Notre Dame Football: Top 5 position battles to watch in spring 2018

3. Rover

The implementation of the rover position has proved quite successful for Kelly over the last few years. The position is best described as a linebacker/safety hybrid that relies on an athlete with the physical attributes of a linebacker and the coverage abilities of a safety. As one would infer, this position requires a very specific kind of player, a role in which captain Drue Tranquill thrived.

With Tranquill’s recent switch to weakside linebacker, competition for the rover position has heated up. The two most qualified candidates for the job are senior Asmar Bilal and sophomore Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Bilal, whose experience gives him a heads up on the latter, is extremely versatile and can play either rover or weakside linebacker.

Bilal, who has recorded 47 total tackles, one sack, and 4.5 tackles for loss over the course of his college career, played in every game last season. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Owusu-Koramoah, a former three-star product who has yet to take a snap for the Irish. However, Owusu-Koramoah was brought in almost exclusively to play the rover position.

It will be a battle of experience vs. youth in South Bend this spring, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Bilal is the safer pick, so don’t be surprised to see him with the first unit this fall. However, there is also a good chance that Owusu-Koramoah’s potential at the position becomes too strong for Bilal to fend off later in the season.