Blue and Gold Illustrated

May 2014 Edition

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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Top Five Emerging Defensive Players 1. LB Joe Schmidt — No one has made more of a climb during the course of 15 practices in recent memory. Schmidt's ability to quickly comprehend the new defensive scheme elevated him from a stand- in for the injured Jarrett Grace to an irreplaceable part of the defense. 2. OLB John Turner — After spending two years stuck between a linebacker and a safety, the India- napolis native found a perfect fit at Sam linebacker in a faster, trimmer defense. Turner's length and athleticism first attracted head coach Brian Kelly during the recruiting process. It took nearly three years, but the staff has now found a way to put it to use. 3. DE Romeo Okwara — The switch to defensive end confounded Okwara at the start of spring practice. He was often on the receiving end of verbal lashings from the coaching staff while they tried to get him attacking the backfield with more aggression. He turned a corner in the final weeks of spring and showed his progress with a three-sack performance in the Blue-Gold Game. 4. S Max Redfield — Another slow starter, Redfield needed more time than some of his teammates to understand the many jobs of the free safety in Brian VanGorder's NFL-style defense. Kelly said the sophomore has "crazy, crazy, crazy ability," and he progressed far enough during the spring to ensure he'll get a chance to show that off in the 2014 season. 5. NG Jarron Jones — His emergence started last November, but Jones made another substantial leap this spring while stepping into the starting role in the 4-3 defense. He said the new scheme was "more simple and much more fun" than the 3-4 scheme that asks its nose guard to eat up space. Jones took strides in developing a dominant attitude, according to assistant Mike Elston. Despite not always knowing his assignments yet, he always managed to be productive while on the field in the spring. — Dan Murphy During the spring, junior nose guard Jarron Jones (right) took strides in developing a dominant atti- tude. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA

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