Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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ers from a season ago. Attrition left behind senior safety Zeke Motta and a handful of borrowed offensive athletes, and Motta made the most of his opportunity. "He felt a lot of pressure to be able to take on that leadership role in the secondary as the guy that has had the experience," co-defensive coordinator Kerry Cooks said. "I think that he kind of grabbed those guys and took them into the film room and … kind of helped those guys get some confidence." Motta set the tone for a sure-tackling set of defensive backs that stuck to their "live to see another play" mentality all season. He finished tied for second behind Te'o with 61 tackles on the season, including 32 solo stops. First-year starters Bennett Jackson, KeiVarae Russell and Matthias Farley all credited Motta's leadership during practice and on the field for getting them in position (often literally) to make plays. Motta was even more of an unexpected leader than Eifert, but he turned a potentially threadbare situation at defensive back into a group that did more than hold its own. 6. DE Stephon Tuitt If there were questions about how Notre Dame's defense would respond to the loss of 2011 Freshman All-American defensive end Aaron Lynch, Stephon Tuitt answered them less than two quarters into the regular season. Tuitt's 77-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the first half against Navy showcased his freakish blend of lineman size and sprinter's speed. It was a precursor for the sophomore's breakout season. He threatened a school record with 12 regular-season sacks and added nine more quarterback hurries as near misses. "He's got a unique blend of tangible traits coupled with that intangible element of effort and intensity and passion in that he just loves to play football," Diaco said. Tuitt remained the most dynamic athlete on Notre Dame's defensive line from start to finish as a sophomore. The 6-6, 303-pounder made 42 tackles during the regular season and was responsible for one third of the team's nine forced fumbles. His playmaking ability helped transform Notre Dame's defense into a force that could create momentum swings rather than trying to absorb them like they did in 2011. 7. LT Zack Martin Riddick wasn't the sole reason Notre Dame's running game took a major leap forward in 2012. Zack Martin, along with fellow senior Chris Watt on the left side of the offensive line, paved the way for Notre Dame to average more than 200 rushing yards per game (202.5 in the regular season) for the first time in more than a decade. Martin won the Irish Offensive Lineman of the Year award for the third consecutive season. He rarely, if ever, makes a mistake in pass protection. He got stronger once again this season and consistently manhandled the weaker opponents on the Irish schedule. Defensive captains Te'o and Kapron Lewis-Moore provided a clear illustration of Martin's value to the team when both ran onto the field at