Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/699309
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 109 DEFENSIVE BACKS downs, and caught 29 passes for 662 yards and seven scores … Earned first-team MaxPreps Medium School All-America honors … Received first-team all-state recog- nition from The Chicago Tribune and was tabbed as The Pioneer Press' 2015 Area Offensive Player of the Year … As a junior, contributed 75 tackles and five interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, and rushed for 749 yards and 11 scores, while also catching 20 passes for 549 yards and nine touchdowns … Selected first-team all-state by The Chicago Tribune and was named The Pioneer Press' 2014 Area Offensive Player of the Year … Participated in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl. Personal: Born March 19, 1998 … His father, Detraiter, holds the basketball career scoring record at Wentworth Military College, a Division II junior college, with 1,283 points. D.J. MORGAN • S Fr. • Norwalk, Calif. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 190 Prep: Listed as a four-star prospect, the No. 47 player in California and the No. 23 safety in the country by Ri- vals … Credited with 49 tackles, four stops for loss, two interceptions and one pass defended as a senior at St. John Bosco High, and produced 112 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception as a junior … Named sec- ond-team All-Trinity League as both a junior and senior. Personal: Born April 8, 1998 … His grandmother is from South Bend, and he also has a couple of great uncles residing in the area … Second cousin of three- time Notre Dame basketball All-American Skylar Diggins (2009-13), who propelled the recent run of five consecu- tive runs to the Final Four by the women's team. SPENCER PERRY • S Fr. • Newnan, Ga. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 204 Career Highlights: Enrolled at Notre Dame in January 2016. Prep: Tabbed as a four-star talent, the No. 70 prospect in Florida and the No. 32 safety nationally by ESPN … Registered six tackles before missing the majority of his senior season at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy with a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder … Finished with 34 tackles, including three for loss, his junior season at Auburn (Ala.) High. Personal: Born June 3, 1997 … The first cousin of former Indiana basketball guard Christian Watford (2009-13). TROY PRIDE JR. • CB Fr. • Greer, S.C. Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 175 Prep: 247Sports rated him as a four-star prospect, the No. 3 senior in South Carolina, and the No. 7 cornerback and No. 95 overall player in the nation … Earned first-team all-state honors from USA Today after intercepting three passes and returning one for a touchdown as a senior … Also contributed 41 receptions for 838 yards and 13 touchdowns, and rushed for 183 yards and three scores … Played for the South Carolina squad in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas … Participated in the Blue-Grey All-American Game, and finished with two interceptions — includ - ing one returned for a 58-yard touchdown — and eight tackles to earn MVP honors in the event … Won four state titles at the South Carolina Class AAA state track and field championships, capturing the 100-meter dash in 10.55 seconds, the 200 in 21.28 and the 400 in 48.28, while he also ran a leg for the winning 4x100 relay team (42.20). Personal: Born Jan. 19, 1998. DEVIN STUDSTILL • S Fr. • Riviera Beach, Fla. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 190 Career Highlights: Enrolled at Notre Dame in January 2016 and took snaps with the first-team unit during spring practice. Prep: Rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 64 player in the Sunshine State and the No. 30 safety in the land by 247Sports … Was a three-year starter at Palm Beach Gardens High … Had 29 tackles and an interception on defense while seeing action at safety, wide receiver and "wildcat" quarterback during his senior campaign … Earned a spot on the 2015 Associated Press Florida All- State Class 7A second team … Named The Sun Sentinel's All-Palm Beach 8A-7A-6A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior … Selected to play in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl, but turned down the invitation so he could enroll early at Notre Dame. Personal: Born July 2, 1998 … His father, Darren, played quarterback at West Virginia (1990-93) and was drafted in the sixth round (191st overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft as a defensive back by the Dallas Cowboys. DONTÉ VAUGHN • CB Fr. • Memphis, Tenn. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 190 Prep: Scout ranked him as a four-star talent, the No. 6 prospect in Tennessee, and the No. 15 cornerback and No. 245 overall player in the country … Was the top performer for a Whitehaven High defense that allowed just 13.6 points per game during his senior season, registering 40 tackles, 12 passes broken up and four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns … Named to the 2015 American Family Insurance All-USA Tennessee first team … Earned a spot on the Tennes - see Sports Writers Association all-state first team as a defensive back after both his junior and senior seasons … Picked by Examiner.com as a Class 6A first-team all- state defensive back as a senior … Chosen by the league coaches as the 2015 Region 4 6A Defensive Player of the Year … Played in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game, which pits the best players from Memphis and Shelby Counties, and intercepted a pass in the contest. Personal: Born Oct. 12, 1997. Junior cornerback Nick Watkins made his first career start versus Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl and acquitted himself well, making three tackles and breaking up one pass. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA