four-star recruit, as is his admiration of the Irish offensive line coach. “I love coach Quinn,” Zinter said. “We had a great couple of meetings. I was there for two days. He talked a lot about how he loves me as a player, my size, my speed, the versatility I have. I played center freshman year, tackle my sophomore year, and guard in my junior year. He likes that I can play any position. “I really like coach Quinn and I had a really good meeting with coach Kelly as well.” A key takeaway from his visit was getting to know the offensive linemen, having brunch with that group, and dinner as well. “I was talking to them and you can see that they’re a true brotherhood,” Zinter said. “They love each other. In practice and together outside. They’re doing stuff together and you can really see the true brotherhood that they have, and it’s awesome.” As we’ve reported Zinter booked an official visit to Notre Dame for June 21 – 23. This is significant as he’s visited several schools recently and Notre Dame is the one return trip he was quick to book. Although it’s not official, he’s also taking a close look at attending the Blue-Gold Game on Apr. 13. “I’m trying to narrow it down to a couple schools and Notre Dame is on the top of my list, high on my list,” Zinter said. On a final note which brings an interesting connection to light, Zinter mentioned that he has a friendship that goes back a few years with recent Notre Dame commit Greg Crippen. “We’re good friends,” Zinter said of Crippen. “We talked for a while. I knew him when he was here at Milton Academy before he transferred (to IMG Academy).” Clearly, this recruitment is standing on very solid ground. POTENTIAL VISITORS In speaking with a number of recruits early this week, three athletes are looking into planning trips to South Bend, prospects worth keeping an eye on. First, running back Kyle Edwards was working on booking a return trip to Notre Dame this Saturday to attend spring practice. Unfortunately, he was unable to put those plans together but he is working to get back to Notre Dame sometime between now and the Blue-Gold Game on April 13. “Notre Dame and Alabama spring practices are the main targets right now,” Edwards said. Rising out of under-the-radar status is defensive back Lovie Jenkins – a 6-foot-1, 181-pound junior from Ocoee, Florida who added an offer from Notre Dame at the safety position recently. Originally planning to visit Notre Dame in the summer, Jenkins is now convinced he needs to get to South Bend in the near future. “We are planning to set up a visit,” Jenkins said. “Have to get up there early and check it out.” Third, I spoke briefly with Antwaun Powell on Tuesday, a ferocious drop end prospect who was added to the board recently. While I admire his explosive nature off the edge, the Virginian is looking into booking an official visit to Notre Dame. Stay tuned to Irish Illustrated as we’ll keep you apprised of any and all visit bookings the note about the possible visitors at the bottom of the story is pretty interesting
Nah that was the offense breaking down at the end of year. We weren't beating Miami and probably not Stanford either no matter who was playing safety
Legitimately had no idea that Brey had a 30+ year-old adult son, let alone one who coaches football. Not bad for the pipeline, I suppose.
I was wondering because their head coach is very good and an ND fan already. That would have been national news if he moved on or was dismissed, so regional team makes sense
I think LaLaumiere has the same thing for basketball. Since they bring in recruits from around the country they have a travel team that plays in those national tourneys and plays the Oak Hills and Monteverdes of the world but that team can't play state tournaments so they have a team for that. I could be wrong but I think it's similar.
I don't think I can embed this on TMB but lol at Kelly strolling on set: https://247sports.com/college/notre...-Practice-Observations-For-April-4-130870012/ Dude is relaxed
247 practice report offense Spoiler Notre Dame, Ind. — Rain returned to the area overnight and the Irish were pushed inside for Practice No. 11 of the 15-session spring. Today’s two hours featured a heavy emphasis on positional drill work and fundamentals but there were four particular segments that provided personnel observations: 1-on-1 OL vs. DL pass rush drills 1-on-1 WR vs. DB 1-on-1 RB/TE vs. LBs 11-on-11(contact, but not to the ground) vs. both Base and Nickel Tim Prister will likely have defensive commentary on a fifth segment, 7-on-7, that ran simultaneously during OL/DL…I watched the latter. Offensive Line 1-on-1 Observations Starting LT Liam Eichenberg was clearly slowed by an injury and worked with the second unit, sparingly, most of the day. The first and second string lines were as follows (Left to Right): Aaron Banks, Josh Lugg, Jarrett Patterson, Tommy Kraemer, Robert Hainsey Liam Eichenberg, Dillan Gibbons, Zeke Correll, John Dirksen, Quinn Carroll/Cole Mabry From 100 yards and a balcony away, binoculars were at the ready for 1-on-1 pass rushing drills, but I as able to discern who won near every rep. Aaron Banks 0-2 vs. Daelin Hayes. Neither was close. Josh Lugg 2-2 vs. Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Patterson 1-2 vs. Kurt Hinish Tommy Kraemer 0-2 vs. Jayson Ademilola. First rep was dominant by the sophomore Robert Hainsey 1-2 vs. Ade Ogundeji. Outstanding first rep by Ogundeji Quinn Carroll 1-2 vs. NaNa Osafo-Mensah John Dirksen 1-2 vs. walk-on Logan Plantz Zeke Correll 0-2 vs. Darnell Ewell. Ewell won first with power, then a spin move. (Pausing for Irish Illustrated Subscribers to take in the moment)… Dillan Gibbons 2-2 vs. Jacob Lacey. Both reps pretty competitive. Liam Eichenberg 1-2 vs. Julian Okwara. One breathtaking pass rush for the Okwara win Andrew Kristofic 0-2 vs. Ovie Oghoufo. Neither was close. Walk-on Max Siegel 0-2 vs. walk-on Logan Plantz. A graduate student, Plantz has been a scout team offensive lineman for the last three seasons, FYI. Luke Jones 0-2 vs. Darnell Ewell. The caveat here: I’m not 100 percent sure it was Luke Jones. But it was the third center, and there is no other offensive lineman it could be. John Olmstead 2-2 vs. Justin Ademilola. Two competitive reps by the pairing and the first I’ve noticed Olmstead this spring. Cole Mabry 2-2 vs. Kofi Wardlow. Neither was close. Of note: 5th-year senior Trevor Ruhland now takes part in stretching with the team before working with the players out of action for the rest of practice. Ruhland had arthroscopic knee surgery prior to spring ball. Fellow center Colin Grunhard remains sidelined following shoulder surgery. 1-on-1 Observations (RB/TE vs. LBs) For the record, it was Tony Jones and Jafar Armstrong (split out) that repped with the first unit to begin practice followed by C’Bo Flemister and Kyren Williams (split) with the second. Jahmir Smith is nursing a mild hamstring strain per our special guest star on Instant Analysis this morning. Quick note on the tail end of 1-on-1 pass pro reps (that I basically missed watching 1-on-1 passing drills): Tommy Tremble won over Asmar Bilal in a determined battle and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah buried Tony Jones, Jr. Onto the 1-on-1, with the following caveat: these reps GREATLY favor the offense. The defender is basically asked to cover half the field and is not always in position for an early jam: Cole Kmet was 2-3 vs. Genmark Heath, Moala (won/but bad throw), and Lamb. Lamb had pretty good coverage in his “loss” Brock Wright took Owusu-Koramoah to the deep corner for a touchdown. Good coverage but a perfect ball from Ian Book. Owusu-Koramoah broke up the next pass to Wright but I’d have called the Rover for holding, first. (No refs) C’Bo Flemister beat Asmar Bilal for a score on a dime dropped by Phil Jurkovec. Bilal was all over the play but Flemister came up with it. That’s the first time I’ve seen the redshirt-freshman shine in the passing game. (He’s long impressed me just taking a handoff). Jafar Armstrong dusted Shayne Simon in open space (Simon previously won his rep vs. Kyren Williams with quality coverage.) George Takacs beat Moala Tony Jones was mugged by Bo Bauer (pass interference) Tommy Tremble blew by Bauer for a corner route touchdown. (Not a matchup the Irish defense would be looking for…) 1-on-1 Wide Receivers vs. Defensive Backs I tracked the alternating quarterbacks during this segment and Phil Jurkovec was 12-17 with two touchdowns and and an interception, though the latter might’ve included pass interference. Only one poor throw by Jurkovec during this stretch who had two passes defended against him. Ian Book was 11-18 with a touchdown and an interception (a remarkable interception, it should be noted). Book also had two passes defended against him. (Possibly three…these reps go faster than I can write). Offensive stars of the 1-on-1s: Michael Young: Beat Tariq Bracy for a post-route touchdown (Bracy stopped and looked hurt)…Beat Temitope Agoro on a dart thrown by Jurkovec…beat D.J. Brown on an out route…beat Brown to the corner. I had Young 4-4 Joe Wilkins: Beat Brown on a deep in route…beat Avery Davis on a perfectly run square-in downfield…drew what I think was pass interference on Alohi Gilman (INT) though Gilman probably won that rep with his tight coverage on a stick route…beat Jalen Elliott on a post-route touchdown. Tommy Tremble: Fewer reps but he made them count including the two vs. linebackers noted above. Beat Derrik Allen badly on a post-corner (Allen guessed and guessed wrong)…Beat Gilman (didn’t write down the route but it wasn’t deep)… The other three tight ends (Wright, Takacs, Kmet) were 5-6 vs. the safeties with the miss being a late throw by Jurkovec to the deep corner that Elliott somehow intercepted from a trail position. — Sophomores: Lawrence Keys was solid again today but he could not corral a catchable deep touchdown from Book against Agoro who had quality coverage. Keys beat Agoro on a go-route near the end of the session…I had Kevin Austin win a square in vs. Troy Pride late and again early on a short cross…Braden Lenzy continues to work back from a hamstring strain, he had a pass broken up by Avery Davis but had the defender beaten (Jurkovec’s only “bad” throw in the drill). Lenzy also won to the corner vs. D.J. Brown but had a pass broken up at his expense by Agoro on a cross…Did not see Micah Jones take a rep today… — Among our six practice viewings, today was the first day Chris Finke didn’t humiliate everyone in this drill. He did blow by Houston Griffith for a post-route touchdown. — Chase Claypool was 1-2 vs. Troy Pride; 1-1 vs. Griffith Javon McKinley remains slowed by a groin strain but he rotated into second team tempo action to start practice. (I did not make note of him again.) 11-on-11 (Base and Nickel Defenses) I recorded 24 snaps and because there is no official yardage (and were no referees), I chose a winner for each (Offense, Defense, or Questionable). My take: 7 offense, 14 defense, 3 questionable Offense vs. Base D: 4 Wins, 6 Losses Ian Book hit Chris Finke on a slant (O) but then four consecutive were won by the defense: Moala in the hole vs. Armstrong…no room to the right side for Kyren Williams…Book scrambles but Jamir Jonesbeat Aaron Banks…Daelin Hayes obliterates a screen—from the backside, mind you— to Tony Jones. — Book hit Michael Young on a tunnel screen and Young made a couple miss to end the segment. — Jurkovec escaped a sack (he would’ve escaped without the protective red jersey) and his a seam for a 12+ yard gain…Quality run by Kyren Williams behind a seal block from Quinn Carroll who contained Ovie Oghoufo…Jurkovec was the victim of backside pressure (Oghoufo) on an incomplete pass and also would’ve been sacked by Derrik Allen who came on a delayed blitz untouched. Offense vs. Nickel D: 3 Wins, 8 Losses, 3 Questionable Pretty good effort by the defense to conclude practice but to be fair, they don’t have to finish with a tackle: Offense wins: A pretty slant from Jurkovec to Austin for at least 8 yards…with Oghoufo coming off the edge, Jurkovec ran for at least 9 yards (away)…A jet sweep to Lawrence Keys gained first down yardage… Questionable: Book escaped a Julian Okwara pressure, but you know how that might’ve ended sans a red jersey…C’Bo Flemister stayed low and broke a pair of tackles at scrimmage but Jayson Ademilola might’ve finished him off in a tackle-to-the-ground scrimmage…Jack Lamb deftly held Chase Claypool on a crossing route. Good coverage was the end result but that was probably a flag… Defense Wins: Josh Lugg beaten by an eye-opening power move from Daelin Hayes…A crossing route to Finke is jumped by D.J. Brown…Williams covered well by Jack Lamb…Moala all over an outside run…corner route thrown high and incomplete by Jurkovec…Hainsey beaten for a “sack’ by Ade Ogundeji (Jurkovec)…Coverage sack (Jurkovec)…Jurkovec incomplete bounce pass when his arm was hit from the backside (I believe it was Andrew Kristofic bull-rushed by Jamir Jones). 1COMMENTS Offensive coordinator Chip Long had words with Jurkovec following the final note above. Quick Special Teams Note: Punt Returners (vs. Air) included Chris Finke, Michael Young, Alohi Gilman, Lawrence Keys, and Joe Wilkins.
247 Defense Spoiler Practice No. 11 of Notre Dame’s 2019 spring drills took place inside the Loftus Sports Center on Meyo Field Thursday morning as rain descended upon South Bend with the promise of better weather Saturday. The Irish are anticipating holding Saturday’s Practice No. 12 inside Notre Dame Stadium with temperatures expected to rise into the 60s and just a 10 percent chance of rain. Starting strongside defensive end Khalid Kareem was among the walking wounded Thursday after getting “dinged” earlier in the week. Kareem remained with the defense while injured defenders Shaun Crawford, Ja’Mion Franklin, Donte Vaughn, Jack Kiser and walk-on safety Christopher Schilling worked off to the side. Injured mid-year freshman Hunter Spears was in full pads and running with the rest of the team as they warmed up, but then joined the other injured players off to the side. DEFENSIVE LINE It was a good day for Notre Dame’s pass rush in the nearly two-dozen semi-live 11-on-11 snaps. Ever-present was Notre Dame’s edge rush, led by Daelin Hayes, Ade Ogundeji and, of course, Julian Okwara, although Jamir Jones made headway against what appeared to be (from great distance) tight end Brock Wright. Jones later found himself paired up against left guard Dillan Gibbons and got past the red-shirt sophomore. With Kareem out, Ogundeji received the first team snaps opposite Okwara at weakside end and with starting defensive tackles Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. Jamir Jones worked behind Ogundeji with Justin Ademilola and Ovie Oghoufo. Okwara and Hayes teamed up at weakside defensive end with Kofi Wardlow and NaNa Osafo-Mensah, although Justin Ademilola and Osafo-Mensah switched end spots at one point. Jayson Ademilola and impressive early-entry freshman Jacob Lacey spelled the two starting tackles. Lacey looks quick, active, and strong enough to become a candidate for double teams. In 11-on-11, Hayes was a handful, whether he was coming off the edge or from an interior line spot when defensive line coach Mike Elston repped a pass-rush line of Okwara and Ogundeji on the outside with Hayes and Tagovailoa-Amosa inside. Ogundeji defeated right tackle Robert Hainsey on an 11-on-11 snap and dislodged the football from the throwing hand of Ian Book. LINEBACKERS It should not be a surprise at this point if red-shirt freshman Jack Lamb emerges as the starter at Buck linebacker coming out of spring drills. Jordan Genmark Heath continues to get reps, of course, but Lamb clearly is the Buck of choice in passing situations, working with the defense in a 7-on-7 passing segment featuring the defense in zone coverage. Likewise, the one-two tandem of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Paul Moala resembles a stable situation emerging at Rover now that Shayne Simon has moved inside to Mike linebacker behind Asmar Bilal and in front of Bo Bauer. Owusu-Koramoah was effective in an off-the-edge drill against Brock Wright, and then made a pass breakup one snap after trailing Wright on a turnout route. Moala provided excellent coverage against running back Kyren Williams. Simon showed good drive to the football out of a backpedal in an isolation drill, but later was easily juked by a very difficult to contain Jafar Armstrong in the passing game. At the outset of 7-on-7, it was Owusu-Koramoah, Bilal and Lamb working with the first unit followed by Moala, Simon and Genmark Heath. Bauer later replaced Genmark Heath. Bilal blitzed up the middle in 11-on-11 and got in the face of Book. Any Moala vs. a tight end matchup appears to favor the former safety. DEFENSIVE BACKS One-on-one passing drills strongly favor the offensive players for the most part, and that was the case again Thursday morning as the offense “defeated” the defense 23 out of 35 passes attempted by Book and Phil Jurkovec. (Note: A “defeat” for the purpose of this tally is any pass caught by an offensive player.) Among the defensive plays made by the defensive backs…A pass breakup by safety Jalen Elliott, a pass defended by Troy Pride Jr. on an attempt to Chase Claypool…A pass broken up by safety Alohi Gilman, who participated in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7, but didn’t take or initiate contact…A “win” for cornerback Avery Davis, although Jurkovec’s throw to George Takacs was off the mark… After 11 straight completed passes by the Irish quarterbacks, the secondary strung together four successful one-on-ones – a pass breakup by rising walk-on Temitope Agoro (more on him in a bit), back-to-back interceptions by Elliott on a ball intended for tight end Cole Kmet and a diving pick by Gilman (that could have been overruled by replay), and a pass defensed by Noah Boykin (that was dropped by the normally sure-handed Chris Finke). Of the remaining 14 one-on-ones, defensive wins were claimed by cornerback Houston Griffith, who closed the space on a Jurkovec-to-Isaiah Robertson pass, an Agoro defense (a tough catch to make through Keys’ hands), Davis (Book-to-Finke attempt), and Agoro on another throw to Keys. It should be noted during 11-on-11 that Agoro took all the snaps at No. 2 field cornerback behind Pride. (Note: We do not know if TaRiq Bracy or Boykin were dinged up at that point to prevent their participation or if Agoro simply has been elevated to No. 2. He’s a senior walk-on that’s been around for a long time and has taken a ton of reps.) D.J. Brown, playing the whip safety with the No. 2 unit behind Gilman, perfectly read a swing pass to Tony Jones Jr. that he blew up. It’s also worth mentioning that practice after practice, walk-on Patrick Pelini shows himself to be a capable walk-on safety and not just another body out there. KICKING GAME/PUNT RETURNS Jonathan Doerer attempted nine placekicks with early-entry freshman Jay Bramblett serving as holder as practice began. Doerer converted 7-of-9 kicks from distances of 20 yards (extra point) to what looked to be beyond 50 yards. (Note: The end zone angle provided no perspective on exact distances.) One of the misses from mid-range sailed badly to the right. Doerer’s kicks continue to have a very distinct right-to-left movement. 1COMMENTS A bit later in practice, five players were fielding “punts” from the Jugs machine – incumbent punt returner Chris Finke, Michael Young, Lawrence Keys III, Joe Wilkins, and Alohi Gilman. All but Young caught “punts” with another football tucked in the other arm to make the grab more challenging and forcing extra concentration to catch the football.
sounds like the defense was very stout today...i think we'd all be thrilled if Daelin and Ade were the starting DEs most years and they are the backups...i never thought i'd see the day when ND would have such depth at DE
Coach D defense Spoiler Notre Dame’s 11th practice of the 2019 spring was inside the Loftus Center, and the focus of practice was more about individual drills and teaching. The number of competitive reps was a bit limited today, which means the practice reports will be a bit shorter than normal. We will start things off talking about the Irish defense, which probably had its most productive and successful session of the spring. Quick Notes * Senior end Khalid Kareem was out during today’s practice. Kareem spent some time on the stationary bike and was around the line the rest of the practice. The way he walked around and moved he seemed to be moving around well, which means he is likely in good health and is just dealing with a minor issue and today was a good day to give him rest. * Fifth-year senior cornerback Shaun Crawford was quite limited today, but today was the first time we saw him go through drills. Crawford wasn’t moving full speed, but it was a good sign to see him moving around in drills. * Sophomore nose tackle Ja’Mion Franklin and freshman defensive tackle Hunter Spears were both in pads today and both went through the stretch period. Following stretch they both went back to the medical area and did not participate in any drills. * Senior cornerback Donte Vaughn, freshman rover Jack Kiser and junior linebacker Drew White were all out today. White’s right arm was in a sling, which indicates he has had the surgery to repair his shoulder injury. * Today was the most we saw of senior safety Alohi Gilman, who got reps during 1on1s. DEFENSIVE LINE The offensive line has won most of the battles with the defense this spring, but today we saw the Irish defensive line have its most impactful day of the open sessions …. by far. Senior end Daelin Hayes has been good all spring, but this morning he was truly outstanding. He dominated junior Aaron Banks – who was playing left tackle – on back-to-back 1on1 pass rush reps. On the first snap Hayes attacked Banks on the outside and beat him with a power move in which he knocked Banks back and then discarded him as he got outside and into the backfield. On the next rep, Hayes exploded outside for a couple of steps and as soon as Banks overset Hayes beat him inside and easily got into the backfield. During a later team session Hayes made arguably the most impressive play of practice. He was lined up on the left side of the line, and at the snap Hayes slanted inside and then immediately read a screen that was being run to the other side of the field. Hayes stayed on path and blew the screen up in the backfield despite starting the play on the opposite side of the field. Hayes had another dominant rep during team where he powered around junior guard Joshua Lugg for a pressure that likely would have been a sack if the quarterback was live. Senior Julian Okwara split his reps with senior left tackle Liam Eichenberg in his 1on1 reps. Okwara got outside of Eichenberg on a speed rush, but on his second rep Eichenberg stoned him and made the block. Okwara had an effective edge rush during team and likely would have had a sack against Banks if the quarterback was able to be hit. Senior end Ade Ogundeji had a quality practice filling in for Kareem. Ogundeji was powerful at the point of attack during team and had a strip sack during team, beating junior right tackle Robert Hainsey on the snap. During 1on1s, Hainsey stoned Ogundeji on a power move on the first rep but the senior end got the better of Hainsey on the next snap, beating the right tackle outside on a speed rush where he effectively used his hands to keep Hainsey from getting on him. Sophomore drop end Ovie Oghoufo had another impactful practice. Twice he beat freshman Andrew Kristofic during 1on1s, beating the freshman with a speed rush to the outside where Oghoufo exploded out of his break and used his speed to win on the outside on his second rep. His first rep was a win with a double move that allowed Oghoufo to beat Kristofic inside. Freshman end NaNa Osafo-Mensah had an impressive double move during 1on1s that allowed him to easily beat freshman right tackle Quinn Carroll. During team Osafo-Mensah showed good power and seems to be playing with a lot more confidence in what he is supposed to do than what we saw earlier in spring practice. He definitely seemed to have a little extra juice during today’s practice. Sophomore defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola flashed during today’s practice. He dominated senior right guard Tommy Kraemer on back-to-back snaps during 1on1s, and neither rep was even close. Ademilola exploded past Kraemer through the gap on the first rep and then used a power move to drive Kraemer into the backfield on the next rep before dispensing of the senior and getting off to the backfield. Ademilola was effective during team as well. He used his quickness to get penetration, and on one particular snap he slanted and beat the line up the field. Junior nose tackle Kurt Hinish split reps with sophomore center Jarrett Patterson, but even on the win against Patterson the junior was stopped initially but kept pushing and won late. Hinish was active during team and although he didn’t make a lot of plays he was stout and with the line working on slants and stunts he was able to get a good push when working laterally. Junior defensive tackle Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa got stoned on back-to-back reps against junior guard Joshua Lugg during 1on1s. Tagovailoa-Amosa was more active and productive during team. Along with Hinish, the interior of the line was far more stout and active during team than we’ve seen most of the previous practices. Tagovailoa-Amosa was able to get a push in the pass game and got solid movement in the run game. It was bound to happen at some point, but today was the day that freshman nose tackle Jacob Lacey seemed to hit a bit of a wall during practice. That happens with true freshman, especially big guys like Lacey. He just didn’t have quite the burst in his legs today, which is why he wasn’t as dominant against junior guard Dillan Gibbons, although he did push Gibbons back on his second rep. The effort didn’t slack and Lacey competed, but he just didn’t have the same juice at the snap than we have seen from him all spring. Today was the best junior nose tackle Darnell Ewell has looked in a Notre Dame uniform, at least in the practices we’ve seen. Ewell received a great deal of attention and encouragement from position coach Mike Elston during individual drills. During 1on1s he whipped freshman center Zeke Correll on back-to-back reps. Ewell blew past Correll on his first snap and then powered past Correll on the next rep. Ewell gave good effort during team and although I didn’t see him make any tackles, his effort was good and he competed. Ewell tends to stand up too much at the snap, and we saw that today, but he did a good job working his feet through contact. Senior end Jamir Jones soundly beat Banks around the edge on a pass rush during the team period, blowing up a play. Later in the team period he beat Kristofic around the edge for a sack. LINEBACKER/ROVER Most of my defensive attention was on the line, but there were certainly some things to glean from the defense today. Fifth-year senior Asmar Bilal and junior Jordan Genmark Heath were the starters, but sophomore Jack Lamb continued to get a lot of reps and was put out during the nickel period. Bilal had a typical today. He was assignment sound and active but I didn’t see him make a lot of plays. He had good coverage on sophomore back C’Bo Flemister on a wheel route but Flemister was able to make the catch for the score thanks to a strong catch and a great pass from Phil Jurkovec. Genmark Heath had an active day. He was aggressive playing downhill in the run game and I didn’t see the assignment mistakes that have shown up in past practices. He was good in coverage and the only time he got beat was during a 1on1 rep against tight end Cole Kmet. Genmark Heath was in good position and covered Kmet well, but Ian Book threw a well-placed ball and Kmet made a strong catch. Lamb continues to be active, rangy and effective in coverage. His athleticism really stands out when he knows what he is doing, which wasn’t the case last spring. Today was another example of Lamb being confident and just running. He showed loose hips and good open field speed during today’s practice. Sophomore Shayne Simon had a quality day, and it was another day he spent playing the Mike spot. Simon had a strong win during a 1on1 rep against running back Kyren Williams. Simon jumped all over Simon, didn’t buy his jab step and opened up and ran with the freshman back, forcing an incompletion. He got beat by Jafar Armstrong on a later route, but even on that play Simon looked more comfortable making his read and opening up to run with the back. Sophomore Bo Bauer had a tough time during 1on1s, getting beat by Tommy Tremble on a corner route, and he would likely have been called for pass interference on a 1on1 rep against Tony Jones Jr. that resulted in an incomplete pass. Junior Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah got beat by Brock Wright on a corner route during 1on1s, but he was in good position on the play. Wright made a strong catch and Jurkovec placed the ball well for the score. Owusu-Koramoah broke up a pass intended for Wright on the next 1on1 rep. He was active during team, was good in coverage and did a better job taking on and beating blocks on the perimeter. Sophomore Paul Moala had a very productive day during team periods. He showed top-notch instincts filling inside on runs, and he was constantly engaging the ball carrier near the line of scrimmage. He looks far, far more comfortable at rover than he ever looked at safety. Moala has a chance to be a productive player at that position if he can continue to have days like he had today. SECONDARY I did not spend much time focusing on the secondary today, as that unit has been a major focal point this spring. A few notes that I was able to gather from different periods. Sophomore safety DJ Brown had his best day that I’ve seen today. He looked far more comfortable at safety, which allowed him to be more effective playing the ball. He got beat by Braden Lenzy on a corner route and Michael Young on an out route during 1on1s, but Brown was better during team. His alignments seemed correct, he played the ball well and he jumped routes quicker than he has in the past. Late in practice he did a good job recognizing a crossing route, jumping it and putting himself in position to blow it up if it was a live period. Sophomore Derrik Allen is rarely good during 1on1 periods, but he continues to impress me during team periods. Twice today he was in the middle of the field and jumped outside routes, putting himself in position to make a pick if the balls were even remotely accurate. He also jumped all over a seam route that Book wanted to hit, forcing the quarterback to tuck it and run. Allen also had himself in position for a sack off the edge, but obviously he could not hit the quarterback. Junior Avery Davis had his best day on defense today, at least with the open practices. He spent some time at nickel and on the outside. He was all over Lenzy on a go route and forced an incompletion on the play. His footwork was better today, he looked more confident and he was around the ball more. Davis got beat a couple of times and he’s still not where he needs to be from a consistency standpoint with his technique, but he has definitely improved from the earlier practices. Senior safety Jalen Elliott had a great play during a 1on1 period, knocking the ball out of Kmet's hands and picking the pass off before going out of bounds.
Coach D offense Spoiler Notre Dame’s 11th practice of the 2019 spring was inside the Loftus Center, and the focus of practice was more about individual drills and teaching. The number of competitive reps was a bit limited today, which means the practice reports will be a bit shorter than normal. First up was the defense, but now it’s time to talk about the offense. Quick Notes * Fifth-year senior Trevor Ruhland went through stretching in pads but returned to the medical area following that period. He remains out of anything beyond stretching. * Senior receiver Javon McKinley did not participate in any team or 1on1 periods, but he was in pads and was out with the receivers throughout practice. * Junior center Colin Grunhard remains out with an injury. * Sophomore running back Jahmir Smith was out during today’s practice. QUARTERBACK Senior quarterback Ian Book was erratic today. He had some good throws – including a gorgeous post route to Chris Finke during 1on1s – but he also turned the ball over at times and his timing wasn’t where I would want it to be. I had Book charted as throwing 11 practices during the 7on7 period, and during that session he threw one pass beyond ten yards, and it fell incomplete. He threw four check downs and three under routes after finding nothing he liked deep. Book was again late throwing the ball outside, resulting in receivers running out of bounds on the catch, and he allowed defenders to make more plays on the ball than they should have. Perhaps the offense was emphasizing the screens, check downs and short throws, and that accounts for the extremely high number of short throws and the lack of downfield throws. That must always be considered because practices usually have a point of emphasis and aren’t just running plays to run them. But today, Book wasn’t sharp and rarely pushed the ball downfield. Today was also the first time all spring the line really struggled with pass protection, and that also limited Book's opportunities to get the ball downfield during team periods. Credit also belongs to the defense, which had good coverage today during team periods. Sophomore Phil Jurkovec was a bit up and down today, making some truly outstanding throws, but then missing on a short throw or throwing late down the field. If I was his quarterbacks coach I would have two primary points of emphasis for Jurkovec above all others. The first is expected of a young quarterback, stick with your reads and throw the ball on time. The second is Jurkovec really likes throwing the deep ball, and he’ll throw it late at times and that is something he needs to break. It’s one thing to throw to an open receiver down the field, but Jurkovec will go through his reads and just launch it deep, which he has to not do. But when you get past the rookie mistakes and frustrating misses on throws when he aims the ball, Jurkovec does some really impressive things, and we saw that today. During 1on1s he threw a number of excellent corner throws. He hit tight end Brock Wright perfectly over the top for a touchdown on a corner route and actually led Wright on the play. He did the same later to tight end Tommy Tremble for another downfield touchdown on a well-thrown corner throw. Jurkovec also hit slot receiver Lawrence Keys III on a corner throw to beat Alohi Gilman. Jurkovec also hit running back C’Bo Flemister on a well-placed corner throw to beat Asmar Bilal. He missed a shot for a big play by throwing late on a go route to Braden Lenzy. Jurkovec didn’t have much time to throw during the team periods, as the defensive line got consistent pressure on him, but he did use his legs to escape twice on plays that likely would have been big gains if the quarterback was live. WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT END The sophomore wideouts have taken turns standing out during practices this spring, and today was Joseph Wilkins Jr.’s chance to shine. The long and rangy sophomore dominated during 1on1s, using his route running and speed to make plays. Wilkins looked like a veteran with his route running today. On one particular snap he was running an in-breaking route, but the defender was playing to take away his inside. Wilkins took off vertically, widened the defender out and forced him to step to Wilkins, and when that happened he quickly sank his hips and snapped the route inside to get impressive separation. Later Wilkins executed a precise post route with a good head-fake that allowed him to beat senior safety Jalen Elliott for a touchdown. Wilkins made a lot of plays during today’s practice, and he continues to put himself in position for legitimate snaps in 2019. Sophomore Lawrence Keys III was a bit up-and-down, and his best snaps came from the slot. Keys had more issues getting off the line when lined up outside, but in the slot he was far more effective at the line and was far more confident getting up field and making cuts. He competes, but he’s still not quite strong enough to really handle outside routes against physical coverage. Sophomore Braden Lenzy also had some issues at times getting off the line outside, but he also made some plays today. He badly beat safety DJ Brown on a corner route and had a couple of sharp short routes to get open as well. He landed awkwardly after an underthrown go route and seemed to bang his shoulder a bit. Junior Michael Young continued his stellar spring today. He smoked sophomore cornerback TaRiq Bracy on a post route in which Bracy seemed to pull up lame, but Young had already blown past Bracy by the time that happened. Young’s routes were precise and his speed off the ball and out of breaks was outstanding. Junior Brock Wright did some really good things in the pass game today, showing good vertical speed on his releases, sharp cuts and he caught the ball clean when it came his way. He’s been solid to good all spring long, not showing the ups and downs we saw in past years. Sophomore Tommy Tremble had a productive day today. He seemed to be playing with much more confidence as a route runner, and when he plays full speed there isn’t a linebacker or safety on the roster that can run with him. Tremble smoked classmate Bo Bauer on a corner route and got a step on Jack Lamb on an in cut, although Lamb was the only linebacker that seemed to be able to run with Tremble. RUNNING BACK I didn’t spend much time focusing on the running backs, but overall the pass protection from the unit wasn’t great today. The unit made a lot of catches in the pass game, but we didn’t see the backs making as many plays today as in other practices. Junior Jafar Armstrong continues to be a vertical weapon in the pass game and sophomore C’Bo Flemister had an impressive grab on a corner route, beating veteran linebacker Asmar Bilal. Freshman Kyren Williams got a lot of work today and he ran hard, showed good vision and made plays out of the backfield. OFFENSIVE LINE The Irish offensive line struggled today and had without question its least effective practice of the open sessions. Not having Liam Eichenberg out there for most of the first-team reps was noticeable, and the pass protection from that side wasn’t good today. Junior Aaron Banks was playing left tackle today and he struggled in a bit way in pass protection. Banks got beat twice by Daelin Hayes during 1on1s and he gave up multiple backside pressures during team. Banks struggling in the pass game seemed to throw him off his game as a run blocker as well. Junior right tackle Robert Hainsey has been outstanding this spring but he had some issues today, especially in pass protection. He got beat outside by Ade Ogundeji on a speed rush, and Ogundeji again beat Hainsey on an edge rush during team, a rep that ended with Ogundeji knocking the ball out of the quarterback’s hand. Sophomore center Jarrett Patterson did well during 1on1s, beating Kurt Hinish on a rep and handling Hinish well early on another before losing him late. Senior right guard Tommy Kraemer got whipped twice by Jayson Ademilola during 1on1s and had issues with Ademilola’s quickness during team as well. Junior Joshua Lugg had two strong reps against Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa during 1on1s, showing good quickness at the snap and then using his length to stone the defender when he got into his rush. Lugg got good movement in the run game in the team reps I saw as well, but he got beat badly by Daelin Hayes on one third-down snap. Overall it was a strong day for Lugg. Sophomore Cole Mabry had back-to-back wins against Kofi Wardlow during 1on1s. Freshman center Zeke Correll had a rough day, as did the other freshmen, who struggled to protect the quarterback and didn’t get consistent movement in the run game during team. Freshman tackle Quinn Carroll had the best day of the young players. Outside of losing badly to NaNa Osafo-Mensah on a pass rush, Carroll had a solid day. He was decent in protection and had an outstanding reach block on a perimeter run against Ovie Oghoufo, allowing the back to get outside for a quality gain.
strange he's coming this weekend and not next, unless they want to put a full court press on him without much else going on?
this is a very large recruiting weekend, probably the biggest of the year so far. Tons of elite guys on campus taking their OVs. This is the first weekend OVs can be taken so I think the staff wanted to take advantage of that. I think the coaches believe that it's better for recruits to watch an intense practice than it is for them to watch the spring game with just a small group of the fans. visitors this weekend Spoiler To say this is a big weekend for Notre Dame recruiting, well, that would be an understatement. Some top of the board targets will be on campus in South Bend this weekend and with many of them taking official visits, this could be the final shot for Notre Dame to land them. 247Sports and Irish Illustrated break down exactly who is coming to town and where things stand with their recruitment to this point. SLIDE1 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) Port Huron (Mich.) Northern four-star defensive end Braiden McGregor is a target Notre Dame is working extremely hard to land. Led by defensive line coach Mike Elston and defensive coordinator Clark Lea, the Fighting Irish have been recruiting 247Sports’ No. 27 overall player for a very long time. Now it’s time to close to the deal with the 6-5, 245-pounder. McGregor will be at Ohio State and Michigan in the future and will then make a final decision before his senior year. This could be the final on-campus contact before he announces a commitment. Notre Dame loves this young man and wants to see the elite talent suiting up for the Fighting Irish. SLIDE2 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet four-star wide receiver Jordan Johnson will also take an official visit to Notre Dame this weekend. Don’t look for a commitment quite yet, as he has some trips he wants to take, including another to South Bend in June, before he announces his decision in July. I believe Notre Dame leads at this point for the 6-2, 180-pounder, but again, it’ll be up to receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander, offensive coordinator Chip Long and special teams coach Brian Polian to close the deal for the No. 34 overall recruit this cycle per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. SLIDE3 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) Notre Dame has been pushing for Lake Forest (Ill.) high school four-star defensive lineman Rylie Millsfor a very, very long time. The staff doesn’t necessarily know whether he’s an end or a tackle down the road, but for them, they just want to make sure he’s playing for the Fighting Irish when that time comes. The 6-5, 275-pounder has been high on Notre Dame for a long time, which is directly tied to his tremendous relationship with defensive line coach Mike Elston and quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees, who attended Lake Forest high school as well. The country’s No. 123 overall player per the 247Sports Composite Rankings is battling closely with Ohio State and Wisconsin at this point. SLIDE4 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) The Fighting Irish will get their shot with Little Elm (Texas) high school four-star cornerback Ryan Watts this weekend during his official visit. Notre Dame, led by special teams coordinator Brian Polian and cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght, love the 6-2, 187-pounder’s length, quickness and instincts at the position. The staff sees him as a potential difference-maker at the next level and wants Watts showing those talents in South Bend for a couple of years. Oklahoma has been trending on the 247Sports Crystal Ball for 247Sports’ No. 214 overall player in the country, but Notre Dame believes it has a shot to leave a major impression this weekend. SLIDE5 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) Littleton (Colo.) Columbine four-star offensive tackle Andrew Gentry landed his Notre Dame offer during an unofficial visit back in Dec. 2018 and swore at the time he’d be back for an official visit. Well, the time is now. Gentry and his parents, with his mother taking her first visit, will arrive on campus for the official visit this weekend. The 6-8, 310-pounder is an interesting case. Following high school, Gentry will take a two-year mission trip and not arrive on a college campus until 2022. Notre Dame has no issues with that and still wants him. BYU is the team to beat per the 247Sports Crystal Ball, but the No. 57 overall recruit nationally hasn’t made up his mind quite yet. SLIDE6 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) Sterling (Va.) Dominion four-star offensive tackle Jimmy Christ was never shy about his interest in Notre Dame. He made it very clear early on that he wanted an offer from the Fighting Irish and they’d be very much under consideration had it come his way. The 6-7, 280-pounder received great news from Notre Dame and picked up the coveted offer. Now it’s time for Christ to return to campus this weekend with his parents for his official visit. This will be his mother’s first trip to campus. Everyone is excited. Notre Dame will have to beat Oklahoma, Virginia, Boston College, Ohio State and many others. The 247Sports Crystal Ball is currently in favor of the Fighting Irish for the No. 332 overall recruit in the 2020 class. SLIDE7 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) Irish Illustrated dropped some scoop on Thursday regarding Washington (DC) St. John’s College high school three-star defensive back Mordecai McDaniel heading to Notre Dame this weekend for an official visit. The 6-3, 187-pounder is a very intriguing target due to his ability to play both spots in the secondary and shine on special teams as well. Surely safeties coach Terry Joseph, cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght and special teams coordinator Brian Polian will be all over him all weekend long. McDaniel is a terrific athlete and one Notre Dame is hoping to land sooner rather than later. Others in play for the No. 368 overall recruit in the country include Alabama, LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Penn State, Michigan and many others. SLIDE8 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) The top class of 2020 recruit heading to town that isn’t taking an official visit is Arlington (Texas) Mansfield Timberview four-star cornerback Jalen Kimber. The 6-1, 180-pounder is an outstanding cornerback and one that has the likes of cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght, defensive coordinator Clark Lea and special teams coordinator Brian Polian all over him. Kimber is ranked as the No. 108 overall player this cycle per 247Sports and the top contenders for him include Notre Dame, Alabama, TCU, Texas and Texas A&M. Can the Fighting Irish win this battle? It all starts with a great visit this weekend. SLIDE9 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) A player I like a lot is Danville (Ky.) Boyle County three-star cornerback Landen Bartleson. The 6-1, 182-pounder already visited once this offseason and is returning for another unofficial visit this weekend. The current plan is for him to return yet again this summer for an official visit. All signs point toward Notre Dame eventually landing him when it comes time for him to make a decision. The staff would absolutely take him because of his speed, length and overall abilities. While some schools are recruiting him as a running back, a position he’s very good at, the Irish love him in the secondary and believe he can be a big-time performer at cornerback. SLIDE10 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) Notre Dame is also hosting a trio of Fighting Irish commits this weekend as well. Denver (Colo.) J.K. Mullen four-star defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina, who committed to Notre Dame back on Feb. 13, will be in town for his official visit this weekend. He’ll surely spend a ton of time recruiting the likes of four-star defensive end Braiden McGregor and four-star defensive lineman Rylie Mills to join him along the Notre Dame defensive line. SLIDE11 of 11 (Photo: 247Sports) Alexandria (Ky.) Covington Catholic four-star tight end Michael Mayer, a 6-5, 240-pounder who committed to Notre Dame back on July 1, 2018, will be back on campus this weekend for his unofficial visit. The nation’s No. 1 tight end will be joined by Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic four-star tight end Kevin Bauman, who committed to Notre Dame back on June 13, 2018. The 6-5, 238-pounder joins Mayer as arguably the top tight end duo in the country when looking at commitment lists. Bauman is listed as the No. 2 tight end in the country this cycle.
Random story: playing softball last night and had an ND hat on. Dude from the other team comes up and asks if I went to ND. Let him know I’m just a fan and he said he has quite a few friends on the team through his cousin that married Skylar Diggins. “Daniel Smith? Isn’t he doing art or something?” He responds “You see who he married? I’d be fuckin doing art too if I married Skylar Diggins.”
Just popped in to say that Kelly clearly has gotten some of Brey's weed, and it's great. He is such a better coach right now.