Notre Dame Football: 5 biggest storylines following spring 2018
By Jacob Wilson
3. Who will start at safety?
As mentioned before, the Irish have plenty of talent and depth up and down their roster. However, the safety position has been an area of concern for Notre Dame of late, and there are still some questions as to how the position will shape out as a whole.
For now, former Navy transfer Alohi Gilman is all but a lock to claim one of the safety positions, most likely free safety. As of the Blue-Gold game, Jalen Elliott appears to be the favorite to land the strong safety job, a spot he held down last season. However, he’ll be on an exceptionally short leash considering the position’s struggles last season and the amount of depth behind him.
Nick Coleman, last year’s starter at free safety, will likely stay at the position and back up Gilman. Outside of Coleman, the rest of the safety depth will be waiting for their opportunity should Elliott falter. That depth includes junior Devin Studstill, freshman Houston Griffith, and hybrid linebacker/safety Jordan Genmark Heath. Sophomore Isaiah Robertson is no longer in consideration after moving to linebacker.
Overall, this is still one of the weakest positions on the Notre Dame roster. However, Gilman has the potential to offer a spark while allowing defensive coordinator Clark Lea to shift his staff’s focus to strong safety. Regardless, this position will be interesting to monitor as the offseason wears on.