Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2018 51 had greatly reduced his assignment snafus. With the mental mistakes dimin- ished, Bauer was able to make his game more about power and play- making against the run. He is a bit limited versus the pass at this point, but he's shown himself to be a pro- ductive run defender with the tackle- to-tackle range needed at Mike line- backer against power run teams, and has tested well in the weight room. By the middle of fall camp, Bauer had pushed past junior Jonathan Jones for the backup Mike linebacker spot, although that battle was far from over. The odds of Bauer even- tually becoming the top backup are high. Bauer also could be a special teams player early in the 2018 cam- paign, but it would not be shocking if he cracks the linebacker rotation and gets snaps behind Te'von Coney. Not enrolling early had freshman safety Derrik Allen playing catch-up the first two weeks of fall camp, and it was evident he was not nearly as com- fortable in the system as Griffith, who had 15 spring practices to fall back on. Despite some early struggles in re- gards to comfort within the defense, Allen has been able to flash the talent that made him a top recruit (No. 11 safety and No. 135 overall prospect nationally according to Rivals) in the class. A long and rangy safety, he has the athleticism to thrive in coverage on the back end of the defense. The faster he gets up to speed in regards to tackling, technique and knowledge of the system, the more he will play this season. POTENTIAL SPECIAL TEAMS IMPACT If not for a minor injury that cost him a number of early practices, run- ning back C'Bo Flemister might be in line for carries early in the sea- son. That could well happen at some point this fall, but Flemsiter's speed and athleticism might make him a factor in the kick return game and possibly in kick coverage. Freshman Joe Wilkins Jr. was re- cruited to play cornerback, but the high school two-way player made plays at wide receiver during the summer workouts, and the staff ul- timately moved him to that side of the ball before fall camp. He made early noise in practices, demonstrat- ing downfield speed and the ability to make plays after the catch. Wilkins could crack the receiver ro- tation at some point, but his athleti- cism, size and defensive background should give him a chance to push for a starting role on special teams as a true freshman. The three cornerbacks in the class have all had their moments during fall camp. There have been many years during the Kelly era that Noah Boykin would be pushing for early playing time. His length (6-0½) and outstanding feel for coverage are easy to see. Cracking the deep cornerback rotation might be difficult, but Boykin could see early reps on special teams. And, if an in- jury occurs at cornerback, he could quickly jump into the rotation. D.J. Brown is a physically impres- sive corner for a freshman. He is long (6-1) and extremely physical. At times, he is too physical — but that's a good problem for a coach to handle. At 191 pounds, Brown has the size and flashes the toughness to make him a player special teams coordina- tor Brian Polian will have his eye on. Redshirting cornerback TaRiq Bracy would be ideal, but his speed, endur- ance and return ability could give him a chance to push for opportunities in the return game in year one. DESTINED TO REDSHIRT The star of the 2018 class is quar- terback Phil Jurkovec (Rivals' No. 5 dual-threat quarterback and No. 87 overall player in the country). In the open sessions, he has impressed with his elite size (6-4½, 220), top-notch arm strength and ability to make plays. A redshirt is likely to happen, but he is the future at his position. An injury kept running back Jah- mir Smith out of action for more than a week during fall camp, and that allowed the other backs to distance themselves from him. He will have a chance to get caught up, but it also increased the odds that he takes a redshirt season. Freshman wide receiver Micah Jones lacks the speed of his class- mates, and Notre Dame already has plenty of players with his skill set (size, strength, one-on-one ability). For that reason, expect Jones to save a season of eligibility. The same is true for tight ends George Takacs and Tommy Tremble. Offensive tackles John Dirksen and Jarrett Patterson have both had im- pressive moments in fall camp, but along with center Luke Jones and tackle Cole Mabry all four of the freshman linemen are likely to red- shirt this season. Freshman defensive end Justin Ademilola and nose tackle Ja'Mion Franklin have drawn praise from de- fensive line coach Mike Elston, but the depth charts ahead of them are loaded, which will make it hard for both to get on the field this season. A knee injury cost freshman line- backer Jack Lamb half of fall camp, which put him behind the eight-ball when it comes to cracking the line- backer rotation. Should Lamb get healthy he could get some special teams snaps, but it increased the odds he sits out this season. Rover Ovie Oghoufo and safety Paul Moala both need time to de- velop their bodies before they are ready to play. ✦ Bo Bauer, who enrolled early and participated in spring practice, continued to push for the backup Mike linebacker position during fall camp. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL