Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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104 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW DEFENSIVE BACKS T wo years ago during a cataclysmic 4‑8 campaign, a school‑record four differ‑ ent Notre Dame freshman defensive backs — Julian Love, Troy Pride Jr., Donte Vaughn and Devin Studstill — combined for 24 starts (with each making at least three). Last year, a fifth member of that class — safety Jalen Elliott — was added to the mix while starting all 13 contests during an improved 10‑3 season. Now that it is year three for that quintet, plus welcoming 2016 Navy freshman starter Alohi Gilman, the long‑term investment of experience and development the past two seasons in the secondary is expected to reap dividends on the veteran 2018 Notre Dame defense. Including the five incoming freshmen, led by safeties Houston Griffith and Der‑ rik Allen, the Irish defensive backfield has four full teams (16 scholarship players). The competition for playing time has become so pronounced that Nick Watkins, who started the first nine games in 2017 and had eight passes broken up (second best on the team), opted at the end of spring to use his fifth season at the University of Houston as a graduate transfer. Vying for action at safety is even more challenging. Two years ago, safety Devin Studstill started nine games, but he is now in a battle just to remain among the two‑deep. Last year Nick Coleman started all 13 games as a safety, but with the new "G Force" — Gilman and Griffith — this spring, his role often was as a nickel back. Although Love was the one who received All‑America recognition last year, Pride en‑ joyed the best spring in the defensive back‑ field, which might have been part of the reason Watkins transferred. "We're fighting for it," Pride said of play‑ ing time in the secondary. "Every play, every day it's like if you come slacking, you might be a three [third string]. "That's just how it rolls." Fourth‑year cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght, one of 16 consensus two‑time All‑ Americans (1989‑90) in Notre Dame an‑ nals, has aided the development of his crew that now has a healthy Vaughn, slowed by back problems last spring, and senior Shaun Crawford, last year's starting nickel after missing his first two seasons with injuries. "The emphasis for our corners is to re‑ ally tighten up on some of the quick game, and we've instituted a couple of new tech‑ niques," head coach Brian Kelly noted of putting more on the secondary plate. At the same time, first‑year safeties coach Terry Joseph is intent on upgrading the play‑ making skills for his troops with a "less is more" application. "I don't want them overthinking. I don't want them out there scared to play," Joseph said. "I want to keep it simple and allow them to play fast, get themselves in position to make plays … When guys overthink, they start playing slow." Slow‑playing the anticipated progress in 2018 is not part of the plan. ✦ A COVER STORY The secondary continues growth since rebuilding process begun in 2016 Junior speedster Troy Pride Jr. started the final four games at cornerback in 2018 and was first string this spring. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL