Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BY LOU SOMOGYI I n February 2011, Notre Dame signed what was believed to be the nation's No. 1 defensive line class. Combined with the emer- gence of 2010 redshirt freshman nose guard Louis Nix III, it was expected to finally propel the Irish in their pur- suit of bona fide BCS championship contention. The 2011 sextet featured three five- star prospects in Aaron Lynch, Ste- phon Tuitt and Ishaq Williams (defen- sive end/outside linebacker hybrid), with three complementary figures in Brad Carrico, Chase Hounshell and Tony Springmann. A p o t e n t i a l b o n u s w a s 6 - 7 , 243-pound Troy Niklas, who was pro- jected as an offensive tackle, tight end or defensive lineman, yet began his Notre Dame career at drop linebacker, with room to grow into the line. As we enter those players' collegiate senior years, Notre Dame is back to square one again regarding whether the defensive line — the position group head coach Brian Kelly most needed to build upon his arrival — has what it takes to return to prominence. • Tuitt joined his former teammate Lynch as early declarations for the 2014 NFL Draft. Lynch earned Fresh- man All-America accolades for the Irish in 2011, highlighted by 14 quar- terback hurries, but the Sunshine State native decided he wanted to be closer to home and transferred to South Flor- ida. In 2013, after sitting out a year, he was the Bulls' 11th-leading tackler (30) while pacing them in tackles for loss (12.5), sacks (six) and QB hurries (four). In 2012, Tuitt became the first Notre Dame sophomore defensive lineman ever to earn first-team All-America notice, highlighted by 12 sacks. This past year, while battling back from hernia surgery and dealing with back problems, Tuitt might not have been as conspicuous with 7.5 sacks, but he generally remained a first-round pro- jection in mock drafts. • Niklas shifted to tight end as a sophomore and blossomed as a junior — enough to decide to turn pro. • Carrico practiced with the offen- sive line as a freshman before linger- ing foot problems no longer allowed him the ability to play football. • Hounshell missed the past two seasons with a torn labrum and seemed destined to follow the path of Back To SQUARE ONE The defensive line is in a state of flux