Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME Andrew Trumbetti By Andrew Owens Although Notre Dame freshman defensive end Andrew Trumbetti technically did not start the season opener against Rice after head coach Brian Kelly had previously said he would, it's essentially a matter of semantics whether he is referred to as a starter or not. Trumbetti will be relied upon throughout the 2014 season. Part of that shows what an impressive player the Demarest, N.J., native is; part is a result of how thin Notre Dame is at defensive end. New faces abound on Notre Dame's defense, and particularly on the defensive line. With linemen Grant Blankenship and Daniel Cage (and, soon, Jay Hayes and Pete Mokwuah), along with linebackers Nyles Morgan and Greer Mar- tini, and defensive backs Nick Watkins and Drue Tranquill in the mix, the Irish have experienced a youth movement on defense. None, however, will match Trumbetti's impact. The coaching staff has been waiting for the light to turn on for junior Romeo Okwara, but he sim- ply is unable to handle the full load at the posi- tion at this point. Enter Trumbetti, who will expe- rience plenty of growing pains but must quickly help stabilize the line if Notre Dame's defense is going to play at a caliber worthy of a College Football Playoff berth or a New Year's bowl. Kelly has been careful to temper expectations whenever he speaks about Trumbetti, but some- times he can't help himself. He's been that im- pressive since arriving in South Bend last January. Drue Tranquill By Douglas Farmer While freshman Drue Tranquill may appear to be a "tweener" — a body not quite big enough for a linebacker, but a bit too big for a safety — it is that exact dilemma which will lead him to much playing time this fall. Notre Dame's various levels of cur- rent uncertainty have removed three veterans from the linebacker and safety rotations. Against Rice, Tran- quill filled in primarily as a linebacker in obvious passing situations, accu- mulating three tackles and displaying the speed and athleticism that enticed Irish coaches during the recruiting pro- cess. Following that performance, he moved behind junior Elijah Shumate at safety in the two-deep depth chart. While Notre Dame needs other freshmen to con- tribute at least competently this season, especially in the defensive line rotation, no other Irish debutant will find himself in as many make-or-break situations as Tranquill will. Playing on obvious passing downs may reduce the number of reads he'll need to make, but the Fort Wayne, Ind., native will also often find himself isolated in coverage against an opposing tight end or running back. If Tranquill performs like the Irish coaching staff obviously thinks he will, the defense will be able to keep opponents from converting third- down plays. Tranquill's raw speed and athleticism — two at- tributes head coach Brian Kelly has raved about since Tranquill's performance in the season opener — make him a prime choice for critical coverage assignments. Thus, they make him a prime contributor to the de- fense. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHICH DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN WILL IMPACT THE UNIT THE MOST? TRUMBETTI Listen to the discussion in this digital exclusive