Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/462058
2015 RECRUITING ISSUE thanks to the star defender's high foot- ball IQ, and he successfully improved the ground defense. The jumbo safety finished with 12 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in Ben Davis' 42-24 victory. "It was a little bit of a gamble, but he played well," the coach admitted. "We got more than we anticipated out of it. "We told him the plan on Monday, and he said, 'OK.' That literally was the whole conversation. He went back there and just ran with it." The coach knows that the jump from high school to college is significant, but noted Bilal is the type of athlete who could contribute immediately. However, the consensus four-star line- backer is keeping his goals simple going into his freshman year. He expects to slide in on the weakside, which is where fellow Indiana native Jaylon Smith had such an outstanding sophomore cam- paign, including a team-best 112 stops and nine tackles for loss. "I just want to stay on my grades, do everything academically and learn the playbook," he said. "They're recruit- ing me as a Will linebacker so it will be something like what Jaylon is playing." Lining up on the weakside will be different than the position he grew ac- customed to in the middle of the de- fense during his prep days, but Bilal has shown an ability to adapt. He is talented enough to fill whatever void the team needs, and there is no doubt that's what he'll continue to do at Notre Dame. "That's the kind of kid he is," Kirschner explained. "If they asked him to move to running back, he would do it. He wouldn't care. He doesn't get caught up in who gets to do what — he just plays." ✦