'15 IN ILB/OLB Asmar Bilal (Notre Dame Signed NLI)

[Junkhead]

I'm loving the Clark Lea hire more and more as time goes on.

Seemed like the "easy hire", and many of us expected lesser results. I'm glad we were wrong.

 

[Irish YJ]

I think you’ll see the best 3 linebackers on the field next season. Whether that be Bilal-Bauer-Simon or Genmark-Heath or Jones or maybe Owusu-Koramoah, the staff will figure out where everyone best fits.

Agree, but I'm gonna bet Simon is one of them, and likely there. If Bauer isn't starting, we're going to see a lot of him.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Can't beat around it, losing Coney and Tranquill is gonna suck. That being said, the best thing that could happen to this LB group next season is competition. I can't remember where it was mentioned, but I recall LB being a depth concern moving forward, and I really don't understand why. I think as of right now, you have some questions about who moves to BUCK, you have names who can do it, whether that's Bilal or Simon, and Genmark-Heath. MIKE has Bauer, Jones and Lamb. At ROVER, there is a sh*t ton of players who can slide there if Bilal moves, such as JOK, Simon as previously mentioned, one of the freshmen Moala or Allen. Lots of options to work with.

 

[Irish YJ]

Can't beat around it, losing Coney and Tranquill is gonna suck. That being said, the best thing that could happen to this LB group next season is competition. I can't remember where it was mentioned, but I recall LB being a depth concern moving forward, and I really don't understand why. I think as of right now, you have some questions about who moves to BUCK, you have names who can do it, whether that's Bilal or Simon, and Genmark-Heath. MIKE has Bauer, Jones and Lamb. At ROVER, there is a sh*t ton of players who can slide there if Bilal moves, such as JOK, Simon as previously mentioned, one of the freshmen Moala or Allen. Lots of options to work with.

agree we have talent, it's just more the unknown, and losing 2 extremely good guys. to me, it's like the OL this year. we lost two great guys, had tons of talent behind them, but in the OL's case, it's not as smooth as we would like. On the OL, we have probably as good, or better stars than we do at LB.

 

[Irish#1]

I think you’ll see the best 3 linebackers on the field next season. Whether that be Bilal-Bauer-Simon or Genmark-Heath or Jones or maybe Owusu-Koramoah, the staff will figure out where everyone best fits.

That’s a given ever since BVG exited.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

 

[greyhammer90]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Asmar Bilal was a bright spot on the Notre Dame defense against Louisville. <a href="https://t.co/XJHFE2wJhn">pic.twitter.com/XJHFE2wJhn</a></p>— PFF College (@PFF_College) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1169433220896710656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

wut.

 

[GoIrish41]

He had 3 tackles from MLB. Bright spot?

 

[IrishLion]

Maybe it's because the few times he was in position, he was making a sure tackle?

Idk, everyone seemed to unanimously agree that Bilal didn't play as well as the other LB's, but maybe it's worth another review lol.

 

[koonja]

Maybe it's because the few times he was in position, he was making a sure tackle?

Idk, everyone seemed to unanimously agree that Bilal didn't play as well as the other LB's, but maybe it's worth another review lol.

I reviewed and it looked worse than what I originally thought.

If you don't literally run directly into Bilal, he has no shot. They must exclude any where a LB should make a play, but it's not technically right at him.

His move is literally to lock onto the single blocker and start back pedaling.

 

[IrishLax]

So PFF is worthless then?

 

[koonja]

So PFF is worthless then?

IDK if you're being serious, but I'll never place value in their grading of LBs ever again.

Other grades, sure.

 

[IrishLion]

So PFF is worthless then?

They do have some noted homers grading certain teams, I think, as well as some guys with zero credentials that are supposedly spending '100's' of hours reviewing a single game film...

So the jury is out?

 

[Valpodoc85]

What does lea think?

 

[NDIrish88]

I know Driskell was ripping Bilal. Over and over again he said he was not physical at all.

 

[IrishFanJMercy]

From watching the game it seems like White and Bilal were the ones slow getting to a tackle or getting beat. Even though White showed some bright spots. Hopefully with experience he gets better

 

[stpeteirish]

Lamb moves pretty well from what I could tell. Can move laterally a lot better than Bilal IMO.

 

[Irishize]

I know Driskell was ripping Bilal. Over and over again he said he was not physical at all.

So did the II guys. Their point was if he hasn’t shown a grasp for the position at this point, why expect the light to ever go on? Imagine Joe Schmidt’s brain & Asmar Bilal’s athleticism? Then the D would have a serviceable LB. Is it too late to install a 4-2-5....j/k

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

So did the II guys. Their point was if he hasn’t shown a grasp for the position at this point, why expect the light to ever go on? Imagine Joe Schmidt’s brain & Asmar Bilal’s athleticism? Then the D would have a serviceable LB. Is it too late to install a 4-2-5....j/k

So, Drue Tranquill?

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

From watching the game it seems like White and Bilal were the ones slow getting to a tackle or getting beat. Even though White showed some bright spots. Hopefully with experience he gets better

They both really struggled to defeat blocks.

I really don't know what to think of White. He made a handful of good plays and a handful of really bad plays. It seemed like Louisville was picking on him specifically.

 

[Wingman Ray]

What just blows my mind is that with all the LB recruiting that ND has done that the best they can field is Bilal??? Doubtful this guy starts on any team not in the MAC and meanwhile you have him centering your defense???

Any team not running the ball 40 times a game vs ND needs to have their OC fired. I would double tight plow right at these guys. Crossing fingers that something happens with Navy or they will have a highlight game vs this LB crew

 

[koonja]

Bilal's a good athlete? At like straight line speed or what?

He's constantly chasing from behind because he gets blocked and the RB runs past, and I don't see him catching them.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

IDK, I just took a few minutes watching Louisville's two early TD drives. It's fair to say Bilal wasn't making things happen but of all Louisville's successful plays here, I think Bilal is the screwup on only one (the first TD at 3:16). I counted three plays that succeeded against White and Gilman had a couple of bad gaffes as well.

So at least compared to White he's doing OK at handling his gaps and is solid in coverage. I won't try to convince anybody Bilal's play is a strength of the defense.

EDIT: YouTube link because embedding takes effort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am19Ppsmq4M

 

[GowerND11]

IDK, I just took a few minutes watching Louisville's two early TD drives. It's fair to say Bilal wasn't making things happen but of all Louisville's successful plays here, I think Bilal is the screwup on only one (the first TD at 3:16). I counted three plays that succeeded against White and Gilman had a couple of bad gaffes as well.

So at least compared to White he's doing OK at handling his gaps and is solid in coverage. I won't try to convince anybody Bilal's play is a strength of the defense.

EDIT: YouTube link because embedding takes effort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am19Ppsmq4M

at about 2:54 in that video, he actually takes on a double team by an OL and RB and does well, but no one fills. You're right though, we all saw him as not good, but he still did some other alright things.

 

[Irishman77]

Bilal has no business being on a football field.

 

[Number3rockin]

^ amen

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

I'm pulling back on all my comments about Bilal. He looked tentative to me and out of position but all the guys who actually know what they are looking at, including SP+, say he was mostly in position and made plays.

I don't know how it's possible but I guess the times Bilal looked timid, it's because it was someone else's assignment being blown and he just looked responsible to my uninformed eye.

I'll trust the coaches, they are seeing the exact same thing we are.

And please let's start some kind of crowdfunded campaign for Koon to go against Bilal in some kind of tackling drill. I want to see that with every ounce of my being.

 

[PANDFAN]

9 — Bilal runs himself out of a potential tackle. Gain of 13…

14 — 2nd-and-Goal from the 8-yard line and Pass scores easily. Pride engulfed by a block and Bilal is caught inside spying as Pass skates untouched over the right side. Pretty sure that was man coverage and Bilal had Pass…

Defensive Series No. 3, Shayne Simon moves to Buck in place of Bilal and White remains. (Psst. It furnishes the first 3-and-out. Just sayin.)

75 — You know…Bilal was around the ball a bit more in the final 20 minutes. Now to be fair to the term ‘a lot’ he wasn’t around it ‘at all’ early. But still…


https://247sports.com/college/notre...hings-To-Say-Notre-Dame-Louisville-135228655/

 

[Domina Nostra]

Defensive Series No. 3, Shayne Simon moves to Buck in place of Bilal and White remains. (Psst. It furnishes the first 3-and-out. Just sayin.)

Just to be fair, there was the offsides that extended an otherwise dead drive.

 

[irishff1014]

I am happy for Bilal. He played awful week one. He has come out the last 2 games and has played well. Great job Bilal for busting your ass and getting better.