Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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know how they're going to handle it mentally," Kelly said. Brent comes from Speedway High School, a small program in Indianapolis where he rarely crossed paths with other Division I prospects. He spent the last year playing running back instead of receiver because Speedway didn't have a quarterback who could reliably get the ball in his hands. It remains to be seen how Brent will handle the step up in competition. 2) Nick Watkins — Cornerback Watkins doesn't have the same hurdle to climb as Brent when it comes to getting used to stiff com- petition. He played at Bishop Dunne High School in Dallas, a school that regularly produces a handful of college prospects and plays against other national recruits on a weekly basis. The four-star cornerback also plays a position where freshmen have had luck getting on the field early in recent years. He could end up following in the footsteps of junior safety Elijah Shumate and sopho- more cornerback Cole Luke by filling the nickel back role during his first season. He'll have slightly more competition to surpass with the recent addition of fifth-year transfer student Cody Riggs, who came to Notre Dame from the Florida Gators. 1) Nyles Morgan — Linebacker A combination of his physical readiness and Notre Dame's need for inside linebackers lands Nyles Morgan at the top of our short list for Irish freshmen that can make an impact this fall. Only four scholarship inside linebackers will suit up for the Irish this spring, and senior Jarrett Grace is expected to return from a leg injury in August. Morgan won't walk into a starting spot, but the door is open for him to earn playing time soon. "The issue he's got is he's got some guys working out that have been here a year that are going to try to keep him from getting on the field," Kelly said. "There's still some competition there that he's got to get through, but his skill set, it's pretty easy to see. That's what a Mike linebacker looks like." — Dan Murphy Given Notre Dame's need for inside linebackers, Nyles Morgan is at the top of the list of Irish fresh- men that can make an impact this fall. PHOTO COURTESY U.S. ARMY ALL-AMERICAN BOWL