Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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SEASON KICKOFF: DEFENSIVE BACKS five young players, all with unique strengths and weak- nesses and all equally untested in the heat of battle. The top two contenders to fill the starting role against ter dash in 10.39 seconds on the track team last spring. The only freshman football player in the country who clocked a better time was his twin brother, George. He played his way into a competition with Wood during Navy are the two players who actually expected to be play- ing cornerback when they first showed up to campus — sophomores Josh Atkinson and Jalen Brown. Atkinson's greatest asset is his speed. He ran the 100-me- work technique and continue to get better at taking care of the little things," Kelly said during the first week of training camp. Brown (6-1, 200 pounds) is at the top end size-wise for Without Wood, Notre Dame now must turn to a pack of THE BACKUPS PLAN spring practice because of his ability to stay stride for stride with whomever the offense threw at him. "Josh is so gifted as an athlete, but we have to continue to Senior Zeke Motta (above) teams with Jamoris Slaughter to provide Notre Dame a veteran look at safety. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN cornerbacks, which is the type of player that defensive co- ordinator Bob Diaco likes to use. He didn't see the field as a freshman, but started to impress Kelly and the defensive staff this August with his maturity and athletic ability. There's also a chance that Jackson flips from his spot at McDaniel (5-10, 195 pounds) is a little undersized for the position but has adapted faster than expected to playing defense. the boundary corner to the field side to replace Wood. Kelly said that was an easier move than trying to convert a field corner to boundary. In that scenario, KeiVarae Russell would likely become the first freshman to start at cornerback since Robert Blanton in 2008. The freshman from Everett, Wash., came to South Bend expecting to line up as a slot receiver or running back, but flipped to the defense a few days before practice started in August. A two-time all-conference safety in high school, Russell sack. As much as the Irish would like to keep fifth-year se- nior Jamoris Slaughter at safety, they might find themselves in a position where he needs to move outside to get the best four players in the secondary on the field together. Slaughter, who played cornerback during his first two Notre Dame does have one final parachute left in its knap- THE SAFETY NET was recruited for his versatility. So far, he's impressed the Irish coaches with his ability to adapt to the new role and his poise under pressure. "Most freshmen just kind of stand out as freshmen," eran for a year or two. Not that he's doing everything right, but he's not sticking out like a sore thumb." Kelly and Diaco also singled out Russell as a freshman Cooks said. "They're going to make a bunch of mistakes, you're going to get mad at them — and they're still going to make a bunch of mistakes. "KeiVarae looks like he's been here in our system as a vet- who impressed during training camp. He started working with the second-team defense midway through August and might be able to continue moving upward on the depth chart if he continues his current trajectory. "They just want me to go out there and compete every more Cam McDaniel, who has been splitting time between running back and cornerback this year, are also still very much in the mix to help plug some gaps in the second- ary. Shumate arrived on campus physically ready to roll. ball player. Anything I do I'm going to compete. If they want me at corner, I'm going to compete at corner." Freshman Elijah Shumate, originally a safety, and sopho- 64 PRESEASON 2012 tated with some more injuries," he said. "I don't expect that to occur. Jamoris is handling the safety position." Slaughter's availability to bounce around the field also years in South Bend, worked with the group during indi- vidual drills in the spring and fall camp in case of an emer- gency. For now, Kelly said he'll refrain from breaking the glass on that position change. "That's really off the table right now unless we are devas- depends on how far Notre Dame's second line of safeties have developed this offseason, adding another group of players who have added weight to their shoulders follow- ing the loss of Wood. The top candidates to step in if needed at safety are fifth- day. When the ball is in the air, just compete like you're a re- ceiver again," Russell said at his typical mile-a-minute pace. "At the end of the day I'm a competitor, not [just] a foot- tation on a regular basis. The door opened for that pair this summer after junior Austin Collinsworth suffered his own season-altering shoulder injury. Collinsworth had separated himself as the third safety option in spring practice. And that leaves senior safety Zeke Motta at the bottom year senior Dan McCarthy and sophomore Matthias Farley. McCarthy was the team's clear choice for the third spot in its three-man safety rotation early in August. Farley, who was listed as a wide receiver last season, played physical enough in the weeks that followed to inspire a competition. Both could now be looking at a chance to step into the ro- of the trickle down effect Notre Dame's defense will ex- perience due to Wood's injury. Motta found his voice this offseason as a leader after a strong finish to the 2011 season. He played the best game of his career at the Champs Sports Bowl against Florida State, returning a fumble for a first- quarter touchdown and bottling up the Seminole receivers in pass coverage. ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED