Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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linebackers 26 games and logged 20 tackles … Played in every contest during the 2012 campaign … Recorded 10 tackles, including seven on special teams, which ranked third on the team … Saw action in all 13 games during the 2011 season and recorded 10 tackles, including two for loss, while also contributing on special teams … Did not see game action as a rookie, but was named the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year. Prep: A four-year starter at Southeast Raleigh High School … Totaled 120 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior en route to all-state honors … He was also named an All-American by PrepStar … Rivals.com ranked him as a four-star recruit, the No. 10 player in North Carolina and the No. 22 outside linebacker nationally. Personal: Born Nov. 15, 1991 … Enrolled in College of Arts and Letters, majoring in film, television and theatre. Rome o O kw a ra • O LB So. • Charlotte, N.C. Ht.: 6-4 • W t.: 258 Career Highlights: Played in every contest as a rookie, primarily as a special teams contributor … Finished with seven stops, including 1.5 for loss, and a forced fumble … Posted his first career tackle for loss and forced a fumble in the win at Oklahoma Oct. 27. Prep: Selected as a first-team defensive lineman on the All-Charlotte Observer squad in 2011 … 247Sports listed him as a four-star prospect, the nation's No. 22 weakside defensive end and North Carolina's No. 13 player … Paced his team with 76 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and 18 quarterback pressures as a senior … Also forced a fumble and blocked a field goal … Played in the North Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Bowl. Personal: Born June 17, 1995 … Hails from the same high school that produced Irish teammate and fellow outside linebacker Prince Shembo … Was enrolled in First Year of Studies. An t ho ny Ra ba sa • ILB Jr. • Miami Ht.: 6-3 • W t.: 243 Career Highlights: Appeared in two games during the 2012 campaign, and logged his first career tackle … Did not play as a freshman. Prep: Totaled 40 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks as a senior at Christopher Columbus High … Was tabbed second-team all-state after recording 80 tackles and 10 sacks … Selected for the Team USA vs. The World Game … Regarded as a four-star player, the No. 14 outside linebacker in the land and the No. 48 prospect in Florida by 247Sports. Personal: Born July 8, 1992 … Enrolled in College of Arts and Letters. Prince Shembo • O LB Sr. • Charlotte, N.C. Ht.: 6-2 • W t.: 258 Career Highlights: Has played in 38 games with 21 starts, posting 97 stops, 19 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery … Started every game last fall and set career highs with 51 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks … Ranked second on the squad in tackles for loss and sacks, and his tackle total ranked sixth … Appeared in 12 games with eight starts during the 2011 season … Totaled 31 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and two sacks … Played in all 13 games as a rookie in 2010, and notched 15 tackles, five tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble … Was one of just three freshmen to appear in every contest. Prep: Played at the newly formed Audrey Kell High School, starting as a freshman in the program's debut campaign … Appeared in just five games as a senior, but still finished with 70 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, seven sacks and three passes broken up … Rivals.com regarded him as a four-star prospect, the No. 7 player in North Carolina, the No. 7 inside linebacker nationally and the No. 238 overall player in the country … Selected to play in the 2010 Offense-Defense Bowl and the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. Personal: Born Dec. 24, 1991 … Enrolled in College of Arts and Letters. Year G-GS SoloAsst.TotalT FL Sacks 201013-0 6 9 155.0 4.5 2011 12-8 171431 3.5 2.0 13-13 222951 10.5 7.5 2012 Totals 38-21 455297 19.0 14.0 Da nny Spo nd • O LB Sr. • Littleton, Colo. Ht.: 6-2 • W t.: 248 Career Highlights: Has played in in 29 games and totaled 52 tackles, 1.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and an interception … Missed the first two games of the 2012 campaign, but started the final 11 and recorded 39 tackles, one stop for loss, one interception and three passes broken up … Played in 10 games during the 2011 season and totaled 13 tackles, including 0.5 for loss … Played in eight games as a rookie, primarily on special teams, and made one tackle. Prep: Missed four games due to injury as a senior at Columbine High School, but still earned honorable mention all-state honors while seeing action at quarterback, cornerback, placekicker and punter … Completed 41 of 64 pass attempts for 517 yards with 10 scores, while running for 386 yards and four touchdowns … Intercepted one pass and recorded 13.5 tackles … Converted on 5 of 7 extra point tries and made both of his field goal attempts, one of which came from 46 yards out, and punted 14 times for an average of 35.9 yards … Was first-team all-state as a junior … Ranked as a four-star prospect, the No. 2 player in Colorado and the No. 27 athlete nationally by Rivals.com. Personal: Born Dec. 30, 1991 … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters, majoring in political science. Year G-GS SoloAsst.TotalT FL Sacks 2010 8-0 101 00 201110-0 7 6 130.5 0 2012 11-11 172138 1.0 0 Totals 29-11 252752 1.50 Isha q Willi am s • O LB Jr. • Brooklyn, N.Y. Ht.: 6-5 • W t.: 261 Career Highlights: Has appeared in 24 games and made 28 tackles (4.5 for loss) … Saw time in all 13 games during the 2012 campaign … Posted 22 tackles (3.5 for loss) and a forced fumble … Played in 11 games as a true freshman … Totaled six tackles (one for loss). Prep: New York's Gatorade Player of the Year in 2010 … Tallied 22 tackles, six sacks and two fumble recoveries as a senior at Lincoln High … U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection … 247Sports viewed him as the top prospect in his home state, the No. 5 outside linebacker in the land and the No. 45 overall player in the country. Personal: Born Feb. 22, 1993 … Enrolled in College of Arts and Letters. Year G-GS SoloAsst.TotalT FL Sacks 2011 11-0 426 1.0 0 2012 13-0 111122 3.5 0 Totals 24-0 151328 4.50 Newcomers Michae l Deeb • ILB Fr. • Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Ht.: 6-2 • W t.: 235 Prep: Earned first-team All-Broward County honors from the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald as a senior … Totaled 95 tackles, four sacks and an interception as a senior … Declined an invitation to the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl … Listed by 247Sports as a three-star prospect, the No. 56 recruit in Florida and the No. 25 inside linebacker in the land … Checked in as the No. 64 prospect from the Sunshine State, the No. 28 inside linebacker in the land and the No. 437 overall player in the class of 2013 in the 247Sports Composite (a compilation of the major recruiting services). Personal: Born Dec. 18, 1994. Dou g Ra ndo lph • O LB Fr. • Woodberry Forrest, Va. Ht.: 6-3 • W t.: 230 Prep: Racked up 33 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble as a senior at Woodberry Forrest … Named first-team all-state by the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association, and was first-team AllCentral Virginia … Rated as a four-star prospect, the No. 15 recruit in Virginia and the No. 28 outside linebacker nationally by 247Sports … Was the No. 12 player in Virginia, the No. 16 outside linebacker in the land and the No. 247 overall player in the nation in the 247Sports Composite. Personal: Born Sept. 5, 1993. Jaylo n Smit h • ILB Fr. • Fort W ayne, Ind. Ht.: 6-3 • W t.: 220 Prep: Won the Butkus Award (nation's top high school linebacker) and was also named as Indiana's Mr. Football in 2012 … Named a first-team All-American by Parade, USA Today and 247Sports … Was selected as team MVP for Bishop Luers High after his senior campaign, and his No. 9 jersey was retired at the end of his prep career … First-team Class 2A Indiana all-state selection as a junior and senior … Posted 72 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks on defense, and ran for 1,265 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior … Played in and served as a team captain at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where he blocked a kick … Listed by 247Sports as a five-star recruit, the No. 1 prospect in Indiana, the No. 1 outside linebacker in the country and the No. 5 overall player in the class of 2013 … Listed as the No. 1 recruit in Indiana, the nation's No. 1 outside linebacker and the No. 2 overall prospect nationally in the 247Sports Composite. Personal: Born June 14, 1995 … Older brother, Rod, plays running back at Ohio State. Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview ✦ 95 90-95.LBs.indd 95 6/25/13 3:33 PM