Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME freshman issues such as developing a sense of urgency and maturation in a competitive environment. With the 6‑1½, 205‑pound Brent … he's not your typical freshman. Brent has garnered national headlines, notoriety and photo ops on social media that have included a fling during fall break with 42‑year‑old adult film star Lisa Ann and later "Elke The Stallion," whose 36DD‑30‑50 measurements have made her an Internet superstar. On Brent, who has seen action on special teams, Kelly stammered through some of his thoughts without directly mentioning the freshman's escapades. "Brent's an interesting kid," Kelly began. "He's in my doghouse, obvi‑ ously, so he's got to get out of that first. But he's an interesting player because he's improved. He plays physical, he's a big kid, he's an extremely talented player. I think what is holding him back is he's a guy that has a lot of compe‑ tition in front of him, No. 1. "And No. 2, he gets distracted easily," Kelly added while trying to keep a straight face. JARRETT GRACE ON COMEBACK TRAIL Senior Mike linebacker Jarrett Grace, the team's top tackler in 2013 before suffering severe multiple fractures in his leg in a victory versus Arizona State on Oct. 5, 2013, began taking contact work and was moving well for the first time this season during the preparation for the Music City Bowl. "When he's out there he's got some Joe Schmidt in him, and you can see the change in practice when a guy like Jarrett Grace is out there," Irish head coach Brian Kelly said. "His energy, his leadership. … Obviously we're not going to play him [in the bowl] because we're going to preserve the medical aspect of it, but here's another guy that can help our football team. There will be some good prob‑ lems there that we'll have to work through in the offseason." Kelly credited Grace's recovery and the return of his "foot strike" to an antigravity treadmill known as the AlterG. Grace could potentially apply for a sixth year in 2016, but step one is coming back for a fifth in 2015. With Grace, Schmidt and freshmen Nyles Morgan and Greer Martini all potential Mike linebackers, some shifting might be in order. Want to stay up-to-date with all the Irish news? Like Us On Facebook: www.facebook.com/blueandgoldillustrated Follow Us On Twitter: www.twitter.com/BGInews