Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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86 MARCH 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Okwara and Khalid Kareem, who finished with the second and third most quarterback hurries, seven and six, respectively, to Tillery's 11. Both freshman reserve tackles, Myron Ta- govailoa-Amosa and Kurt Hinish, are back as well. • The entire two-deep in the sec- ondary returns, led by sophomore cornerback Julian Love, whose 20 passes broken up and 23 passes de- fended overall ranked No. 2 nation- ally. Speedster Troy Pride Jr. was effec- tive while moving ahead of returning fifth-year senior Nick Watkins at the end of last season, and even Donte Vaughn had four starts as a 2016 freshman. Shaun Crawford was the top nickel back last season as a junior. At safety, Nick Coleman and Jalen Elliott are the incumbents, but head coach Brian Kelly said Navy trans- fer Alohi Gilman, ineligible last season because of his move, would have been a starter. Another backup, Devin Studstill, had nine starts as a 2016 freshman. • At linebacker, Te'von Coney re- turns after leading the 2017 team in tackles (116) and tackles for loss (13), while senior Drue Tranquill will be back for a fifth season after placing third in tackles (85) and second in stops for loss (10.5). The lone full-time starter not re- turning is linebacker Nyles Morgan. Technically, the graduating Greer Martini was a co-starter last season, but one would not be inaccurate to say 10 of 11 starters are back. The caveat is the unit will be work- ing with yet another new coordi- nator in Clark Lea, the linebackers coach under Mike Elko (now at Texas A&M) last year. Fortunately, the no- menclature should be familiar to all the personnel. There is not a two-deep defense in the FBS that returns with more play- ing time than Notre Dame in 2018. Experience alone doesn't guarantee prosperity (see Kizer at quarterback in 2016 versus 2015), but building on the upgrade that was evident in 2017 should continue. 2018 NOTRE DAME SCHEDULE Date Opponent (2017 Record) Sept. 1 Michigan (8-5) Sept. 8 Ball State (2-10) Sept. 15 Vanderbilt (5-7) Sept. 22 at Wake Forest (7-6) Sept. 29 Stanford (9-5) Oct. 6 at Virginia Tech (9-4) Oct. 13 Pittsburgh (5-7) Oct. 27 vs. Navy* (7-6) Nov. 3 at Northwestern (10-3) Nov. 10 Florida State (7-6) Nov. 17 vs. Syracuse^ (4-8) Nov. 24 at USC (11-3) * at San Diego; ^ at Yankee Stadium in New York City Record-Tying Nine Fifth-Year Seniors Slated To Return After carrying only three fifth-year se- niors in 2017 — offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Hunter Bivin, plus tight end Durham Smythe — Notre Dame ostensibly is going to triple that total in 2018. Many of the decisions to opt for a fifth year were a pleas- ant surprise: • The least surprising were offensive line- men Sam Mustipher (center) and Alex Bars (right guard), who will be third-year starters with potential NFL careers in front of them. • Equally important are the return of start- ing defensive linemen Jonathan Bonner and Jay Hayes. Bonner had indicated to the Notre Dame student newspaper, The Observer, in November, prior to Senior Day, that his plan was to move on from football after his senior year. Hayes had been on the bubble. Now, combined with junior nose guard Jerry Tillery also opting to return rather than turn pro, the defensive line could be one of the two strongest areas on the team when com- bining experience, depth and pro potential. • Likewise, 2017 rover and team captain Drue Tranquill — slated to be married July 14 — was primed for either an NFL tryout or as an Academic All-American utilize his engi- neering degree after an outstanding senior year in which he was third in tackles (85), second in tackles for loss (10.5) and first in fumble recoveries (three). His decision to return provides much-needed experience at linebacker with current junior and No. 1 tackler Te'von Coney. • Also a pleasant surprise is the return of cornerback Nick Watkins, who started most of the season and was second in passes defensed (eight), before sophomore Troy Pride Jr. moved in as a starter. • Tight end Nic Weishar (nine catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns in 2017) will vie for snaps with Alizé Mack (348 snaps to Weishar's 215 last year), plus Cole Kmet and Brock Wright. • Punter Tyler Newsome will be a fourth-year starter. • Finally, receiver Freddy Canteen, who played his first three seasons (2014-16) at Michigan, will give football one more try after an injury-riddled career that has seen him catch two passes the past three years. He started the first two games for the Irish in 2017 before suffering a torn labrum. With the receiving corps losing "The S Squad" of Equanimeous St. Brown (turned pro), Kevin Stepher- son (dismissed) and C.J. Sanders (transferring after receiving his undergraduate Notre Dame degree), an opportunity to play is there. The most fifth-year seniors the Irish have ever had were nine apiece in 2003 and 2007. However, that hardly ensures success. The 2003 team finished 5-7 despite the presence of fifth-year stars such as linebacker Courtney Wat- son, defensive linemen Cedric Hilliard and Darrell Campbell, offensive tackle Jim Molinaro and even explosive running back Julius Jones, who was academically ineligible a year earlier. Meanwhile, the 2007 team had top fifth-year seniors and future NFL players such as tight end John Carlson, center John Sullivan, defensive lineman Trevor Laws and safety Tom Zbikowski, but they were part of a 3-9 train wreck that year with the Irish. The overall 2018 roster is much better fortified than in those seasons, and should be far more capable of competing for a third 10-win campaign in the past four years. — Lou Somogyi The return of team captain Drue Tranquill — who ranked third in tackles (85), second in tackles for loss (10.5) and first in fumble recoveries (three) — provides the middle of the Irish defense with a huge boost in 2018. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL