Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
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LINEBACKERS BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 97 POSITION COACH Clark Lea is in his third season as Notre Dame's defensive coordina- tor and his fourth as linebackers coach. The 2019 campaign saw Lea build on his successful debut as a coordinator. The Fighting Irish improved their standing in the Fre- meau Efficiency Index defensive ratings from No. 16 to No. 5 nationally, despite playing a more potent group of offenses than in 2018. Notre Dame also improved in points per game (18.2 to 17.9), total yards per game (347.4 to 320.2), yards per play (4.72 to 4.67), rushing yards per at- tempt (3.84 to 3.81), rushing touchdowns (16 to 12), third-down defense (38.9 to 32.5 percent), turnovers gained (21 to 28), run-game tackles for loss (44 to 57), passing yards per game (207.9 to 168.5) and completion percentage (56.9 to 54.3 percent). The Irish concluded the season first in the country in fumbles recovered (19), third in passing yards al- lowed, tied for fourth in total turnovers gained, fifth in team passing efficiency defense (110.15 rating), 12th in scoring defense, 18th in third-down defense and total defense, and tied for 23rd in tackles for loss per game (7.0). In his first season as the team's defensive coordi- nator, he led a unit that finished 30th in fewest yards allowed per game (347.4), tied for 11th in red-zone defense (27 scores in 36 trips, 75.0 percent) and 36th in rushing yards given up per contest (139.5). Lea's linebacking corps was at the center of that success, with senior Te'von Coney leading the team with 123 tackles, while classmate Drue Tranquill was third with 86. The Irish linebackers took their play to a new level during Lea's first year in South Bend. For the first time in school history, four players from that po- sition group — Coney (116), Nyles Morgan (92), Tranquill (85) and Greer Martini (75) — racked up at least 75 tackles in a season while ranking as the top four tacklers on the team. The quartet accounted for 37.8 percent of the team's total stops (368 of 972). In 2016, Lea served as the linebackers coach at Wake Forest under defensive coordinator Mike Elko, before following him to South Bend. During his lone year in Winston-Salem, N.C., he helped the Demon Deacons rank among the top 20 of the Football Bowl Subdivision in fumbles recovered (third, 15), turnovers forced (tied for 10th, 27), sacks (11th, 3.15 per game) and defensive touchdowns (tied for 19th, three). Wake also allowed only 22.2 points (23rd nationally) and 370.5 yards per game (40th). Before joining Elko at Wake Forest, Lea spent three seasons as the linebackers coach at Syracuse (2013-15). The 2014 Orange defense held nine of its 12 opponents to less than their season average for total offense and yielded only nine rushing touch- downs — making it one of four schools nationally to surrender fewer than 10. In 2013, Syracuse ranked nationally in multiple cat- egories, including third-down defense (15th), rush de- fense (24th), sacks (18th) and tackles for loss (18th). In his first season working with Elko at Bowling Green in 2012, Lea was a finalist for FootballScoop. com's Linebackers Coach of the Year honor. The Falcons ranked sixth in the country in total defense (296.6 yards allowed per contest) and 10th in scor- ing defense (16.7 points allowed per game). Lea also coached at UCLA, serving as a graduate assistant in 2006 and 2009 before becoming the linebackers coach in 2010 and 2011. While with the Bruins, he helped Akeem Ayers garner All-America accolades in 2010 en route to becoming a second- round pick in the NFL Draft. He also coached at South Dakota State for two seasons (2007‑08), where he was the linebackers mentor while also serving as the recruiting coordina- tor for one year. In 2001, Lea was a member of the Birmingham- Southern College baseball team that captured the NAIA World Series title. The following year, he played baseball at Belmont. Finally, he played fullback at Vanderbilt from 2002-04 and was a two-time All-SEC Academic Team selection. The political science major earned his bachelor's in 2004 and his master's in 2007, with both degrees coming from Vanderbilt. RETURNING PLAYERS BO BAUER • MIKE Jr. • Harborcreek, Pa. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 225 • Saw the field in all 13 games in 2019, and compiled 28 tack- les, 2.0 tackles for loss and a blocked punt. • Played in all 13 games during his true freshman season and recorded 10 tackles (seven solo). • Finished high school career with a 52-3 record, and tallied 106 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks while leading Cathedral Prep to the 4A state championship as a senior. • Named a finalist for the 2017 High School But- kus Award, annually given to the nation's top linebacker, and earned a spot on the USA Today All-Pennsylvania first team as a junior and senior. • Tabbed as the 2016 Class 4A Defensive Player of the Year by Pennsylvania Football News. • Listed as a four-star talent, the No. 5 player in Pennsylvania, and the No. 5 inside linebacker and No. 158 overall prospect in the country by Rivals. Year G-GS Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks 2018 13-0 7 3 10 0.0 0.0 2019 13-0 18 10 28 2.0 0.0 Totals 26-0 25 13 38 2.0 0.0 JD BERTRAND • MIKE So. • Roswell, Ga. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 228 • Saw action in four contests in 2019, exclusively on special teams. • Racked up 278 tackles, 37.5 stops for loss and 22.5 sacks during his high school career at Blessed Trinity. • Named the 2018 Atlanta Journal-Constitution 7-AAAA Defensive Player of the Year. • Landed on the Georgia AAAA All-State first team as a senior. • Ranked as the No. 40 player in Georgia and the nation's No. 27 inside linebacker by Rivals, while ESPN and 247Sports rated him as a four-star. recruit OSITA EKWONU • MIKE So. • Charlotte, N.C. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 236 • Saw the field in three games in 2019, primarily on special teams, and made one tackle. • Was a dual threat in high school, recording 90 tackles on defense while adding 765 yards and 12 scores on the ground. • Named the 2018 Greater Charlotte Football As- sociation Linebacker of the Year. • Tabbed a four-star recruit, the No. 9 player in North Carolina, and the No. 15 inside linebacker and the No. 232 overall prospect nationally by Rivals. JORDAN GENMARK HEATH • BUCK Sr. • San Diego Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 225 • Played in all 13 games with a start in 2019, and finished with 10 tackles and one sack. • Also saw action in all 13 con- tests with a start in 2018, and notched 16 stops. • Transitioned from safety to Buck linebacker prior to the 2018 campaign. • Came off the bench in 13 games in 2017 and tal- lied 16 tackles. • Played both ways in high school during his senior season, recording 59 tackles and four intercep- tions on defense while adding 400-plus yards and 11 scores on offense. • Named to The San Diego Union-Tribune's All-San Diego Section team following his senior cam- paign. • Rated as a four-star talent, the No. 26 prospect in California, and the No. 23 athlete and No. 230 overall player in the nation by 247Sports. Year G-GS Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks 2017 13-0 9 7 16 0.0 0.0 2018 13-1 7 9 16 0.0 0.0 2019 13-1 6 4 10 1.0 0.0 Totals 39-2 22 20 42 1.0 0.0 JACK KISER • BUCK So. • Royal Center, Ind. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 221 • Played in four games in 2019, but did not record any statistics. • Finished his high school career with prolific statistics on both sides of the football, record- ing 3,771 passing yards, 59 passing touchdowns, 7,364 rushing yards, 139 rushing touchdowns, 424 total stops, 20 interceptions, nine forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries. • Named the 2018 MaxPreps Small Schools Na- tional Player of the Year and the 2018 Indiana Mr. Football. • Landed on the USA Today All-State first-team defense in 2017 and 2018.