2008 Fighting Irish Fall Practice Review

Coming off a 2007 campaign that left much to be desired, the Irish have a lot to prove. To some extent, Fall (and Spring) practice can answer lingering questions about deficiencies the Irish failed to correct last season. However, uncertainty will inevitably remain until September 6 when the Irish face San Deigo State.

This Fall head coach Charlie Weis has issued a “Dive Right In” mentality, challenging them to bring a determined work ethic to practice. This bodes well for the Irish as it promotes good tempo, quality repetitions, and physical play. Practices have looked more intense, emotional, and fun. Weis has also issued an edict banning the team from discussing the 2007 season, another tactic aimed at getting Notre Dame off on the right foot in 2008.

The off-season saw quite a bit of change for Notre Dame with all the offensive linemen in the two deep tipping the scales at over 300 lbs. Additionally, the interior defensive linemen increased their squat to above 600 lbs and the running backs all upped their bench by 100 lbs. These measurables were off-season targets to address issues with poor physical offensive line play at the point of attack, insufficient run support from the front three on defense, and running backs frequently going down on first contact.

Many Fighting Irish fans were excited to see the impact of the freshmen. With Alabama’s recruiting class suffering from defections, academic ineligibilities, etc. Notre Dame’s incoming class of recruits is now the top in the country according to Rivals. Other than the defensive line, the Irish likely won’t need contributions from the youngsters, but some of them may be too talented to keep off the field. At other positions the freshmen will be counted on to build depth, driving competition and increasing the overall level of team play.

Notre Dame fans are also optimistic for the 2008 season, with many predicting eight or more wins. Generally speaking, the most player improvement occurs between the first and second seasons. With so many freshmen gaining valuable playing time in 2007 and a much more favorable schedule, expecting improvement isn’t unreasonable. But moving the win total from three to eight would be a significant achievement.

It should be noted that drawing meaningful conclusions from practice footage is a risky endeavor. The film typically includes relatively benign parts of practice: stretching, basic drills, etc. Additionally, many times it’s a half-full/half-empty proposition with one unit of the team looking good and casting doubt over the performance of the opposing unit. It is also typical for practice situations to create artificial advantages for certain positions. Finally, the camera angles are atrocious, not allowing much to be gleaned from the little video available.

With those disclaimers in hand, a summary of the Fighting Irish Fall practice camp and an outlook on the personnel heading into the 2008 season follows.

Offense

Quarterback

From very limited video Jimmy Clausen looks to have picked up right where he left off in the Spring. Physically, Clausen is a different player and it shows as he has considerably more zip on his passes. He also looks more comfortable in the offense suggesting his grasp of the playbook has progressed.

Sharpley is the entrenched backup behind Clausen. He should serve as a dependable second signal caller should the Irish need him. Dayne Crist is the most imposing physical specimen at the position. He has a very strong arm but his accuracy leaves quite a bit to be desired. To date, Crist doesn’t seem that comfortable in the offense as his “happy feet” indicate. If Weis’ comments are any indication Crist won’t see the field this year, redshirting and giving the third string duties to the son of former Notre Dame great Joe Montana.

Running Back

If there is one position where Notre Dame has top-to-bottom talent, it’s running back. There is size, speed, and quickness in surplus and the increased strength in the off-season should pay dividends in yards after contact. The Irish have three legitimate contenders for the starting role but will likely employ a “running back by committee” approach. Junior James Aldridge and sophomores Armando Allen and Robert Hughes head the triumvirate, with Hughes likely getting the majority of the carries.

Hughes might have lost a step in straight-line speed from a year ago but his cuts are more decisive and his power is exceptional. He can move the pile, something valuable in short yardage situations. He also has exceptional balance and agility for a back in the 240 lbs range but could benefit from running with a lower pad level. His ball skills are good, protecting the football before contact and always keeping the ball on the outside.

Aldridge is much of the same but with a little more quickness, especially in his cuts. He runs just as tough as last season and the competition at the position seems to have brought out the best in his effort. He also looks to have increased his speed in the off-season.

Allen has to be the most improved back in the mix. He is running with more authority and patience, something he desperately needed to develop after the 2007 season. Allen has showed better vision, waiting for holes to develop rather than charging ahead through the line of scrimmage, and his balance is nearly as good as Hughes. He has elite speed and quickness, rarely slowing to make a change of direction. This, coupled with good hands and increased pass protection skills, and Allen could be very dangerous in passing situations. He has run tougher this Fall than last season, but his shiftiness prevents defenders from getting a solid hit on his small frame which should help his durability.

Lost in the mix of the top three are junior Barry Gallup Jr. and freshmen Jonas Gray. Gallup seems to be an afterthought after a Spring switch from wide receiver, but he has looked very good in the Fall. He has very good cutting ability in space, rarely slowing down to change direction. While not the first choice for getting carries, Gallup could provide solid minutes if needed.

Gray has been one of the most impressive freshmen through the Fall. He is built like a truck and very explosive for 230 lbs, accelerating through the whole with tremendous power. His vision is excellent and he keeps his legs churning on contact. Some (including myself) have doubted his speed but the doubts are ill-founded.

Wide Receiver

The wide receiver position has been a mixed bag for Notre Dame under Weis. Upon arriving Weis and his staff turned relative unknowns Rhema McKnight, Jeff Samardzija, and Maurice Stovall into household names. After multiple seasons in relative obscurity, McKnight, Samardzija, and Stovall dramatically elevated their play. The receiving corps during Weis first two years broke multiple records and it looked like the future for the Irish wide receivers was bright.

Behind the trio of McKnight, Samardzija, and Stovall was nearly no experience. Only senior David Grimes logged any meaningful minutes during 2005 and 2006. Recruiting at the position was solid over Weis’ first two years but has really taken off the last two. The Irish have talent, but it remains to be seen if it will develop.

Generally speaking, all the wide receivers look better this Fall than during the 2007 season. Route running has improved and blocking down the field should create more opportunities for the offense to gain big chunks of yardage in the running game. However, most of the wide receivers still seem to have trouble getting off the line of scrimmage against press coverage. This deficiency has haunted the Irish passing game in the past and is an area that needs vast improvement going into 2008.

The known commodities in the receiver corps are sophomore Duval Kamara and Grimes. Kamara has locked up one starting receiver spot after missing some practice time in the Spring. Coming of a record setting freshman season, the 6’5” Kamara has excellent speed for his size. Improving his consistency catching the ball will be imperative to increase his production from last year.

Grimes holds the other starting spot showing good leadership in the Fall. Easily the most experienced receiver on the team, Grimes should serve as the most dependable pass catcher in 2008. His route running and hands are very good but his size may hold him back from having a very productive year. Juniors Robbie Parris and George West have been hampered by injuries but should be able to contribute admirably if needed.

Even with the optimism surrounding Grimes and Kamara, the talk of Fall camp has been Golden Tate and Michael Floyd. Despite his diminutive size, Tate proved in 2007 that he has the speed and athleticism to stretch the field. However, he had trouble transitioning from running back in high school to a complete wide receiver in his first college season. The word from practice is that Tate’s understanding of the offense and nuances of the wide receiver position have grown considerably. His ascension on the depth chart certainly seems to support this notion and could provide Notre Dame with the deep threat it needs.

Floyd has been creating his own buzz in the Fall with complete wide receiver play. He arrived on campus with the size and strength necessary to contribute immediately, and hasn’t done anything to disappoint so far. Running excellent routes, showing good strength blocking, and snagging just about everything around him, Floyd should see the field a lot in 2008.

Freshmen Deion Walker and John Goodman have also shown flashes of greatness in practice. Walker is a very fluid route runner with the ability to get yards after the catch. Goodman has shown great speed. While both need to add size and strength to consistently contribute, the future looks bright for these two freshmen.

Tight End

The tight end position has been a recruiting dream under Weis. The athleticism of the tight ends on the Irish roster is second to none. The depth chart took a blow with the knee injury of Mike Ragone as he was slated to be the starter and looked poised for a breakout year after a good showing in the Blue & Gold game. It’s a tough break for the sophomore who worked diligently in the off-season to add the size and strength needed to shore up his blocking skills.

Behind Ragone are a trio of talented, albeit inexperienced players. Juniors Will Yeatman and Luke Schmidt give the Irish flexibility. Both are solid blockers and receivers with Yeatman playing more on the line and Schmidt likely taking on a H-back role. Schmidt, in particular, looks very comfortable after moving from fullback last Spring. His blocking technique and physicality at the point of attack will prove to be valuable assets for the Irish running game.

The wildcard in the mix is freshmen Kyle Rudolph. Anointed with the starting duties by Weis, Rudolph comes to Notre Dame with much acclaim. He has great size at 6’6” and 250 lbs with a frame that can handle more weight. For his size, Rudolph possesses good speed and agility, giving him the edge over Yeatman and Schmidt in stretching the field. He also has great hands, catching the ball away from his body. The knock on Rudolph may be his blocking ability. While his technique makes up for a strength deficiency, improvement will be needed if he is to become more than just a situational player in 2008.

Offensive Line

Arguably no other unit was more maligned in 2007 than the offensive line. The word on the street is that the unit is improved. However, the little practice footage available doesn’t definitively confirm this.

As mentioned above, the offensive line added size across the entire two deep in the off-season. At times in practice they have looked slow coming off the ball, possibly an artifact of the added weight. Many of the offensive linemen have shown improved technique, staying low, engaging the defender, and keeping their feet driving. When they are able to get good hand position, they usually win the battle as their size and strength prove to be good assets. Cutting the splits down has also led to fewer untouched defenders in the backfield by minimizing space and playing to their size advantage.

Engaging the defender may be the crux of the problem for the offensive line. More speed and quickness off the ball enables an offensive lineman to more easily engage the defender. At this point the questionable speed and quickness of the offensive line may be a liability. Fortunately the running backs are good enough to make up for some deficiency in offensive line play.

As far as individual performers go, each of the starting five has his positives. Sam Young will anchor the right tackle position. Young is a very lean 6’8” and 330 lbs, coming into Fall camp in exceptional physical condition. Perhaps the top offensive tackle recruit in his class, Young has yet to live up to his potential. It has been reported that he is taking more of a leadership role, and, as the experienced veteran of the unit, this bodes well. The primary problem Young faces is balance as his height makes it difficult to stay low. At times he can over-compensate, extending his body too far from his center of gravity.

To Young’s left, manning the right guard position, will be Chris Stewart. Stewart also has good size at 6’5” and 337 lbs. He took a while to develop into his role, needing to lose weight and improve his speed, but the work has paid off as he has shown improved quickness to go with his size. Stewart really looks poised to have a very good junior campaign.

Dan Wenger will man the center position for the Irish in 2008. He played admirably in limited duty at the end of the 2007 season, replacing the injured veteran John Sullivan. Wenger has exhibited a physical, aggressive mentality in his play during the Fall, something lacking from the 2007 version of this unit.

Lining up at left guard will be Eric Olsen. Similar in stature to Wenger, Olsen also brings toughness to the Irish offensive line. He comes of the ball quicker than most of the other linemen on the roster, staying low and driving his opponent.

Perhaps the most surprising outcome of the Fall practices has been senior Michael Turkovich winning the battle for left tackle. Turkovich spent most of his time at guard in the past but won the position battle for left tackle with Paul Duncan due to improved quickness and footwork during the Fall.

Defense

Defensive Line

Most of the Irish defense appears solid heading into the 2008 campaign. The lone exception may be along the defensive line. The primary challenge for the Irish defense appears to be against the run, particularly on first down. If the Irish can force opponents into long down and distances the rest of the defensive personnel is built to pressure the quarterback and lock down receivers in man coverage.

There are few big names along the defensive front for Notre Dame where the modus operandi seems to be smaller, quicker personnel. Pat Kuntz returns after missing all of the Spring, moving outside from the interior of the defensive line. Kuntz has a work ethic that is second to none, and will contribute valuable minutes in 2008. His lack of pure athleticism, however, prevents him from being an overwhelming presence on the field.

Pressing for playing time behind Kuntz is freshman Ethan Johnson. Johnson came to Notre Dame with much fanfare and hasn’t disappointed so far. He has a very large frame with room to add weight, shows good explosiveness off the ball for his size, and has good technique for a freshman. The knock on Johnson, like all freshmen along the offensive and defensive fronts, is his strength. While he does have good size (275 lbs) and speed to contribute early, his strength will likely prevent him from playing an high number of minutes. Still, he will be looked upon to contribute depth to the defensive end position.

Justin Brown and Maurice Richardson will man the other side of the defensive line. Like Johnson, Brown has good quickness and agility, but his size may be a liability. At 277 lbs, he may struggle against larger offensive lines late in games. Richardson will no doubt be spelling Brown, trying to ease the fatigue and keep both players fresh. He seems to be settling in nicely to the defensive end position after switching from outside linebacker in the Spring. Richardson has shown excellent quickness, balance, and hand technique throughout the Fall. If he is able to increase his weight from 255 to 285+ lbs he could be an every-down contributor for the Irish.

The wildcard in the mix may be freshman Kapron Lewis-Moore. While somewhat under-sized Lewis-Moore has shown excellent athleticism in his limited time on campus and may be a promising pass rusher. With the lack size all along the defensive front, an added body to share the load will help keep a regular rotation of fresh linemen.

Coming off an All-American freshman season Ian Williams will now start at nose tackle for the Irish. The move to a full-time playing role is a change he welcomes and he certainly has the size and strength to play well. Williams continues to play low and uses good leverage. He also sheds blocks well but his recognition, at times, is slow. He will be counted on to control both A-gaps against the run, as well as provide a pass rush surge up the middle. Effectively performing both duties is a tall task for any one player and Williams may need help.

Behind Williams are junior Paddy Mullen and a promising freshman. Like Williams, Mullen has good size and strength, but lacks the athleticism of freshman Brandon Newman. Newman certainly has the physical build at 6’ and 310 lbs, giving him a low center of gravity and allowing him to play with good leverage. What he lacks in straight-line speed he makes up for in explosiveness off the ball. Most of the Fall practice footage indicates he has excellent footwork and agility for his size. Newman also seems to have the requisite strength to contribute right away, something the majority of the other freshmen lack.

Linebackers

The linebacker corps will be led by senior Maurice Crum. This Fall has been all about business for Crum, trying to lead the redemption movement from the 2007 season. A four year starter, Crum has played outside and inside linebacker in his career at Notre Dame. He has a nose for the football, good athleticism, and good speed, and should thrive as the weak inside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme if the front three can occupy blockers.

Moving from the outside linebacker position next to Crum is sophomore Brian Smith. Smith showed exceptional athleticism in his freshman season, prompting the defensive staff to move him to the interior where he is free to make more plays. He has looked excellent in the Fall and could have a great 2008 campaign. Smith has all of the physical tools to be a great linebacker: size, strength, speed, and instincts. And in assistant head coach Jon Tenuta’s aggressive, blitzing scheme, he should wreck havoc on opposing offenses.

Behind Smith and Crum the options are a little thin for the Irish. Toryan Smith was the projected starter at inside linebacker before the move by Brian Smith to the interior. With good size, Toryan Smith could be a capable force against the run, but his lack of speed has hurt him dropping into coverage in the passing game.

The outside linebacker position for Notre Dame will feature a strong/weak look with sophomore Harrison Smith occupying the strong-side linebacker position. Despite not having ideal size, Smith will serve as the defensive coordinator Corwin Brown’s answer to the spread offense. He has excellent speed and athleticism, always ending plays around the ball. Smith has adapted well to his new roll this Fall and as long as Brown doesn’t ask him to play strong against the run on the edge he should be a big asset to the Irish defense.

The weak outside linebacker position will be manned by junior John Ryan and sophomore Kerry Neal. Both will likely play down on the line of scrimmage in 4-3 looks for the Irish, with Ryan contributing more effectively against the run and Neal being the pass rush specialist. Neal showed a knack for getting after the quarterback in his freshman campaign but struggled to consistently play well against the run. Both players have looked solid in the Fall as the defensive end look of the 4-3 defense seems like a much more natural fit for Ryan than his outside linebacker position in the 3-4.

Two freshmen may enter the mix as well with Darius Fleming and Steve Filer showing promise and excellent athleticism in the Fall. In the very least these two should push the others at the same position, helping improve the play of the linebacker corps through competition as well as creating depth.

Secondary

Arguably the strongest position on the defensive side of the ball coming out of the 2007 season, the Irish secondary took a hit before the season started with the loss of projected starting cornerback Darrin Walls. Walls was easily Notre Dame’s best cover corner and his loss leaves the secondary with a lack of experience at one of the cornerback positions. There is talent waiting in the wings as this may be the most athletic group of secondary players since the Holtz era, but Walls’ backup and projected starter Raeshon McNeil will need to grow up quickly.

Manning the other corner spot is two-year starter Terrail Lambert. Lambert possesses top end speed and has developed good instincts for the position. Taking on a leadership roll in the Fall, Lambert looks to be developing into a solid senior player for the Irish. He and McNeil have the speed, quickness, and ability to be very good players for the Irish in 2008.

Behind Lambert and McNeil are four players who could see duty in Nickel and Dime packages. Sophomore Gary Gray, juniors Sergio Brown and Jashaad Gaines, and freshman Robert Blanton have all had very good Fall practices and should contribute in 2008. Brown and Gaines both possess excellent athleticism, speed, and range, and it seems that they are finally learning the nuances of the position. Gray turned heads all last season will recovering from an injury and has pressed McNeil for the starting role. Similar to McNeil, Gray is exceptionally smooth coming in and out of breaks and making plays on the ball.

Blanton has also been making a good impression on the coaching staff during the Fall, pushing to see the field. While he doesn’t have excellent speed, his long frame and agility allow him to break on the ball exceptionally well. He may be too small to hold up against the run every down but Blanton could provide some solid minutes if needed.

At the safety position the Irish have one of the most under-rated players in the country. After a great off-season senior David Bruton is poised to have an break-out performance in 2008. With exceptional power, agility, and range, Bruton is ideally suited to play center field for the Irish. Having a front seven that puts more pressure on opposing quarterbacks should also help to increase his interception production.

Filling in for the departed Tom Zbikowski is senior Kyle McCarthy. McCarthy had an excellent Spring and continued to impress in the Fall with a knack for showing up near the ball. While he doesn’t possess elite speed, McCarthy does have good size and quickness, and is a very dependable tackler. He reads the run quickly and takes excellent angles to fill gaps on the outside. If he can prove to be unsusceptible to play action the Irish may see an upgrade in play at the strong safety position.

In short, the Irish secondary has excellent athleticism and speed, making them good candidates to play tough, press-man coverage and allow the front seven to pressure opposing quarterbacks. This plays right into Tenuta’s scheme and should pay huge dividends for the defense in 2008.