Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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10 PRESEASON 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Veteran Losses, Inexperience Make It Linebacker By Todd D. Burlage Ask anyone what the strength of the Fighting Irish will be this fall, and almost to a person they'll tell you it's the defense. The Irish return a pair of preseason Outland Trophy watch list graduate students in Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills along the front of a defense that finished seventh nationally in fewest points allowed and fifth in fewest yards given up last season. In the secondary, Notre Dame also brings back the nation's best defensive player from last season in graduate student safety Xavier Watts, plus another former All- American in junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison. It's a lot to work with, indeed. But sandwiched in between one of the best defensive fronts and secondaries in the country is an Irish linebacker corps — led by first-year coach Max Bullough — that brings more uncertainty than proven production into the 2024 season. Gone are talented and reliable veteran linebackers JD Bertrand and Marist Liufau, two NFL Draft picks who combined for 120 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last season. Expected to fill those two starting voids are junior Jaylen Sneed and sophomore Drayk Bowen. These two unproven linebackers each recorded 14 tackles last season — mainly on special teams — and combined for 1.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack. The good news is that veteran Jack Kiser returns for a sixth season at line- backer and will provide stability in the middle of the Notre Dame defense. The bad news — beyond Kiser, there is little returning experience or produc- tion. That leaves linebacker as the most concerning position group on the team, even on a defense that is expected to lead this team. Offensive Tackle In Dire Straits After Jagusah Injury By Jack Soble While Todd is absolutely right that Notre Dame's linebackers lack experience at a position that re- quires it, but they're talented enough to make up for it. They also run five deep for two starting spots, and the Irish have been high on all five throughout the offseason. The same cannot be said for Notre Dame's offensive tackles. Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff were legitimately excited about sophomore Charles Jag- usah. Asked about the state of the position in late May, Freeman led with, "I feel really good about Jagusah. He's going to be solid at that left tackle position." Unfortunately, Jagusah went down for the season with a torn right pec- toralis during practice Aug. 3. He was one of the players Notre Dame could least afford to lose. Graduate student Tosh Baker, who played with the first team at right tackle throughout spring practice, is expected to move to the left side to replace Jagusah. Before Jagusah's injury, Baker was competing with junior Aamil Wagner to start on the right side. Wagner won that competition quickly enough to be encouraged about him but set off alarm bells about Baker. Could newcomers Guerby Lambert or Anthonie Knapp be a factor? Yes, but that's asking a lot of two freshmen (with the former being a summer en- rollee). It's also asking a lot of any of them, with a combined two prior starts — both Baker — to stand against a stacked Texas A&M group of defensive ends. Purdue transfer and former Big Ten sack leader Nic Scourton awaits. The strength of Notre Dame's schedule is the edge rushers. Do the Irish have the personnel to contain them? Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHICH NOTRE DAME POSITION GROUP IS MOST CONCERNING? Following a stellar indoor track and field season this past January through March, Fighting Irish senior Jadin O'Brien was named the 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year after winning the na- tional championship in the pentathlon. A dominant performer during her four seasons at Notre Dame, the Pewaukee, Wis., native battled through a nagging hamstring injury during the indoor season to become a back-to-back national champion in the five-discipline event (60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800 meters), a three-time Atlantic Coast Conference pentathlon champion and a two-time ACC Indoor Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Also a gifted student, O'Brien recently gradu- ated in the spring with her bachelor's degree in American studies and will work toward her master's in non-profit administration this coming school year, with future plans after a professional track career of working in marketing and/or as a motivational speaker. And the good news for the Fighting Irish, O'Brien is returning to school for her fifth and final indoor and outdoor seasons, and as one of the most successful and decorated track and field athletes in program history. Blue & Gold Illustrated recently caught up with O'Brien and asked her about her athletic accom- plishments, returning for a fifth season and her time at Notre Dame. BGI: With an endless list of college offers, why did you choose Notre Dame? O'Brien: "I picked three criteria to focus on. One was faith, the second was academics and the third was athletics. I judged each college visit on those three things. And I found Notre Dame fit perfectly into all three of those criteria." BGI: What did it mean to be named the top indoor track field scholar-athlete in the country? O'Brien: "It meant a lot. This year brought a ton of challenges, having a really bad hamstring strain. So, it kind of came as a shock. There was so much unknown. I'm so grateful; I'm so thankful." BGI: What is your favorite event in the pentath- lon and why? O'Brien: "It would be shot put. For whatever reason, I just love throwing heavy things. It's just a little thing of mine that I enjoy doing." BGI: What brought you back to Notre Dame for a fifth year? O'Brien: "I thought about if I wanted to stay. With the NIL stuff going crazy right now, I won- dered what opportunities I might have at a dif- ferent college. But as I thought about it, I'm not in this for money. I'm not in this for what can I get for myself. "This university has made me a better person all-around, and I don't think I would be able to find that anywhere else." BGI: What has your time at Notre Dame meant? O'Brien: "It's truly been a remarkable journey. It has been filled with so many ups and downs. It's been really humbling to think of all of the things I've been able to do at Notre Dame. I'm so full of gratitude. Notre Dame, thank you for everything." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … NOTRE DAME PENTATHLETE JADIN O'BRIEN O'Brien was named the 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year after winning the national championship in the pentathlon. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MAX BULLOUGH JOE RUDOLPH