Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/841614
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 105 DEFENSIVE BACKS QUOTABLE: HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY ON JUNIOR NICK COLEMAN, A TOP SURPRISE THIS SPRING WHILE MOVING FROM NO. 3 CORNERBACK TO NO. 1 STRONG SAFETY: "We will put somebody there to take first- team reps if we feel he can help us win a championship, and Nick Coleman has convinced us he's there to stay. Profiling somebody that has corner skills playing safety, you can imagine that he brings a different skill set to the position." 2016 VS. 2017: STOCK UP OR DOWN? This would appear to be a wash. On one hand, Notre Dame graduated cornerback Cole Luke, who started every game the past three years, and senior safety Drue Tranquill was shifted to rover in coordinator Mike Elko's new scheme (in a pinch, he could return to safety). On the other hand, the necessary use of five freshman defensive backs last season should reap some dividends this year, although the terminology is new. The addition of cornerbacks Nick Watkins and Shaun Crawford — both sidelined last year after they were projected to start (Crawford at nickel) — could make the difference in a vital upgrade. X-FACTOR Each of the last two seasons, the junior Crawford has been described by the coach- ing staff as arguably the team's top cover man because of his combination of speed, versatility and football instincts. As a 2015 freshman, Crawford was declared the starting nickel two weeks into practice — and then tore his ACL in August. Last year in the opener at Texas, he intercepted a pass and returned a blocked extra point attempt for two points — and then in the opening minutes the following week he suffered a torn Achilles. Crawford did some non-contact work this spring, but can he remain healthy and return to the form that makes him such an appealing option? FRESHMAN OUTLOOK After signing three corners and four safeties in 2016 (Spencer Perry transferred this spring), Notre Dame reeled in only two safeties — Isaiah Robertson and Jordan Genmark Heath — and zero corners this winter. Robertson was an early enrollee and in just a few months he upped his weight from 195 to 208 pounds. More pertinent was during the 15 spring practices he demonstrated playmaking skills and instincts that will have him vying for action on the back end at the Whip position, which more generally has been a center fielder who can cover much ground. At the minimum, Robertson is pro- jected to be a mainstay on special teams. DID YOU KNOW? Among the three cornerbacks Notre Dame signed in 2016, Julian Love's No. 481 compos- ite ranking from 247Sports (using the four major recruiting services) as an overall prospect was well behind Fighting Irish classmates Troy Pride Jr. (No. 244) and Donte Vaughn (No. 310). Love is neither as tall or rangy as Vaughn nor as fast as Pride, a sprinter for Notre Dame's track team, but his combination of football acumen, consistency and sure tackling enabled him to work at nickel, corner and even safety on occasion last year while making eight starts. Love's 45 tackles were the third most ever by a Notre Dame freshman defensive back since 1972, when the NCAA permitted freshman eligibility. Only cornerback KeiVarae Russell (58) in 2012 and safety Randy Har- rison (57) in 1974, not including the bowl, had more. SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS (14) Listed after the class year is the years of eligibil- ity remaining. Field Cornerback 27 Julian Love (5-11, 190), So./3 18 Troy Pride Jr. (5-11½, 183), So./3 20 Shaun Crawford (5-9, 175), Jr./3 Boundary Cornerback 7 Nick Watkins (6-1, 203), Sr./2 8 Donte Vaughn (6-2½, 209), So./3 Stud Safety 24 Nick Coleman (6-0, 187), Jr./2 14 Devin Studstill (6-0, 198), So./3 28 Nicco Fertitta (5-9, 179), Jr./2 26 Ashton White (5-10½, 197), Jr./3 13 Jordan Genmark Heath (6-2, 200), Fr./4 Whip Safety 21 Jalen Elliott (6-0½, 208), So./3 17 Isaiah Robertson (6-1½, 208), Fr./4 32 D.J. Morgan (6-2, 208), So./4 12 Alohi Gilman^ (6-0, 195), So./3 ^ Petitioned the NCAA for immediate eligibility, but may have sit out the 2017 season due to transfer rules Junior Nick Coleman was one of the top surprises during the spring, moving from third-string cor- nerback to first-team strong safety. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA NOTABLE DATA Back in 1972, Notre Dame defensive back Mike Townsend led the nation in interceptions with 10. In the past two seasons, despite playing more games, the Fighting Irish as a team have been unable to total more, finishing with eight last year (tied for 93rd nationally) and nine in 2015. A Notre Dame defensive back also has not had a pick-six since Bennett Jackson in 2013 during a 31-24 victory versus Purdue in game three. Generating turnovers overall has been an is- sue for the Irish, with the 14 last year tied for 104th nationally. New defensive coordinator Mike Elko's Wake Forest edition finished tied for 10th with 27 (15 fumbles recoveries and 12 interceptions).