Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/841614
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 121 Junior Chris Lindstrom started 22 games at right guard, but he's now the starting right tackle. Sophomore guard Elijah Johnson's recovery from knee surgery is the biggest question mark up front. Best Defensive Lines 1. North Carolina State — Notre Dame won't face another defensive line that returns the size, strength, experience and production the Wolfpack do. North Carolina State's top five returning defensive linemen combined for 51 tackles for loss, 26.5 sacks and 22 quarterback hurries last season. Senior end Bradley Chubb was dominant last season, finishing with 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, while junior end Darian Roseboro added 11.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. If senior tackle B.J. Hill can get back to his 2015 level, this unit could be one of the nation's best. 2. Miami (Fla.) — The Hurricanes were young up front a season ago, but despite their youth they had impressive production. With its top eight linemen set to return, Miami should field an outstanding unit. Sophomore end Joe Jackson (11.5 tack- les for loss and 8.5 sacks) leads the eight- man rotation that produced 67.5 tackles for loss, 25 sacks and 10 hurries last fall. Kendrick Norton, a 312-pound tackle who fin- ished with 10 tackles for loss in 2016, is one of the top inte- rior players in the ACC. 3. Georgia — Georgia does not return the same pro- duction up front, with its top six returning linemen record- ing just 20.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks last season. The Bulldogs played three fresh- men and three sophomores in the rotation, and after taking their lumps last fall the unit is ready to thrive in 2017. Getting junior end Jona- than Ledbetter back to full speed after missing six games last season is key to Georgia's success up front. Defensive tackle Trenton Thompson is a former five-star recruit that is set for a strong junior season. Best Linebackers 1. USC — The Trojans have everything one could want from a linebacking corps — excellent size, expe- rience and outstanding depth. Junior outside linebacker Porter Gustin proved to be a dominant force on the edge last season, registering 13 tack- les for loss and 5.5 sacks. Middle linebacker Cameron Smith led USC with 83 tackles last season and he'll be joined inside by former five-star recruit John Houston Jr. Former five-star Oluwole Betiku should see a bump in playing time as a sophomore. 2. Georgia — Like USC, the Bulldogs employ four linebackers in the 3-4 defense head coach Kirby Smart brought with him from Alabama. Georgia's linebackers were up and down in the first year under Smart, but they are expected to make big strides in year two. Junior Roquan Smith led the Bulldogs with 95 tackles last season and he's on the verge of becoming a force in the SEC. Geor- gia will look for senior outside linebackers Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy to im- prove upon their combined 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks last season. 3. Miami (Fla.) — Having to play three freshman linebackers was certainly not ideal for the Hurricanes last season, but being thrown into the fire should prove advanta- geous for the unit in 2017. Miami has argu- ably the fastest group of linebackers on the Irish schedule. Sophomore Shaquille Quarterman is ready to emerge as one of the nation's top line- backers after posting 84 tackles, 10 stops behind the line and eight quarterback hur- ries as a true freshman. Classmate Michael Pinckney added another 61 stops and 7.5 tackles for loss. Best Defensive Backs 1. Stanford — The Cardinal staff has up- graded the talent on the back end of its de- fense in recent seasons, and its athletic young players are now experienced. Stanford's sec- ondary suffered a number of injuries last sea- son, which helped it establish much-needed depth as it heads into the 2017 season. Junior safety Justin Reid is ready to become one of Stanford's top players after finishing with 57 tackles and seven passes broken up last season. Senior Alijah Holder (6-2, 182), junior Quenton Meeks (6-2, 204) and senior Alameen Murphy (5-11, 198) used their length to combine for 20 passes broken up. 2. Temple — Three starters return from a Temple secondary that helped lead one of the nation's top pass defenses in 2016. The Owls ranked third nationally, giving up just 152.1 passing yards per game. They also were 13th in the land in pass efficiency defense, holding quarterbacks to a 111.06 rating. Senior Sean Chandler and ju- nior Delvon Randall form argu- ably the top safety tandem on the schedule. The duo combined for six picks, six passes bro- ken up and 9.5 tackles for loss last season. Graduate transfer cornerback Mike Jones was a Sheridan Broadcasting Network Black College All-American for North Carolina Central last sea- son. 3. Georgia — Smart's sec- ondary didn't struggle last sea- son, but it didn't live up to ex- pectations either. With all four starters returning the Bulldogs should be far more potent on the back end this season. Senior safety Dominick Sanders dropped off a season ago after earning Associated Press first-team All-SEC hon- ors in 2015. He'll anchor the back end along with senior cor- nerback Malkom Parrish, who led the Bulldogs with 11 passes defended last fall. A pair of highly ranked and heavily recruited freshmen — safety Richard LeCounte and cornerback Deangelo Gibbs — will push for playing time. ✦ Boston College defensive end Harold Landry was dominant as a junior last year, racking up 22 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks. PHOTO COURTESY BOSTON COLLEGE ATHLETICS