Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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CHALK TALK BRYAN DRISKELL fensive haul. That group has made an impact at times during the last two seasons, but getting the rising juniors to finally tap into their potential could be huge for Notre Dame. Nyles Morgan takes over for Joe Schmidt at Mike linebacker. He lacks the experience and defensive knowledge Schmidt possessed, but Morgan's physical tools are far supe- rior. Getting him up to speed from a knowledge standpoint would result in a significant upgrade at the posi- tion. Up front, Notre Dame has five play- ers whose emergence could signifi- cantly alter the production of the line. Defensive end Andrew Trumbetti is poised to replace Okwara. Trumbetti has flashed moments of brilliance, but he must become a consistent force. The talent is there for him to emerge as Notre Dame's best pass rusher. The physical tools of classmates Grant Blankenship, Jay Hayes and Jon- athan Bonner have always surpassed their production and technique. If de- fensive line coach Keith Gilmore can get these three players to start produc- ing, the line rotation could be deep, if not dominant. Two rising juniors could emerge as starters in the secondary. At strong safety, Drue Tranquill is poised to re- place Shumate, assuming he can re- cover from a second knee injury. A healthy and sure-tackling Tranquill could provide a boost in production at the position. At cornerback, junior Nick Watkins will compete with senior Devin Butler and a pair of sophomores — Shaun Crawford and Nick Coleman — to re- place Russell. Watkins combines ex- perience with toughness and quality athleticism, and his emergence would help ease the loss of Russell. Juniors such as Cage and linebacker Greer Martini will provide depth and push to crack the lineup. IDEAL DEPTH SITUATION While much of the talk surrounding the defensive personnel is centered on what was lost, the Irish return five players that have made at least 12 ca- reer starts and another seven with at least three starts. On top of that, Notre Dame re- turns 16 players from the 2015 two- deep and/or rotation. It has had four straight recruiting classes laden with quality defensive players — an ac- complishment seldom seen the past 25 years. Talent and depth exists on all three levels of the defense. The questions surround who emerges to fill the lead- ership void left by Day, Schmidt and Smith; who steps up as the primary playmakers; and whether or not de- fensive coordinator Brian VanGorder and his staff can improve the funda- mentals and eliminate the assignment breakdowns that plagued the unit in 2015? If they can, Notre Dame is capable of fielding a championship defense in 2016. ✦ Bryan Driskell has been a football analyst for Blue & Gold Illustrated since April 2015. He can be reached at bdriskell@blueandgold.com.