Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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50 PRESEASON 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED be surprised if he eats up a lot of snaps on defense the deeper the Irish get into the season. FIGHTING FOR A SPOT There are a number of rookies that are pushing for playing time, even though they might not get immedi- ate action — at least not on offense or defense. Defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola has shown flashes of the playmaking ability that made him one of the top pickups in the 2018 class. Ademilola is an athletic and disruptive interior defender that brings a pass rush abil- ity Notre Dame did not have much of inside last year with the exception of Jerry Tillery. Ademilola earned a lot of second- team reps during the open practice sessions, and the more comfortable he gets with the defense the more opportunities he will receive. Every defense wants defensive tackles that can penetrate quickly into the back- field and make plays, and he has the athletic skills and hand technique to make that happen. Even if he doesn't get a lot of ac- tion in September, expect Ademilola to become a regular in the rotation at some point during the 2018 season. A pair of receivers have also had moments where the talent that made them coveted players in the class has been clear. Despite being one of the lower ranked of the five wide receiver signees, freshman Law- rence Keys III (Rivals' No. 22 player in Louisiana) burst onto the scene from the moment he stepped foot on campus. He was a standout during summer workouts and shined dur- ing early open practices. Keys lacks ideal size (5-10½, 170) and strength, but his speed and ad- vanced route running skills have been noticed. The New Orleans native creates uncanny separation against veteran players and his ball skills are impressive. Holding up physically is the one concern with Keys, but if the staff feels comfortable with that he'll find his way into the rotation at some point in 2018. Being able to physically hold up is also a worry for classmate Braden Lenzy — but one cannot ignore his speed, an element the wide receiv- ing corps has little of in the upper classes. Lenzy has outstanding foot- ball speed, but he's not as advanced as Keys as a route runner and that held him back early in camp. The Notre Dame coaches made clear during media day that continu- ing to work with Lenzy to get him ready is a top priority. Adding his speed and playmaking ability to the offense and special teams could be game changing. Especially vital to Lenzy will be working hard in the weight room and putting in extra time to not only get a better feel for the offense, but to improve his route technique. Mike linebacker Bo Bauer strug- gled with the defensive system in the spring, and despite displaying an outstanding motor, his inability to ex- ecute the defense resulted in big plays through areas he was supposed to be. Fast forward to August and Bauer looked like a completely different linebacker. Not only had he added about 10 pounds to his frame, but he displayed more poise in the defense. It was obvious early in fall camp that Bauer had a much better grasp of the system, and although he will still make mistakes like all freshmen, he FRESHMAN PROJECTIONS Major Contributors WR Kevin Austin ROV Shayne Simon S Houston Griffith Possible Contributors WR Braden Lenzy WR Lawrence Keys DT Jayson Ademilola LB Bo Bauer S Derrik Allen Possible Special Teams Contributors RB C'Bo Flemister WR Joe Wilkins CB Noah Boykin CB DJ Brown CB TaRiq Bracy Redshirt Candidates QB Phil Jurkovec RB Jahmir Smith WR Micah Jones TE George Takacs TE Tommy Tremble OL Jarrett Patterson OL Luke Jones OL Cole Mabry OL John Dirksen DE Justin Ademilola DT Ja'Mion Franklin LB Jack Lamb ROV Ovie Oghoufo S Paul Moala Rover Shayne Simon's strong all-around skill set has him pushing for snaps as a rookie. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN