Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/531612
108 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW DEFENSIVE BACKS 2014 campaign and started 11 times … Finished second on the team and first among defensive backs with 68 stops … Also tallied an interception and two passes broken up … Was named to the All-Bowl Team by CBSSports.com, ESPN.com and NFL.com after he logged a career- high 14 tackles in the victory over No. 22 LSU … Appeared in 12 games with one start during the 2013 season … Totaled 12 tackles. Prep: Identified as a five-star player, the No. 2 prospect in California, and the No. 3 safety and No. 30 overall re- cruit nationally by Rivals … Tallied 65 tackles, four inter- ceptions, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries on defense, plus blocked four punts … Also notched 45 catches for 757 yards and six scores as a wide receiver … Tabbed a second-team All-American by USA Today … Voted Defensive Player of the Year by The Orange County Register and also picked up league MVP honors … Played in the Under Armour All-American Game. Personal: Born Jan. 25, 1995 … Mother, Kathy, played soccer in college … Aunt, Joy Fawcett, is an Olympic and World Cup champion on the soccer field … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2013 12-1 12 0 0 0 0 2014 13-11 68 0.5 0 1 2 Totals 25-12 80 0.5 0 1 2 KEIVARAE RUSSELL • CB Sr. • Everett, Wash. Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 190 Career Highlights: Did not play in 2014 while serv- ing an academic suspension … Started all 13 games for the second straight campaign in 2013 … Ranked fifth on the squad with 51 tackles … Also tallied one inter- ception, one fumble recovery and eight passes broken up … Debuted in 2012 with 58 tackles, which ranked fifth on the team … Also compiled two tackles for loss and two inter- ceptions, which ranked third on the team … Earned Freshman All-Amer- ica honors from the Football Writers Association of American and CBSSports.com, while he was a second-team honoree from Sporting News. Prep: Rivals viewed him as a four-star prospect, the No. 3 player in his home state, and the No. 9 athlete and No. 124 overall player nationally … First-team all-state running back who gained 1,293 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on the ground as a senior despite missing three games with an injury … Rushed for 1,850 yards and 20 scores as a junior … Selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Personal: Born Oct. 19, 1993 … Enrolled in Mendoza College of Business. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2012 13-13 58 2.0 0.5 2 2 2013 13-13 51 1.5 0.5 1 8 Totals 26-26 109 3.5 1.0 3 10 ELIJAH SHUMATE • S Sr. • East Orange, N.J. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 213 Career Highlights: Played in every contest and started 11 times last fall … Finished third on the team with 66 tackles … Added 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, an inter- ception, four passes broken up and one fumble recovery … Started four times and played in nine games during the 2013 campaign … Recorded 23 tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass broken up … Saw action in all 13 games as a freshman … Totaled nine tackles and broke up three passes as a rookie nickel. Prep: Listed as a four-star pros- pect, the No. 4 recruit in New Jersey, and the No. 8 safety and No. 113 overall senior in the land by Rivals … Helped Don Bosco Prep finish 2011 as the top-ranked high school squad in the land per USA Today … Named first-team all-state by The Newark Star-Ledger … Scored 14 times and averaged more than six yards per carry on 60 rushes, while he also totaled 41 tackles and two in- terceptions … Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Personal: Born Jan. 12, 1994 … Enrolled in College of Arts and Letters, majoring in film, television and theatre. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2012 13-0 9 0 0 0 3 2013 9-4 23 1.0 0 0 1 2014 13-11 66 2.5 1 1 4 Totals 35-15 98 3.5 1 1 8 DRUE TRANQUIL • S So. • Fort Wayne, Ind. Ht.: 6-1½ • Wt.: 225 Career Highlights: Notre Dame's Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2014 … Played in 11 contests and started three times before a torn ACL ended his rookie campaign … Fin- ished with 33 tackles, one tackle for loss, half a sack, one interception, a fumble recovery and one blocked punt. Prep: Rated as a four-star prospect, Indiana's No. 2 senior, and the No. 14 outside linebacker and No. 171 overall player by Scout … The two-way standout was named The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel's Football Player of the Year in 2013 after he tallied 75 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, four sacks and an interception at linebacker, to go along with 1,420 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns on offense … Hauled in 16 passes for 348 yards and five touchdowns, plus threw a 29-yard touchdown pass … Was named to the first-team Indiana Class 6A all-state squad at linebacker by the Associated Press … Tabbed as an honorable mention Class 5A all-state pick as a junior. Personal: Born Aug. 15, 1995 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2014 11-3 33 1.0 0.5 1 0 JOHN TURNER • S Sr. • Indianapolis Ht.: 6-0½ • Wt.: 225 Career Highlights: Made the switch from safety to Sam linebacker between his sophomore and junior seasons, but has moved back to the secondary for this year … Appeared in every contest last fall, primarily on special teams … Logged four stops … Played in all 13 games during the 2013 campaign … Posted four tackles. Prep: Rated as a three-star player and the No. 15 prospect in Indiana by Rivals … A 2011 selection to The Indianapolis Star Super Team … First-team selection to the Associated Press Class 4A All-State squad … Made 49 tackles and broke up six passes while his team won its second straight state title. Personal: Born June 10, 1994 … Enrolled in Mendoza College of Business, majoring in marketing. Senior safety Elijah Shumate made a career-high 13 tackles in the regular-season finale at USC, which boosted his confidence heading into 2015. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA