Spoiler New Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long can thank Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois at least in part for some of the versatility he'll have at his disposal during his first year calling plays for the Irish. Midway through spring practice, Tony Jones has emerged as a player likely to provide Notre Dame with valuable snaps at the running back position. At 5-11, 224 pounds, Jones figured to be the biggest contender for short-yardage and inside running, but he continues to prove effective in the passing game as well. Jones flashed that ability on a national stage at The Opening Finals prior to his senior season of high school football and is partially due to his roommate at IMG Academy and current Seminole quarterback Deondre Francois. "Francois would make him get up at 4:30 in the morning and go catch for him," a source told Irish Sports Daily this week. "He would get up every morning at 4:30 before they went and worked out at 6. "He likes running routes, he just happens to have a different body. He thinks he's a wide receiver to be honest with you, but he's not a wide receiver. He's a running back. He runs great routes and he's going to surprise a linebacker in space." Onlookers at the prestigious 7-on-7 Opening Tournament a couple summers ago, were surprised to see Jones be more productive than more athletic receiver-types, but there no was no debate that he was. It seems like the Irish too are ready to take advantage of a skillset unique for his body type. "You have a guy who was an All-State outfielder at IMG," we were told. "He's been tracking down a little ball his entire life with a glove, so shoot, that big ball ain't that hard to track down. It's really about hand-eye coordination and he has great hand-eye coordination." But Jones' emergence so far this spring goes beyond just catching balls out of the backfield and probably dates back to his redshirt season last fall. "Number one, I would say his will to win and just having to watch he's always worked hard, but it just made him focus in more on his lower body, his core and just getting bigger, faster and stronger," we were told as to what to attribute his apparent breakout to. "I think he's always bought in. He went to IMG, so he couldn't help but to buy into weight lifting, but I think he's bought into it with having to watch and sit and learn. Not only is it a humbling experience, but I think it makes you a little more thirsty than you probably were previously. He's bigger, he's faster and he's stronger. It's cut and dried." Jones felt he was good enough to play last fall and although he appreciates what sitting out means for his future both athletically and academically, it did provide plenty of motivation. "I think it made him realize, 'I've got to leave this thing without a shadow of a doubt that I need to be on the field,'" we were told. The work Jones put in during the offseason is evident just from looking at him. He's worked to keep his speed while packing on the pounds. In fact, after a dazzling run during a practice last week, he was overheard excitedly saying, "I need to get just a little bit faster." "He may get in the secondary and get caught by Troy, but everybody will probably get caught by Troy," the source laughed. Unlike last season though, expect Jones to have the chance at getting caught by other teams' defensive backs this fall. 10 AND 10: We're putting together a feature story for next week looking at 10 of the top targets to watch for Notre Dame in both the 2018 and 2019 classes. Some of the names will be obvious, but we wanted to give you a sneak peek at some of the names that are likely to be included that may fall in the not-so-obvious category. Florida offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere, defensive tackle Tyreke Smith and defensive backs Shayne Simon and Talanoa Hufanga are all under serious consideration to be included on the 2018 list. Petit-Frere was in South Bend last month and by all accounts was seriously impressed. In fact, we now see him as Notre Dame's most likely offensive line commit, surpassing Michigan's Ryan Hayes, who was also on campus at the same time. For weeks, we've talked about the importance of getting Smith back on campus after he had to postpone a previously-scheduled visit. As of yesterday, Smith told us there's a chance he could be back in South Bend as soon as this weekend. Now that Ohio State has offered, the Buckeyes are considered by many to be the favorites, but this thing isn't over yet and the Irish should have a say before it is. We continue to see both Simon and Hufanga as legitimate targets and expect to see their recruitments with Notre Dame pick up steam in the months to come. Obviously, a 2019 list will be a lot looser at this point. Still, some targets we believe the Irish have really good shots at right now include Tennessee defensive end Joseph Anderson, St. Louis athlete Isaiah Williamsand Ohio defensive end Zach Harrison, who have all been on campus within the last two weeks. Another prospect to keep an eye on who the Irish likely have a better chance at than some may realize is Dallas safety Brian Williams. 2018 TEXAS SAFETY SERIOUS ABOUT ND: Following his visit to Notre Dame last weekend, Christian Morgan told us the Irish would zoom to the top spot on his list if they were to offer. The 2018 Texas defensive back's head coach at Porter High School told us Morgan is a measured young man, but that his excitement about Notre Dame is real. "I've talked to him a little bit," Jim Holley told ISD this week. "I think he's very excited about Notre Dame. He loved the campus and he loves the program. Who knows what might happen when things do or don't come to pass, but I know he really enjoyed his visit and had a really, really good time. I know it's high on his radar as far as places he would love to be at." According to Holley, it was a combination of the school, the program and the people that grabbed Morgan's attention. "I think he was impressed by the coaches there who he visited with," the coach said. "Obviously, it's Notre Dame. Anytime you get a chance to go up there and visit Notre Dame, I think that's impressive in itself. "It's one of the top programs in the country with a lot of history and a lot of tradition. It's very rich in those things. These kids, they understand that and they get that. To say you're probably in awe when you go to a place like that, I think there's probably a little truth to that." The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder currently has offers from Baylor, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Northwestern among others. He's definitely going to garner more attention after his performance at The Opening Regional in Chicago last Sunday, which earned him an invite to The Opening Finals this summer in Oregon. Despite the fact the Irish haven't offered yet, we consider their interest in Morgan to be legit. GRIFFITH STAYS IN TOUCH WITH IRISH PLAYERS:Earlier this week, 2018 IMG cornerback Houston Griffith told us that since he's been to Notre Dame so often, a good portion of his remaining months as an uncommitted recruit will be about getting to know the players in South Bend. In reality though, he already knows a few of the Irish players well. "Sometimes the players will reach out to me and I'll just ask them a couple questions about it," Griffith said. "I talk to CJ Holmes, Isaiah (Robertson) and Julian (Love). They always tell me good things about it." Griffith knows Robertson and Love from his days in Illinois, where he is from and went to school before transferring to IMG last year. "They told me it's a great opportunity if I choose to do it," said Griffith. "We all played on the same 7-on-7 team, so we call it the Boom Pipeline. They want to continue the Boom Pipeline to Notre Dame." The relationship with Holmes doesn't stretch back as far, but could also be beneficial for the Irish. "I met CJ at the Irish Invasion, so I've been talking to him since after he committed. He just tells me things. When I went there, I just chilled with him after practice. We were just talking about the school and how the coaches are and everything." MICAH DOING HIS PART: In addition to the three 2018 targets Thomas Booker, George Takacs and Michael Dowell on campus last weekend, Irish wide receiver commit Micah Jones also made it back down to South Bend. Jones was in town to continue getting comfortable with his future home as well as his future teammates and classmates, but that didn't stop him from trying to convince his fellow visitors to eventually join him. "I actually did get the chance to talk to all three of them and I got to talk to all three of their families," Jones said. "I just told them about what Notre Dame was about and tried to get them to come down. "I definitely mention the education you can get at Notre Dame. It's a great institution. On top of it being a great institution, you can play football there and go to the NFL there just like you can go to the NFL coming out of Ohio State. They have big offers, most of the kids who go to Notre Dame have big offers. It's just having the ability to go to the NFL and on top of that, having that great education as well, that's what I really stressed with them." He feels like each one enjoyed themselves and even got some positive feedback afterward. "They all said they liked it," Jones explained. "I got a couple DMs from them saying they liked it. Some of them are committing soon, we'll see what happens. Hopefully they liked it and hopefully we'll have another commit." Jones knows it's important to find a balance between keeping in touch without overstepping his bounds. "They get enough of that," he said of constantly recruiting. "I try to stay in touch with them over Twitter and DM them some times and make sure they know I'm still here." CARROLL COOL WITH WAITING: No matter what class you're in, it can be disappointing to visit a school and leave without an offer, especially when dozens of other top programs have already deemed you "offer-worthy." But not for Quinn Carroll. The 2019 Minnesota offensive lineman currently has offers from schools like Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, UCLA and USC among several others. Even after a visit to South Bend last weekend for the Irish's Sophomore Day, Notre Dame still falls in the "Interested" column instead of the "Offered" column on Carroll's profile, but that's not a problem for him. "That's completely fine with me," Carroll told ISD this week. "I'm not going to make my decision for a while, so I encourage them to do their research." In fact, Carroll only took away positives from his visit. "It was great!" he added. "I loved being able to see the coaches work and develop the players." Carroll liked getting a peek at Irish offensive line coach Harry Hiestand's methods. "I think he is real with the players," he said. "He will coach them up and get in their face if need be and love you up afterward. He truly believes kids need to be pushed physically and mentally in order to be successful. I also think his track record for production of o-linemen is outstanding." CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO BUILD: At some point, virtually everybody we talk to around the program eventually brings up the improvements in Notre Dame's strength and conditioning department. The more time passes, the more the changes become evident. "Everybody's bodies look different," one source said. "Daelin's body looks different, Josh's body looks different. Tony's body looks different. It's a tribute to buying into the weight program." It's obvious the players were ready to wipe the taste of last season as quickly as possible and they realized they didn't have to wait to do so. "Realizing that plays are not made between August and November," one source said. "Plays are made between January and July or August. That's when the plays are made." The physical gains will obviously pay off in fourth quarters this fall, but there has to be an increased level of mental confidence as well knowing they're now putting in the kind of work required to be successful. Additionally, one source believes the Irish be able to play faster because of changes made by the coaching staff. "The defense is a little simpler, one call. The offense is simpler. They're going to be alright. Less thinking, more testosterone, more fortitude." 2019 TEXAS TEAMMATES TO WATCH: NaNa Osafo-Mensah is going through one of those stretches that often happens in a prospect's transition from a relatively-unknown to a known commodity. The 6-foot-4, 217-pounder from Fort Worth, Texas only picked up his first offer a month ago, but it was a big one from Texas A&M. Baylor followed suit a week later and just this week, Osafo-Mensah added Georgia, Utah and Colorado to the mix. Stanford and UCLA have also shown some serious interest. The Nolan Catholic High School standout has a legitimate interest in Notre Dame, especially because of the spiritual aspect of the school and said it's a school he would "definitely" consider seriously. Osafo-Mensah will get some help at his position this fall with another 2019 linebacker transferring into Nolan Catholic in Chance Cover. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Cover is still waiting on his first offer, but has drawn a considerable amount of interest from in-state and regional powers and it seems like only a matter of time before he starts stacking them up as well. Cover, too, loves the faith-based aspect that Notre Dame offers, which is a big reason why he made the move to Nolan Catholic. He's also noticed how Notre Dame has been able to develop players and prepare them for the level after college. HOOPS PROGRAM HAS OPTIONS MOVING FORWARD: The ending wasn't what they wanted and it didn't include an Elite Eight run like the previous two, but by all accounts, the Irish's 2016-17 basketball season was a successful one. Now, Notre Dame looks ahead, specifically toward improving its roster. The Irish have multiple different avenues at their disposal in that pursuit. 2017 forward D.J. Harvey is already signed and ready to arrive, but now that Matt Ryan has begun the transfer process, that could open up a spot to bring in another current senior. And with players being let out of their signed National Letters of Intent following coaching changes at an increasing rate, there are more options than usual should the Irish choose to look at dipping back into the 2017 class for another player. We're not sure Notre Dame is close to landing another 2017 or if they will, but we expect them to investigate and see if there's a fit now that the situation has changed a little with Ryan's departure. It's no secret the Irish have been looking at bringing in another big man via transfer and that pursuit continues. Bonzie Colson, Martin Geben and Austin Torres will all be gone by the end of next season and while Notre Dame is high on Elijah Burns and John Mooney, there's a need to add to those youngsters. One name to keep an eye on is Juwan Durham, who announced his plans to transfer from UConn earlier this week. The 6-foot-11, 207-pounder from Florida was on Notre Dame's radar a bit in high school, but he struggled with injuries in his final years at Tampa Prep. He tore his ACL in his junior season only to tear the other one during his senior year. He didn't put up great numbers in his one year with the Huskies, but did average eight minutes in 28 games. Could he be the kind of kid who could bounce back after sitting out and getting stronger for a year as a transfer? Possibly and since the Irish already know he can play, it seems like he'd be worth the investment. Additionally, the Irish could look at bringing in a fifth-year transfer, something they haven't really done in the past. This is another avenue where they could potentially find a replacement for Ryan. However, it would really have to be a fit as Notre Dame's program rewards players for accepting certain roles early in their careers in order to see those roles expand later. Any fifth-year transfer is going to go to a place he knows he's going to get on the court and the Irish would have to be careful not to disrupt the chemistry within the team by having somebody essentially cut the line. But, another part of the Irish's recent success is players like Matt Farrell not being afraid to compete and excelling when forced to earn their playing time. Maybe bringing in a veteran could foster a positive competitive environment. Notre Dame shouldn't feel the need to force a situation that doesn't fit though, especially since the Irish are high on the futures of TJ Gibbs and Rex Pflueger as well as Nik Djogo, who redshirted this season. Djogo has worked very hard, increased his strength and improved his overall game. Still, much of the focus will be on 2018 recruiting. The Irish staff will be at multiple events at the end of the month; everywhere from Indianapolis to Dallas to Atlanta to Virginia and New York City. The sneaker showcase tournaments will give Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey a good opportunity to scout much of the talent his assistants have been looking at for months now. It can be difficult for Brey to get on the road as much as his staff during the season, but these events do offer an opportunity to see many of the players on the Notre Dame board go head to head, which allows for even greater insight into evaluations.
Real good story on Monty Williams https://www.si.com/nba/2017/04/06/m...s-thunder-pelicans/?xid=socialflow_twitter_si
Offense practice report on IE Spoiler QUARTERBACKS There’s nothing that Brandon Wimbush has done this spring that would indicate he’s an inexperienced quarterback trying to find his way to the starting role. He is in full control of the offense. Wimbush continued to sling the football all over the field with accuracy Friday in the 11th practice of the spring. For the first time in the handful of open practices to the media, Wimbush threw a pass that could have been intercepted by Nick Watkins. It looked as if he were trying to throw to a crossing Miles Boykin, but there was a route unfolding behind it. So that may have been more on the receivers than Wimbush. The point is Wimbush continues to either be accurate with his throws or errs on the side of throwing the ball high and allowing his long receivers to make the catch or for it to be overthrown. In 7-on-7 work unofficially, Wimbush was 17-of-23 with three completions each to Miles Boykin and C.J. Sanders, two each to Chase Claypool, Josh Adams and Tony Jones Jr., and one each to Alizé Jones, Chris Finke, Nic Weishar, Javon McKinley and Dexter Williams. Quarterbacks coach Tom Rees said Wednesday that when Ian Book has an opportunity to set his feet in the pocket, he can make all the throws. Make no mistake, Book does not have the arm firepower that Wimbush offers. But Book’s ability to make throws is a stabilizing asset to the quarterback position should something happen to Wimbush. Unofficially, Irish Illustrated had Book 16-of-22 with five completions to Claypool, three to Boykin, and one each to Alizé Jones, Durham Smythe, Sanders, McKinley, Deon McIntosh, Adams, Austin Webster and Keenan Centlivre. Montgomery VanGorder struggled with his consistency and chemistry with the receivers. Unofficially, he completed 8-of-20 passes to eight different guys – Finke, Brock Wright, McKinley, Smythe, Claypool, Boykin, Alizé Jones and Webster. RUNNING BACKS Josh Adams is the hands-down No. 1 running back on the roster, but once again, red-shirt freshman Tony Jones Jr. impressed, even prompting some high praise from Brian Kelly (see transcript later today). Kelly called Jones a No. 1 running back, which is incredible praise for a guy who has yet to play a down for the Irish. Obviously, the ball-carrying and pass-catching skills are at a high level. It’s always surprising, however, to hear a head coach praise a young running back’s pass protection skills. That almost always is the missing ingredient, which curtails early playing time for a young back. Not that Dexter Williams has done anything wrong, but he hasn’t jumped out in the practice settings that we’ve seen quite the way Jones has. Williams remains a valuable weapon, and in Chip Long’s offense, all three backs should play. But Jones is special and gives the running back corps great depth and a definite contributor in 2017. Red-shirt freshman Deon McIntosh is working full-time at running back in the absence of injured freshman C.J. Holmes (shoulder), who was on the field in street clothes still wearing the protective sling on his right side. RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS Asked about the old nomenclature of W, X, Y and Z receivers, Kelly admitted that the line has been blurred in Chip Long’s offense. When the Irish run tempo, there is no time for a W receiver on one side of the field to run to the other following the end of a play to get properly aligned as a W, X, Y or Z receiver. And thus, it’s more about wideouts and slots. In tempo, you simply have to line up at one or the other, regardless what side of the field you’re on. Generally speaking – and there’s certainly some flexibility within this alignment -- the wideouts are Equanimeous St. Brown (who was limited with a hamstring issue), Miles Boykin, Alizé Jones, C.J. Sanders and Chris Finke. Kevin Stepherson – who has been bothered by a hamstring issue, according to Kelly – is likely to align wide when he’s healthy. Walk-on Austin Webster lined up wide when Smythe and Wright were in the slot. Notice the realignment of Sanders and Finke, who were always slot guys in the past. As wideouts, they can be on the field at the same time with each aligned wide in a 2 x 2 set. The slots are tight ends Durham Smythe, Nic Weishar, Brock Wright and Tyler Luatua, Chase Claypool, and the running backs when they’re not in the backfield. (Note: Smythe and Jones frequently align with Smythe attached and Jones off the line and off Smythe’s outside shoulder.) Putting a pair of tight ends in the slot or Claypool, who is a physical blocker, should benefit the running game more than having a small receiver (Finke and Sanders) in the slot. It was another big day for Boykin, who caught virtually everything in sight. St. Brown, Claypool and Boykin have done an excellent job this spring gaining separation from the defensive back on their last cut of a route. That’s where Sanders’ size hurts him. He needs to take advantage of his quickness/speed to gain better separation. Finke gets better separation on a more consistent basis than Sanders. OFFENSIVE LINE It was status quo from left tackle to right guard with Mike McGlinchey, Quenton Nelson, Sam Mustipher and Alex Bars receiving the first-team reps. It was either “Tommy Kraemer’s day” again to work with the No. 1 unit at right tackle, or perhaps Kraemer is gaining some separation with fellow red-shirt freshman Liam Eichenberg. As we’ve stated before, Kraemer is the bigger body with more power and physicality; Eichenberg is more nimble and offers the better option as a pass blocker. The No. 2 line from left to right was Robert Hainsey, Hunter Bivin, Tristen Hoge, Trevor Ruhland and Eichenberg. The No. 3 line from left to right was Sam Bush, Aaron Banks, Parker Boudreaux, Logan Plantz and Jimmy Byrne. Boudreaux also got a look at right guard with the No. 2s. Banks continues to impress. The impression when he signed with the Irish was that he might need time to get in the condition to compete at a high level. Banks’ mobility out of the gate has been a pleasant surprise. SPECIAL TEAMS With Justin Yoon sidelined for the spring, walk-on Sam Kohler continues to get the placekicks. Special teams coordinator Brian Polian said last week that he’s been pleasantly surprised by Kohler’s accuracy. He nailed his short kicks, but was just barely wide right on his longest kick. (Note: Our vantage point from the end zone balcony made it difficult to assess the actual length of kicks on the opposite end of the field.) For the record, the No. 1 line on placekicks (a total of nine players with the kicker and holder, which was Montgomery VanGorder) was (from left to right) Weishar, Bivin, McGlinchey, Bars, snapper John Shannon, Nelson, Kraemer, Smythe and Wright. The No. 2 line from left to right was Luatua, Eichenberg, Byrne, Ruhland, Weishar (snapping), Hoge, Hainsey, Alizé Jones and Claypool. Fielding punts Friday were Sanders, Adams, Finke, St. Brown and Stepherson.
Defense Spoiler Practice Report: Defense Shorts and shells for Notre Dame Friday morning, practice No. 11 of the 15-session spring. The first and second units aligned as follows: Defensive End: Andrew Trumbetti, Jay Hayes (For the sake of reference, they align to the field side of the formation with the Rover.) Defensive Tackle: Jonathan Bonner, Micah Dew-Treadway Nose Tackle: Jerry Tillery, Daniel Cage Drop/Rush End: Daelin Hayes, Julian Okwara Rover: Drue Tranquill, Asmar Bilal Mike: Nyles Morgan, Jonathan Jones Buck: Greer Martini, Te’von Coney Field/Strong Safety: Nick Coleman, Devin Studstill Boundary/Free Safety: Jalen Elliott, Isaiah Robertson Field Cornerback: Julian Love, Troy Pride Boundary Cornerback: Nick Watkins, Donte Vaughn Notable: Vaughn was relieved intermittently by walk-on cornerback xxx. Cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght offered last week that Vaughn had trouble finishing practices because of recurring back spasms. -- Converted cornerback Ashton White worked behind Robertson as the third string boundary safety while redshirt-freshman safety D.J. Morgan was behind Studstill as the No. 3 to the field side. -- Only one Irish player spent the day separated from the pack – safety Nicco Fertitta wore a cast on his left wrist and toiled away on the exercise bike and with a dumbbell in his right hand. It was the opposite of a “day off” for the recently injured junior. -- Sophomore Spencer Perry announced his transfer yesterday via social media. He was moved from safety to Rover in the off-season and was realistically a distant No. 3 behind the Tranquill/Bilal combination – prior to the arrival of the remainder of the freshman class. DEFENSIVE LINE The word you’re looking for to describe senior nose tackle Daniel Cage at present: Rotund. Irish head coach Daniel Cage offered today that Cage has “had his best spring.” That didn’t appear to include today’s practice during which line coach Mike Elston was on Cage repeatedly including a unit-wide “up-down” after Cage was too high on a drill. The mistake sparked a “Who? Come on, Bro!” response from fellow nose tackle Jerry Tillery and a pat on the helmet. Cage almost completed the up-down punishment. -- Sophomore drop/rush end Daelin Hayes cuts an athletic jib. You can pick out Hayes without seeing his rolled up jersey number. His ability to drop into coverage will be on display in Mike Elko’s scheme. It is to be hoped a consistent edge rushing presence is a dual skill. -- Senior Andrew Trumbetti worked with the first unit opposite Daelin and ahead of classmate Jay Hayes. The bulk of my practice viewings to date (including the most recent) had Jay Hayes ahead of Trumbetti. Kelly also lauded Trumbetti for his recent progress post practice. I’ve always been high on Trumbetti (to this point with relatively low payoff). He’s quicker than credited by most. And much faster, though that’s less relevant. Still, I think I’d prefer Jay Hayes’ bulk at strong side defensive end against Georgia, Michigan State, and the like. -- Redshirt-freshman Ade Ogundeji is a future (2019? 2018?) prospect. He covers a lot of ground in a hurry. For 2017, Julian Okwara appears poised for situational pass-rushing role. Like Daelin Hayes, Okwara is noticeable in drills, moving effortlessly, transitioning from low pre-snap to pursuit. -- Micah Dew-Treadway is in far better shape than at any point in his brief tenure. I wrote down “97 looks lean,” temporarily forgetting he was No. 97. -- Asked about the defensive line’s progress today, Kelly basically named everyone. Never a good sign… For Khalid Kareem fans, he was among the first four mentioned with Okwara, Dew-Treadway, Trumbetti, and Kareem. He did not distinguish today albeit in a practice without heavy contact (no “thudding” or tackling.) -- “You think you have this down?” said Mike Elston following a particular drill. “I’m from Missouri (he’s not); you have to show me.” Wonder if anyone other than Chesterfield, Mo.-native Jonathan Bonner got that reference? LINEBACKERS Didn’t see a lot of Jamir Jones as the third-string Mike today (actually, none) with redshirt-freshman Jonathan Jones taking those reps behind captain Nyles Morgan. Kelly noted post-practice that Jones might begin to work on the defensive line, adding, “We probably can’t keep him from getting bigger,” thus taking him out of linebacker contention. Jones played in 10 games last season, posting eight special teams tackles including seven over a late-season four-game stretch. -- Does the staff have enough faith in the team’s seven safeties to keep Drue Tranquill at Rover close to full time? And if so, how can they work Bilal into the rotation adequately? My guess: Bilal is a part-time Rover but also a sub package player. -- Martini sniffed out a bubble screen pre-snap, sprinting to take on the blocker before the ball was thrown. -- No thudding and no tackling = very little influence by the linebackers in today’s practice (from a media perspective). They worked various turnover circuits in individual periods – the practice was heavy on individual instruction – including defending passes as edge rushers, defending passes within a couple yards of the passer, navigating traffic (pushup, large orange balls rolled at them) before scooping up fumbles, and jumping from a pushup (ground) position to break up a pass above them. DEFENSIVE BACKS Intriguing tackling drill for the corners and safeties today (pictured on Irish Illustrated’s front page video) in which players explode through a tackling pylon but also turn their bodies, twisting the “ball carrier” to the ground in an effort to torque the ball loose. Best Days: - Julian Love – Sound, solid, confident. Per usual. Though C.J. Sanders got him with a one-handed beauty to the corner. Love recorded an INT in one-on-one defending a dig route vs. Austin Webster. - Troy Pride – Multiple pass breakups in 1-on-1 and 7-on-7 including a near pickoff against C.J. Sanders followed by a pass defended vs. Sanders on the next rep. He even stripped Chase Claypool when the two wrestled to the ground on a dig route. Don’t sleep on Pride in man-to-man situations. In Other News: - Nicco Fertitta – Injured but working continuously. It did not look relaxing… - Jalen Elliott – Hey, congrats, you get matched up with Chase Claypool only have to cover an entire field in 1-on-1s throughout the drills! At one point Elliott just mauled Claypool who fought him off to catch the pass - Donte Vaughn – Purportedly battling back spasms as well as the quickness of Chris Finke (got him twice including a blatant hold on Vaughn) and the big body of Miles Boykin. Vaughn did muscle Boykin on one back shoulder fade, the former’s best play of the day. - Devin Studstill – Rarely tracks/finds the football on fades/corner routes or back shoulder throws and repeatedly coached to “get your (“friendly”) hands up!” by Todd Lyght. - Ashton White – Victimized by a Javon McKinley corner route and an Alize Jones out-route. I like White running downhill covering kicks and punts. Nick Watkins out-fought Alize Jones for pass defended on a back-shoulder throw but lost on a slant to Boykin, a back-shoulder to Finke, and was turned around by Boykin on a comeback. Watkins broke up a pass and dropped a pick that hit him in the chest/hands in 7-on-7. Nick Coleman with strong coverage on a Claypool post – Claypool then broke off the post to the middle (dig) to secure the well-thrown ball from Ian Book. Coleman previously ran with Claypool on a deep post thrown past both of them. Dexter Williams, Chase Claypool, and Deon McIntosh took part in tackling drills. Special teams related, clearly… Speaking of which: Justin Yoon did not kick field goals today, ceding reps to walk-on Sam Kohler. (5 for 6, nothing beyond 42 yards from my vantage point about 200 yards away in the balcony.) Yoon is limiting reps this spring in part to avoid the dead leg that resulted from over-training last off-season. If you’re trying to visualize the defense, you’ll see these positions on the same sides: - Field/Wide Side: Julian Love (field CB), Nick Coleman (field/strong safety), the Rover, DE (Trumbetti or J. Hayes). - Nyles Morgan in the middle with Jerry Tillery (nose) and Jonathan Bonner (DT) in front. Tillery on the ball. - Boundary/Near Side: Nick Watkins (boundary CB), Jalen Elliott (boundary/free safety), the Buck linebacker (Martini/Coney), the Drop/Rush End (Daelin Hayes). Hope that makes sense.
Coach D's practice report Spoiler Notre Dame completed practice No. 10 this morning inside the Loftus Center, and the Irish continue to progress on both sides of the ball. Here’s a look at what I observed during the latest practice session. NOTE: Most of my focus was on the defense. DEFENSE Notre Dame’s defense had arguably its most consistently effective open practice of the spring. There were some minor personnel changes on the back end of the defense. Junior Nick Coleman had been the starting free safety in every practice open to the media, but today Coleman was working with the first team at strong safety (field safety). Sophomore Jalen Elliott was working with the first team at free safety (boundary safety). When Notre Dame went to its nickel package, Coleman and junior Ashton White were the first two players to come down into the slot. When that happened, sophomore DevinStudstill slid into the first group at strong safety. The rest of the defensive alignment was mostly the same as what we’ve seen in the past. When the first group took the field, the first defensive line had senior Andrew Trumbetti at strongside end and sophomore Daelin Hayes at the drop end. Inside, junior JerryTillery was the first nose tackle and senior Jonathan Bonner was the defensive tackle. Working at strongside end with the second group was senior Jay Hayes, while sophomore Julian Okwara worked as the second drop end. Inside, senior Daniel Cage lined up at nose tackle and junior Micah Dew-Treadway lined up at defensive tackle. Notre Dame’s first two linebacker units were the same. Seniors Nyles Morgan and Greer Martini continue to work as the first team duo, while sophomore Jonathan Jones worked as the second unit Mike linebacker and junior Te’von Coney lined up as the second Buck linebacker. Senior Drue Tranquill was the No. 1 rover and junior Asmar Bilal was the second rover. Corey Bodden As discussed above, Elliott and Coleman were the starting safeties while senior NickColeman lined up as the boundary cornerback and sophomore Julian Love worked as the field cornerback. Sophomore field cornerback Troy Pride worked with the second group, while the boundary cornerback was sophomore Donte Vaughn at times and also junior walk-on Brian Ball. During the team period, the Irish defensive line had its most consistent penetration, and the unit competed relatively well during the limited team periods we saw. Line coach Mike Elston worked the interior players very hard during practice, constantly prodding his group to give more and more effort and to stay focused. Notre Dame spent a lot of time working on individual drills, and Elston focused a great deal on proper angles, footwork and using hands, along with really pushing his unit to up their effort and focus. Daelin Hayes continues to impress with his athleticism. He is really an impressive athlete, and he and senior linebacker Nyles Morgan continue to be the most physically impressive players on the Irish defense. Hayes is getting more and more comfortable with his pass rush moves on the outside. The Irish coaches focused on fundamentals a great deal, and they had a five-minute ball disruptions period where they worked on things like strip sacks, stripping the ball in space and batting down balls at the line of scrimmage. The linebackers are doing a better job at looking up routes and getting depth than we saw in previous practices, but they are still working at getting the right timing on when to plant and drive on short crossing routes. There were some ups and downs, but overall the secondary had its most active open practice, getting their hands on a high number of passes. Even many of the completions they gave up required precise and powerful throws from the quarterbacks. Watkins was good during one-on-one’s, coming away with a pair of break ups and having himself in a strong coverage on a back shoulder throw to Chris Finke, although the ball was perfectly placed for a completion. Watkins was beat by Miles Boykin on a comeback and a slant route. Watkins handled himself quite well in 7-on-7 and team periods, but the offense completed a number of balls to his side when playing off coverage, mainly due to the linebackers not getting enough width against comeback and stop routes. Love found himself matched up against C.J. Sanders during one-on-one’s, and Sanders won the majority of those battles, beating Love on a deep drag (he made a one-handed catch on the play), a curl route and a pivot route. Love was in relatively good position on those reps, but Sanders quickness and the timing of the throws allowed him to make catches. Pride had his most effective practice that I’ve seen this spring. He looked far more comfortable with his technique, and it allowed him to play faster. Pride had a pair of break ups on the five routes I saw him face during one-on-one’s. He had good coverage on a deep in to Sanders, but Pride tried to play the ball a step too soon, so the ball was caught. Vaughn had a rough practice, for the most part. He made a couple of plays, but he seemed to be struggling with some back issues during practice, and based on how hew as chided by multiple coaches, he also appeared to be lacking focus and attention to detail during practice. Elliott showed off impressive athleticism and range, but he has to do a better job making plays on the football. He found himself in good position throughout the coverage periods, but he didn’t get his hands up or out as quickly as he needs to. OFFENSE Quarterback Brandon Wimbush had his most erratic open practice. He had a few too many misses on outside throws and he threw the first “bad ball” I’ve seen this spring. A miscommunication between Wimbush and Boykin resulted in Wimbush hitting Watkins right in the chest, but the senior corner dropped the pass. Wimbush still made a number of impressive throws, and his “off day” was still a good day of work, but the pressure from the defense did have him off balance during today’s practice. Sophomore quarterback Ian Book had arguably his most impressive practice. He was quick with his decisions, he was accurate throwing the ball and Book threw routes 15-yards and in with a lot of zip. Tight end Alize Jones was extremely impressive during practice. He runs like a wide receiver and his body control for an athlete that checks in over 240 pounds is truly special. There were throws today where Jones would easily just twist his body around to make tough catches look easy. With Equanimeous St. Brown out with a hamstring injury, junior Miles Boykin got a lot of reps, and he took advantage. Boykin has an outstanding catching radius, which has been on display all spring. He continues to impress with back shoulder throws, especially in the red zone. Boykin’s route running has also improved. Sophomore Chase Claypool had an outstanding day of work, and there isn’t a defender on Notre Dame’s roster who can run with him and handle his size. Claypool showed improvements with his route technique, running a post-dig that was sold well and very sharp. If he runs routes every day like he did during today’s practice, he’ll have a strong, strong sophomore season. Claypool also caught the ball more consistently than I’ve seen. He has very strong hands, but his focus and technique isn’t always what it needs to be, but today he was locked in and made a lot of really impressive catches. Corey Bodden Sophomore Javon McKinley saw by far the most extended action he’s seen during open sessions. It is obvious that McKinley is getting closer to full speed, as he showed off much better quickness and burst out of his breaks than we saw in early practices. McKinley got open with ease during one-on-one’s. He beat junior Ashton White badly on a corner route for a big play on his first rep. He beat Studstill on an out route and hauled in a pass tight on the sideline, he beat Elliott on an out route where he exploded to the outside out of his break and he smoked walk-on cornerback Temitope Agoro off the line on a slant route, but the pass was thrown well behind him. Getting Claypool and McKinley healthy and up to speed could have a major, major impact on the Notre Dame offense in 2017.
Bunch of guys posting before/after pictures on Twitter street going through the training program. Jesus. We really stepped up the roid game this year
Isaac Rochelle was on my flight this am. Sat down next to me at the gate, dude is huge. Played with my daughter, had a nice chat, sounded like training was going well, seemed upbeat about the draft. Was really curious what fans thought of last year. Can tell why the he got soft at times. Dude didn't seem like he could hurt a fly. The best part was watching him try to get on a crj.
Nd players are often too nice, I think it's part of the issue and has been for years. Especially on defense.
Maybe a reach but I believe it, many Nd players are nice guys and not really violent. It doesn't really work well with playing football. Don't get me wrong there are nice guys everywhere but the kind of players that are interested in nd are rarely the guys that like to take the qb's head off. We don't get a look from the 6'5 240 pound guy that either makes the nfl or work for his cousin. No excuse though, Stanford is eating nd's lunch
this sux per Sampson: Not the one that you want to hear, unfortunately. Was told this morning that Notre Dame does not expect Pagano to end up in South Bend. Appears the Irish know they're out.
From Coach D Spoiler A week ago I was told that Notre Dame felt very confident in their potential to land Clemson transfer DT Scott Pagano. In fact, I had a source tell me it was almost a done deal and the kid wanted to pick Notre Dame. That same source is now telling me that one of Pagano's parents is pushing for him to go back to Clemson and finish up his career there, and right now that's what it looks like he plans to do. So unless the kid overrules the wishes of his parent, it looks like Notre Dame won't land him and he'll head back to Clemson. wow if true...I know his Aunt has a house in clemson but the kid would have been a guaranteed starter at ND and most likely would have raised his draft stock instead of being a backup...crazy
Loy is just trying to get clicks. Man I hate that guy Sounds like Kerry Cooks took it to ND again and it will most likely be Oklahoma
Pretty interesting on Christian Turner Spoiler I'll begin by saying that I have no idea why he picked Michigan. No clue. From all accounts his visit to Notre Dame went well. Here's what we do know. Three different current ND commits informed me that Turner had essentially silently committed to Notre Dame going back two weeks ago now. We had already commit stories and class impact stories written, several days ago. Turner told David when he met with him that the visit would be key, but if he liked it enough he would commit. I have reason to believe that actually happened. That's why Corey and David were so adamant in their articles and podcasts that Turner was a lean to Notre Dame, b/c he was. In fact, when he left campus the staff thought he was in the fold. Clearly, that changed after his visit to Michigan.