Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2018 35 1. QB BRANDON WIMBUSH The senior quarterback is not the most productive player on the ros- ter, he isn't the team's best player and he's certainly not the best NFL prospect. He is, however, the most important player. Wimbush was erratic as a first-year starter in 2017, but he was able to lead the Irish to a 9-3 record in games he started, and when he was on his game the offense was incredibly dif- ficult to defend. In Wimbush's first eight starts, the Irish averaged 40.6 points and 498.6 yards per game and 6.7 yards per play. However, he faltered down the stretch. When his game dipped the offense nose-dived, averaging just 18.3 points and 342.8 yards per con- test in the final four games. Now a second-year starter, Wim- bush is the centerpiece to Notre Dame becoming a CFP contender. He has the talent to put the Irish of- fense on his shoulders, but he must become a more effective passer, a better decision maker and a more consistent player overall. If that happens, the 2018 offense will be dynamic. 2. DT JERRY TILLERY The senior defensive tackle arrived at Notre Dame as one of the top play- ers in the 2015 class, and he received a great deal of hype in his first two seasons. It was not backed up by pro- ductive play. He entered the 2017 campaign with only 49 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack in his career. Tillery broke out, though, becoming Notre Dame's most dominant defensive lineman. The Shreveport, La., native sur- passed his career totals in just one season, pacing the defensive line in tackles (56) and tackles for loss (9.0), while leading the entire defense in sacks (4.5) and quarterback hurries (11). With nine starters returning from what the ESPN Football Power Index ranked as the 10th best defense in the country in terms of efficiency last season, expectations are vast on that side of the ball. But the unit needs Tillery to take his game to greater heights and become the anchor of a dominant defensive line. Tillery has the size, strength and athleticism to be a standout, now he simply needs to add consistency to his game. 3. LB TE'VON CONEY The Buck linebacker position was the playmaking spot in the Irish de- fense last season, and the Sunshine State native took advantage, leading the defense in tackles (116) and tack- les for loss (13) despite finishing sev- enth on the defense in snaps played while splitting time with senior cap- tain Greer Martini. Coney was a physical tackle-to- tackle run defender who had five games with at least 10 tackles. He finished the year with a dominant 17-tackle performance in Notre Dame's Citrus Bowl victory over LSU. His production could take a bit of a dip during his senior season with his move to the Mike spot. His responsi- bilities will increase, though, which means his potential impact should be greater. Coney was primarily a downhill run defender last season, but he now has to handle defensive calls and get the defense lined up, and his pass game responsibilities will be signifi- cantly enhanced. Notre Dame needs Coney to be- come a much better all-around de- fender and show leadership without taking a step back as a run defender. 4. G ALEX BARS The 2017 offensive line earned the Joe Moore Award, which is given to the nation's best unit. Repeating that honor is less likely after losing Nelson and McGlinchey, but Notre Dame needs to put together another strong line with five blockers play- ing as one. Also, the top lines usually have at least one elite player. The fifth-year senior left guard could be that figure for the 2018 Irish. At times last season an argu- ment could be made that Bars was the best lineman on the roster not named Nelson, a unanimous first- team All-American. The issue for Bars was consistency, and at times TEN TO WATCH Notre Dame should be strong up the middle on both sides of the ball in 2018 Fifth-year senior Drue Tranquill has made a seamless transition from rover to Buck line- backer, and is poised for a major jump in production this fall. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH DIGITAL MEDIA