Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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training camp and will miss at least the opening week against Temple and possibly the entire season. Strength On The Edges With the exit of All-American linebacker Manti Te'o and depth at the nose guard position a concern, the strength of Notre Dame's defense has shifted this season from the center to the flanks. The outside linebacker position in particular provides a long list of explosive athletes that could play a huge factor in making Notre Dame's defense more impactful in opponents' backfields this season. That group is led by senior Cat linebacker Prince Shembo. The undersized edge player made 10.5 tackles for loss last season and added 7.5 sacks — second in both categories only to Tuitt. He could push Tuitt for the team lead this season. "I think you guys are missing the boat on Prince Shembo," Kelly said. "The way he plays, the passion that he plays the game every single play, it's just so enjoyable. He's a throwback in a lot of ways with his energy and his toughness and the way he comes to work every day." Shembo said he focused on being a better pass rusher this summer, dissecting his opponents' tendencies and baiting them into positions that will allow him to get to the quarterback more often. "A lot of technique," he said when asked what will make him better this season. "You can't just run up there … I'm trying to work on visualizing what the [offensive] linemen are doing and try to shift their momentum a little." Behind Shembo is junior Ishaq Williams, who is also primed to be a bigger contributor than in his first two seasons with the team. Not only is Williams a strong No. 2 option at Cat linebacker, but he will also play opposite Shembo as a rush end in the team's nickel formation. He'll be a regular on the defensive line, providing a little more depth at end by filling in for a handful of plays at that position each game. On the opposite side of the linebacker corps, Notre Dame's twodeep was significantly shaken by the end of senior Danny Spond's career. Spond, a returning starter at Dog "We are elite pass rushers. You guys are going to win your one-on-one battles." Defensive line coach Mike Elston linebacker, decided to walk away from football two weeks into training camp for medical reasons. His exit presents a huge opportunity for fivestar freshman prospect Jaylon Smith to make his first impressions on the Irish faithful very early in his career. Smith, who won the high school Butkus Award as the best linebacker in the country last year, is an explosive and rangy athlete. He'll split time at the position with junior Ben Councell, a prototypical-sized player for the position. The increased athleticism on the edges of Notre Dame's front seven will provide another source of pressure and give the Irish a chance to live up to Elston's billing as "elite pass rushers" during the 2013 season. ✦