Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/841614
DEFENSIVE BACKS Personal: Born July 7, 1998 … His father, Anthony, played football at Virginia Tech … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2016 12-0 14 0.0 0.0 0 0 NICCO FERTITTA • S Jr. • Las Vegas Ht.: 5-9 • Wt.: 179 Career Highlights: Saw action in all 12 games in a reserve role last fall … Notched 17 tackles (0.5 for loss) and two passes broken up … Appeared in 11 games as a rookie in 2015, predominantly on special teams … Made one tackle and forced a fumble. Prep: Ranked as a three-star prospect, the No. 4 player in Nevada and the No. 54 safety in the coun- try by Rivals … Recorded 71 tackles, four intercep- tions and two fumble recoveries during his senior season while helping lead Bishop Gorman to a 15-0 record, its sixth straight state title and the top spot in USA Today's final high school national rankings … Earned first-team all-state laurels from Nevada- Preps.com and The Las Vegas Review-Journal … Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Personal: Born Oct. 30, 1996 … Son of Lorenzo Fer- titta, the billionaire co-founder of Station Casinos and former CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) … Prep teammate of fellow Irish sophomore Alizé Mack … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2015 11-0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 2016 12-0 17 0.5 0.0 0 2 Totals 23-0 18 0.5 0.0 0 2 ALOHI GILMAN • S So. • Laie, Hawai'i Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 195 Career Highlights: Transferred from Navy to Notre Dame in June … Petitioned the NCAA for imme- diate eligibility, but may have to sit out in 2017 season due to transfer rules ... Will have three years of eligibility for the Irish … Played in all 14 games and made 12 starts for the Midshipmen as a true freshman in 2016 … Fin- ished second on the team in tackles (76) and passes broken up (five), recording a career-high 12 stops during the 28-27 win versus Notre Dame … Named the ECAC Rookie of the Year and was honorable mention All-American Athletic Conference. Prep: Rivals rated him as a two-star recruit when he came out of Kahuku High School in 2015 … At- tended the Naval Academy Prep School during the 2015-16 academic year … Was a three-sport ath- lete (basketball, football, and track and field) who lettered three times in football (at three different schools) … Earned all-state honors in football as a senior in Hawai'i. Personal: Grew up in the same Oahu, Hawai'i, neighborhood as former Notre Dame players Manti Te'o and Robby Toma … His sister Kawelina played rugby at Utah Valley. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2016* 14-12 76 5.0 0.0 0 5 * At Navy JULIAN LOVE • CB So. • Westchester, Ill. Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 190 Career Highlights: Played in all 12 games and made eight starts as a true freshman last season … Ranked eighth on the team with 45 tackles, and also contributed two tackles for loss, three passes broken up, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Prep: Rivals ranked him as a four-star prospect, the No. 4 player in Illinois and the No. 21 cornerback in the nation … Totaled 92 tackles, 19 stops for loss, three forced fumbles and one interception during his senior campaign … Also rushed for 1,070 yards and 18 touchdowns, and caught 29 passes for 662 yards and seven scores … Earned first-team MaxPreps Medium School All-America honors … Received first- team all-state recognition from The Chicago Tribune and was tabbed as The Pioneer Press' Area Offen- sive Player of the Year … As a junior, contributed 75 tackles and five interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, and rushed for 749 yards and 11 scores while also catching 20 passes for 549 yards and nine touchdowns … Selected first-team all-state by The Chicago Tribune and was named The Pioneer Press' Area Offensive Player of the Year … Participated in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl. Personal: Born March 19, 1998 … His father, De- traiter, holds the basketball career scoring record at Wentworth Military College, a Division II junior college … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2016 12-8 45 2.0 0.0 1 3 D.J. MORGAN • S So. • Norwalk, Calif. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 208 Career Highlights: Redshirted in 2016. Prep: Listed as a four-star pros- pect, the No. 47 player in Califor- nia and the No. 23 safety in the country by Rivals … Credited with 49 tackles, four stops for loss, two interceptions and one pass de- fended as a senior at St. John Bosco High, and pro- duced 112 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception as a junior … Named second-team All- Trinity League as both a junior and senior. Personal: Born April 8, 1998 … His grandmother is from South Bend, and he also has a couple of great uncles residing in the area … Second cousin of three- time Notre Dame basketball All-American Skylar Diggins-Smith (2009-13), who propelled the recent run of five consecutive trips to the Final Four by the women's team … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. TROY PRIDE JR. • CB So. • Greer, S.C. Ht.: 5-11½ • Wt.: 183 Career Highlights: Saw action in eight contests and made three starts last fall … Recorded 12 tackles (10 solo) and one fumble recovery … Also is a member of the Irish track and field team … Earned second- team All-ACC honors in the 100-meter dash with a personal-best time of 10.47 seconds at the outdoor league meet. Prep: 247Sports rated him as a four-star prospect, the No. 3 senior in South Carolina, and the No. 7 cornerback and No. 95 overall player in the nation … Earned first-team all-state honors from USA Today after intercepting three passes and returning one for a touchdown as a senior … Also contributed 41 receptions for 838 yards and 13 touchdowns, and rushed for 183 yards and three scores … Played for the South Carolina squad in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas … Participated in the Blue-Grey All- American Game, and finished with two interceptions — including one returned for a 58-yard touchdown — and eight tackles to earn MVP honors in the event … Won four state titles at the South Carolina Class AAA state track and field championships as a senior, capturing the 100-meter dash in 10.55 sec- onds, the 200 in 21.28 and the 400 in 48.28. He also ran a leg for the winning 4x100 relay team (42.20). Personal: Born Jan. 19, 1998 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2016 8-3 12 0.0 0.0 0 0 DEVIN STUDSTILL • S So. • Riviera Beach, Fla. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 198 Career Highlights: Played in all 12 games and made nine starts in 2016 after enrolling in January … Compiled 38 tackles (28 solo), one tackle for loss, one interception he returned 30 yards and one forced fumble. Prep: Rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 64 108 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW The fastest player on Notre Dame's 2017 roster, sophomore cornerback Troy Pride Jr. started three games as a freshman in the youth-laden defensive backfield. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN