Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/123805
Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco welcomes back eight defensive starters from last year's unit that finished among the nation's elite, but the return of the entire coaching staff is just as valuable. photo by joe raymond Grace tied for the team lead with eight tackles during the Blue-Gold Game and said he tried to soak in every second of the closest thing he's experienced to a real-game situation as the team's starting linebacker. "I know what I have to do on every play, and I know I can get it done," he said. "There are still little nuances you learn through repetition and game experience where you can almost predict what the offense is going to do. That's something I'd like to get to eventually. That's going to take time and a lot of effort." He'll have a pair of fifth-year seniors by his side to help him while he builds up that experience. Notre Dame's game plan at the inside linebacker position at the end of spring is to rotate through some combination of Grace, Carlo Calabrese and Fox to anchor the middle of its defense. Fox's shoulder injury kept him from working into the mix this spring, but he's the most likely candidate to swing between the Mike and Will positions when he is healthy. Calabrese, who split time with Fox at the Will position each of the last two years, has retuned his body to get a step quicker during the offseason, according to his coaches. That's something running back George Atkinson III learned the hard way when he ran into the wrong end of a whiplash-inducing tackle from Calabrese during the spring game. He said the lightened class load as a senior has helped him focus on improving his game this semester. "I have more time to study film and just get better in the weight room, just getting better all around really," he said. "It's good having a lot more time." Secondary Remains A Work In Progress Notre Dame's defense found success last season by turning what appeared to be a glaring weakness in the secondary into a relative strength. The Irish started the season with zero experience at cornerback, but picked up plenty of it in a year where they successfully stared down some of the country's elite wide receivers. Jackson and sophomore KeiVarae Russell both return with a full season's worth of starts under their belts. The