Defensive coordinator Mike Elko left Notre Dame football for the same role at Texas A&M, but it may not affect the Irish as much as you’d think.
If the Irish defense hung its hat on one thing this year, it would easily be on their success in the turnover battle. Notre Dame was among the top in the nation in turnover margin this season, much thanks to defensive coordinator Mike Elko. In light of that, many Irish fans are feeling uneasy about his departure.
However, there are multiple reasons why the Irish will be more than fine under a different defensive coordinator. Here are five of them.
5. The Irish will likely find a suitable replacement
The victims of coaching changes that often feel the most significant repercussions are smaller schools. For example, if an up and coming coach was to emerge from a non-Power Five conference, there’s a good chance that his former team finds it difficult to fill his shoes. Much of this is due to potential candidates viewing the team’s success as a result of the coach rather than the players.
However, that’s not likely to be the case for a program as attractive as Notre Dame. While the Irish may not pay as well, this past season’s success as well as the promise of an up and coming defense certainly works to attract potential defensive coordinators. If nothing less, Notre Dame is one of the most storied programs in all of college football.
Also, the Irish are in fairly good position to land one of their favorites as Elko’s early transition has left Kelly with plenty of time to establish just who he wants to head his defense. With plenty of solid names still on the board, look for the Irish to snag a similar, if not better, replacement for the former Wake Forest coordinator.
4. Defensive veterans will help maintain Mike Elko’s foundation
While captain Nyles Morgan will be departing after his senior year, the Irish will still have a significant veteran presence on the defensive side of the ball heading into next year. Linebacker Greer Martini will also be departing, but the linebacker corps can still stay intact as Drue Tranquill, and possibly Te’von Coney, will be returning next year.
In addition, cornerback Nick Watkins along with defensive linemen Andrew Trumbetti and Jay Hayes all have the potential of staying for another season, furthering the Irish’s ability to recover from Elko’s departure. While some players on the offensive side of the ball have already declared for the draft, this defense has the potential to remain fairly unchanged.
A strong veteran presence can go a long way when implementing a new offensive coordinator, and in turn, a new scheme. With Elko being so efficient in the turnover battle, there’s reason to believe that the Irish benefit from building their new scheme on the foundation Elko provided. With multiple seniors expected to return, look for the Irish to make this switch exceptionally smooth.
3. Promising youth should make it easy on new coordinator
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and while that doesn’t always apply to football, it sure helps out considering the upcoming Irish class. Brian Polian, who heads recruiting for the Irish, helped put together one of the nation’s best 2017 recruiting classes. This class boasts three four-star recruits on the defensive side of the ball, a solid grab for an Irish team that struggled in 2016.
These four-star recruits include defensive tackle Darnell Ewell, linebacker David Adams, and safety Isaiah Robertson. While this particular group didn’t contribute much this past season, a few defenders including Robertson, Jordan Genmark-Heath, and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa were featured on special teams. Defensive lineman Kurt Hinish even made a few key showings on defense.
A healthy mix of veterans and youth on any team is always ideal, especially when implementing an entirely new scheme. Based on the success of Elko’s defense this past year, look for many of his concepts to be intertwined with a more refined scheme from this new coordinator. Either way, whoever takes over this job will have plenty of talent to work with.
2. An improved offense should help take the pressure off
The Irish were in an odd position last year, as they brought in new offensive and defensive coordinators despite head coach Brian Kelly retaining his job. Few could’ve predicted just how this season would’ve played out, leaving tensions high as both the offense and defense marched out under completely different orders.
However, things should be a tad less fuzzy this year as offensive coordinator Chip Long looks to move into his second year as the leader of an explosive offense. A second year under Long should do well for Notre Dame’s offense, taking a significant amount of pressure off a defense that could potentially witness some growing pains.
With that said, there’s still a good chance that the Irish’s new defensive coordinator sees results similar to those under Elko. If this is the case, don’t be surprised to see the Irish put together a potential playoff run in 2018. With so much weighing in Notre Dame’s favor in terms of locking up a capable coordinator, look for a strong showing from this Irish group come Week1 of next season.
1. Notre Dame’s 2018 class will provide relief for years to come
One of the most discouraging things for a prospective defensive coordinator to see is a team without a plan. As for the Irish, they definitely have a plan. According to 247Sports, Notre Dame boasts one of the top recruiting classes in the nation for the second year in a row, with a total of seven four-star recruits on the defensive side of the ball alone.
These seven players include cornerback Houston Griffith, safety Derrik Allen, linebackers Jack Lamb, Shayne Simon, and Matthew Bauer, defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola, and athlete Braden Lenzy. This is the most impressive class that we’ve seen from Kelly in a while, and most players will be contributing on defense.
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While it’s not likely that we’ll see many of these names next season, the amount of raw talent in this class should provide significant hope even in the case that the Irish defense struggles next season. With everything seeming to come together for the Irish this past year, a little more talent certainly couldn’t hurt.