Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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26 AUGUST 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED ished, though, with only 104 snaps on defense. A fierce hitter and sure tackler, the 6-0, 204-pound Griffith's coverage skills are better served at safety, where he will compete for action with Ohio State graduate transfer Isaiah Pryor. Combined with 2019 Freshman All-American Kyle Hamilton, safety should remain a strength despite the graduation of captains Jalen Elliott and Alohi Gilman. According to Lea, three safeties could also be in the lineup at once as they were on occa- sion last year. "Part of that is also an adaptation to modern football," Lea said. "You want to have enough skill in that [safety] room to where you can line up against these teams that are going four wide and spreading the field out. "We know a little less about this squad than we do about the one last year, but I've got a lot of confidence." Meanwhile at wide receiver, the physical attributes for the 6-2, 210-pound Austin are there to be the next alpha pass catcher in the lineup. In the lone spring practice this March, Austin lined up at the bound- ary (W) position that has produced three consecutive NFL picks the past three years: Equanimeous St. Brown as a junior in the sixth round (2018), Miles Boykin in the third (2019) and Chase Claypool in the second (2020). "Kevin Austin is going to be a star," Claypool said at the NFL Combine this winter when asked who will be the next top Fighting Irish wideout. "I've been saying it all along. He's a super-good player … Kevin Austin will really break out." The caveat: After two years at Notre Dame, Austin has recorded only five catches for 90 yards. All of those grabs came as a 2018 freshman, before his playing time diminished in the back half of the season for undisclosed reasons. Then in 2019, he was suspended from partaking in game action be- cause of multiple violations involv- ing university and team standards. He was still allowed to practice, which was beneficial, but off-the- field lessons had to be learned. In- stead of bolting, he accepted the pun- ishment and matured from it, per head coach Brian Kelly. Austin possesses the best combi- nation of size, speed and strength among the dozen scholarship wide- outs who will vie to compensate for the 150 catches lost among Claypool, Kmet and Chris Finke from last year. NEXT IN LINE Griffith and Austin are hardly the lone four-star recruits from this class who are attempting to emerge after previous setbacks. • Game-breaking wideout Braden Lenzy, redshirted in 2018 because of a small frame and problems securing the football, showcased his explosive capabilities last season, averaging 19.4 yards on his 27 touches (11 receptions, 13 rushing attempts and three kickoff returns) and scoring four times. However, multiple concussions have been an issue in the past, and he missed five games in 2019. His pres- ence is something a defense must account for, and should help spread the field for the Irish. • D e f e n s i v e t a c k l e J a y s o n Ademilola was a top-50 recruit per 247Sports. Unfortunately, at a listed weight of 279 pounds last year (and the same this spring), Ademilola played only 228 snaps compared to current senior and 286-pound Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa's 477. Ademilola posted better stats with far fewer snaps, but can his overall game upgrade to where the playing time is more evenly distributed, or even in a co-starting capacity? • Linebackers Jack Lamb and Shayne Simon have an opportunity to seize the vacated Buck linebacker spot where the graduated Asmar Bilal started last year. The rangy 6-4 Lamb was a regular in the 2019 dime package and had the second-highest national ranking by Rivals (No. 77), between Griffith and Austin, when he signed. He too has been besieged by a litany of injuries since his senior year in high school. A torn hip muscle last Nov. 2 shelved Lamb into the spring. If he can last a full season and play to his capabilities, the linebacking corps could be among the nation's top tier. Simon's patella surgery last No- vember was going to sideline him until August anyway. Having al- ready burned two years of eligibil- ity while playing a limited role, if Simon is not fully healthy this year, a redshirt might not be a bad idea if he can't vie for the starting role at Buck linebacker or at least see more action. The one other member of this ju- nior class who is projected to start is three-star recruit Lawrence Keys III at slot receiver. Although he was be- hind Finke last year, Keys' 13 recep- tions are the most among returning Houston Griffith was used as the nickel corner in 2018 and auditioned at boundary corner in 2019 before making the move to safety, where he is expected to thrive thanks to his tackling ability and cover- age skills. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER