Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2018 37 starter, Love is one of the stalwarts on the Notre Dame defense. He is a physical defender and a sound tack- ler, and he enters this season much stronger than he was a season ago. His struggles in the spring against Boykin seemed to have charged Love up, and the Westchester, Ill., native has taken his game to a higher level in fall camp with better discipline. Love had some issues covering deep last season, and if he can im- prove in this area he'll be a more complete corner and should emerge as one of the country's best perimeter defenders. 9. OT ROBERT HAINSEY Notre Dame's coaches would have been perfectly content to start then sophomore Tommy Kraemer at right tackle and for the former Rivals100 recruit to have played every series last season. The reason Hainsey — then a true freshman — rotated every series and eventually emerged as the starter at right tackle was that he was just too good to keep off the field. Another year in the weight room has added an extra five pounds to his frame, and despite missing time in fall camp, Hainsey is poised to be- come one of the team's top blockers. Junior left tackle Liam Eichenberg has more natural talent than Hainsey, but the sophomore from Pittsburgh is a steady and dependable player. Getting Hainsey to build on his freshman season and to become a rock on the right side will allow of- fensive coordinator Chip Long to adjust his protections to help Eichen- berg. It will also give him more op- portunities to release all five eligi- ble receivers into routes, something Notre Dame rarely did a season ago. 10. DE DAELIN HAYES The junior end is one of the most physically gifted players on the ros- ter. Last year in his first season in the rotation, Hayes was not spectacular. However, the five-star recruit stayed healthy and showed himself to be a quality run and pass defender. The drop end position must be stout against the run, yet also be able to rush the passer and handle coverage responsibilities. Hayes has the physi- cal tools to do all three, but he doesn't always carry over his impressive prac- tice performances onto the game field. Should Hayes do that this fall he will give the defense a pair of stand- out defensive lineman (along with Tillery) on the weak side of the line. ✦ Breakout Candidates A number of players are poised for breakout seasons, which is needed for Notre Dame to finally crack the end of season final four. 1. CB Troy Pride Jr. Pride was Notre Dame's top cornerback during the spring, and his strong play has continued into fall camp. His emergence combined with the presence of classmate Julian Love could give the Irish a chance to have one of the top cornerback tandems in the country. Pride is the fastest member of the secondary, and his increased strength and physicality have taken his game to a new level. 2. DE Khalid Kareem Kareem was a top rotation player at the end of last season, and his strong play in the spring was a factor in fifth-year senior starter Jay Hayes' decision to transfer to Georgia. The 6-4, 265-pound Kareem was a disruptive pass rusher in 2017, registering three sacks and six hurries while playing only 287 snaps. A standout during fall camp, Kareem has been a stronger run defender in open practices, which has him poised for a breakout campaign. 3. OT Liam Eichenberg Eichenberg entered the spring as a backup at right tackle, but it ended with him as the entrenched starter at left tackle. A top recruit from the 2016 class, he has the talent to develop into the team's latest standout at left tackle. He holds the key to solidifying the line and keeping it among the nation's best. 4. RB Jafar Armstrong/Avery Davis Notre Dame lost three backs from its 2017 depth chart, and the staff decided to move Armstrong (wide receiver) and Davis (quarterback) to the backfield. The duo showed flashes during the spring, and in fall camp they have been instrumental figures in the offense. Expect both to find early roles, and their speed gives them a chance to provide the offense with home run ability. 5. DT Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Veterans Tillery and Jonathan Bonner are the starters inside, but if Notre Dame is going to play championship defense the line depth will have to go beyond just the first two. After cracking the rotation as a true freshman, Tagovailoa-Amosa has raised his game during fall camp. If he can thrive this season, he'll provide an athletic and productive interior player off the bench. — Bryan Driskell An outstanding spring and fall practice session has junior cornerback Troy Pride Jr. ready to become a standout. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH DIGITAL MEDIA