Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1496419
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MAY 2023 21 BY PATRICK ENGEL T he Year 1 star of Notre Dame's highest-ranked recruiting class in nine years was its sixth-lowest rated player, who didn't even ar- rive on campus until June. Cornerback Benjamin Morrison had recruiting pedigree, to be clear. He was a blue-chip player, a four-star pros- pect who chose the Irish over Washing- ton and Alabama. A blue-chip player, all told. But nobody — not even Notre Dame's coaching staff — expected this right away. Morrison was a summer workout head-turner and a preseason camp pro- ducer, which earned him a spot in the cornerback rotation to begin the year. His ascent didn't stop. He was a starter by the end of Sep- tember and a high-impact player down the stretch. He snagged 6 interceptions, all in the final five games. He had a 29.6 opponent passer rating. Each positive practice and successful Saturday had a snowball effect. "The more game reps I got, the more I understood the game," Morrison said. "It's a different level. The speed is dif- ferent. I was able to understand it bet- ter, process things and see things before they happened." One year in, Morrison looks like the star of Notre Dame's 2022 class. But that's not to say he will be the only one. Not all paths to stardom or even starting are the same. Fast rises like Morrison are the excep- tion, not the norm. He was the Irish's only freshman starter last year, but seven other first-year players dodged a redshirt. Eight appeared in one to four games, preserving the redshirt. Seven did not see action. Several sophomores are in the run- ning for starting jobs this year. Many others have an opportunity to break through and claim rotational roles. Twenty members of Notre Dame's 2022 signing class are still with the team. Ten of them (plus one walk-on) earning starter or primary backup roles this season is plausible. Who could join Morrison in the start- ing lineup? Where does Morrison go after a splashy freshman year? Who goes from redshirt to rotational player? What's the longer-term outlook for those who might spend another year down the depth chart? Here's a dive into the Notre Dame sophomore class. EARLY OPPORTUNITIES There were multiple reasons for Notre Dame's cornerbacks going from weak- ness in 2021 to strength in 2022, but none bigger than Morrison. Injecting a star elevates an entire position group. He not only won a starting spot, but usurped senior-to-be and 21-game starter Clarence Lewis to claim it. He made 33 tackles and broke up 4 passes. His 6 interceptions led all FBS freshmen and were tied for third nationally. He al- lowed completions on just 43.1 percent of the passes thrown at him. Morrison and three-year starter Cam Hart give Notre Dame a strong outside cornerback duo, with Lewis capable of filling in behind either. Morrison will likely appear on most preseason All- America teams. He might be Notre Dame's best defensive player. The rapid ascent hasn't thrown him off the pro- cess and approach that led him there. "Same guy every day," defensive co- ordinator Al Golden said. "I can hear him next door with [cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens] all the time. He's com- peting. He wants that challenge. He wants the sombrero on him. He's up to the challenge. It has been fun being around him. He's finding little ways to improve in every aspect of his game. That's the sign of a great one." Morrison's 2023 season ought not to be judged only on his interception total. Takeaways are an opportunity-based stat that often fluctuates year to year for teams and individuals. Quarterbacks will also be more wary of throwing Mor- rison's way. Former Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton had just 1 interception as a sophomore after snatching 4 as a freshman, but not because he regressed. If Morrison can match the 10 passes defended he produced in 2022 and hold opponents below a 50 percent comple- tion rate again, it would qualify as an- other strong season. It's also hard to see him not pilfering multiple interceptions simply because of his ball skills. Before Morrison emerged last sum- mer, though, his classmate Jaden Mickey was the standout among the early enrollees. The playmaking in coverage and confident attitude he displayed in the spring did not portend a strong camp or steady freshman year. He had an up- and-down fall that included a bumpy start against USC. But he still logged 248 snaps, which was second among all Notre Dame freshmen behind Mor- rison. The Irish staff didn't lose faith in him. TaRiq Bracy's departure left a hole at slot corner, where Mickey played at times last year. Running back Jadarian Price appeared ticketed for a role in the backfield, even if one wasn't obvious. If spring practice and the Blue-Gold Game were any pre- view, Notre Dame wouldn't have had a choice. Price was making a case as the Irish's most talented runner. The coaches never reached the point of deliberating snaps, though. A torn Achilles in June ended his season. He won't return to full contact in the spring, but pre-injury form will almost assuredly launch him into a running back rotation that has an opening with senior Chris Tyree now working at slot receiver. Injuries derailed early signs of two other Year 1 breakthroughs on offense. Tobias Merriweather was making a case to start in November before a con- cussion sidelined him for the last four games of the regular season. A starting designation would have been a positive end to a season that began with some bumps but featured gradual growth and Morrison will likely be on most preseason All- America teams this summer. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER STAR POTENTIAL Notre Dame's sophomore class has several candidates to join cornerback Benjamin Morrison as a starter