Notre Dame Football: 5 signees who will have instant impact in 2019
By Jacob Wilson
3. Jacob Lacey, DT
Defensive tackle Jacob Lacey will have a little more work ahead of him than Bramblett when it comes to securing a place on the depth chart, but he has a pretty solid head start in the wake of Jonathan Bonner and Jerry Tillery’s impending departures.
As for now, juniors Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa figure to replace Bonner and Tillery along the interior of the defensive line. While Hinish and Tagovailoa-Amosa deserve initial consideration, they’ll likely be pushed hard from those behind them on the depth chart as defensive line coach Mike Elston searches for ways to replicate Tillery’s production.
Given the injury status of Ja’Mion Franklin, it’s feasible that Lacey heads into the 2019 season in better shape than his peer. Should that be the case, only Hinish, Tagovailoa-Amosa, and Jayson Ademilola would stand ahead of him in terms of playing time (assuming recent recruit Hunter Spears takes longer to develop).
Lacey played at nose guard, the three-technique, and defensive end throughout high school, so he shouldn’t need to beat out any of the three ahead of him to earn valuable playing time. Assuming he initially lines up at nose guard, there’s reason to believe he develops into a solid asset behind Hinish should the latter establish himself as a starter.