Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE on his senior season and declared for the NFL Draft. The early departure left Koyack as the lone tight end with any experience on the team and the next in line to carry the torch among Irish greats at the position. With steady improvement and in- creasing playing time last year, Koy- ack emerged as a vastly upgraded run blocker at the tight end position while also securing 10 receptions, including touchdown catches against Arizona State, Air Force and Navy. With only 14 career receptions, Koy- ack doesn't appear to be a great can- didate to become a breakout player. But with the job the Irish coaches have done turning tight ends into top NFL Draft picks, expect Koyack to become one of the best in the country this season and to be playing on Sun- days next season. Jarron Jones, DT, Jr. A move to a four-man defensive front will benefit Jones because it allows him to work collaboratively along the interior with junior Sheldon Day, rather than trying to more often handle the thankless nose tackle posi- tion in a 3-4 scheme. Like almost every member of the Irish defense last year, Jones showed flashes of promise and brilliance in some games while going missing in others. He finished strong with 13 of his 20 tackles in the last three games last season after starter Louis Nix III was shut down with an injury. Talent, athleticism and physicality have never been a problem for Jones. The biggest questions have been his work ethic and consistency, both ar- eas that will become non-issues this year with a new scheme and guaran- teed playing time. With the defensive line and line- backers clearly the two position groups of greatest concern for Notre Dame, Jones will answer the chal- lenge of replacing great players up front and become the most disruptive force on the Irish defense this year. Max Redfield, S, So. Another five-star recruit who went through a steep learning curve last year, Redfield needs to become Notre Dame's first true game-changer at this position since Harrison Smith patrolled center field in 2011. Because of his natural athleticism, Redfield actually made many lists as a potential breakout player before last season. He never came close, re- cording just 12 total tackles, mainly on special teams, in 12 game appear- ances. The position has been overhauled with two-year starter Matthias Farley moving to nickel back after a tough 2013 season playing safety. And with a year in the program and the per- fect opportunity as a starter in front of him, Redfield will become an im- portant voice, a difference-maker and maybe one of the leading tacklers on a defense that never found a consis- tent identity last year. ✦ Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com