Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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man and play press and kind of beat the slot receivers up. That was kind of easier for me. When I had to play zone, it was a lot tougher." Getting his feet wet in 2012 has aided his progress to potentially take on a much larger role in 2013 following the graduation of safeties Zeke Motta and Jamoris Slaughter. Shumate has a long ways to go yet in grasping all assignments while replacing Motta, whose head also was spinning at the safety position in 2010-11. However, Shumate and senior Austin Collinsworth — in line for major minutes at safety last season before shoulder and back surgeries shelved him for all of 2012 — are on the path to complement starter Matthias Farley at the safety slots. "He's our guy back there," head coach Brian Kelly said of Shumate. "He's got to continue to learn. The spring has been really good for him. He's going to have to continue to take steps forward in the summer." 5. OL Conor Hanratty And OL Ronnie Stanley From the opening day of spring practice (March 20) to the conclusion with the April 20 Blue-Gold Game, the 6-5, 309-pound Hanratty was the No. 1 right guard, the successor to 2012 starter Mike Golic Jr. Defense X-Factor: Ishaq Williams In February 2011, Notre Dame signed a trio of five-star front line defenders: linemen Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt, and hybrid outside linebacker/end Ishaq Williams. Lynch (now at South Florida) was a 2011 Freshman AllAmerican, Tuitt in 2012 became Notre Dame's first defensive lineman to earn first- or second-team All-America notice as a sophomore … and Williams is still seeking his first start. He won't beat out senior Prince Shembo for the starting role at Cat linebacker/defensive end in 2013, but he will often be on the field at the same time as Shembo in various packages in situations. Williams has on occasion also worked with defensive line coach Mike Elston at end. "All things being equal, we anticipate trying to get from him, conservatively, another 10-20 reps a game," Diaco said of Williams' expanded role. "… His body is starting to Things have started to click for former five-star recruit Ishaq Williams, who is transform into something that can take that on. expected to play outside linebacker and "There's so much more intensity. He's playing lower. He defensive end this year. got stronger so he can play lower longer. When he unlocks photo by joe raymond now on players with block destruction and tackling and his different jobs, it looks different. It's more sudden, it's a more explosive movement. Not just based on strength but on his energy. He's learning how to play at this level." Williams finished tied with a game-high eight tackles in the Blue-Gold Game, three for lost yardage with two sacks.