Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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88 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW DEFENSIVE LINEMEN by Rivals … Had 50 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, eight sacks and four forced fumbles his senior season … Named to The Champaign News-Gazette's all‑state football team … Played in the Semper Fidelis All‑American Game. Personal: Born Dec. 19, 1997 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. JAY HAYES • DE Jr. • Brooklyn, N.Y. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 285 Career Highlights: Did not see any game action last year … Played in the final three contests of 2014 and made a pair of tackles. Prep: Rated as a four‑star recruit, the No. 3 player in New York, and the No. 14 defensive tackle and No. 233 overall prospect nationally by Rivals … Tabbed as a three‑time first‑team all‑city selection by MSG Varsity … Played for the U.S. Under‑19 National Team in the International Bowl against Canada. Personal: Born Aug. 16, 1995 … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters. JARRON JONES • NG 5th-Sr. • Rochester, N.Y. Ht.: 6-5½ • Wt.: 315 Career Highlights: Suffered a torn ACL in August 2015 that resulted in knee surgery and kept him sidelined until bowl practices in December … Saw limited action in the Fiesta Bowl and didn't record any stats … Started the first 11 games of 2014 before suffering a season‑ending foot injury against Louisville … Tied for the most tackles by an Irish lineman with 40 and tied for second on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss … Also posted 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, a blocked kick and two passes broken up … Saw action in 12 games during the 2013 campaign and started once … Recorded 20 stops, one tackle for loss, one sack and one forced fumble … Also blocked two kicks … Did not play in 2012. Prep: Listed by Rivals as a four‑star prospect, the No. 2 recruit in New York, and the No. 14 defensive tackle and No. 199 overall player in the country … Two‑time first‑ team defensive lineman on the New York State Sports‑ writers Association Class A All‑State team … Recorded 71 tackles with five sacks, recovered a fumble, broke up nine passes and blocked two field goals as a senior … Helped his squad win a state title as a junior … Played in the U.S. Army All‑American Bowl. Personal: Born March 11, 1994 … Enrolled in the Col ‑ lege of Arts and Letters, majoring in sociology. Year G-GS Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks 2013 12‑1 10 10 20 1.0 1.0 2014 11‑11 23 17 40 7.5 1.5 2015 1‑0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 Totals 24-12 33 27 60 8.5 2.5 PETER MOKWUAH • NG Jr. • Staten Island, N.Y. Ht.: 6-2¾ • Wt.: 317 Career Highlights: Played in two games in 2015, but did not accrue any stats … Did not see game action in 2014. Prep: Regarded by Rivals as a three‑star player and the No. 6 prospect in New York … Was a first‑team all‑city and honorable mention all‑ metro selection by MSG Varsity as a senior … Started for two seasons at defensive end for St. Joseph by‑the‑Sea High. Personal: Born March 19, 1996 … His uncle, Gabe Mokwuah, played defensive tackle at American Interna ‑ tional and was an 11th‑round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft … Enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business. JOHN MONTELUS • DL Sr. • Everett, Mass. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 310 Career Highlights: Played in three games as a reserve offensive line ‑ man last year … Moved to the de‑ fensive line during bowl practices in December … Appeared in one game in 2014 and didn't see the field in 2013. Prep: Listed by Rivals as a four‑star recruit, the No. 1 prospect in Massachusetts, and the No. 4 offensive guard and No. 74 overall player in the land … Started at left tackle and helped lead Everett High to three consecutive state championships … Did not allow a sack during his prep career … Selected as a first‑team all‑state pick at left tackle as a sophomore, junior and senior … Was the first lineman ever named a finalist for ESPN Boston's Mr. Football Award … Played in the U.S. Army All‑American Bowl. Personal: Born Sept. 8, 1995 … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters, majoring in sociology. ISAAC ROCHELL • DE Sr. • McDonough, Ga. Ht.: 6-3½ • Wt.: 290 Career Highlights: Played in all 13 contests and started 12 in 2015 … Notched 63 stops, 7.5 tackles and one sack … His tackle total ranked fifth on the team and was tops among the defensive linemen … His 63 stops were also the most by an Irish lineman since Trevor Laws (112) in 2007 … Also registered seven quarterback hurries and broke up two passes … Started all 13 games in 2014 … Tied for third among linemen with 39 tackles and tied for second among all players with 7.5 tackles for loss … Also posted 2.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, three passes broken up and a blocked field goal … Played in 11 games and totaled 10 tackles as a rookie. Prep: Listed as a four‑star prospect, the No. 11 player in Georgia, and the No. 10 strongside defensive end and No. 124 overall prospect in the land by Rivals … Missed four games of his senior year, but still logged 48 stops, nine tackles for loss and three sacks en route to Class A all‑state laurels from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution … Recorded 97 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a junior … Played in the Offense‑Defense Bowl. Personal: Born April 22, 1995 … His older brother Matt was a three‑year starter on the offensive line at the Air Force Academy from 2012‑15 … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters, majoring in political science. Year G-GS Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks 2013 11‑0 5 5 10 0.0 0.0 2014 13‑13 19 20 39 7.5 2.5 2015 13‑12 31 32 63 7.5 1.0 Totals 37-25 55 57 112 15.0 3.5 ELIJAH TAYLOR • DT So. • Cincinnati Ht.: 6-2¾ • Wt.: 285 Career Highlights: Did not see any game action last season. Prep: Scout identified him as a four‑star recruit, Ohio's No. 11 pros ‑ pect, and the nation's No. 20 defen‑ sive tackle and No. 203 overall player … Finished with 68 tackles, eight stops for loss and five sacks during Moeller's 10‑4 season and run to the Division I state semifinals as a senior … Broke into starting lineup as a sophomore and helped the team win two straight state titles … Recognized as a first‑team Division I all‑state se ‑ lection by both the Associated Press and The Cincinnati Enquirer after his senior year. Personal: Born Feb. 21, 1997 … His father, Kevin, played defensive back at Miami (Ohio) … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. BRANDON TIASSUM • NG So. • Indianapolis Ht.: 6-3½ • Wt.: 302 Career Highlights: Did not play in 2015. Prep: Tabbed as a three‑star pros ‑ pect, the No. 6 player in Indiana and the No. 28 defensive tackle in the land by Rivals … As a senior, racked up 91 tackles, 18 stops for a loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two blocked field goals … Earned a spot on the Associated Press Indiana 2A All‑State team as a senior … Selected to The Indianapolis Star's 2014 Super Team … Played in the Semper Fidelis All‑American Bowl … Helped the Park Tudor basketball team win a state crown as a junior. Personal: Born Oct. 9, 1996 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. JERRY TILLERY • DT So. • Shreveport, La. Ht.: 6-6½ • Wt.: 310 Career Highlights: Saw action in all 12 regular‑season contests and made three starts last fall … Tabbed as the Notre Dame Defensive New ‑ comer of the Year after notching 12 tackles, two stops behind the line of scrimmage and a sack … Enrolled in January 2015. Prep: Ranked as a four‑star recruit, the No. 6 player in Louisiana, and the No. 15 defensive tackle and No. 145 overall prospect nationally by Rivals … While playing full‑ BGI'S 2016 DEPTH CHART No. Strongside End Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 90 Isaac Rochell 6‑3½ 290 Sr./1 55 Jonathan Bonner 6‑3 286 Jr./3 92 Grant Blankenship 6‑4¾ 278 Jr./2 53 Khalid Kareem 6‑3¾ 270 Fr./4 91 Adetokunbo Ogundeji 6‑5 216 Fr./4 No. Three-Technique Tackle Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 99 Jerry Tillery 6‑6½ 310 So./3 58 Elijah Taylor 6‑2¾ 285 So./4 97 Micah Dew‑Treadway 6‑4 300 So./4 No. Nose Guard Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 94 Jarron Jones 6‑5½ 315 5th/1 75 Daniel Cage 6‑0¾ 315 Jr./2 96 Pete Mokwuah 6‑2¾ 317 Jr./3 77 Brandon Tiassum 6‑3½ 302 Jr./3 60 John Montelus 6‑4 310 Sr./2 No. Weakside End Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 98 Andrew Trumbetti 6‑3½ 260 Jr./2 or 93 Jay Hayes 6‑3 285 Jr./3 9 Daelin Hayes 6‑3½ 257 Fr./4 42 Julian Okwara 6‑4 216 Fr./4