Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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230 pounds at middle linebacker, but his nose for the ball and understand- ing of Brian VanGorder's defense will put him in a position to make plays as long as he remains on the field. Will Schmidt prove to be athletic enough to hold off a recovering Jar- rett Grace and freshman Nyles Mor- gan at the position? If he can't, the Irish will have to sacrifice what Kelly and VanGorder have both described as Schmidt's value as a second coach on the field. If he does show he can stand up to the pounding of opposing offensive linemen, the rest of Notre Dame's defense stands to benefit from his presence as a field general and an inspirational leader. "I want this defense to come to- gether," Schmidt said. "I want to assume whatever leadership role is needed for me to take on and bring along everybody else. That's really my goal." On The Verge These five players may not make or break Notre Dame's season in 2014, but they are all on the cusp of playing a prominent role and could potentially break through in the coming months. 1. S Max Redfield — Too good to keep off the field, Redfield will start next to Austin Collinsworth at safety this season. The sophomore has "crazy, crazy, crazy" ath‑ letic ability, according to Irish head coach Brian Kelly. His big challenge will be making sure he doesn't get caught out of position and give up big plays. 2. RB Greg Bryant — No running back made our top 10 list because any of the three expected to play can make up for another's shortcomings. Bryant, who redshirted as a freshman after a knee injury in September, should be the most explosive of the bunch. 3. LB James Onwualu — The former wide receiver, who made a pit stop at safety this spring, moved into the starting lineup at outside linebacker during fall camp. His physical style showed on offense last season and could prove to be the ideal mix of speed and power at the Sam linebacker position. 4. WR Corey Robinson — At nearly 6‑5, Robinson brought some jump ball potential to Notre Dame's pass‑ ing game last season. Like Brown, he took a step forward as a more complete receiver during the spring. He could be a major boost, especially in the red zone, for Golson and the Irish offense. 5. DE Andrew Trumbetti — The early enrollee worked his way into the starting lineup during fall camp. He'll be one of many freshmen that will log time in the front seven this season, but winning a starting job sets him apart as a player to watch moving forward. — Dan Murphy Sophomore safety Max Redfield made 12 tackles during his rookie campaign, including a pair of stops in his first career start versus Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND