From an OL perspective, ND is the perceived or stated leader for 3 of the top 10 tackles in 2021. Dellinger Fisher Tengwell
And Grippen from IMG just completed his 3rd visit and got an offer...that's 2 5* guys (Dellinger and Tengwall) and 2 top 100 guys
Loy on Tengwall Spoiler What I’m told on Notre Dame and offensive tackle Landon Tengwall VIP ByTOM LOY 18 minutes ago 1 Notre Dame is working hard to land some of the top class of 2020 prospects at this point, but a couple of elite underclassmen from the 2021 class were on campus over the weekend. Here’s the latest on Notre Dame and its chances with Olney (Md.) Good Counsel four-star offensive tackle Landon Tengwall. Prior to the trip, it was posted at Irish Illustrated that the Fighting Irish were a bigger player in this recruitment than many believed. The No. 39 sophomore prospect in the country per 247Sports had a terrific relationship with offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, had a former teammate sign with Notre Dame this past cycle in receiver Cam Hart, and was simply looked at a great fit within the program and university. Fast forward to now, with the trip now in the rearview mirror, and not only is it the belief from multiple sources that Notre Dame leads for the 6-6, 300-pounder, but Tengwall did what most recruits shy away from — he named the Fighting Irish his leader. A lot of recruits prefer to play games, name Top 15’s, or keep things quiet, but Tengwall had such a good time, he chose to take the other route and fully express his love for Notre Dame coming out of the trip. Behind the scenes, I’m told Notre Dame pushed all of the right buttons with Tengwall while he was on campus with his grandparents. Quinn did a great job of getting him around the current players multiple times, which is exactly what Tengwall wanted. Prior to the visit, he spoke with 247Sports about how much he wanted to find a brotherhood and a group that he felt close with, and it’s clear he found that in South Bend. He spent a lot of time with like-minded football players in Liam Eichenberg, Tommy Kraemer, Robert Hainsey and others. That group is extremely close, Tengwall witnessed that first hand, and now understands what it means to be a Notre Dame offensive lineman. In terms of the impression Tengwall made on the staff, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a group so excited about a young man, especially one two years away from signing his letter of intent. Sources have informed me that his attitude, his laser focus on being great and his openness to learn is what really stood out. He constantly had a notebook on him to make sure he didn’t forget anything. If Quinn had a tip, he wrote it down. He one of the players shared some insight on the recruiting process, it entered the notebook. Everyone was impressed with this young man. Tengwall wasn’t planning on returning to Notre Dame right away, but this visit was better than he ever expected. He says he’ll be back with his parents later this summer to visit South Bend, if not later this spring, and while a commitment isn’t expected since his timeline has him pledging much later, an early commitment truly wouldn’t cause much of a surprise at this point. 1COMMENTS Don't forget to check out the post-visit story I did with Tengwall, which features his quotes on what Notre Dame did to become his leader. Per 247Sports, Tengwall is listed as the No. 39 overall player in the country, No. 7 offensive tackle in the nation and No. 1 prospect in Maryland from the class of 2021.
Reminds me of that story about Lou and a really I’m forgetting. Basically Lou said he could have all the time he needed, and in fact, he could just practice baseball in the fall and there was no need for him to show up.
The first tweet I saw about this was regarding his injury, and i thought for sure it was going to end with "and he'll miss the next football season"
I am bringing my daughters softball team to South Bend on 4/14 to watch ND play NC ST. I was hoping someone could set them up with a tour of the athletic facilities. The only tour is of the stadium and general campus tour. 2 cases of beer or 2 bottles of your choice to anyone that can help.
Where are you trying to get? I may have a dude. BTW watching the women is kind of fun while I clean the house. When they are one they just murder people.
This is an asshole comment but how on earth as a major network do you broadcast a game with the odds on favorite to win a championship and use a person with a heavy speech impediment as you color person?
From Mike Frank: Spoiler Did some digging recently. On some of the recent visits. Getting 2021 receivers Beaux Collins and Emeka Egbuka on campus was real important. Both are elite students. Both very good personality fits for ND. I'm told these two WRs are very high on ND's 2021 board. Both came with family and really enjoyed the visits. Having Buchner in fold early also helps this situation. ND should be very much in the race for all three of these players. 2021 OL prospect, Greg Crippen, also really loved the visit as did his family. ND is in good shape here as well with him. Most think ND is the team to beat right now. 2020 OL Zak Zinter also came away very impressed, as did his family. I'm told his family is originally from Florida, but moved to that area awhile ago. Both parents loved the trip. I was told he lives over an hour away from his school, but his parents make the drive every day to make sure he has a great education, so obviously that's a big factor for the family and he when making a decision. Heard he was a shade over 6-5 and 300 pounds, so he checked all the boxes. ND still really high on him. 2021 O-linemen Landon Tengwall and Blake Fisher also really enjoyed their visits. I've heard Fisher is one to keep an eye on for an early decision. ND is very much in front for him. Tengwell also had a great visit and his family loved it. Same can be said for Tirek Murphy, Chris Tyree and Cody Simon. ND really helped themselves with all three. With Tyree, I'm told it will probably come down to ND, Bama or Oklahoma. He had a great time meeting all the players and getting to know them much better, which was important to him. He also loved meeting Lance Taylor and getting to know him. Murphy loved his visit, as did his Mom. Very impressed. ND will be high on his list from now on. With Cody Simon, they've known forever what he and his family are about. We'll have to see how it all unfolds. I'm not sure how many linebackers ND will take this year because they have so many already. I'm told 2020 OL Roger Rosengarten is on campus today and will be around. It's too early to tell how interested he is in ND, and ND in him. The Tosh Baker and Jimmy Christ visits will be important. ND is still in the race with Zinter, of course, and Reece Atteberry and Pete Skronski. I'm told ND will be pushing to sign corners in this cycle. Corner is a need they feel they have and want to do well with, so they'll be pushing a lot of these kids to get some real studs this year. As for the team, I've heard a lot of different things. I've heard ND is real pleased with the progress of Phil Jurkovec. They really didn't know what they had until this spring as he really hasn't had a lot of opportunity to play. But, he's impressed both with his play and his work ethic. He's not a finished product by any means, but he seems to be coming along faster than many QBs do. Heard Ian Book has been fantastic since the bowl game, in both leadership and his own work ethic. He's worked hard to be a better player and ND is seeing the results of that now. I think ND knows they're in good shape at WR right now. Claypool is coming along nicely, but still a bit inconsistent. Heard Michael Young has really impressed, as has Austin and Lawrence Keys. I'm told Lenzy flashes his speed often, but his hands are still very suspect. ND has a lot of players here who are starting to emerge. ND is really pleased with Jarrett Patterson so far. Heard he's done a fantastic job. Banks will definitely be the starter at this point. Lugg has been spelling him because he was a big banged up heading into spring, but Lugg will be the 6th man most likely. At TE, both Brock Wright and Cole Kmet have done very well so far, and Tommy Tremble has been a real blessing. He's also been banged up since he got here, and ND wasn't sure what they had until now. Expect ND to use the TE more next year. At D-line, ND has been very pleased with Jacob Lacey. He's shown great quickness for his size, and he plays with a lot of attitude and works hard. He's still a freshman, so when linemen can get their hands on him, he's going to struggle with his lack of strength, but he's a handful already. ND also has been pleased with Ovie Oghoufo and what he's shown at drop end so far. He's a 100 percent motor guy and is more advanced than Julian Okwara was at the same time. Drop was certainly a concern and a need for 2020 recruiting, but I think ND feels better about it after watching Ovie
Anyone got intel on the grad transfer Sampson just tweeted about? Someone put that photoshop to work and make an a1ND bat signal.
God cucking the B1G after all of their shit makes me so happy. Also the video I saw recently (it may have been here) of one of our guys trucking a player (think it was Minny) through the glass kind of sums up what's happened since we joined.
Just a little tour of the sports complex or something unique for these girls like meeting the softball team. They are all 12-13, so college players are like pro athletes to them.
For that Thoros of Beer may be better. I could bootleg a facility tour maybe, but as far as contact with teams, etc. I am not in that realm. Honestly in your situation if you called the athletic department given what you are doing I bet they would arrange something, they at least in the past have been super cool about that stuff for people here locally. (574) 631-6107
Yep give me Lenzy Austin and Keys as regular rotation members and let’s roll Kumah doesn’t get us any closer to Alabama/Clemson, but those 3 do
Yes, and it also means that the young guys are doing good so far. From the podcast they all seem to progress pretty quickly.
I think Joe posted it already but the Brent article on The Athletic is great. Also hell yes at that RB tandem.
this one? Spoiler Justin Brent has not let TMZ infamy define him as an athlete or a person Matt Fortuna 3h ago 9 MISHAWAKA, Ind. — Justin Brent, possibly the oldest 23-year-old in America, arrives early to dinner, sinks into a booth and passes on the bread. He substitutes broccoli in place of a fried side to go with his 18-ounce T-bone, the most flavorful food he has eaten in the past two months. His three favorite meals are cheeseburgers, ribs and chicken wings, but saying goodbye to those is just a small sacrifice for a guy who knows a thing or two about getting bad habits out of his system. It’s a level of maturity he thinks will serve an NFL locker room well. How many other prospects played three positions for two schools and two sports for one school, making a Sweet 16 and winning a bowl game in the same calendar year? How many pro hopefuls earned a Notre Dame degree by studying abroad in China, celebrated their 21st birthday by welcoming their child into the world and lived in an apartment near another school halfway across the country with their girlfriend and son, all without a car? “We had been dating since I was 16,” he says of his girlfriend, Karli Ward, adding: “Off and on, obviously.” He owns that last part of it — obviously — too, knowing full well that his freshman year of college is a part of his story that he cannot erase, especially as he approaches job interviews. It is part of the reason he is so excited to be back here, why that normally interminable three-hour drive to Notre Dame from his hometown of Indianapolis on Route 31 was met with more than begrudging acceptance this time around. “This is home. This is always gonna be home because my son was born here, this is where I was recruited to go,” Brent says. “You gotta think: I committed to Notre Dame my sophomore year going into my junior year. I was here every day. Freshman, sophomore, junior year, I was here every day. So it’s five years that I was part of this family, and to come back here and you gotta think, man, my girlfriend moved out here with me, so I have memories with her up here. It’s a lot. So it all hit me. “I always said: Man, I hate that drive. I hate that drive. But today it wasn’t that bad, because it was like: Man, this gas station is still right here, that McDonald’s is still right there. So it was kind of cool.” That he professes his love for this region while wearing a navy Nevada Wolf Pack hoodie — a cloak of anonymity some three miles from where he will participate in his second pro day in a week — is part of his story, too. “Guys in college, my teammates, or other guys were always like: ‘Man, I wanna do what you did, I wanna do that,’ and they always wonder why I always downplay it,” he says of his past. “And I’m always like: It doesn’t lead to anything positive.” Justin Brent participated in pro days at both Notre Dame and Nevada recently. (Matt Fortuna / The Athletic) You know who Justin Brent is even if you don’t exactly remember his name. It has been nearly five years since he brought college football and TMZ together, not that time has kept Brent from still hearing about his most public moment as a Notre Dame student. No laws were broken, no classroom shortcuts were taken, no team rules were violated. But in 2014, Brent found himself in a decidedly 21st-century firestorm that was ripe for consumption and small on substance. Notre Dame had an open date on Oct. 25, and the school was on mid-semester break that week. Brent, in his first season with the Irish, flew to New York and attended a preseason Knicks game on Oct. 22. His company for that game? Lisa Ann Corpora — also known as Lisa Ann, a porn star who was 42 years old at the time and boasts of enshrinement in three adult entertainment halls of fame. She is famous enough that Brent says at least one player on the court that night noticed her in the crowd and repeatedly looked over at him, wondering who in the world this kid was that she was sitting with. Pictures of the two together surfaced the next day. Brent woke up Oct. 23 to discover that he had become something of a viral celebrity, the results of which made him either a legend or a pariah, depending on the prism through which one views such matters. “It’s almost as if overnight everybody knows your name, but not for the reasons you want them to know it,” Brent says. “It’s hard to process it, man. There’s all kinds of people — there are some that are impressed, there are some that are upset. You’ve got to think about your family. You’ve got to think about everything. So it was tough, man.” He says he met Lisa Ann through a roommate when she was in town earlier that year. The two stayed in touch, leading to the Big Apple excursion. Another photo later surfaced of the two appearing to be in bed together. Brent still is not sure how that one got out, but it ended up serving as a broader lesson about the situations he had put himself in. “I’ve always been kind of private about who I’m always with, but after that I really had to become a private person because my whole life was (about) who I was talking to,” he says. “Obviously, we weren’t dating — that was just what the media would tell you — but my whole life was about who I was hanging out with and everything, and that’s not what you want. You want it to be about football, and you want it to be about that stuff, and it changed me, man. It made me mature a lot faster. You’ve got to think: When that happens, you’re in a situation where every choice you make, you have to make the right choice now, because everybody already thinks one way of you, only thinks one way of you. “And it got to the point (where) I had to change my whole thought process. I had to focus. I started listening to scriptures in the morning, I started doing all kinds of stuff and just focusing on my faith. Then I had my son. I was like: I can’t be living this lifestyle. He can’t know me for just being that. I started focusing on my family, man, and I had a girl who held me down since I was young.” When Brent returned to campus, he sat down with Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, whom he will forever hold in high regard. Brent was a scout-teamer at the time, and most of his Saturday duties came on special teams. He did not face any school discipline, but it was no secret that he was in Kelly’s doghouse. “Obviously, through me still graduating and me being back here, Coach Kelly understood I’m young and I was making a decision that I didn’t know was gonna be that bad,” Brent says. “So he still supported me, obviously, but at the same time it was like, ‘You’ve just got to be careful about what you’re doing.’ “He talked to me about that. He also promised my mom that he was always gonna make sure I graduated and take care of me. He’s still doing that now. That’s why I thank him so much, because to some people, I’m ‘The Man,’ but he was thinking about me as a person and what that could mean for the future, and I’m thankful for that.” Brent spent three seasons at Notre Dame before playing football and basketball as a graduate transfer at Nevada. (Matt Cashore / USA Today) Notre Dame has commenced each of its past five seasons an hour south of campus for a reason: Culver Academies is relatively secluded from the rest of society. It makes for a great getaway to enhance team bonding at the start of fall camp, unless you are expecting your first child and your mind is running a million miles a minute elsewhere. Fighting Irish coaches were understanding of Brent’s situation in 2016, communicating with all parties to ensure he would not miss the birth of his son should Ward, his girlfriend, go into labor during the program’s Aug. 6-10 retreat. Brent was a limited participant to begin with, thanks to a Lisfranc injury suffered during the spring game four months earlier. The Culver trip came and went without any drama. Then Brent arrived back to the apartment he shared with Ward, hours shy of an occasion that the Brent of old would have reveled in. “As soon as I got home I was like: Man, it’s my 21st birthday, and I’m literally sitting here on the couch instead of what every other 21-year-old’s doing on their 21st birthday,” he says, laughing. “But I was like: Man, I’m just ready for him to come. “I went to sleep, rolled over and an hour or two later she was like, ‘It’s time.’ I’m like, ‘You’re lying.’ She was like, ‘No, I’m serious. It’s time to go.’ The hospital is a mile away, but I’m in a panic like he’s about to come right now. You see (it) in the movies.” Braxton Brent was born on Aug. 11, 2016. While it was a lost year on the field — Brent saw no action as the Irish crumbled to a 4-8 record — the bigger picture came into focus. In need of a fresh start, the former early enrollee discussed his plans to transfer with the Irish staff, who followed through on Kelly’s graduation promise and let him stick around the following spring. Nevada receivers coach Eric Scott recruited the receiver-turned-running back to Reno, sealing the deal for Brent’s arrival, which came shortly after he returned from a three-week study-abroad program in China that he needed to complete to obtain his degree in film, television and theatre. Ward and Braxton made the move out West with him, moving into an apartment near the practice facility since they did not have a car. “She’s a rock,” Brent says of Ward. “She’s been there, been through a lot and made a lot of sacrifices. Came and lived out there in Nevada, 2,000 miles away from her family. She always held me down. I always didn’t make the best decisions, so it’s amazing, but without her I wouldn’t be able to do everything I’m doing right now.” Brent saw action in six games at receiver in 2017, making one catch for 21 yards, before opportunity truly beckoned after the season. The first break came when a combination of injury and dismissal left Nevada’s 20th-ranked basketball team down to seven scholarship players in February 2018. Wolf Pack football coach Jay Norvell granted hoops coach Eric Musselman permission to add Brent, who had been a four-star basketball recruit out of Speedway (Ind.) High. He made three appearances in nine games, scoring on his only shot attempt, a garbage-time layup in a rout of UNLV. The Pack’s storybook ride to the Sweet 16 scratched a hoops itch for Brent while allowing his wife and son to experience the madness of March in a way most folks can only dream of. Brent spent all of 29 days in a basketball uniform, but the one-point loss to Final Four-bound Loyola-Chicago ate at him. “You gotta think, man, when you lose like that to Loyola, you get a sour taste in your mouth,” he says. “You become a part of the brotherhood, and we’re literally bawling and crying in the locker room. And I was on the plane, in the moment I’m telling Coach Muss I wanna be back next year. In the back of my head I’m also like: You know, it’s gonna get to a point where you’re kind of doing this for fun. Are you doing this for fun or are you gonna really focus on your future and take care of your family? So I had to be real with myself.” Even if that meant passing up a chance to play for a team ranked as high as No. 5 this season, and even if that meant more adjustments were coming to his primary sport. Brent switched to safety in 2018. Injury and suspension again opened the door, as Brent tallied 27 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in the season, with two interceptions in the Arizona Bowl, his final college game. He was given the program’s outstanding special teams player award and, on the brink of obtaining his master’s degree in justice management, was named to the academic All-Mountain West team for the second consecutive season. “He went from playing running back to playing receiver to playing defensive back, like all types of positions,” former Irish teammate Dexter Williams says. “But at the same time, it shows how dimensional (he is). He’s not just a person who can just really stick to a running back spot. He can play defense. You can use him on both sides of the field. It’s something that he brings to the table, so I’m very happy for him.” Justin Brent with his son, Braxton, and girlfriend Karli Ward. (Courtesy of Justin Brent) “That’s a big-time catch,” Kerry Coombs shouted Wednesday. “Nice job!” Brent had stumbled near midfield during a defensive backs drill at Notre Dame’s pro day, recovering to make an off-balance grab in front of the Titans’ secondary coach. He reminded everyone that, as a former receiver, he had been the No. 1 prospect in Indiana in 2014. This was Brent’s second pro day in two Wednesdays, the combined results of which offered a taste of the athleticism he brings to the table: His 22 reps on the bench press would have tied for first among safeties at the NFL combine, his 36.5-inch vertical would have tied for sixth, and his 7.08 seconds in the three-cone drill would have tied for fifth. Brent was not invited to the pre-draft showcase in Indianapolis, where he is currently living with Ward, Braxton and Ward’s grandparents until after the draft. He trains at Sparx Athletic Refinery in Fishers, the facility co-founded by former NFL receiver Courtney Roby. His film is scarce, but Brent is betting on his misguided past to shape his promising future. In a roundabout way, his time in the limelight opened some fairly important doors for him. He would rather not name-drop the celebrities he counts as confidants, but anybody who has seen the pictures of him with Drake on his Instagram page can connect their own dots. “(Brent) was a guy that actually helped me along the way (during) his time here,” says Williams, who ran into off-field trouble on multiple occasions while at Notre Dame. “(I) learned a lot of things from him, as well.” “You’ve gotta think, I’ve been dealing with that type of stuff since I was 19,” Brent says. “A lot of guys don’t see that side of people trying to get you until they get some money over there and make it to the NFL. “(I can) be that person that says: Hey, this is not the best look. Don’t go this route. That’s always gonna be there. You don’t have to jump into that right now. You have to focus on what you need to focus on, because distractions do you in and you’ve gotta make sure you’re focused on what you need to get accomplished before you start worrying about all that other stuff.” Brent is a long way from that top-ranked billing of his prep days. He is even further away from the teenager who, as Kelly infamously said in 2014, “gets distracted easily.” Take the entirety of Brent’s college career into account, and you will be hard-pressed to find many revenue-sport athletes who have experienced more in a five-year span than him, for better and for worse. He may project as a late-round pick at best, but as Brent readies for the draft, he is at a different life stage than his peers. Whereas professionals often strike it big, make a few murky decisions and get humbled later on, Brent has already been there, done that and lived to tell about it. “When you start maturing and you start having family and you start worrying about other stuff, you don’t really have as much time to be chasing people that are partying,” Brent says. “You’re focused on your dreams and what you have going on and understand that’s always gonna be there. And at this point in your life, when you need to be focusing on football, it’s nothing but distractions that can lead you down the wrong path.” His son will turn 3 in five months. He shares a birthday with Dad, whose own celebrations have been muted lately. His age stopped mattering a while ago.
Coach D offense Spoiler Notre Dame Practice Report: Offense - March 26 Bryan Driskell • BlueAndGold.com @BGI_CoachD Pay just $3.99/month for the first FIVE MONTHS of a new monthly subscription! That's over 60% savings! Photo by Corey Bodden Notre Dame completed its seventh practice of the 2019 spring this morning inside the Loftus Center. Part one of today’s practice report focuses on the offense. Quick notes * Junior guard Joshua Lugg, sophomore guard John Dirksen and sophomore running back Jahmir Smith were not at practice due to academic oblibations. * Fifth-year senior center Trevor Ruhland, senior wide receiver Javon McKinley and junior center Colin Grunhard were all out with injuries. * When Notre Dame's first team offense took the field during its tempo drill it had senior Ian Book at quarterback, junior Jafar Armstrong at running back, junior Michael Young at X receiver, fifth-year senior Chris Finke at Z receiver and senior Chase Claypool at W receiver. Junior Cole Kmet was at tight end and the offensive line left to right was senior Liam Eichenberg, junior Aaron Banks, sophomore Jarrett Patterson, senior Tommy Kraemer and junior Robert Hainsey. * The second offense was led by sophomore quarterback Phil Jurkovec. He was flanked by sophomore running back C'Bo Flemister and freshman back Kyren Williams, sophomore Kevin Austin at the W receiver, sophomore Braden Lenzy at X receiver and sophomore Joe Wilkins Jr. at Z receiver. Up front the offensive line left to right was freshman Andrew Kristofic, sophomore Cole Mabry, freshman Zeke Correll, freshman John Olmstead and freshman Quinn Carroll. QUARTERBACK Senior quarterback Ian Book was much sharper today than he was in the past two practices. His timing on deep balls still wasn’t where it needs to be and Book still takes way too many check downs in situations where he should take a few more down the field chances, but he was efficient, accurate and didn’t turn the ball over. Where Book had his brightest moments today was throwing the deep ball. He threw a gorgeous go route that Claypool one-handed for a catch against very tight coverage. Later in practice, cornerback Troy Pride had good coverage against Claypool on a post route but Book threw the ball over the top and put it where only Claypool could catch it, and the senior wideout did just that. He missed Claypool later on a go route against Pride and overshot Kmet on a seam route. Book also was late on several throws out to the perimeter on outs and curls, but he also showed good ball placement on the sideline as well. When Book did miss he missed in good spots, which means the defense had no chance to make a big play on the ball. Book did a really nice job getting the ball out quickly and accurately to the perimeter in the RPO concepts, which allowed the blocks to set up quickly and the receivers to get vertical before the inside help could get out to the ball. He wasn’t quite as sharp on the crossing routes and was behind quite a bit, but when he got the ball in front the offense was able to make plays. Sophomore Phil Jurkovec wasn’t as good today as he was the previous two practices. Jurkovec was inconsistent throwing the ball and was late making reads and letting the ball go, especially on the deep ball. Timing continues to be the thing where he needs the most work. Jurkovec threw the ball well during 1on1s and was sharp early in 7on7s, hitting junior Isaiah Robertson on a go route and an under route on back-to-back plays, and then making a really nice throw to Austin on a go route that fell incomplete due to great coverage, but the ball was put exactly where it needed to be. On his next set of 7on7 reps he was off. He had a go route to tight end George Takacs get dropped, and then he overthrew tight end Tommy Tremble on an option railed and sailed the ball over the head of an open Takacs on a seam throw. That kind of up-and-down plagued his day, and there were three noticeable reasons why. First, as was stated above, his timing got him in trouble at times. Second, he didn’t throw as confidently as he did in previous practices, and third, his dipped his back foot too much, which caused his back shoulder to dip, which then threw off his release point, and that’s why he missed high a lot during today’s practice. WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT ENDS I continue to be impressed with the battles between the wide receivers and the defensive backs, and the wide receivers continue to show much improved speed and after-the-catch ability. Senior receiver Chase Claypool had a strong day of work for the Irish. He got good separation on a number of routes, and when he couldn’t get separation against Pride – which is hard to do – Claypool was able to win the 1on1 battles by using his length and body control to make really impressive grabs. He caught a one-handed ball against Pride and made a number of impressive sideline grabs. Claypool also made a catch on a stop route in traffic with sophomore corner Houston Griffith all over him. His releases on short throws weren’t as sharp as they need to be, but that is about the only thing I could really criticize Claypool for today. Fifth-year senior Chris Finke had a quality day. His route running was precise and he did a really good job making plays after the catch. He caught a short throw to the right and scored a very long touchdown by making defenders miss and then riding the downfield blocking by running back Tony Jones Jr. all the way to the end zone. He was especially sharp on double moves, getting big plays on a post-corner route and a stutter-seam in which he came off the line and ran about 10 yards, chopped his feet like he was going to stop (stutter) and then got vertical up the seam for a big play against DJ Brown. Junior Michael Young was another receiver that had a quality day. Young beat Pride on an in route during 1on1s and later in practice he caught a quick throw and juked Pride so bad that the talented senior corner almost fell down. Young ripped off a big gain on that play and had multiple plays in which he used his elusiveness and speed to rip off big gains. The defense had a very hard time handling his quickness and speed during today’s practice. Sophomore Lawrence Keys III had another strong day of practice. The first thing that stood out to me about Keys was that despite being 5-10 and 172 pounds, Keys was very physical as a blocker … again. His willingness to compete in the run game and screen game when he’s not getting the ball is just outstanding. He’s small so he doesn’t blow defenders up, but he competes like crazy, doesn’t get knocked back and he stays engaged. But where Keys really shines is when he’s running routes and catching the ball. His route running is advanced for his age, and we saw that again today. Beyond just using his speed to make plays on screens and crossing routes, Keys is able to use his quickness and speed to get separation as a route runner. He is the only receiver that I’ve seen give sophomore corner TaRiq Bracy a hard time, and he beat Bracy badly on a post-out route in which he faked a post route, stopped and then worked outside. Keys did a really good job working the middle of the field as well, and sophomore safety DJ Brown had no chance in matchups against Keys. Sophomore Joe Wilkins Jr. isn’t as flashy as Keys or classmate Braden Lenzy, who didn’t get any team, 1on1 or 7on7 reps today. But when you watch Wilkins and chart practice what you see is that he just makes plays. He doesn’t blow me away with elite athleticism and he isn’t making hard and flashy catches, he just gets open and catches the ball. He did a good job getting a step on vertical routes but he has to continue working on being a bit sharper on breaking cuts. Today was the first time we saw junior Isaiah Robertson make plays. He made a diving catch on a go route during a 7on7 period, and on the very next rep he got open on an under route. Robertson still needs work on his releases at the line of scrimmage and he lacks the speed to separate down the field, but he competed well today. I didn’t focus much on the tight ends today, but sophomore Tommy Tremble flashed in a big way today. His route running today was sharp, with Tremble using his release to manipulate his opponent, and then he would make quick cuts and explode out of his break. What we again saw today is that when Tremble gets a step on a defender it’s over, he’s just too fast for safeties and linebackers to catch him when they fall a step behind. RUNNING BACKS Another practice in the books and another practice in which senior running back Tony Jones Jr. and junior running back Jafar Armstrong made a lot of plays in the pass game. Both were standouts catching the ball and both are used in a lot of different ways. You could see Armstrong’s burst on full display today. He was quick, sudden and decisive as a runner, but there wasn’t quite as much room to run today as there was in previous practices. Armstrong is unique in that he can line up in the backfield and look like a natural runner, and then split out side and look like a natural wide receiver. Jones has really impressed all spring with his improved conditioning, which has him back to being the quick, sudden and impactful runner he was two springs ago. He ran with authority today, caught the ball well and had the block of the day. On a look screen to Finke, Jones took on safety Jalen Elliott and blocked him for about 20 yards to allow Finke to make moves off that block and get into the end zone. Freshman Kyren Williams ran the ball well today and continues to look like a natural in the pass game. Sophomore C’Bo Flemister got some action today and made some quality runs. His downhill speed and burst is as good as any back on the roster, and once again we saw today his ability to stay skinny and get through tight holes. OFFENSIVE LINE The line wasn’t as effective or dominant as it was in previous practices against the defense. There wasn’t as much movement in the run game, but the line still had some quality moments, especially in pass protection. The timing from the line in the screen game continues to be an issue for the offense. Senior left tackle Liam Eichenberg had a quality day, handling himself very well in the pass game and getting a decent push on the edge in the run game. Eichenberg has had a lot of success against end Julian Okwara in the practices we’ve seen thus far. I didn’t see much of left guard Aaron Banks in the run game, but he had multiple quality blocks in the pass game. His foot quickness was impressive and his ability to read and react quickly to moves was good. Sophomore Jarrett Patterson snapped the ball consistently today and seemed to be assignment sound, but he didn’t get much movement today and he did have one blown assignment where he failed to pick up a blitzer that got a free run at the quarterback. Freshman Andrew Kristofic wasn’t quick out of his stance today during team, and it appeared he was thinking too much. This allowed him to get beat around the edge on a couple of snaps and allowed defenders to knock him back a bit in the pass game. I continue to be impressed with the toughness of freshman guard Zeke Correll in the run game. He’s undersized but Correll is athletic and strong, but his desire to mix it up and fight is something that allows him to be effective.
247 offense Spoiler Notre Dame, Ind. — Brian Kelly’s Irish reached the midpoint of the program’s 14 practices leading into the annual Blue Gold Game on April 13. Play of the Day: Ian Book on a perfect go route to Chase Claypool who made a one-handed stab at full speed despite quality coverage by Troy Pride. Catch of the Day, Part II: Isaiah Robertson laying out for a touchdown from Phil Jurkovec Player of the Day: Chris Finke, Robert Hainsey, or Ian Book Newbie of the Day: Lawrence Keys. Joe Wilkins second in this regard. Block of the day: Tony Jones for Chris Finke while #2 was Chris Finke and Michael Young for Tony Jones Absent today due to class responsibilities were Dillan Gibbons, John Dirksen, Josh Lugg and Jahmir Smith. With three offensive linemen out, the second unit and thus four early enrollees up front received ample reps. First Unit OL: (left-to-right): Liam Eichenberg, Aaron Banks, Jarrett Patterson, Tommy Kraemer, and Robert Hainsey. 2nd Unit: Andrew Kristofic, Cole Mabry, Zeke Correll, John Olmstead, and Quinn Carroll. O-LINE OBSERVATIONS Backup center Luke Jones appeared out of contact today. We’ll follow up if that continues Saturday at our next open practice. Fifth-year senior center/guard Trevor Ruhland remains sidelined following arthroscopic knee surgery. He’s joined in that regard by walk-on center Colin Grunhard (shoulder) and senior wide receiver Javon McKinley who reportedly suffered a groin injury upon his reinstatement to the team last week. Redshirt-freshman Jarrett Patterson had his hands full in 11-on-11 at times but he continued to show an acumen for the pivot role, passing off an initial double team to pick up a looping blitz from the edge and holding up well in pass protection. Robert Hainsey and Khalid Kareem is one of the more technically sound matchups you’ll see. Hainsey got the better of it in 11 vs. 11 in a pass-heavy segment but the defense is at an inherent disadvantage physically when you A.) Aren’t tackling, and B.) the QB has a red shirt protecting him. Julian Okwara bent the edge on one rep later in 11-on-11 and Book would’ve been hammered but other than that, I thought Liam Eichenberg also handled his business protecting vs. a pair of dynamic edge rushers to the boundary side. QUARTERBACKS Charley Molnar (Yes! I just went there) used to call it ‘Unconscious Competence.’ Phil Jurkovec does not approach that level of operation between the lines—of course, he’s a redshirt-freshman who’s barely scratched the surface, not a senior with nine starts on a playoff team. Jurkovec fired a handful of pretty passes but an equal number doubtless proved vexing for offensive coordinator Chip Long. The manner in which Jurkovec releases the ball must be maddening at times. It dovetails. It flutters. It wobbles. It spirals beautifully. It arrives on time and in a hurry. It arrives late and behind the target. It all depends on the particular rep. In 1-on-1 drills, Jurkovec was 8-for-15 with a potential ninth reception (couldn’t tell if Joe Wilkinscame up with a circus grab). Jurkovec at present seems more comfortable with the deeper routes that require touch rather than the precision of layup throws that populate today’s offenses. He’s often behind his receiver over the middle—a physical mistake that can’t be made without consequence. Book hit 13-for-17 in the same drill plus a pass interference against the defense. His throw to Michael Young vs. Troy Pride on a post-corner was a thing of beauty as was a stutter-seam to Chris Finke (beating D.J. Brown in an unfair fight). Three of Book’s four misses were on deep balls. (Insert collective sigh from readers.) I had Book 20-for-26 in 11-11 (tag-off )and 7-on-7, both full field and half-field reads for the latter. Jurkovec was 9-for-18 with two drops, a bounce pass, an airmailed missed seam, a wounded, fluttering duck, and a perfect corner route to Kevin Austin plus a deep ball to a reaching George Takacs, perfectly placed down the left sideline but not caught. Book’s highlight was a perfect post route touchdown to Chase Claypool against Troy Pride. The lowlight? Probably too many check-down throws. There were only a couple of instances where it seemed Book took the type of chance the staff wants from him in the spring It was Book only (no Jurkovec) against the first team Nickel to conclude practice. He was on point in the first drive, hitting 10-for-12 (might’ve been 11-for-12) with a preponderance of quick, short throws while missing an open Joe Wilkins deep (short of him on a late throw). Book though finished poorly with the defense rising to the occasion: 3-8 including five consecutive misses (a drop and two PDs) to conclude the segment. After a fourth down “timeout” Book was hurried and threw incomplete—a win for the defense. WIDE RECEIVERS AND TIGHT ENDS Generally the storyline one way or another in a spring practice that includes a lot of passes and very little live tackling, today, the receivers won the day. Lawrence Keys is competitive, quick, has good hands, is deceptive in his routes, has great feat, and is really, really small. A great complement for Chris Finke in 2019. Keys’ practice featured at least three highlights: A perimeter block in early 11-on-11 A corner route from Jurkovec (Also 11-on-11 early) A “twist-out” (I’m told) in which he dusted Tariq Bracy I’m sure I missed one, but I had the QBs 6-for-6 when throwing to Keys. Joe Wilkins gets open A LOT. Michael Young shook Troy Pride post-catch. As Tim Prister pointed out, ‘Tough for the defense when you’re not allowed to tackle.’ But it must be noted…not sure he was going to tackle Mr. Young on that particular play had he been allowed to do so. Young had a very good day including a post-corner in which he turned around the defender (I think it was Pride, too). Chris Finke regularly kills the guys assigned to check him. Period. He needs a healthy Shaun Crawford to challenge him inside. I had him for a corner route touchdown, a screen pass touchdown (behind Tony Jones’ downfield block detailed below), a stutter-seam for a big gain, and 9 receptions on 10 competitive passes thrown to him (with a potential deep touchdown he ‘dropped’ with good coverage by Avery Davis.) Finke ducking behind Jones as the latter escorted him downfield vs. two defenders was pure football genius. Most guys would’ve left their blocker—Finke stayed in his pocket, yelling directions on the fly and cheering on his block as they ran the final still-contested 15 yards. Chase Claypool remains an imposing athlete. His one-handed stab (he simply stopped the ball in the air with one hand) was a remarkable catch on a great throw. Isaiah Robertson: Diving catch deep touchdown (Jurkovec) followed by a quality crossing route Couple of concentration drops by Kevin Austin today…one great go route from Jurkovec. Micah Jones with a seam catch vs. walk-on Patrick Pelini, who purportedly ran a near 5:00-mile in conditioning. Braden Lenzy went to the sideline early following the first 11-on-11 segment and it appeared he was getting work on his hamstring. Though he won plenty, Troy Pride was beaten more today than in all of the previous hours of the spring we’d seen combined. He stayed late to work on technique. Tommy Tremble won a handful of reps including a post-corner and two quick outs. Give him a year, because he’s clearly under construction, but the young receivers offer more at present. George Takacs is purportedly considered a plus player by the staff. He has not shown well when we’ve watched to date. (Made some nice plays last August, actually.) Cole Kmet, who nearly made a circus catch down the seam while being grabbed and pulled to the ground, only seemed like a regular human tight end today as opposed to Saturday where it was a showcase of his skills. Same for Brock Wright who similarly starred last Thursday. One related defensive note on this: Derrik Allen responded better to contact against the junior tandem in one-on-one today. He also broke up a pass intended for Takacs. Prior, Allen had not distinguished in media viewings. RUNNING BACKS Jafar Armstrong and Tony Jones are set to serve as a 1-2 punch (and that’s how they’ve begun most practices we’ve seen) but Jones didn’t seem like a distant No. 2 today, catching passes downfield with aplomb and providing the best block of the spring to date, taking Jalen Elliott for a ride about 25 yards downfield as Chris Finke deftly ducked in behind him for an 11-on-11 score. Jones is leaner but he’s gained weight (per official listing) since last August. If he can get his pads square and head upfield after one cut on a consistent basis it could greatly aid what I assume will be Armstrong’s lead effort out of the backfield. — Today was my first meaningful look at Kyren Williams who began practice in tandem with C’Bo Flemister as part of the second unit. (Smith, as noted above, not present). Williams shook Houston Griffith out of his cleats early in practice and showed the ability to get downfield and catch a pass late in 7-on-7. — Not much from C’Bo Flemister in today’s pass-heavy practice but the redshirt-freshman seems to have a nice burst upon his second step. He’s worth watching should the runners each get a shot with the first unit OL in real scrimmage action as spring progresses. — As noted by a colleague today: Jafar Armstrong looks like a receiver when he’s catching the ball and a running back when they hand it to him. I think Irish fans should prepare themselves for plenty of both. The Dog Days of Spring are setting in. Saturday’s media viewing will be interesting as it will be the team’s third practice in a five day span. Which young players will continue to show well?
247 defense Spoiler Notre Dame’s seventh practice of the spring inside the Loftus Sports Center Tuesday offered further insight into the continuing battle at all three linebacker positions and a possible glimpse of what to expect when the Irish go to nickel coverage. LINEBACKER ROTATION COMING INTO FOCUS? Ten bodies, three positions and perhaps some clarity at the Rover, Buck and Mike linebacker positions surfaced Thursday as Clark Lea continued to plug in players in an attempt to figure out the jigsaw puzzle that is the second rung of the Irish defense after Te’von Coney and Drue Tranquillexpended their eligibility during the 2018 season. Speaking of Tranquill…He was in attendance Thursday, offering advice to Jordan Genmark Heath and engaging in conversation with Drew White, who was sporting a sling to support his right shoulder following recent AC joint surgery. It appears that the Irish have found their third-down Buck linebacker – red-shirt freshman Jack Lamb. Lamb reportedly has adapted quickly to Notre Dame’s plan on certain passing downs. He played a prominent role as the defense worked on its nickel package late in the drills. With Asmar Bilal playing more Mike linebacker than Buck, he paired up with Lamb as the offense put four wideouts on the field. Bilal at Buck and Bo Bauer at Mike came out initially during the early tempo drill, but it was Genmark Heath, Lamb and cross-training Shayne Simon at Buck with Bilal, Bauer and Jonathan Jones working at Mike. SIMON MOVES INSIDE/ROVER ADJUSTMENTS In between 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s, Shayne Simon could be seen working under the chute – a flat, square, tent-like structure that helps linebackers keep their pads down. As opposed to working in space, where Simon reportedly has struggled while playing Rover, Simon would naturally use the chute to assist in his transition inside to Buck linebacker. That means the Rover position is moving in the direction of red-shirt sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and sophomore Paul Moala, who has gradually been transitioning from the safety position. Several things are at work in these shifts. Moala has struggled in space at safety; Simon has struggled in space at Rover. Why not move both to a position that appears to fit their skillsets and are positions of need? Later in the practice, Moala seemed to be favoring his left hamstring. Further proof that Simon is moving on from the Rover position was that after Owusu-Koramoah took reps and Moala was not available as he tended to his hamstring, it was walk-on Patrick Pelini – not Simon – who took the reps. Mid-year freshman Jack Kiser – also a Rover – is sidelined following shoulder surgery. DEFENSIVE LINE DOINGS Not much to report along the defensive front, which remains awash in defensive ends with a solid but limited number of defensive tackles. During a positional drill, strongside defensive end Ade Ogundeji slipped and landed hard on the ground, prompting him to clutch at his left shoulder. But he pulled himself up and ran the next rep without further repercussions. Defensive line coach Mike Elston made an interesting comment to the defensive ends – particularly early-entry freshman NaNa Osafo-Mensah, who failed to maintain his intensity through the entire rep. “The last 12 inches are the hardest part of getting a sack,” Elston said. In other words, getting in position for a sack is common; following through and getting that last extra burst to put the quarterback on the ground is the difference between a great play and no play at all. The strongside defensive ends continue to be Khalid Kareem, Ogundeji, Jamir Jones and Osafo-Mensah. Working at weakside defensive end were Julian Okwara, Daelin Hayes, Justin Ademilolaand Ovie Oghoufo. The top two defensive tackles are Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (three-technique) and Kurt Hinish(nose), followed by Jayson Ademilola (three-technique) and early-entry freshman Jacob Lacey. Walk-on Logan Plantz, who has played along the offensive line in the past, is the third three-technique out of necessity with Darnell Ewell a distant third at nose tackle. NICKEL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS With Shaun Crawford sidelined once again this spring, Notre Dame’s best option – at least the one that the staff feels offers the most promise – is former quarterback/running back/slot receiver Avery Davis. Recently asked about the nickel, Brian Kelly said the defense hadn’t gotten to nickel yet. It did Thursday (and a little bit last Saturday) with Davis on the field with cornerbacks Troy Pride Jr. and Houston Griffith, and safeties Jalen Elliott and D.J. Brown working with the No. 1 unit (today anyway) ahead of Derrik Allen with Alohi Gilman sidelined with an abdominal injury. Speaking of Gilman, he was seen running sprints and getting some positional work with the safeties. Don’t expect Gilman to go live this spring, unless he truly is fully healthy. The last thing the Irish need is for Gilman to have an abdominal setback that curtails his summer work. At times, it was a rough day for Davis in one-on-one coverage as well as nickel work. Keep in mind that all 1-on-1, 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 work is significantly slanted in the direction of the offensive skill position players because the quarterback isn’t live, and thus, has an unencumbered path to throwing the football. Advantage offense. Davis makes sense as a nickel option. He’s fast, a great athlete and is strong enough to work at the boundary cornerback position. Incoming freshman Kyle Hamilton could be an option as well, but his length could work against him at nickel whereas a third rotational safety might be a better way to use him during his rookie season. 1-ON-1/7-ON-7/11-ON-11 As mentioned above, it’s advantage offense in most passing drills on the practice field unless it is 11-on-11 live, and even then, the quarterback can’t be hit, so the edge swings dramatically to the offense. In 1-on-1s, the top plays were made by: Avery Davis on a pass breakup of a Phil Jurkovec-to-Joe Wilkins attempt a pass breakup by Noah Boykin on a Jurkovec-to-Isaiah Robertson pass attempt Derrik Allen’s tight coverage on an Ian Book-to-George Takacs pass attempt Houston Griffith on a streak overthrown by Book to Chase Claypool a pass break-up by Jalen Elliott on a Book-to-Cole Kmet attempt Elliott on pass defense on a one-handed grab by Kmet. The drill concluded with a Pride breakup on an underthrown deep ball from Book-to-Kevin Austin. In 11-on-11, Asmar Bilal dropped a bullet thrown by Jurkovec, although it probably wasn’t Bilal’s fault. The ball was thrown so hard and had such a fishhook on the end of it that most receivers wouldn’t have caught it. Bilal also defensed Kmet well in coverage. In 7-on-7, Pride did a great job pressing Claypool up against the sideline with his back on a deep ball. 2COMMENTS Late in the practice with the offense in the red zone and the defense in nickel, the defense forced three straight incompletions – a pass breakup by Davis on a throw to Chris Finke, a Griffith break on a pass to Kmet, and a fourth-down incompletion with Bilal applying pressure to the quarterback. PUNT RETURNS The low ceiling in the Loftus Sports Center prevents any type of live punting/punt returns. Thus, four players were receiving punts from the Jugs machine – incumbent punt returner Chris Finke, Michael Young, Joe Wilkins Jr. and Lawrence Keys III.
Elko got a raise at TAM wonder who was sniffing around. In the end we may be better off for letting him run.
Coach D Defense Spoiler Notre Dame Practice Report: Defense - March 26 Bryan Driskell • BlueAndGold.com @BGI_CoachD Pay just $3.99/month for the first FIVE MONTHS of a new monthly subscription! That's over 60% savings! Photo by Bill Panzica Notre Dame completed its seventh practice of the 2019 spring this morning inside the Loftus Center. Part one of today’s practice report focuses on the offense. Part two breaks down the Irish defense. Quick Notes * Senior cornerback Donte Vaughn, fifth-year senior corner Shaun Crawford, sophomore nose tackle Ja’Mion Franklin, freshman defensive tackle Hunter Spears and freshman rover Jack Kiser were all out with injuries. * Junior linebacker Drew White was not at practice today. DEFENSIVE LINE The defensive line had a better performance this morning compared to previous practices, at least against the run. The line held up better at the point of attack and got more of a push against the run with both the first and second units. Getting pressure on the quarterback without blitzing was still a bit of an issue. It was interesting listening to line coach Mike Elston during today’s practice. I’ve written following the season that the defensive line, as good as it was this past season, has to do a better job finishing at the quarterback. Elston referenced this many, many times during today’s practice. Not just to the group as a whole, but in response to several reps taken by the linemen. Senior end Khalid Kareem had a strong performance in the reps I observed from him. He had multiple wins on the edge against right tackle Robert Hainsey and was stout against the run. Senior Julian Okwara wasn’t as effective today, struggling to win the edge with any kind of consistency. Sophomore end Ovie Oghoufo continues to flash a top-notch burst off the edge. He blew fast freshman left tackle Andrew Kristofic for a pressure, had multiple wins on the edge and competed against the run. Oghoufo showed good discipline on the backside of the read looks, not biting on the run action and staying on the quarterback. Freshman NaNa Osafo-Mensah had a good practice at strongside end. His power shined through against the run during team periods. He got a good push off the edge and did a good job setting edge and making plays on the ball. His pass rush moves need a lot of work, but his burst off the edge does flash. Osafo-Mensah's best rush came against freshman Quinn Carroll. He came off the edge quickly and as soon as Carroll got into his pass set, Osafo-Mensah quickly planted and then beat Carroll inside. Junior nose tackle Kurt Hinish had his most active practice of the spring. He got a good push against the run and was much more effective getting off blocks and being disruptive in the backfield. Junior defensive tackle Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and sophomore Jayson Ademilolacompeted and gave good effort in reps I saw, but neither made many plays on the ball. Junior nose tackle Darnell Ewell still needs a lot of work, but he showed his power today and he had one good pass rush right up the middle during a team period. LINEBACKERS/ROVERS The linebackers continue to move all around the field, but there are a few players that seem to be pulling at head, at least through the early portions of the spring practices. Fifth-year senior Asmar Bilal spent time at Buck and Mike during today’s practice, but he spent the vast majority of the practice playing Mike linebacker. Bilal did some things well today. He was aggressive getting downhill on straight runs and he had multiple good pass drops. Bilal opened up and ran well with tight end Cole Kmet on a seam route, getting right in Kmet’s hit, running with him step for step and forcing the incompletion. The issue is Bilal still makes too many assignment mistakes and gets caught up in the mix because at times he is slow to read and then react to what is happening in front of him. Despite those mistakes, Bilal has flashed enough playmaking ability against the run and pass game to put himself squarely in the mix to emerge as a starter inside, most likely at Mike. I didn’t see as much of junior Jordan Genmark Heath today, but in the reps I did see him he showed good range in the pass game and was physical taking on blocks against the run. Sophomore Jack Lamb had a few more mistakes today compared the last couple of practices, when he was a standout. There were a few snaps where Lamb was slow to react and wasn’t sure of his assignments, and that caused him to get caught up in traffic. One particular snap he was late seeing a crossing route and it got him beat. But there were still a lot of reps where Lamb was active and productive. Lamb’s range at Buck is really impressive, and we saw that again today. His ability to attack the perimeter in the pass game and either cover backs and prevent throws or to arrive at the back as soon as he catches the ball is impressive. Lamb had a good edge rush during team and he had a number of strong run fits during team periods. When Notre Dame went to its nickel package Lamb was inserted into the lineup for the second straight practice. Combined with how well he has practiced, it seems Lamb has a strong chance to at least earn a starting role in the nickel sets. Senior Jonathan Jones had the most active practice I’ve seen from him this spring. He was active coming downhill in the run game, did a good job picking up crossers and had a play where he was poised to blow up a receiver coming inside on an in route but wisely chose not to crush his teammate on a throw that simply should not have been made. Junior rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had another strong day when he had a chance to run and play with range. His explosiveness jumps out and his route recognition has really improved. It is hard to beat him on the perimeter when he comes free, and his ability to close on the ball is outstanding. What Owusu-Koramoah has struggled with in practice, and it was especially apparent today, is when he gets blocked. He doesn’t have the powerful punch that his position mates mostly possess and he has to work on his block destruction. Twice I’ve seen him get blocked by 5-10, 172-pound Lawrence Keys in the slot against screens, which can’t happen. Sophomore Paul Moala is a quality athlete at rover and while he needs more experience at the position, I do like how much ground he covers and how physical he is. He had a strong edge rush where he blew up the running back (C'Bo Flemister) and forced an errant pass. Right now sophomore Shayne Simon is struggling with his assignments and is clearly thinking way too much. Until he gets a good feel for the defense and learns to turn it loose he’ll struggle to catch up to Lamb and Genmark Heath at Buck or Owusu-Koramoah at rover. SECONDARY Senior cornerback Troy Pride Jr. had a rough practice, but part of it was him going against really good players who made really good plays on well thrown balls. Twice Pride got beat deep by Chase Claypool on routes where Pride had excellent coverage but quarterback Ian Book made perfect throws and Claypool made great plays on the ball. He also got juked in space by wideout Michael Young that resulted in a big play. Pride still needs to work on his footwork, press and transition technique. He is still relying a bit on his speed to make plays. When his technique is good he’s really, really dominant and he had a few snaps today where we saw that, especially with his press. I liked what I saw from sophomore cornerback Houston Griffith today. First and foremost, he was outstanding against the run and against the screen game, which right now is his best asset. On one particular snap the offense threw a look screen to Griffith’s side, and he exploded downhill and blew the play up behind the line. He made the play because of his ability to quickly diagnose what he is seeing but also how quickly he can plant and drive on the football. Griffith was cleaner today with his transitions, which allowed him to stay in good position. He was patient at the line and didn’t get caught out of position. It allowed him on particular snap to jump a comeback by Cole Kmet. Griffith closed on the route perfectly and broke up the pass. He was all over a stop route by Claypool as well, but Claypool made a really tough catch in traffic. Earlier in practice Griffith was all over Claypool on a go route, forcing an incompletion. That’s three straight good to very good practices from Griffith, which is certainly a positive development for the Irish defense. Sophomore TaRiq Bracy had yet another strong day for me. He wasn’t perfect, but his ability to lock down in coverage and his speed continues to stand out. He had a breakup during the first team period, and showed off his speed running step for step with Kevin Austin on a go route, forcing another incompletion. Today we saw Bracy playing both the boundary and field positions. It would seem the staff is giving him a chance to find a major role in the cornerback rotation. Junior Avery Davis is understandably up-and-down. He is still very much learning the basics of cornerback play, much less the nuances and finer points. Davis shows the quickness and speed to play the position, but he’ll need all 14 practices and all of fall camp to really get in position fundamentally to play the position, but the athletic skills are certainly there. Davis got some action playing in the slot during Notre Dame's nickel looks, and he had a couple really fast and impressive edge rushes from that spot. Sophomore Noah Boykin had some impressive cover plays today where I saw him open up clean, run with a receiver and stick in coverage. On other snaps he would get grabby, which got him out of position. Boykin also quit on a couple of plays when he got beat, which is something you cannot do, especially as a young player trying to earn playing time. That kind of frustration cannot happen. Sophomore safety Derrik Allen continues to improve. He got beat again on a collision route in 1on1s, but the next time he took on a tight end he absorbed the contact, which allowed him to stay tight to the route and force an incompletion. That’s growth for a guy who struggled to handle that route in previous practices because he didn’t absord the contact. Allen was good coming downhill in run fits and had two stops at the line of scrimmage. His range in coverage was most obvious today, and it is likely why the staff is pushing so hard to get him going at the position. He covered a lot of ground in coverage today. On one particular play he read and jumped a wheel route by Joe Wilkins Jr. and rode the wideout to the sideline. If the ball was thrown at the receiver instead of out of bounds, Allen was in position to likely pick off the pass. Consistency is still vitally important for Allen, but he’s developing each practice so far. Sophomore DJ Brown is struggling with his footwork in coverage, which is allowing receivers to get a step of separation from him when he opens up.
Loy on the RB board Spoiler Latest on Notre Dame running back recruiting in the 2020 class VIP ByTOM LOY 6 hours ago 7 Notre Dame doesn’t have a running back from the class of 2020 currently committed yet, but come National Signing Day in February, the staff is hoping to have two on board. Irish Illustrated and 247Sports take a look at where things stand on the running back board as of today. SLIDE1 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Five-star running back Chris Tyree just visited Notre Dame over the weekend and it couldn’t have gone better. My 247Sports Crystal Ball remains firmly on the Fighting Irish. Oklahoma and Alabama and major threats in this one. He’ll be back in June for his official visit and it’s the trip Notre Dame is hoping results in a commitment. For an even more in-depth look at where things stand, CLICK HEREand check out the VIP insider piece from Monday morning. SLIDE2 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Five-star running back MarShawn Lloyd is still considering a Notre Dame visit. There has been dialogue between him and running backs coach Lance Taylor. He hasn’t locked in a date yet, but it’s something he is considering. One visit could change everything, but right now, there isn’t much optimism at all inside the Gug. If he visits like he says he will, that trip is likely going to take place before the end of the summer. CLICK HERE for more on Lloyd, Notre Dame and his recruitment. SLIDE3 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Five-star running back Bijan Robinson was removed from the “Top Targets” board for now. He hasn’t shown a done of interest in the program and doesn’t seem to feel like his teammate, four-star safety Lathan Ransom, does about the school. It just makes sense to keep our list of targets as accurate as possible and having him on their simply doesn’t make sense to me. If he reaches out or shows an interest in visiting, I’ll surely add him back on. For now, nobody inside the Gug expects much traction from him right now. SLIDE4 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Four-star running back Kalel Mullings is still on the board for Notre Dame, but as noted last month, the Irish are taking things slow. He has had some injuries in the past and they like a few others more than him. He’s a nice back, strong, big body, but there just are a few slightly ahead of him for the Irish as of today. We’ll see if anything changes as he gets more work this offseason and especially early in the fall. My Crystal Ball pick is on Stanford as of today. SLIDE5 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Four-star running back Seth McGowan is a guy Notre Dame has tried to reach out to, multiple times, but he’s not showing much interest. The staff really likes him, but until he gets back in touch with them or shows any type of interest in trying to get to campus to check them out, he’s a long-shot at best. Notre Dame will make one more run at him and if he doesn’t communicate, they’ll likely move on completely. At that point, he’ll be removed from the “Top Targets” board. SLIDE6 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Four-star running back Tirek Murphy just wrapped up a great visit to Notre Dame. Him and his mother are clearly sold on everything the Fighting Irish have to offer its student-athletes. He wants to visit Oregon and Alabama and will then narrow down his recruitment. I firmly believe Notre Dame leads as of today. He isn’t in all that much of a hurry for his decision, which isn’t an issue for the coaches. For an even more in-depth look at where things stand, CLICK HERE and check out the VIP insider piece from Monday morning. SLIDE7 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Four-star running back DeaMonte Trayanum is a guy the staff likes a lot. Chip Long has been on him for a while and Lance Taylor has started pursuing heavily since his arrival on staff. He’ll be in town on March 30, so look for the Irish to try and catch up to his co-leaders Ohio State and Wisconsin. His interest in the program is genuine, but he’ll surely be a tough pull from the Buckeyes, as long as they continue to push for his commitment. CLICK HERE for more on Trayanum ahead of his Notre Dame visit. SLIDE8 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Four-star running back Reggie Love likes Notre Dame a lot. In all reality, if the staff was pushing, he may already be in this class. Furthermore, if Autry Denson was still on campus, that would likely be the case. This staff has its sights set on other targets for now. As it stands, they are slowing things down and haven’t been making a strong effort to land Love since the arrival of Lance Taylor. There are others higher on his board for now. Illinois looks like the team to beat for him. SLIDE9 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Four-star running back Michael Drennen II is another that Notre Dame is keeping tabs on. He visited recently and had a great time, but until the staff starts pushing, he’s just another name on the board. The staff enjoyed their time with him and he liked what he saw during the trip. Things are essentially being kept warm for now, which seems fine by Drennen. I think that Notre Dame and Ohio State would be the biggest players here if each school was making him a top priority. CLICK HERE for more on Drennen's interest in Notre Dame. SLIDE10 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Four-star running back Lawrance Toafili was also removed from the “Top Targets” board. He hasn’t shown any interest in the program since landing the offer. This one is pretty cut and dry. If he does, he’ll be added. SLIDE11 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Three-star running back Jutahn McClain is a guy Notre Dame likes a lot. He’s a four-star back per 247Sports and surely one for the Fighting Irish staff as well. They won’t pursue heavily until they know five-star running back Chris Tyree is heading elsewhere, but if he does exactly that, I could see Notre Dame pushing hard to land McClain. He had a great visit to South Bend in February and I think the Irish would be tough to beat if they want him. Same could be said for Ohio State as well. CLICK HEREfor more from McClain and why he is so high on the Fighting Irish. SLIDE12 of 13 (Photo: 247Sports) Three-star running back Kyle Edwards loves Notre Dame. He was on the Irish for a long time and things were taken to another level when he visited in February. If he could, I have a feeling he’d be in the class already. He has some work to do in the classroom and if there is room when he gets it all squared away, he’s expected to be Irish. Nothing is set on that front either way. CLICK HERE for more from Edwards and why he likes Notre Dame so much. SLIDE13 of 13 (Photo: Cullen Coleman Twitter) 7COMMENTS Three-star running back Cullen Coleman is added to this group because Lance Taylorand Chip Long both believe he can be a very good back at the next level. He's obviously a guy you get on campus, work him out, see where he's best suited, and go from there. He can play all over the field on both sides of the ball, but for now, they are eyeing him as a running back. He'll be on campus this Saturday with his friend, Notre Dame quarterback commit Drew Pyne. The Irish will surely make a strong move this weekend.
TheRegionSitter's spring break offensive class prediction: (1) QB Drew Pyne **** https://247sports.com/Player/Drew-Pyne-88572/ (2) RB Chris Tyree ***** https://247sports.com/player/chris-tyree-85374/ Jutahn McClain *** https://247sports.com/player/jutahn-mcclain-46052145/ (2) WR Jordan Johnson **** https://247sports.com/player/jordan-johnson-46050063/ A.J. Henning **** https://247sports.com/player/a-j-henning-46047161/ (2) TE Michael Mayer **** https://247sports.com/player/michael-mayer-46050106/ Kevin Bauman **** https://247sports.com/player/kevin-bauman-46047887/ (3) OL Reece Atteberry **** https://247sports.com/player/reece-atteberry-46051579/ Andrew Gentry **** https://247sports.com/player/andrew-gentry-46050894/ Jimmy Christ **** https://247sports.com/player/jimmy-christ-46049851/
I think we will do a 3rd wideout (at least) and i think the 2nd rb will be tirek murphy. Also think we have a better shot at tosh baker than andrew gentry at this point
I don’t think the two depend on each other. We want one big back and one athletic home run threat. Basically treated as two separate positions. We’re not taking two of the same type of back. Same with how we recruit WRs.