Notre Dame Football: Irish defense shines once again in win over Vanderbilt

2. This Notre Dame defense is special

It seems as if this has been a common sentiment throughout the early season, but each game provides a new look into what appears to be one of the Irish’s strongest defensive units in the last few years. While this was certainly a strong unit under former defensive coordinator Mike Elko, there’s a different feel to this season, especially in the back half of the secondary.

Much of that can be attributed to the success of current defensive coordinator, Clark Lea. Lea, a former linebackers coach for the Irish, was promoted following Elko’s departure to Texas A&M. Since then, the Irish defense has thrived despite the losses of captains Nyles Morgan and Greer Martini.

There have been many moving parts along the defense, including captain Drue Tranquill’s move to inside linebacker, prompting Asmar Bilal’s transition to rover. Also, the injury to Shaun Crawford has shifted safeties Nick Coleman and Houston Griffith into the nickelback role. Both Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bonner decided to return to Notre Dame, with the latter shifting to nose tackle.

Contributions from the safety and defensive end positions have been huge in regard to this defense’s success. Defensive ends Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem have seen an uptick in snaps, providing rest for a defensive line that struggled with injury and fatigue throughout the 2017 season. Overall, the Irish have found a significant source of strength in Clark Lea’s defense.