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.
4. Safety
The safety position, probably the most complicated on the Notre Dame depth chart, consists of players with an assortment of different strengths, weaknesses, and attributes. The safety position was once one of little depth, but has manifested into one of the team’s deepest positions over the last couple of years.
For simplicity’s sake, let’s assume that Navy transfer Alohi Gilman starts at free safety. Kelly seems to love what he brings to the table, and it makes sense as Gilman has all the desirable attributes of a free safety. However, as good as Gilman is, he’ll still have to fend off last year’s starter Nick Coleman before claiming the role as his own.
With that aside, things are still blurry when it comes to establishing the starter at the strong safety position. Assuming sophomore Isaiah Robertson remains in the backup role at free safety, the Irish still have an assortment of depth at strong safety, including juniors Jalen Elliott and Devin Studstill, sophomore Jordan Genmark-Heath, and freshmen Houston Griffith and Derrik Allen.
Elliott, last year’s starter at the position, should get first dibs at the same role. However, Genmark-Heath impressed on special teams last season and could get a crack at the starting job should Elliott falter. As for the younger talents on the team, I’d be surprised to see any of them tabbed a day one starter, but we could see a variety of them eventually if Lea can’t find answers elsewhere.
3. Defensive End
With the interior of the defensive line locked down thanks to the returns of Jonathan Bonner and Jerry Tillery, the main position battle can be found on either side of the line. The Irish have plenty to work with on the outside, but each player boasts a different skill set, making the decision a difficult one for Lea.
As for now, Notre Dame brings four realistic candidates to the table. The two starters last year were current fifth year senior Jay Hayes and junior Daelin Hayes. While neither of them were necessarily dominant last season, they were effective enough to earn first shots at their respective spots along the line.
The other two candidates are juniors Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara. The two are very similar in terms of experience as Kareem played in every game last season while Okwara only missed one. In terms of production, Kareem recorded three sacks and 21 total tackles while Okwara compiled two and a half sacks along with 21 total tackles as well. Okwara also recorded an interception and forced fumble.
With Daelin and Jay recording 41 and 39 total tackles, respectively, there isn’t a whole lot of separation between these two either. Both were equally active in the turnover battle, again providing little separation. In this case, I can see any combination of the four starting, but we’ll know more regarding where everybody stands as Kelly releases more information.
2. Wide Receiver
It was tough to decide between the wide receiver and running back battles here, but I think the former will end up being the most competitive as Kelly could utilize a running back by committee approach in the backfield. While it will be interesting to watch Dexter Williams and Tony Jones Jr. battle it out this spring, I believe those in the wide receiver group have more on the line.
With the loss of Equanimeous St. Brown to the draft and the dismissal of Kevin Stepherson looming large, there are plenty of holes to be filled among the receiving corps. Thankfully, the Irish have done their due diligence in recruiting wide receivers over the past couple of years, giving them players such as Micah Jones, Micheal Young, and Jafar Armstrong to use immediately.
As it stands right now, senior Miles Boykin and junior Chase Claypool are expected to get first looks on the outside, with senior Chris Finke operating in the slot. Former Michigan transfer Freddy Canteen is also available to provide depth if needed. Again, there are still numerous spring practices to be held, leaving many questions without answers.
In addition to some of the young players previously listed, the Irish have an assortment of depth that hasn’t yet arrived in South Bend. The freshmen who haven’t yet been included on the official Notre Dame roster include Kevin Austin, Lawrence Keys III, and Braden Lenzy. Despite potentially late starts, these freshmen will all have the chance to earn snaps once summer rolls around.
1. Quarterback
Perhaps the most intriguing of all position battles, Brian Kelly will have to make the ultimate decision regarding who will call the shots for the Irish offense this fall. Working under the assumption that freshman Phil Jurkovec won’t factor into the equation until 2019, the Irish have two realistic contenders in senior Brandon Wimbush and junior Ian Book.
Wimbush’s claim to fame is his ability to tuck and run, at which point he becomes quite the effective running back. While that skill is great and was utilized well by offensive coordinator Chip Long, his struggles with accuracy make him an easy target for defenses that can exploit his passing woes.
Book, a pro-style quarterback, has significantly higher accuracy but could use some work on his awareness. These things come in time, so Book may have a head start on Wimbush whose first meaningful snaps came only this year. However, Book may not be granted the same opportunity as Wimbush given the fact that Kelly has already announced Wimbush as quarterback No. 1 for the team’s first practice.
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All things considered, Notre Dame has its hands full with many positions, but none more important than this one. As seen in this year’s Citrus Bowl, a change in quarterback can turn the tide of a game. Regardless of how it turns out, it’s sure to be an interesting ride to the finish as the Irish determine who will lead the offense onto the field for their Week 1 matchup with Michigan.