Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1466176
26 MAY 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED "Just a big, strong, physical guy," Golden said of Smith. "We needed an inside guy. He played well for them, both in his ability to anchor and also in the movement skills." 2. LINEBACKER DEPTH IMPRESSES Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees couldn't help but notice and say some- thing to Freeman during an early April spring session. The Irish linebackers — under Golden's direction — were a thorn in his offense's side in ways Rees hadn't noticed before. "We were at practice and Coach Rees was like, 'Are our linebackers really intelligent? It's like this everywhere.' No, they're just learning things I didn't teach them last year." That's to be expected given his dif- ferent perspective and background than Freeman. Golden spent 2018-21 coach- After spring practice and the Blue-Gold Game, here is Blue & Gold Illus- trated's projection for how Notre Dame's 2022 depth chart could shake out when the Fighting Irish open the season this fall. * Arrives on campus in the summer; ^ injured and expected to miss season Vyper No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 7 Isaiah Foskey 6-4 7 ⁄8 257 Sr./3 9 Justin Ademilola 6-1 3 ⁄4 255 Gr./2 34 Osita Ekwonu 6-0 3 ⁄4 236 Sr./3 40 Joshua Burnham 6-3 200 Fr./4 91 Aiden Gobaira 6-5 225 Fr./4 Defensive Tackle No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 57 Jayson Ademilola 6-3 279 Gr./1 56 Howard Cross III 6-0 7 ⁄8 275 Sr./3 97 Gabriel Rubio 6-5 1 ⁄4 290 So./4 Nose Tackle No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 54 Jacob Lacey 6-1 5 ⁄8 275 Sr./2 — Chris Smith* 6-2 293 Gr./1 47 Jason Onye 6-5 289 So./4 92 Aidan Keanaaina^ 6-3 312 Jr./3 — Donovan Hinish* 6-2 270 Fr./4 Strong-Side End No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 99 Rylie Mills 6-5 1 ⁄8 283 Jr./3 31 Nana Osafo-Mensah 6-3 1 ⁄8 249 Sr./3 90 Alex Ehrensberger 6-6 7 ⁄8 252 Jr./3 98 Tyson Ford 6-6 250 Fr./4 Will Linebacker No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 8 Marist Liufau 6-2 1 ⁄4 226 Sr./3 32 Prince Kollie 6-1 1 ⁄2 222 So./3 17 Jaylen Sneed 6-1 207 Fr./4 Mike Linebacker No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 27 JD Bertrand 6-1 228 Sr./3 52 Bo Bauer 6-2 3 ⁄4 230 Gr./1 44 Niuafe Tuihalamaka 6-3 230 Fr./4 Rover No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 24 Jack Kiser 6-1 5 ⁄8 227 Sr./3 12 Jordan Botelho 6-2 1 ⁄2 248 Jr./3 48 Will Schweitzer 6-4 225 So./4 42 Nolan Ziegler 6-4 205 Fr./4 Boundary Cornerback No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 5 Cam Hart 6-2 1 ⁄2 207 Sr./3 15 Ryan Barnes 6-1 7 ⁄8 182 So./4 23 Jayden Bellamy 6-1 175 Fr./4 — Benjamin Morrison* 6-0 172 Fr./4 Free Safety No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 2 DJ Brown 6-0 3 ⁄8 200 Gr./2 11 Ramon Henderson 6-1 189 Jr./3 22 Justin Walters 6-0 5 ⁄8 188 So./4 Strong Safety No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 16 Brandon Joseph 6-1 192 Sr./3 3 Houston Griffith 5-11 3 ⁄4 204 Gr./1 26 Xavier Watts 5-11 3 ⁄4 199 Jr./3 Field Cornerback No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 6 Clarence Lewis 5-11 1 ⁄2 198 Jr./3 21 Jaden Mickey 5-11 165 Fr./4 18 Chance Tucker 5-11 3 ⁄4 183 So./4 Slot Cornerback No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 28 TaRiq Bracy 5-10 1 ⁄8 180 Gr./1 25 Philip Riley 5-11 1 ⁄2 202 So./4 BGI Post-Spring 2022 Notre Dame Scholarship Depth Chart: Defense Senior Jack Kiser is on course for his second season as the starter at rover. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER