NFL
By: Greg Rector
The Notre Dame defense will lead the Fighting Irish to a spot in the new CFB playoff system. If a recent article I read this week holds and The Sporting News prediction that Notre Dame hosts “That School Up North” and defeats the defending champions at South Bend, I will be a delighted man. The bossman around here won’t like it much.
The defense is led by Al Golden, who has been remarkable. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense might be the reason head coach Marcus Freeman’s best version of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this season. Now, I know everyone focuses on the edge rushers first and foremost, but this old safety will focus first and foremost on the secondary. Jeff Bridges of Team NBS Draft Central, this is the year a SAFETY gets picked in the first round of the NFL Draft.
NOTRE DAME SECONDARY
Xavier Watts leads the Fighting Irish defense. Last season, he led all of college football in interceptions and played so well against the run that many, including myself, were surprised that Watts returned to Notre Dame. I don’t recall any other Bronko Nagurski award winners returning to school.
Adon Schuler will play the boundary safety, and the sophomore will get tested by opposing offenses much more often than Watts. Rod Heard II is now enrolled at Notre Dame and will challenge Schuler.
Another star from last season will play the boundary corner. Benjamin Morrison will replace Cam Hart as the number one corner for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Offenses will not challenge Morrison. That role goes to Jaden Mickey, who will be in the field corner. The nickel corner, also known as the rover, will be Jordan Clark.
If opposing offenses challenge Watts and Morrison, Fighting Irish fans will be gleeful.
Notre Dame Linebackers
Linebackers Jaiden Ausberry and Jaylen Sneed will also play the Rover position.
The inside linebacker position will be split between sixth-year player Jack Kiser and Drayk Bowen. However, a freshman who will get plenty of opportunities is Kyngstonn Vilamu-Asa. He can play inside or outside and is one mean tackler. Oh, to bother Brock Vierra, Notre Dame has yet another linebacker from Hawaii. Kahuna Kia. Kia returns to Notre Dame after completing a two-year mission.
Notre Dame Defensive Line
RJ Oben comes back for his 6th season and leads the edge rushers. Josh Burnham and Bryce Young will also be attacking opposing quarterbacks.
Since Al Golden’s defense uses a “Vyper” as someone who drops back into coverage just as often as they rush the quarterbacks, this group is led by Jordan Bothelo and Junior Tuihalamaki. With Boubacar Traore seeing an excellent spring, he could become the best player at the “Vyper” position.
Howard Cross III leads the defensive tackles, and Rylie Mills is both undersized. Yet last season, they stoned plenty of running backs. Sean Sevillano Jr. is a true defensive tackle, as he weighs in at 333 lbs. The freshman represented himself well during the spring practices.
NOTRE DAME DEFENSE
While many focus on the offense, I usually give defense much more attention than most. This Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense has to be one of the top ten groups in the NCAA. With so many returning players and Al Golden remaining as the defensive coordinator, this defense won’t have the momentary lapse it suffered against the Ohio State Buckeyes. This defense will lead Notre Dame back into the CFB Playoffs.
NOTRE DAME RECORD
Unlike his first two seasons, Marcus Freeman will lead the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to an 11-1 record. Don’t ask me which team will beat Notre Dame, but I don’t see many teams in this new era of college football going unbeaten.
Just to put a cap on this article, I give you the best damn fight song in all the land!!! ” NOTRE DAME VICTORY MARCH”
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