Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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able shutdown corner for Notre Dame this season. He should be able to run with any of the very talented receiv- ers the Irish face this year and help as a tackler near the line of scrimmage. What he doesn't have at this point is any game proof he can fill that role. Jackson has been effective on spe- cial teams since he arrived as a fresh- man. However, he got less than 100 snaps behind veterans Gary Gray and Robert Blanton in his first year as a defender in 2011. "I feel like I have big shoes to fill with Gary and Blanton gone," Jack- son said. "I'd say my mindset is a little different because last spring I had never played cornerback. Now I'm getting a feel for the game, and I know what it takes to succeed." Will his physical tools be enough to make a graceful jump into the spotlight? They'll have to be if Notre Dame has any hopes of slowing down offenses like Oklahoma and USC later this year. to eventually grow into a leadership role for the Irish defense. This season, the team will be satisfied if the physi- cally intimidating sophomore keeps his focus on making plays behind the line of scrimmage. Tuitt had 30 tackles and two sacks 7. DL STEPHON TUITT Notre Dame wants Stephon Tuitt Talented sophomore defensive end Stephon Tuitt registered 30 tackles in nine appearances for Notre Dame in 2011. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA allowed him to get to the second level of an opposing defense consis- tently and pick up 5.1 yards per carry as a junior. Wood entered the 2011 season as tember after serving his one-game suspension. Regardless of who ends up as the No. 3 on our list of impact players. Riddick and Atkinson dig into his value as an essential piece of Notre Dame's offense, but they can also give him the rest he needs to become a bigger playmaker in what might be Wood's last season at Notre Dame. ing into the lead in the competition to take the first snaps for Notre Dame against Navy in Dublin this year. Junior Andrew Hendrix isn't out of the picture yet, and incum- bent starter Tommy Rees will have a chance to get back in the mix in Sep- 5. NO. 1 QB Sophomore Everett Golson is edg- www.BLUEANDGOLD.com go-to guy this season, or even if that flip flops throughout the year, the starting quarterback will have as big of an impact as any player on how Notre Dame finishes in the win column. Can the quarterbacks eliminate a significant portion of the 23 turn- overs (17 interceptions and six fum- bles) they accounted for in 2011? Can Hendrix or Golson add a new di- mension of mobility to the spread at- tack? Both of those accomplishments would go a long way to improve the efficiency of Kelly's offense. physical tools — speed, size, out- standing agility —it takes to be a reli- 6. CB BENNETT JACKSON The junior cornerback has all the despite missing three games for vari- ous reasons as a freshman. He and partner Aaron Lynch made a big splash as the tandem that was go- ing to change the way Notre Dame played defense. Now that Lynch is no longer with the team, the Irish need Tuitt to churn out results. The 6-6, 303-pounder can contain the run game in a 3-4 formation and then slide inside to get after the quar- terback in obvious passing situations. He'll be lining up anywhere the Irish coaching staff thinks he can find a crack along the line this season. been the team's most consistent and athletic offensive lineman for the past two seasons. Martin started all 26 games since taking over the job at the beginning of 2010 and has played mostly mistake-free football during that time. He and left guard Chris Watt are 8. OT ZACK MARTIN Notre Dame's senior left tackle has going to be called on this season to set the tone for the Notre Dame rush- PRESEASON 2012 33