Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 85 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN QUOTABLE: HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY ON THE RISE OF SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE END DAELIN HAYES THIS SPRING: "We have to be patient with him. He's an explosive athlete, and there are going to be some mistakes along the way. I'm okay with that as long as he's learning. We're going to live with some of the mistakes as long as he is the same kid every day, which he is. He cares deeply about wanting to get better. He's extremely athletic, and he's fit physically." 2016 VS. 2017: STOCK UP OR DOWN? On paper, Notre Dame is down because of the graduation of three-year starting strongside end Isaac Rochell and starting nose guard Jarron Jones, both of whom are vying for spots on an NFL roster. Last year, that duo ac- counted for 100 tackles, 18 stops behind the line of scrimmage and all three Irish sacks by the linemen. Of the eight other linemen who played and return in 2017, they posted 110 total stops and only 4.5 tackles for loss. Rochell wasn't flashy, but he could hold the edge well and was remarkably durable. Jones was inconsistent but demon- strated dominance on occasion. For now, the Irish line is lacking both elements. X-FACTOR There is much guarded optimism with sophomore drop end Daelin Hayes. Like the trio of Aaron Lynch, Stephon Tuitt and Ishaq Williams in 2011, Hayes was a five-star recruit in 2016, although it was based more on potential than actual production. Shoulder injuries (three surgeries) and a cross-country move limited him to about seven high school games over his final three years. His progress throughout the spring, capped with getting credited for three sacks and consistently harassing the quarterback in the Blue-Gold Game, has shown that the Irish pass rush can be significantly upgraded. FRESHMAN OUTLOOK Among the five prospects signed in February, nose guard Darnell Ewell is Notre Dame's highest ranked defensive tackle recruit — the No. 9 defensive tackle and No. 139 overall prospect nationally according to Rivals — since Louis Nix back in 2010, when current head coach Brian Kelly was on his first few months on the job. Ewell should crack the rotation right away and so could classmate Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, who is projected to line up first at strongside end but could grow into a tackle. The interior of the line is where a rookie will have a much better opportunity to contribute in 2017. DID YOU KNOW? Defensive line coach Mike Elston, who has also doubled as the recruiting coordinator since 2015, is in his 14th consecutive year on head coach Brian Kelly's staff, with the last seven of them at Notre Dame. Elston is the lone original member of the 10-man staff, including strength and condition- ing, that Kelly hired at Notre Dame in 2010. The defensive line coach from 2010-14, Elston coached the linebackers the past two years before moving back to the line this spring. His eighth consecutive year at Notre Dame is the longest tenure by an Irish assistant since former defensive line coach Greg Mattison also spent eight years on the staffs of Bob Davie (1997-2001) and Tyrone Willingham (2002-04). Elston took his first Football Bowl Subdivision coaching job at Central Michigan under Kelly in 2004. SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS (18) Listed after the class year is the years of eligibility remaining. Strongside End 93 Jay Hayes (6-3½, 281), Sr./2 98 Andrew Trumbetti (6-4, 252), Sr./1 53 Khalid Kareem (6-4, 267), So./3 95 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (6-4, 250), Fr./4 92 Jonathan MacCollister (6-3, 244), Fr./4 Defensive Tackle 55 Jonathan Bonner (6-3½, 284), Sr./2 97 Micah Dew-Treadway (6-4, 299), Jr./3 77 Brandon Tiassum (6-4, 304), Jr./3 58 Elijah Taylor (6-3, 280), Jr./3 41 Kurt Hinish (6-2, 280), Fr./4 Nose Tackle 99 Jerry Tillery (6-6½, 308), Jr./2 90 Daniel Cage (6-1, 329), Sr./1 96 Pete Mokwuah (6-3½, 326), Sr./2 94 Darnell Ewell (6-4, 280), Fr./4 Drop End 9 Daelin Hayes (6-3½, 255), So./3 42 Julian Okwara (6-4½, 235), So./3 91 Adetokunbo Ogundeji (6-4½, 251), So./4 47 Kofi Wardlow (6-3, 210), Fr./4 NOTABLE DATA The 14 quarterback sacks record by Notre Dame in 2016 ranked tied for 117th nationally among 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, and were the fewest in school history since 1991, when head coach Lou Holtz's 10-3 Irish man- aged only 12. That Irish team also allowed 204.8 rushing yards per game (84th nationally), whereas the 2016 crew permitted "only" 182.4 (72nd). After the departure of 1990-91 defensive coordinator Gary Darnell, a more veteran Irish defense, led by lineman Bryant Young, registered 36 QB sacks the next year. While similar improvement in 2017 might be unrealistic, it is noteworthy that new defensive coordinator Mike Elko's Wake Forest unit finished 11th nationally last season with 41 sacks. Sophomore drop end Daelin Hayes flashed much-need- ed pass-rushing ability with his three-sack perfor- mance in the Blue-Gold Game. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN