Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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CHALK TALK BRYAN DRISKELL That means Notre Dame must develop a player or two that can be an effective individual pass rusher. Senior defensive tackle Sheldon Day and junior linebacker Jaylon Smith are two players with the ability to emerge as legitimate pass rushers. Kelly has talked about utilizing both more effec‑ tively to attack the backfield. "We've got some things in store for Sheldon," Kelly told Blue & Gold Illus- trated. "One of the things for Sheldon coming back is we were going to make sure we were going to put him in po‑ sitions that we felt like could benefit him. … He's pretty excited about what we're doing." Smith is Notre Dame's best foot‑ ball player and arguably its most ath‑ letic. When he was allowed to attack in 2014, he was effective. VanGorder, though, had to be careful with how much he put on Smith's plate. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native was learning a new defense and a new position as a true sophomore. With a year of ex‑ perience under his belt, Smith can be expected to be turned loose. "He was feeling his way through it and learning it last year, the inside piece," Kelly explained. "He's very comfortable with it now. … We're go‑ ing to put him in positions where he can absolutely impact our pass rush as well as put him in a position where he can't be taken out of the game." MORE UNPREDICTABILITY Early in the 2014 season, the Irish defense was able to show opponents a variety of different looks and pres‑ sures. As offensive coordinators got more acquainted with what Van‑ Gorder liked to do, they were able to slow the Irish down. VanGorder was also handcuffed at that point. His unit's youth, inexperi‑ ence and lack of depth kept him from making the kind of adjustments he would have otherwise made. There was a limit to just how diverse Van‑ Gorder could get without completely overwhelming his young players. In year two, expect VanGorder to be far more unpredictable, taking ad‑ vantage of his team's improved ex‑ perience, athleticism and depth. The young linebackers often gave away their intentions with how they lined up, which will be corrected in year two. The timing of the pressures The presence of cornerbacks Cole Luke (above) and KeiVarae Russell gives defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder the ability to be more aggressive. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA