Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/140522
linebackers player biographies Position Coach Bob Diaco enters his fourth year in South Bend as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Prior to the 2012 campaign, he added the title of assistant head coach. The 17-year coaching veteran won the 2012 Broyles Award, which is annually awarded to the nation's top assistant coach, after he was a semifinalist in the previous year. He is the first such honoree in Notre Dame history. Diaco's defense finished 2012 ranked among the top 10 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 12 different categories. The Irish ranked second in scoring defense (12.8 points allowed per game) and gave up just 16 touchdowns, including 15 on offense (four fewer than any other FBS school). Six opponents were held without an offensive touchdown, and the 166 total points surrendered was the fewest for a 13-game campaign in school history. Diaco's defense limited five different opponents to single-digit scoring efforts, including No. 10 Michigan State and No. 18 Michigan, which surpassed the combined total of the previous four seasons (2008-11). Notre Dame held 10 opponents to 14 points or less, which was the most in a single season since 1921 (when the feat was accomplished 11 times). The unit was led by Diaco's star pupil Manti Te'o, who was the 2012 winner of the Nagurski Trophy, Lott Trophy, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, Bednarik Award, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year, in addition to finishing as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He finished with 321 first-place votes and 1,706 points — the most ever by a defensive player — in the Heisman balloting, and he is also the first player in college football history to capture more than five major awards in one season. The Irish linebacking corps was one of the nation's most productive last fall, with the five regulars combining for 315 total stops, 22 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, eight interceptions, 10 passes broken up, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. In 2011, the Irish defense ranked in the nation's top 50 in scoring defense (24th, 20.7 points allowed per game), total defense (30th, 344.7 yards surrendered per contest), passing defense (38th, 205.8 yards given up per game) and rushing defense (47th, 138.9 yards allowed per outing) — which marked just the second time since 2003 and fourth time in the 15 seasons prior BGI's 2013 Depth Chart No. Cat L inebacker 55 Prince Shembo 11 Ishaq Williams 45 Romeo Okwara 19 Doug Randolph No. Will L inebacker 48 Dan Fox or 44Carlo Calabrese 56 Anthony Rabasa No. Mike L inebacker 59 Jarrett Grace 8 Kendall Moore 42 Michael Deeb No. Dog L inebacker 13 Danny Spond 30 Ben Councell 9 Jaylon Smith Ht. 6-2 6-5 6-4 6-3 Ht. 6-3 6-1 6-3 Ht. 6-3 6-1 6-2 Ht. 6-2 6-4 6-3 Wt. Cl./Elig. 258Sr./1 261Jr./2 258So./3 230Fr./4 Wt. Cl./Elig. 2425th/1 2445th/1 243 Jr./3 Wt. Cl./Elig. 248 Jr./3 244 Sr./2 235 Fr./4 Wt. Cl./Elig. 248 Sr./1 248 Jr./3 220Fr./4 to 2011 that Notre Dame ranked in the top 50 for all four categories. In his first season in South Bend, Diaco changed the Irish from a blitzing 4-3 scheme to a 3-4 no-crease defense featuring Te'o in the middle. The 2010 defense improved from its 2009 performance in nearly every statistical category. Before arriving in South Bend, Diaco spent one season as the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati (2009); served three years on the Virginia staff (2006-08), coaching the linebackers and special teams; and was the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Central Michigan in 2005, his first stint under Brian Kelly. He also worked at Western Michigan (2004), Eastern Michigan (2001‑03) and Western Illinois (1999-2000). Following a successful playing career at Iowa under Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry, the two-time All-Big Ten linebacker was a graduate assistant at his alma mater for two years. Diaco, a Butkus Award semifinalist in 1995, was the Hawkeyes' co-MVP as a senior and graduated with a degree in sociology in 1995. Returning Players Carl o Cala bre se • IL B 5th-Sr. • Verona, N.J. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 244 Career Highlights: Has played in 36 games with 13 starts, while compiling 146 tackles, nine stops for loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble … Played in 12 games last fall with five starts … Recorded 49 stops (19 solo), three tackles for loss and one forced fumble … Played in all 13 games in 2011 as a reserve and recorded 37 tackles with one stop behind the line of scrimmage, a sack and three passes broken up … Won the starting linebacker job in 2010 training camp and started the first eight games of the campaign before a hamstring injury sidelined him for two contests … Appeared in 11 contests in 2010 and tallied 60 tackles, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks … Did not see any action as a rookie in 2009. Prep: A first-team all-state selection and the New Jersey Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Verona High School … Rivals.com ranked him as a three-star prospect, the fourth-best run stopper among linebackers, the state's 11th-best prospect and the No. 25 inside linebacker in the country … Totaled 131 tackles and three sacks as a senior while leading his team to a state title … Also played quarterback and receiver, and started at quarterback as a junior. Personal: Born Nov. 25, 1990 … Enrolled in College of Arts and Letters, majoring in design. Year G-GSSoloAsst.TotalTFLSacks 2010 11-8 263460 5.0 2.5 2011 13-0 152237 1.0 1.0 12-5 193049 3.0 0 2012 Totals36-13 60 86 146 9.0 3.5 Ben Cou ncel • OL B Jr. • Asheville, N.C. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 248 Career Highlights: Logged action in 12 games and tallied 10 tackles (five solo) in 2012 … Did not see game action as a freshman. Prep: Named the North Carolina 4A Defensive Player of the Year after he totaled 188 stops (141 solo) and 25 tackles for a loss at A.C. Reynolds High … Played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, and registered 13 tackles, one sack and a blocked punt en route to being named a top-10 player in the contest … 247Sports listed him as a four-star prospect, the No. 4 player in his home state, the country's No. 7 outside linebacker and the No. 97 overall recruit in the land. Personal: Born July 31, 1992 … Enrolled in College of Arts and Letters. Da n Fo x • IL B 5th-Sr. • R ocky R iver, O hio Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 242 Career Highlights: The former safety has appeared in every game over the past three years, and totaled 131 tackles (60 solo), 4.5 stops for loss and two sacks … Has started 22 contests over the past two campaigns … Played in every game with nine starts last fall … Recorded 63 tackles (which ranked fourth on the team), two tackles for loss and a sack … Selected as Notre Dame's Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2011 after he started all 13 games at inside linebacker … Tallied 48 tackles, 2.5 hits for loss, one sack and a forced fumble … Was a critical special teams member in 2010, tying for the team lead with 270 snaps … Notched 20 tackles in 13 appearances … Did not play in 2009. Prep: The product of St. Ignatius High School was a standout safety that helped win a state title in 2008 … Was ranked as a four-star prospect, the No. 13 outside linebacker nationally and the No. 15 player in Ohio by Rivals.com. Personal: Born March 17, 1991 … Enrolled in Mendoza College of Business, majoring in management-consulting. Year G-GSSoloAsst.TotalTFLSacks 201013-0 9 11 200.0 0.0 2011 13-13 212748 2.5 1.0 13-9 303363 2.0 1.0 2012 Totals39-22 60 71 131 4.5 2.0 Jarre tt Gra ce • IL B Jr. • Cincinnati Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 248 Career Highlights: Played in all 13 games in 2012, contributing mostly on special teams … Logged 12 tackles, including seven solo stops … Led the team with 10 special teams tackles … Did not play as a freshman. Prep: A first-team Associated Press all-state pick in 2010 … Also earned conference Defensive Player of the Year laurels after racking up 92 total stops, 17 tackles for loss, four sacks and four passes broken up for Colerain High … Recorded five tackles, one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl … Listed as a four-star prospect by 247Sports … Rivals.com ranked him as a three-star recruit, the No. 24 inside linebacker in the land and the No. 27 player in Ohio. Personal: Born Oct. 8, 1992 … Uncle, Eric Kattus, was a fourth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1986 NFL Draft out of Michigan … Enrolled in Mendoza College of Business. Kendall Moore • IL B Sr. • Cary, N.C. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 244 Career Highlights: Has seen time in each of the last 94 ✦ Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview 90-95.LBs.indd 94 6/25/13 3:33 PM