Notre Dame football: 5 position battles to watch this spring

After putting together a solid 2018 recruiting class, the next step for Notre Dame football is to establish who will be taking the field for Week 1. Here are five position battles worth monitoring as spring practices commence.

After finishing with a 10-3 record over the course of a season that was initially deemed a rebuild, Notre Dame fans have high expectations for their team heading into 2018. The 2017 roster featured a healthy balance of experience and youth, putting the Irish in a good position to compete again this year.

However, there are a few positions that need to be addressed following the departures of those declaring for the NFL Draft. Additionally, the Irish have a few incoming sophomores and juniors who will be vying for starting roles at their respective positions. With so much to consider, head coach Brian Kelly and his staff will have a lot to think about before the Irish take the field Week 1.

With that said, here are a few of the most competitive position battles to keep your eye on as Notre Dame rolls into spring practices.

5. Rover

Kelly has seen significant success with the recent addition of the rover position, but that spot may be up for grabs if incoming defensive coordinator Clark Lea decides to move captain Drue Tranquill to inside linebacker. While this scenario isn’t a given, many signs point to it coming into play at some point.

If Tranquill is moved inside, he will occupy the Buck while senior Te’von Coney is expected to lock down the Mike role. This leaves the rover up for grabs, and there are a few players who could make their respective presences felt at the position. However, the two most likely to land the starting job are sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and senior Asmar Bilal.

Owusu-Koramoah, recruited by the Irish to fill this very role, will have to prove that his inexperience won’t factor into his performance on the field. While Owusu-Koramoah wasn’t among the top of his class heading into his freshman year, the Irish see him as a perfect fit and potentially the future for such an underutilized position.

Depending on what Lea is looking for out of his rover, Bilal would appear to be the safer pick as of now. Bilal has totaled 47 tackles and one sack over the last two years, and has much more experience than his sophomore counterpart. Spring practices should give us a better picture as time goes on, but this is definitely a position worth monitoring as the Blue and Gold game draws near.