Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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two days after the visit was simple. "I had it down to probably five schools, but I knew going into the Notre Dame visit that it was going to be big," Werner said. "I was looking for big things, and I saw them. "The coaches were great, and the football and academic reputation is great. All the things I was looking for in a school Notre Dame has." Werner picked the Irish over his other finalists: Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State and Northwestern. He said that almost every interested school was recruit- ing him as a linebacker, but almost every coach besides the ones at Notre Dame saw him in a different role. And that's because the Irish never clarified where they want to play the 6-3, 210-pound Werner, and accord- ing to him that's perfectly fine. "I really don't know where they want me at," Werner said. "They just FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Is an exceptional athlete for a linebacker … In fact, he spent time as a junior playing both safety and cornerback, matching up against the opponent's top receiver — impressive for a linebacker that is 6‑3 and weighs more than 210 pounds … Has outstanding speed and range, which allows him to cover a lot of ground … An instinctive defender that makes good reads and shows true sideline‑to‑sideline ability … A punishing tackler that plays the game with an excellent motor. Areas For Improvement Does need to add more weight and strength … Doing so will require a lot of hard work thanks to his thin frame … Is a sound defender, but does need to work on improving his hand technique when taking on and trying to beat blockers … Has the athleticism to develop into a dynamic blitzer, but he doesn't have much game experience as a rusher. — Bryan Driskell