Notre Dame Football: 5 players who must step up in 2018

3. Alohi Gilman

One of the many players that I am excited to watch this year is safety Alohi Gilman. Gilman, a junior out of Laie, HI, transferred to Notre Dame last season but was ruled ineligible to play due to NCAA transfer restrictions. His play on the practice field was constantly lauded and there’s no doubt that he’s exactly the kind of player Kelly shoots for.

Despite all of the options at safety, Kelly’s comments this spring suggest that Gilman will get his first start with the Irish at free safety. While some initially considered him a good fit at rover, the safety position is in need of playmakers after being a no-show in the interceptions category last season.

Gilman was an immediate standout during his time with Navy, recording 76 tackles, five passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries. As a free safety, Gilman’s run-stopping abilities will give the Irish a significant amount of versatility with a rover already on the field. Overall, Gilman is a great match for the Irish and what they want out of their safeties.

While there is plenty of hype surrounding Gilman, he doesn’t have the pedigree of either Tranquill or Mustipher. This means that despite his success with Navy, he’s still going to have to step up and meet expectations if the Irish want to build on last year’s success. Based on things Gilman has said and done, I would count on him being a solid piece for the Irish in the coming years.