Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2020 33 BY ANDREW MENTOCK N otre Dame was able to secure pledges from six defensive backs in its 2018 recruiting class, and three were consid- ered four-star talents. The group has yet to live up to the hype after two seasons in South Bend, but that could change this fall despite some attrition. Cornerback Noah Boykin (Mas- sachusetts) and safety Derrik Al- len (Georgia Tech) both transferred, while Joe Wilkins switched from cornerback to wide receiver after ar- riving on campus. Additionally, DJ Brown moved from corner to safety while trying to find playing time. However, cornerback TaRiq Bracy and safety Houston Griffith are primed to save the recruiting class' reputation at defensive back, doing so with a self-effacing attitude that Notre Dame fans have grown accus- tomed to in recent years. THE BLUE CHIP PROSPECT Marching across campus with the rest of his Irish teammates June 19, Griffith wore the requisite black shirt in support of Black Lives Matter, but his attire carried an additional mes- sage in white letters across his chest that read: "humble over hype." Those three words represent a ded- ication to modest confidence through moral advancement and spirituality — not always an easy task for the No. 43 overall football player in the class of 2018 per Rivals, who plays for one of the most prestigious foot- ball programs in the county. Perhaps some of his humility stems from the ups and downs of his time at Notre Dame. It wasn't surpris- ing to see the early enrollee on the field as the team's nickel cornerback throughout his freshman season. But when his level of play waned, Griffith earned less and less playing time. By the time he was a sopho- more, he moved to safety and only appeared in blowout situations. Just before the pandemic shut down college football, Griffith showed sig- nificant promise in Notre Dame's lone spring practice, covering bigger players such as tight ends Tommy Tremble and Brock Wright with the physicality and confidence of a veteran at the position. After said practice, he returned to his family home in the greater Chi- cago area to train two to three times per week with defensive back coach Pet Houlihan at WIN Performance in Highland Park, Ill. Griffith also sent Houlihan videos of himself conduct- ing drills for additional feedback. Houlihan, who has known Griffith since he was in high school, saw a dif- ferent player this spring — one with a new sense of purpose and drive. "He's blocked out the outside noise and bought into himself and into the program," Houlihan said. This has assisted the rising junior in focusing on the minute details of his new position, from eye discipline to pad level. His goal? To prove the doubters wrong, especially those who see his past two years as a permanent state instead of a short-term aberration. "He's really going to open some people's eyes," Houlihan said. "… I think he is finally finding home at a position, locking in at one spot and putting all this energy into it. "With where his head and confi- dence are at, the sky's the limit for Houston. … I see nothing but success for him at that position." AN UNASSUMING TALENT Coming out of Milpitas (Calif.) High, Bracy was the least recruited member of the Irish's defensive back haul, with his next best offers coming from Washington State and Utah. However, Notre Dame saw some- thing in the quiet 170-pound run- ning back that they believed would translate to one day becoming a top cornerback. "We watched him in spring football and saw his backpedal and change direction," Irish recruiting coordina- tor Brian Polian said. "[Former de- fensive coordinator] Mike Elko loved the fact TaRiq was a center fielder in baseball. He could track the ball. He was used to running and tracking the ball as it was coming in. "Those things matter and you learn those things through experience." Milpitas baseball coach Eric Ames agrees. Whether it was his speed on the base paths or his ability to catch just about anything in the outfield, Bracy was a force on the diamond through natural ability alone. But the unassuming talent never acted like it, even seemingly defer- ring to his twin brother TyRee, a first baseman and the school's starting quarterback. "I think he's a lot better than what he thinks he is," Ames said. "There's so much more to him. He's young, and he has a lot more to find out about himself. That's for sure." His quiet confidence was on dis- play as soon as he arrived a Notre Dame, earning minutes at cornerback as a freshman before moving into the starting lineup by season's end as a sophomore. He thrived both in coverage and run support, surrendering all of two touchdowns in 2019 without missing a single tackle in his collegiate career. In light of the pandemic, the big question is how was Bracy able to develop physically while away from the Notre Dame weight training pro- gram this spring. At the team's lone spring practice, he still possessed a slight frame, weighing 180 pounds. Another potential area for concern is how he'll do as a leader for the secondary. His subdued demeanor from high school is still relatively intact, but he feels he can support his younger teammates in other ways. "Just always be in their ears giv- ing them tips about what I've been through and let them know that they're always able to ask questions," Bracy said on the "Inside The NFL Prospects" podcast. "If they feel a certain way, come talk to me and we can handle it. "Taking on that leadership role is going to be a big step for the next year, and I'm prepared to take on that role and help the underclassmen." ✦ Time To Shine Junior defensive backs TaRiq Bracy and Houston Griffith are ready to emerge as major contributors Bracy saw action in 12 of 13 contests and made two starts last year, while contributing 34 tack- les and a team-high seven passes broken up. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER