Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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and now returns with the most tackles (65) and interceptions (four) from the 2012 team. • At 6-2, outside linebackers Prince Shembo and Danny Spond don't fit the "profile" of the rangy defensive perimeter figures such as juniors Ishaq Williams (6-5.25) and Ben Councell (6-4.5), nor do they have the freakish athletic skills of freshman Jaylon Smith, but they too exemplify the developmental process the past several years under Kelly and his staff. With 14 career sacks, Shembo is within reach of Justin Tuck's school record 24.5 (first officially recorded in 1982). "We're working on taking his game from a master's level to a Ph.D level," Diaco said of Shembo. Sadly, Spond's football career was forever halted this August when he announced that he could no longer play because of health issues. Yet during a relatively underrated 2012 campaign, he too demonstrated how this class maximized its skills. "There's not a guy in the [starting] 11 that does things more right than him," Diaco said of Spond this summer. "He's one of the most right guys we have from an assignment and technique score. … There is not a higher-graded player week in and week out than Danny Spond." Back In Commission Three seniors who were sidelined in 2012 because of preseason injuries — safety Austin Collinsworth (shoulder and back surgery), tight end Alex Welch (torn ACL) and cornerback Lo Wood (ruptured Achilles) — returned to action during 2013 spring drills and could be valued "third figures" at their respective positions in the lineup. Collinsworth appeared to be on the threshold of a three-for-two rotation at safety last year with seniors Zeke Motta and Jamoris Slaughter (who suffered a season-ending injury in the third game). This spring, Collinsworth, Notre Dame's Special Teams Player of the Year in 2011, gradually assimilated back into a football rhythm while incumbent junior Matthias Farley and hard-hitting sophomore Elijah Shumate worked with the top unit. With sophomore Nicky Baratti sidelined this season because of a shoulder injury, the door is open for Collinsworth to be a part of the safety rotation to complement his special teams excellence. "Gives us great versatility," Kelly said of the veteran. "He can play both [safety] positions. It's so great to have a guy like that with some experience and versatility." Wood was on the cusp of starting opposite Jackson in 2012 prior to his injury, and then Freshman All-American KeiVarae Russell became the top Irish surprise of the season in his place. Like Collinsworth at safety, though, Wood has a pretty good opportunity to be in a three-man rotation for the two corner positions. Both Collinsworth and Wood will have to hold off serious challenges from freshmen — Max Redfield and Cole Luke, respectively — to be that potential third man. "KeiVarae is our starter; Lo's doing a great job, though," Kelly said. "Physically fit, has had no ill effects of his injury."