Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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106 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW DEFENSIVE BACKS Sophomore cornerback Donte Vaughn displayed fine playmaking skill while seeing 296 snaps as a rookie in 2016, tying for the team lead with six passes broken up. (He will wear No. 8 in 2017 after donning No. 35 last year.) PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA QUOTABLE: CORNERBACKS COACH TODD LYGHT ON SIMPLIFYING ASSIGNMENTS: "Guys have to understand what is going on. We're getting a lot of information, but it's not information overload. Going to one-word defenses and understanding what the scheme is within the one word, I think the communication has been better for us on the back end, especially." Starter ★★½ From the outset of spring drills, senior Nick Watkins emerged as the top cor- nerback, showing the ability to thrive in coverage and the willingness to be phys- ical and make plays in the run game. He was flanked all spring by sophomore Julian Love, who made eight starts as a true freshman in 2016 and is one of the best tacklers on the back end. Sophomore Jalen Elliott heads into the fall as the starter at the Whip safety position and converted junior cornerback Nick Coleman will be- gin camp as the starting Stud safety. Sophomore Devin Studstill started nine games last year before falling be- hind Coleman this spring. Experience ★★½ The team's struggles in 2016 forced four freshmen into the starting lineup at various times, and Notre Dame re- turns 29 starts despite having a depth chart dominated by underclassmen. Despite his senior status, Watkins is the least experienced returner at cor- nerback, having made just one career start. Love, Donte Vaughn and Troy Pride Jr. combined for 15 starts as freshmen in 2016, and Studstill added nine. From a big picture standpoint, Notre Dame is still relatively young in the secondary in terms of years in college, but it will not have to worry about us- ing players who lack game experience. Depth ★★½ Last year Notre Dame lost four possible starters in the secondary by game two, either to injuries or disci- pline issues. If such attrition doesn't ravage the group again in 2017, it has a chance to be good. With junior Shaun Crawford held out of contact work during the spring after suffering a second straight season-ending injury last September, Notre Dame had to put a walk-on cor- nerback on the field when Vaughn was forced out with back issues. The same is true at safety, where Notre Dame will be extremely young and inexperienced if it loses one of its top three figures. Overall Grade ★★½ The top question mark on defense is maybe the line, but a strong case could be made at safety. None of the safeties have proven to be consis- tently reliable figures at this point. If Coleman, Elliott, Studstill and freshman Isaiah Robertson can play with steadiness and stay healthy, Notre Dame should be fine at safety. If that does not happen, the back end of the defense will struggle again to provide the production needed to put a playoff-caliber defense on the field. Notre Dame is in much better shape at cornerback, which could be one of the better position groups on the roster. BY THE NUMBERS 6 Passes broken up last year by fresh- man cornerback Donte Vaughn (to go with an interception versus Duke), which tied for the team lead with se- nior cornerback Cole Luke. Particularly notable is Vaughn played only 296 snaps (Luke had 791). It is those playmaking skills that has cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght praising Vaughn as a prospect who can some day play on Sundays. 6.77 Time in the 60-meter dash posted this winter by now sophomore cornerback Troy Pride Jr. in an indoor track meet to qualify for the ACC Championships. The Notre Dame record is 6.68 by Allen Ros- sum (Rocket Ismail ran the 55 meters in his time), with a 6.60 considered world class. The Bleacher Report has rated Pride among the 10 fastest players in college football for 2017. 131 Tackles recorded last year by the five freshman defensive backs who played for Notre Dame, led by Julian Love's 45. That not only would be the most in Fighting Irish annals in one season by a rookie class in the secondary, but it wouldn't be a stretch to say it is among the most in Football Bowl Subdivision history among true freshmen. All five were on the two-deep this spring. 106 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★★ National Title; ★★★★ Top 10; ★★★ Top 25; ★★ Too Unproven; ★ Major Concern