Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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24 AUGUST 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED "He definitely looks the part there," Freeman told BlueandGold.com. "He had a great spring. I heard great things about him. He has done some really good things." Elsewhere, Notre Dame is hunting for a nickel corner. That role mainly belonged to Jeremiah Owusu-Kora- moah, a rare athlete who could han- dle traditional linebacker duties, play in the slot and rush the passer. If it wasn't him, departed safety Shaun Crawford sometimes slid down to the slot in sub packages. "We were a unique defense in that we had a guy named Jeremiah who could play that inside position," Kelly told BlueandGold.com. "He was a linebacker who could cover. Not many people have that. You have to take people off the field and bring in another corner. "That's where college football has changed dramatically in finding that guy. It's hard enough to find two. Now you have to find a third." Senior TaRiq Bracy and junior safety KJ Wallace worked in the slot this spring. Wallace is a converted corner with 48 career snaps. Bracy opened 2020 as the starting field corner but lost the job to freshman Clarence Lewis during a bumpy No- vember. His drop-off was a surprise in the context of his past. He earned a backup role as a freshman and was the third corner as a sophomore. "I know TaRiq Bracy didn't finish last season the way he wanted," Free- man said, "but there's a reason why he has played a lot of ball." 2. WHO'S THE OTHER SAFETY? Like it did at boundary corner, Notre Dame answered this same question last year with a stopgap option. The Irish moved Crawford from cornerback to safety after then-ju- niors Houston Griffith and DJ Brown couldn't win the job. They're vying for it again as seniors. That might not inspire confidence, but Kelly this spring and Freeman this summer pushed back against concerns. "Both of those guys can play," Freeman said. "Everybody wants to know who's going to start, but I be- lieve they're both going to play." Griffith's time at Notre Dame ap- peared to end when he entered the transfer portal in January, but Free- man coaxed him back. He saw some- thing then. He saw strides in the spring. Will they continue into the fall? Whether it's Griffith, Brown or both, Notre Dame is counting on them to write a final chapter that contains a plot twist. Those two have combined for 837 career snaps, with mixed results. Griffith followed a promising freshman season with sophomore and junior bumps. Brown was a reserve in 2020 and made little impact. They're under new leadership in first-year safeties coach Chris O'Leary, who Freeman thinks has made a difference. "He has energy. Energy for days," Freeman said. "He coached the rov- ers last year, and you hear the things [Owusu-Koramoah] says about him. I interviewed all the safeties about what they were looking for and he was the right guy for the job. He has done a great job." 3. HOW HIGH CAN ISAIAH FOSKEY CLIMB? Buzz around a defensive end that flashed as a backup in 2020 inun- dated Freeman upon his arrival. This player has unlimited potential, he heard. Upside. Freak ability. A future pro. "The minute I came in here, every- body told me about this future first- round pick, Isaiah Foskey," Freeman said. "You talk about a lot of weight on your shoulders." The 6-5, 255-pound Foskey's fast start to his sophomore year lit the fuse on the hype. So did his impos- sible-to-miss raw athleticism and physical traits. He had 13 quarter- back pressures and 3.5 sacks in his first six games. Over the final seven, though, those numbers dipped to six and 1.0. The difference in his first and sec- ond half of the year confirms he's BGI Pre-Training Camp Depth Chart This is our best guess at how Notre Dame will open fall camp at each position, based on spring practice information and Brian Kelly press conferences. Because 2020 was a "free" year for eligibility, per the NCAA, we will include it as such in the class years. Strong-Side End No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 95 M. Tagovailoa-Amosa 6-2½ 282 Gr./2 19 Justin Ademilola 6-1¾ 248 Sr./3 or 18 N. Osafo-Mensah 6-3 1/8 249 Jr./4 or 98 Alex Ehrensberger 6-67/8 252 So./4 47 Jason Onye 6-4½ 286 Fr./4 Nose Tackle No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 41 Kurt Hinish 6-1¾ 296 Gr./1 56 Howard Cross III 6-0 7/8 275 Jr./4 or 54 Jacob Lacey 6-15/8 293 Jr./3 92 Aidan Keanaaina 6-3 312 So./4 Defensive Tackle No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 57 Jayson Ademilola 6-3 279 Sr./2 99 Rylie Mills 6-5 1/8 273 So./4 97 Gabe Rubio 6-5¼ 289 Fr./4 Vyper No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 7 Isaiah Foskey 6-4 7/8 257 Jr./4 17 Jordan Botelho 6-2½ 248 So./4 34 Osita Ekwonu 6-0¾ 236 Jr./4 48 Will Schweitzer 6-4 215 Fr./4 Mike Linebacker No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 40 Drew White 6-0¼ 227 Gr./2 52 Bo Bauer 6-2¾ 230 Sr./2 27 JD Bertrand 6-1 228 Jr./4 Will Linebacker No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 35 Marist Liufau 6-2¼ 226 Jr./4 or 33 Shayne Simon 6-2¾ 230 Sr./2 55 Kahanu Kia 6-13/8 212 Fr./4 Rover No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 24 Jack Kiser 6-1 5/8 227 Jr./4 or 10 Isaiah Pryor 6-1½ 204 Gr./2 or 13 Paul Moala 5-11½ 224 Sr./2 32 Prince Kollie 6-0½ 219 Fr./4 Boundary Cornerback No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 5 Cam Hart 6-2½ 207 Jr./4 11 Ramon Henderson 6-1 189 So./4 25 Philip Riley 5-11½ 198 Fr./4 15 Ryan Barnes 6-1 7/8 182 Fr./4 Field Cornerback No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 26 Clarence Lewis 5-11½ 192 So./4 28 TaRiq Bracy 5-10 1/8 180 Sr./2 20 JoJo Johnson 5-107/8 189 Fr./4 18 Chance Tucker 5-11¾ 180 Fr./4 Stud Safety No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 3 Houston Griffith 5-11¾ 204 Sr./2 or 12 DJ Brown 6-0 3/8 194 Sr./3 23 Litchfield Ajavon 6-01/8 198 Jr./4 29 Khari Gee 6-17/8 193 Fr./4 Free Safety No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 14 Kyle Hamilton 6-4 219 Jr./3 16 KJ Wallace 5-10¼ 189 Jr./4 20 Justin Walters 6-0 5/8 178 Fr./4 21 Caleb Offord 6-1 184 So./4