Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 9, 2024 61 I n a world consumed with re- cruiting, Notre Dame dis- co u rse o f te n s u f fe rs f ro m Shiny New Toy Syndrome. And don't get me wrong, the shiny toys on defense have been awfully good. Fre s h m e n L e o n a rd Mo o re , Ky n gs to n n Vi l i a m u -A sa a n d Bryce Young look like founda- tional pieces at cornerback, line- backer and defensive end, re- spectively. Ditto for sophomores Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry, Adon Shuler and Christian Gray at linebacker, linebacker, safety and corner. Every time Viliamu-Asa bends like an NFL edge rusher, Gray glues himself to a receiver and breaks up a pass, or Young so much as walks onto the field at 6-foot-7, 258 pounds, it's easy to think "the future is now." And it is. It's a credit to Notre Dame's work on the recruiting trail and in getting its youngsters ready to play. "We did a good job of evaluating re- ally good players, but they're develop- ing," head coach Marcus Freeman said. "They're becoming more comfortable." All that being said, the shiny toys aren't the biggest reason Notre Dame's defense has hit its stride in the mid- dle third of the season. That would be the staples. Graduate students How- ard Cross III, Rylie Mills, Jack Kiser and Xavier Watts have stepped their game up in recent weeks, playing like the ex- perienced studs they were advertised to be when they chose to return to the Irish. Watts has been Notre Dame's best de- fensive player all season, well on his way to two-time consensus All-America status. But after starting slowly by their lofty standards, Cross, Mills and Kiser are peaking at the right time. Freeman said as much about his vet- eran defensive tackles after they com- bined for 8 quarterback pressures, 3 sacks (2 for Cross, 1 for Mills) and 7 de- fensive stops against Stanford. "I challenged those two seniors, Rylie and Howard," Freeman said. "I wanted them to be great because they're great football players, and those two specifi- cally stood out to me just on the field." Mills followed that game with a 7- p re ss u re p e r fo r m a n ce i n No t re Dame's Week 8 win over Georgia Tech. When Cross and Mills are creating havoc in the middle, it sends ripple effects throughout the Irish defense. They've created more and more havoc as of late. "They dominated the game," Freeman said. "Those two big guys, we needed them to be dominant and they played dominant. That helps everybody around them." Kiser had his best game of the sea- son in Atlanta, finishing with a 92.9 Pro Football Focus run defense grade. Seemingly every time a Yellow Jacket runner tried to hit a hole on Kiser's side, there he was, scraping through the box and filling the gap. "He's a problem-solver," Freeman said. "He is a problem-solver out there. The ability for him to communicate and get other people lined up to communi- cate and tell somebody what's happen- ing is tremendous." As for Watts, he would be on a three-game interception streak had a phantom defensive hold- ing call on junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison not wiped out a spectacular pick against Stan- ford. It was Kyle Hamilton-esque, sprinting to the sideline from a single-high safety position and somehow making the catch in traffic while dragging his foot in- bounds. Watts has gotten his opportuni- ties lately, and he has not missed. "Man, X is different," Shuler said. "Every week, I just say what crazy plays are you going to make this week?" Watts' performance and lead- ership on the back end are also contagious. "It makes me want to play even better because I know X is out here making spectacular, crazy plays," Shuler said. "I have to match him and be a little better. That's always been my goal." No one should dispute that the fu- ture is bright in South Bend. As long as defensive coordinator Al Golden re- mains at his post, Notre Dame will enjoy a baseline of competence on that side of the ball. And the talent makes the ceil- ing much higher than that. Recently, Freeman challenged veter- ans like Kiser to use the time they have left to make sure the youngsters can do their jobs when they're gone. "You can't always make all the calls and the checks," Freeman said. "Your job is to leave that room better than you found it, and you gotta make sure some of those young guys are seeing it the way you see it, can make those checks and are not always dependent on you to do it." It's important to remember, though, that the staples aren't done yet. And for Notre Dame to accomplish its goals this season, it will go as Cross, Mills, Kiser and Watts go. ✦ Graduate student linebacker Jack Kiser had his best game of the season against Georgia Tech, finishing with a 92.9 Pro Football Focus run defense grade. PHOTO BY MATT RUDOLPH As Season Moves Along, Defensive Staples Are Stepping Up Staff writer Jack Soble has covered Notre Dame athletics for Blue & Gold Illustrated since August 2023. Contact him at Jack.Soble@on3.com. OFF THE DOME JACK SOBLE