Junior safety Matthias Farley, one of three converted offensive players starting in Notre Dame's secondary, will anchor the back line of the defense after making 49 tackles in 2012.
photo by bill panzica
Freshman Cole Luke is taking over
Shumate's spot as the first option at
nickel back. The four-star Arizona
prospect is quickly rising as one of the
team's top players in man-to-man coverage.
"We like Cole because he's really
close to being on the field at the cornerback position," Kelly said. "You're
trying to look at who's your third,
maybe one of the top corners that you
have that you're getting on the field,
coverage-skills-wise."
Collinsworth played as Notre
Dame's dime back in 2011 when he
was still learning the position. His versatility will likely land him there again
as a senior. He gives the Irish defense
the option to play man-to-man coverage or blitz one of the safeties to add
a little variety to their playbook. The
ability to confidently put more defensive backs on the field also helps solve
some of Notre Dame's depth issues at
inside linebacker, where pass coverage
is a liability.
"We'll be creative with what we need
to do to fit the pieces," Kelly said. ✦
