Notre Dame Football 2017: Midseason position grades

The Irish linebacker corps, one of the most impressive units in the entire country, receives an A+ for numerous reasons. While the majority of this team has functioned well outside of the Georgia game, this linebacker group has refused to cave regardless of competition. It’s a toss-up between this unit, the offensive line, and the Irish backfield for the strongest group on this roster.

Similarly to the defensive line, this group has seen a rebirth with the addition of defensive coordinator Mike Elko. Elko worked exclusively with linebackers at Stony Brook, Fordham, Richmond, Hofstra, and Bowling Green. He also played the position for the University of Pennsylvania. Needless to say, Elko caters to this position quite nicely.

Another contributing factor to this unit’s success is the amount of experience at the position. Starting linebackers Greer Martini and Nyles Morgan, both seniors, have combined for eight years of college football. Drue Tranquill, who functions as a safety/linebacker hybrid, is in his fourth year as well. Backup Te’Von Coney, second on the team in tackles, is a junior.

Worst Game:

Much like the rest of this group, the linebackers’ worst game came against the Bulldogs. The group was part of only one turnover that came off a Tranquill interception. Also, it was the first time that at least two Irish linebackers didn’t make the top three in tackles. While this was still a solid outing from the group, it’s marked as their worst due to their dominance in other games.

Best Game:

This one was a tossup between Notre Dame’s battles with Michigan State and North Carolina. However, the magnitude of the game tips the scales in the favor of their matchup with the Spartans. While the Irish fared better in the turnover battle against UNC, the top four tacklers against the Spartans were all linebackers, not to mention Martini’s game-changing forced fumble.