Notre Dame Football: Five X-Factor Players for 2016
By Greg Hadley
Nyles Morgan, Jr. LB
Linebacker was one position where Notre Dame had almost too much depth in 2015. Joe Schmidt, Jaylon Smith and James Onwualu all formed a fierce corps that served as the heart of the defense, and backups such as Jarrett Grace, Greer Martini and others all jockeyed for snaps.
But Schmidt, Smith and Grace are gone, and in their place will step one of the most physically gifted players on Notre Dame’s roster: Nyles Morgan.
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Morgan started in 2014 when injuries felled those in front of him on the depth chart, then retreated in 2015, seeing the field infrequently as his elders returned to form. But he has shown flashes of brilliance, with an ability to lay down monster hits and wreak havoc behind the line.
The next stage in Morgan’s development is more cerebral. A hot-headed player who has been ejected in the past for targeting, he will now be looked upon to lead at the heart of the defense: middle linebacker.
Morgan and his coaches say he’s taken to this new role well in practice, but the true test will come in game play, when Morgan will have to keep his cool and marshal the defense. If he can do so, even the loss of Jaylon Smith won’t seem so bad to Irish fans.
Next: Drue Tranquill