Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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6 SEPT. 30, 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY LOU SOMOGYI S uccessful position changes, espe- cially from one side of the ball to the other, have often been the hall- mark of championship-level teams at Notre Dame, or anywhere. This was prevalent throughout the regimes of Ara Parseghian (1964-74), Dan Devine (1975-80) and Lou Holtz (1986-96) while building national title campaigns. Under Brian Kelly it has also reaped dividends, particularly during the 12-0 regular season in 2012 (see the sidebar on page 7). The most recent flipping back and forth on offense and defense has in- volved running back Avery Davis. Signed in 2017 as Notre Dame's lone quarterback recruit that year, Davis made the transition to running back in 2018 because of junior Josh Adams turning pro, the dismissals of Deon McIntosh (now at Washing- ton State) and Corey Holmes (now at Penn State), and the suspension of Dexter Williams for the first four games. However, Davis' role was sparse, finishing the season with 22 carries for 70 yards (3.2 yards per carry) and five catches for 30 yards in the 71 snaps he took during the season (an average of eight per game in the nine he played). This spring, Davis was shifted to cornerback because of the attrition there that included junior Julian Love turning pro, fifth-year senior Shaun Crawford and senior Donte Vaughn missing all spring while recovering from surgeries, and zero cornerbacks getting signed in the 2017 recruiting cycle (current juniors). With Crawford and Vaughn back in action this fall, and starting run- ning back Jafar Armstrong sidelined at least a month or maybe even two following an injury in the opener at Louisville that required abdominal surgery, Davis was moved back to running back. For his team-first attitude and 59- yard catch-and-run touchdown on a forward lateral — which looked more like a jet sweep — on his first touch versus New Mexico Sept. 14, Davis received the game ball from head coach Brian Kelly. Davis' break- away skills on the play also likely will leave him on offense. "He ran almost 23 miles an hour," noted Kelly, although even premier NFL speedsters don't reach that level, which has led to some claims of exaggeration. "We haven't had that since Will Fuller. We know he has elite speed. … "A skill set is one thing. It is getting him the opportunity, and I think he has the best chance of getting those opportunities on the offensive side of the ball right now." CORNERBACK OR RUNNING BACK? The operative phrase there is "right now," because in 2020 cornerback becomes a huge position of need for several reasons. • Senior Troy Pride Jr., the fastest player on the team and the top cover corner, will be off to the NFL. • Crawford indicated earlier this year that he does not plan to apply for a sixth season of eligibility, in part because he feels blessed just to have a fifth season after having missed three seasons with two ACL surgeries and another on his Achilles. • Vaughn has had an up-and- down career that has been riddled by injuries, and if he plays more than four games this year he would not be eligible to apply for a fifth season in 2020. • Sophomore Houston Griffith might be needed more at safety be- cause starters Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott both graduate. Meanwhile, Derrik Allen transferred to Georgia Tech in August. • As noted, no cornerback pros- pects were signed in 2017, leaving current sophomore TaRiq Bracy plus freshmen KJ Wallace and Isaiah Rutherford as maybe the top candi- dates next spring if Vaughn does not return. Meanwhile, running back has more options in 2020 with Armstrong join- ing current sophomores Jahmir Smith and C'Bo Flemister, plus freshman Kyren Williams, and maybe senior Tony Jones Jr. Furthermore, Chris Tyree, Rivals' No. 1-rated all-purpose back in the 2020 class and possibly the nation's swiftest prospect, is com- mitted to the Fighting Irish. ✦ UNDER THE DOME STRATEGIC POSITION Finding the best spot on offense or defense for someone is often based on need Junior Avery Davis started his Irish career at quarterback in 2017, made the transition to running back in 2018 due to attrition at the posi- tion, was moved to cornerback this spring, and then shifted back to running back this fall after more injuries and made an instant impact with a 59-yard catch-and-run touchdown. PHOTO BY ANDRIS VISOCKIS