Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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18 AUGUST 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Love received second-team pre- season All-America honors from Sports Illustrated and Lindy's Sports, and was a third-team pick by both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele's. Troy Pride Jr. passed by then-se- nior Nick Watkins for the starting field cornerback spot in the final four games of the 2017 season. With Pride and Love entrenched as starters, Wat- kins decided to transfer and spend his final season at Houston. Pride is considered the fastest player on the roster, finishing sixth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.78 at the ACC Indoor Track & Field Champi- onships. During the spring, he placed seventh in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.56 at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Pride's speed is why Bruce Feldman of The Athletic named him one of the 50 top athletic "freaks" in college football for 2018. Speed has always been a part of Pride's game, but during the spring he displayed all-around improve- ments, becoming more of a techni- cian than just relying on quickness. Junior Donte Vaughn started four games as a true freshman in 2016, fin- ishing the season tied for first with six passes broken up despite playing 266 fewer snaps than Love and 495 fewer than Cole Luke, who tied him for the team lead in passes broken up. Vaughn battled back issues last sea- son, which kept him out of the lineup. The transfer of Watkins gives him a chance to secure a top backup spot. SAFETY VALVE Notre Dame already has 22 safety starts from the 2016 class, but Jalen Elliott and Devin Studstill were not necessarily ready for those roles. Former Irish defensive coordina- tor Mike Elko praised the athleticism and potential of Elliott, a converted prep quarterback, but also admitted he needed work to learn the nuances of the position. There were positive strides made last season, but Elliott simply didn't make enough plays. Going into his second season as a starter, he is ex- pected to provide more production in the pass game and better consistency in the run game. Studstill started nine games as a freshman in 2016 and was the pri- mary backup player at both safety spots in 2017. The Riviera Beach, Fla., native has had a roller-coaster first two seasons, and he'll need to be more disciplined if he is going to keep highly talented freshmen Hous- ton Griffith and Derrik Allen from beating him out during fall camp. SMALL LINE CLASS EMERGING Only two of Notre Dame's three offensive line signees from the class remain, but both will enter the fall as projected starters. Junior Tommy Kraemer started nine games last season at right tackle, but the graduation of All-American Quen- ton Nelson opened up a spot inside. Kraemer is a powerful run blocker, but he never looked overly confident playing on the edge as a pass pro- tector. Moving inside puts him in a more comfortable position in protec- tion, and allows his game to be even more about force and physicality, which are his trademarks. When the spring started, Kraemer was still at right tackle and the player he rotated with in 2017 —sophomore Robert Hainsey — was playing left tackle. Junior Liam Eichenberg was backing up Kraemer. However, Eichenberg was out- standing all spring, and his breakout Junior Class Review Players Signed: 23 Players Available in 2018: 19 (Four-star offensive lineman Parker Boudreaux transferred to Central Florida after the 2016 season; three-star running back Deon McIntosh was dismissed from the team following the 2017 campaign and enrolled at East Mississippi Community College this summer; three- star safety Spencer Perry transferred to South Alabama prior to the 2017 season; and three-star wide receiver Kevin Stepherson was dismissed from the team following the 2017 season) 2016 Recruiting Rankings: Rivals (No. 13), Scout (No. 13), 247Sports (No. 15) and ESPN (No. 16) Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Ian Book* QB 6-0 200 Key reserve who came off the bench to lead the Irish to a bowl victory over LSU. Chase Claypool WR 6-4½ 229 If concentration and discipline improve, he could have a breakout season in 2018. Liam Eichenberg* OL 6-6 303 Emerged as the expected starter at left tackle after an outstanding spring. Jalen Elliott S 6-0½ 203 Former high school quarterback who must become a more instinctive safety in 2018. Daelin Hayes DE 6-4 264 Gifted edge rusher was solid in his first season as a starter, but now he must become a standout. Jamir Jones DE 6-3 242 Do-it-all player that can contribute at linebacker and both end spots, while also excelling on special teams. Jonathan Jones LB 5-11½ 222 Expected to emerge as a part of the linebacker rotation this season. Tony Jones Jr.* RB 5-11 220 Dual-threat running back is being counted on to produce much more in 2018. Khalid Kareem DE 6-4 270 Powerful edge player that showed flashes of dominance last season. Tommy Kraemer* OL 6-6 315 Moving to guard should give him an opportunity to flourish in 2018. Julian Love CB 5-11 189 Set Notre Dame records with 20 passes broken up and 23 passes defended last fall. Javon McKinley* WR 6-2 215 Highly ranked receiver that has yet to find his way into the rotation. D.J. Morgan* LB 6-2 220 Moved to linebacker during the spring to provide depth. Adetokunbo Ogundeji* DE 6-4½ 251 Expected to become a vital part of the line rotation as a junior. Julian Okwara DE 6-4½ 230 Quick edge rusher has carved out a niche on Notre Dame's third-down defense. Troy Pride Jr. CB 5-11½ 185 Broke out during the spring and is poised for an outstanding junior campaign. John Shannon* LS 6-2 232 Excelled last fall in his first season as the team's short and long snapper. Devin Studstill S 6-0 198 Took a step back last season, not earning a start after making nine as a freshman. Donte Vaughn CB 6-3 205 Back injuries slowed him down in 2017 after an impressive freshman season. * Eligible for a fifth season in 2020