Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 97 LINEBACKERS POSITION COACH Mike Elston enters his 17th year of collegiate coaching and his sixth straight at Notre Dame, although he shifts from defensive line coach — a group he has headed for the past five years — to lineback- ers and also added the title of re- cruiting coordinator in 2015. He has played an important role in molding many of the team's de- fensive linemen since taking the job in 2010, and four freshmen played roles last fall. Elston has also developed several upperclassmen during his time in South Bend — 2014 team captain Sheldon Day enters this season as one of the top defensive linemen in the nation. He also helped groom Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix for the 2014 NFL Draft, with the All-America duo becoming the first pair of Irish defensive linemen to be selected in the top three rounds of the same draft since 1997. Led by Elston's front, the Notre Dame defense was especially stout against the run in 2012. The Irish permit- ted just four touchdowns on the ground — a mark that stood as the best in the nation. The squad held eight different opponents to less than 100 yards rushing, and only one Football Bowl Subdivision team allowed fewer opponents to reach triple digits. Despite Notre Dame utilizing a 3-4 scheme, 23.5 of the team's 34 sacks (69.1 percent) in 2012 were from linemen, while Nix and Tuitt gave the team its first pair of defensive linemen to earn All-America honors in the same season since 1989. The former Michigan linebacker has served in a num- ber of roles in his time as an assistant under Irish head coach Brian Kelly, whom he has worked for every year since 2004, when he was hired to mentor Central Michi- gan's defensive line. He added the title of co-defensive coordinator the following year before he shifted his fo- cus to linebackers and special teams coordinator in 2006. When Kelly left for Cincinnati in 2007, Elston followed as the recruiting and special teams coordinator, plus he coached the tight ends. That arrangement lasted for two seasons, and then he shifted to defensive line coach, special teams coordinator and assistant head coach for the 2009 campaign. While with the Bearcats, he coached punter Kevin Huber — a Pro Bowler for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014 — to first-team All-America accolades in 2007 and 2008. Elston came to Notre Dame with Kelly prior to the 2010 season and worked with the defensive line each of his first five seasons with the Irish, while he doubled as the special teams coordinator in his first two years. He helped former walk-on kicker David Ruffer finish as one of three Lou Groza Award finalists in his first year on campus. Elston first became a full-time assistant coach at East- ern Michigan, where he served from 2001-03. He came in as a defensive ends coach before serving his final two seasons as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. His coaching career kicked off as a graduate assistant at Michigan from 1999-2000. Elston lettered for the Wolverines as an outside line- backer from 1994-96. He served as a student assistant in 1997 before working as a video intern in 1998. RETURNING PLAYERS MICHAEL DEEB • ILB Jr. • Plantation, Fla. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 255 Career Highlights: Played in two games last fall, but did not record any statistics. Prep: Listed by ESPN as a four- star prospect, the No. 73 recruit in Florida and the No. 17 inside linebacker in the land … Earned first-team All-Broward County honors from The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and The Miami Herald as a senior … Was one of the 12 national finalists for high school's Dick Butkus Award, which is presented to the best prep linebacker in the land … Totaled 95 tackles, four sacks and an interception as a senior … Declined an invitation to the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. Personal: Born Dec. 18, 1994 … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters. JARRETT GRACE • ILB 5th-Sr. • Cincinnati Ht.: 6-2½ • Wt.: 253 Career Highlights: Did not play last year while recovering from the broken leg that sidelined him for the second half of the 2013 campaign … Played in each of the first six games of his junior season with a trio of starts before getting hurt … His 40 tackles were tied for the team lead at the time of his injury … Played in all 13 games in 2012, con- tributing mostly on special teams … Logged 12 tackles and led the team with 10 special teams stops. Prep: Scout ranked him as a four-star recruit, the No. 14 player in Ohio, and the No. 14 inside linebacker and No. 235 overall player in the land … A first-team Associated Press Division I all-state pick in 2010 … Also earned conference Defensive Player of the Year laurels after racking up 92 total stops, 17 tackles for loss, four sacks and four passes broken up … Recorded five tackles, one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. Personal: Born Oct. 8, 1992 … Uncle, Eric Kattus, was a fourth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals out of Michi- gan … Enrolled in Mendoza College of Business, majoring in management-consulting. Year G-GS Solo Asst. Total TFL Sacks 2012 13-0 7 5 12 0 0 2013 6-3 17 23 40 1.0 0 Totals 19-3 24 28 52 1.0 0 KOLIN HILL • OLB So. • Schertz, Texas Ht.: 6-1½ • Wt.: 230 Career Highlights: Appeared in nine games as a true freshman last year … Posted seven tackles, 2.5 stops for loss and a pair of sacks. Prep: Rivals rated him as a three- star prospect, the No. 36 player in Texas and the nation's No. 21 inside linebacker … Schertz High went to the playoffs for the first time in four years during his senior season, while he notched 96 tackles, 13 sacks, 10 passes defended and a pair of forced fumbles … Was named an honorable mention selection on the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors' Class 4A all-state squad. Personal: Born June 21, 1996 … Played in high school alongside twin brother Kaleb, who redshirted at Boise State in 2014 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. Year G-GS Solo Asst. Total TFL Sacks 2014 9-0 3 4 7 2.5 2 GREER MARTINI • OLB So. • Cary, N.C. Ht.: 6-2½ • Wt.: 240 Career Highlights: Played in all 13 games with two starts as a true freshman in 2014 … Tallied 26 stops, two tackles for loss and one sack. Prep: Ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 7 prospect in Virginia, and the No. 11 inside line- backer and No. 255 overall player by ESPN … A Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I all- state pick as both a junior and senior linebacker … Led the team with 92 tackles and was named to USA Today American Family Insurance's All-USA Virginia team … Played for the U.S. Under-19 National Team in the Inter- national Bowl against Canada. Personal: Born June 6, 1995 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. Year G-GS Solo Asst. Total TFL Sacks 2014 13-2 17 9 26 2 1 NYLES MORGAN • ILB So. • Crete, Ill. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 237 Career Highlights: Played in 12 contests and started four times as a true freshman last season … Was named to the Football Writers As- sociation of America's Freshman All- America team after he posted 47 stops, 3.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks … Recorded double-digit tackles in three straight games (Northwestern, Louisville and USC) PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES Nyles Morgan earned Freshman All-America ac- colades after making 47 stops (3.5 for loss) in 12 appearances and four starts last year, but still suffered some growing pains. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA