Notre Dame Football: 5 things to watch during 2019 Blue-Gold game

2. Defensive chemistry

Numerous key departures on the defensive side of the ball this season have resulted in many moving parts throughout the spring. The losses of Drue Tranquill and Te’von Coney, although foreseen, have left the Irish scrambling for replacements at one of the most important positions on defense.

So far it appears as if senior Asmar Bilal will relinquish his hold on the rover position as he makes the move to linebacker. Far from absolute, one of the few possibilities that may come to pass this season is special teams standout Jordan Genmark Heath playing alongside Bilal while junior Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah slots into rover.

Having a solid option at middle linebacker (often coined the quarterback of the defense) is pivotal in maintaining a consistent defensive approach. With Tranquill and Coney gone, the Irish have very little experience behind Bilal to adequately account for such losses.

With that said, there are sure to be some surprises along the way, hopefully the kind of surprises that turn a once mediocre unit into a reliable one. There are sure to be some growing pains as time moves on, and there’s a good chance that some of those pains are on display in the Blue-Gold game. Nevertheless, this unit is worth monitoring as they continue to put the pieces together.