Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Flanigan contributed six as an inside linebacker. • USA Today first-team All-America recruits Victor Abiamiri and Trevor Laws started on Irish teams that re- ceived Bowl Championship Series bids in 2005 and 2006. As freshmen in 2003, Abiamiri was credited with 22 tackles (four for loss and one sack), while Laws was redshirted. A year ago at this time, Lynch and 35-31 loss to Michigan in the second week, and Tuitt also missed games against Purdue because of a suspen- sion for a missed class, and Boston College and Stanford due to illness. Particularly notable, Lynch was tough to stop. His attitude toward working every day, it's totally differ- ent than when he came in." Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco "When he's out there playing, he's Tuitt were the cornerstones of the Irish recruiting class, mainly because they were "SEC-type" defensive line- men Notre Dame seldom landed the past 20 years. Lynch was ranked as high as the sixth-best player nation- ally in 2010 by 247Sports, while Tuitt was 22nd overall according to Ri- vals.com and 23rd in Sporting News' top 100. Furthermore, Lynch — a Sunshine State native — had given a pledge to Florida State before switching in Jan- uary, while Tuitt had issued a verbal commitment to in-state Georgia Tech prior to signing with the Irish. Other than Browner and Fry com- credited with 14 of the team's 46 quarterback hurries, twice as many as senior Cat linebacker Darius Fleming in second place. Tuitt finished third with five, although most of his rush had to come from the more congested interior. For his efforts, Lynch was named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America team (including redshirt freshmen) on Jan. 9, joining defensive lineman Ian Williams (2007) and offensive tackle Sam Young (2006) as the lone Irish players to make that team in its 11-year history. Notre Dame's veteran offensive bining for 88 tackles (74 by Browner) — including 17 for loss (15 by Browner) — during the national title run in 1973, no other Notre Dame freshman defensive line tandem had made more of a profound rookie im- pact than Lynch and Tuitt. They combined for 63 tackles, with linemen already took to calling Lynch and Tuitt "freaks" in a positive man- ner by last August, but what espe- cially impressed them during the sea- son was their work ethic and absence of a feeling of entitlement. "The biggest thing I've seen since also has noted the strides Lynch has made in grasping team defense. "He's come so far in his reaction to coaching … it's not abnormal, it's not anything unique to him," Diaco said. "What's unique to him is how quickly he's really matured in that role. I've been really pleased in his growth." Although Tuitt was somewhat overshadowed by Lynch, an argu- ment can be made that he might be even more advanced. Not only did Tuitt have the ath- letic skills at 6-6, 295 to line up at end, but he also had power and push up front to align at nose guard in nickel packages. He can collapse the pocket, a skill that has been sel- dom seen at Notre Dame in the last 20 years. Yet nothing achieved on the field Lynch posting 33 and Tuitt 30. Ten of the stops were for lost yardage, 7.5 of them sacks, with Lynch's 5.5 pacing the team. Neither was inserted in the he came here is just his maturity level, the way he carries himself in practice, the way he comes and pre- pares every day," junior left tackle Zack Martin said of Lynch, noting the main flaw has been a sometimes un- bridled mean streak on the field that has resulted in several personal foul penalties. "The biggest thing is he's just got to keep his emotions intact and play his game. In the 40 football seasons since 1972, when the NCAA allowed freshman eligibility, we rate these as the best dozen seasons by a Notre Dame true freshman defensive lineman: 68 tackles during the 10-0 regular season included 15 for loss (sacks were not demarcated until 1982), both team highs among linemen. In the 24-23 Sugar Bowl victory versus No. 1 Alabama, he added six tackles and two sacks. 2. Tim Marshall (1980) — The Football News Freshman All-American re- 1. Ross Browner (1973) — Started every game for the national champs. His by Tuitt impressed head coach Brian Kelly more than the way the fresh- man stood up in a team meeting after the Oct. 1 victory at Purdue to express his heart-felt sorrow for cut- ting a class because of over-sleep- ing, thereby receiving a one-game suspension. "We have a high bar for him," Kelly ready are. ✦ Freshman Defensive Line Standouts said. "We expect him to be a leader here someday." In many ways, Tuitt and Lynch al- 6. Steve Niehaus (1972) — Played only four games before suffering a season-ending knee injury in practice, but he recorded a then team-high 47 tackles. His tackle total is the second most to Browner, but the one reason we don't rate him No. 2 is he had to sit out the final seven games. 7. Jeff Weston (1974) — A regular in the rotation on head coach Ara Par- seghian's final team, he finished with 31 tackles (two for loss) on a team that finished No. 4 in the UPI poll. 8. Mike Griffin (1983) — Amassed 159 minutes at nose guard and was corded 43 stops (sixth-best on team), including 10 for lost yardage (second), on a unit that set a school record for most consecutive quarters not permit- ting a touchdown (23). The Irish lost to No. 1 Georgia, 17-10, in the Sugar Bowl, but allowed only 127 yards total offense. 3. Aaron Lynch (2011) — If he and classmate Stephon Tuitt are not talked strong freshman campaign with three tackles, a sack and three QB hurries in the 18-14 loss to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl. www.BLUEANDGOLD.com stops (six for lost yardage, second on the team) on a 9-3 team that lost 35-28 to Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl. 5. Stephon Tuitt (2011) — He put an exclamation point on an already about two years from now as among the NFL's top prospects to be early entrants, like linebacker Manti Te'o was this season, it would be a surprise. 4. Anthony Weaver (1998) — Started all 12 games and finished with 31 credited with 23 tackles, not including a sack of Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie on the final series during a 19-18 victory in the Liberty Bowl. 9. Ian Williams (2007) — Lined up at nose guard in all 12 games during a miserable 3-9 campaign and started the final two. Finished sixth in tackles with 45, behind only Browner and Niehaus among Irish freshmen. 10. Victor Abiamiri (2003) — For the 5-7 Irish he played 189:46 and had five starts, tallying 22 tackles, four stops for loss and one sack. Like Weaver, he was a future second-round selection in the NFL Draft. 11. Ethan Johnson (2008) — Saw action in all 13 games, started four, and three for lost yardage. He joined Browner and Niehaus as future first-round picks in the NFL Draft. recorded 18 tackles, five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks (which tied for the team lead). 12. Eric Dorsey (1982) — Played 105:24 and recorded 24 tackles, including MARCH 2012 63