'19 KY DT Jacob Lacey (Notre Dame Signee)

[Irish4life]

He was one of the biggest reasons we won against Cal. So then he gets next to no playing time against UNC.

Morrison earns reps by playing well but Lacey isn’t afforded the same opportunity. I don’t under this. Something had to happen after UNC that isn’t being told.

The Cal game is the only game this season where he's had any production. Seems pretty clear that he's a rotational piece at ND and is looking to go somewhere where he can be a starter.

 

[NDPhilly]

Assuming Mills takes one spot, Who would have started over him at DT next year? Howard Cross? Seems like he would have been the nose in 3-4 too.

 

[Irish du Nord]

Assuming Mills takes one spot, Who would have started over him at DT next year? Howard Cross? Seems like he would have been the nose in 3-4 too.

Maybe Rubio is making a big push? He popped out a bit against NC

 

[Dale]

He was one of the biggest reasons we won against Cal. So then he gets next to no playing time against UNC.

Morrison earns reps by playing well but Lacey isn’t afforded the same opportunity. I don’t under this. Something had to happen after UNC that isn’t being told.

I don’t think there is any conspiracy at play. In the two games Mills mainly played DT, Lacey played 11 and 9 snaps.

They view Justin A as a better DE and Mills as a better DT than Lacey is a DT.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Is NaNa good enough to secure a full time starting role in the mold of MTA, Ogundeji, or Kareem? Like he’s a solid rotation player but it seems at the moment he trails all three in both athleticism and size.

I don't know if he'll be a full time starter.

My guess is that they'll figure a rotation out between him, Ehrensberger and potentially Gobaira or Ford. I think the staff is trying to find a way to get Mills in his best position, which is looking to be 3T.

 

[CanadalovesND]

I don't know if he'll be a full time starter.

My guess is that they'll figure a rotation out between him, Ehrensberger and potentially Gobaira or Ford. I think the staff is trying to find a way to get Mills in his best position, which is looking to be 3T.

I’m with you here. It’s hard to project NaNa for next season. I don’t think he can play as a base defender in the nickel defense, and not sure if he is athletic or rangy enough to be a stand-up linebacker. He could be the base SDE, but again, maybe more of a true rotation with Ehrensberger.

Mills is best on the inside. His size is great on the edge, but he doesn’t have that twitch that you want in a pure outside pass rusher.

 

[Blazers46]

Yikes. Didn't see this one coming.

Doesn’t he realize we are short at QB and WR… plug and play… how bad can it get?

 

[CanadalovesND]

It's either Jacob or Litch Ajavon for the battle of most important recruit for the 2019 class.

Jacob obviously plays on the d-line. A championship caliber team always has a good d-line. He would come in and contribute right away. A starting interior line of Ewell/Lacey would be among the best in the business.

Litch obviously plays in the secondary. One of the most hard hitting safeties I have seen coming out of high school. Like Ewell/Lacey, a safety combo of Allen and Litch would have the strong potential of being the best in the country.

Both are very good and both play very important positions on defense.

Not taking any shots here, it’s just funny how a lot of these recruiting takes can age with time.

 

[BeatSC]

Don’t think he is good enough to land with Kelly at LSU. Vanderbilt or Duke is a good call and both good schools. He’s too small both height and weight which was evident in our embarrassing loss to Marshall. That game was lost in the trenches and turnovers. Make sure to get a masters degree with your extra years because pro football is not in his future. If he is playing for the live of the game then good for him. How many of the ND departures have led to being drafted and or okaying in the NFL? I can’t think of any. How does the alumni look at players who have left the program?
BTW if he doesn’t get his two sacks against a bad Cal Oline we aren’t saying anything about it. Always interested to see who’s next up for the team.

 

[notredomer23]

Don’t think he is good enough to land with Kelly at LSU. Vanderbilt or Duke is a good call and both good schools. He’s too small both height and weight which was evident in our embarrassing loss to Marshall. That game was lost in the trenches and turnovers. Make sure to get a masters degree with your extra years because pro football is not in his future. If he is playing for the live of the game then good for him. How many of the ND departures have led to being drafted and or okaying in the NFL? I can’t think of any. How does the alumni look at players who have left the program?
BTW if he doesn’t get his two sacks against a bad Cal Oline we aren’t saying anything about it. Always interested to see who’s next up for the team.

I am sure it is case by case, but he seems very well respected and he loves ND. He got his degree. Doesn't seem to be any animosity other than wishing he'd play more.

 

[pumpdog20]

If you leave with the degree, you're forever Irish in my book.
Unless you're really good, then screw 'em.

 

[Dale]

Don’t think he is good enough to land with Kelly at LSU.

Elston at Michigan says hello.

I’d agree if he’s looking to start and not be rotational, I think that wipes out Michigan, Kentucky and lands more at Vandy, Louisville. Definitely P5 caliber.

 

[stlnd01]

I am sure it is case by case, but he seems very well respected and he loves ND. He got his degree. Doesn't seem to be any animosity other than wishing he'd play more.

I've got to say I don't love it when guys bail mid-season like this. I understand why they do, with the four-game redshirt rule. But you kind of leave your teammates and coaches hanging. And while our DL depth looks good at the moment, you're always just a couple injuries away from a situation where you could really use a guy like him.

All that said, it's not Lacey's fault. He'll graduate, and is by all accounts a good guy who appreciates Notre Dame. It's just a flaw in the system that encourages people in his situation to leave the team one-third of the way through the season.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Assuming Mills takes one spot, Who would have started over him at DT next year? Howard Cross? Seems like he would have been the nose in 3-4 too.

My guess is the DL grouping next year is going to be primarily Mills at 3T, Cross at both nose and 3T, with Rubio and Kahuna playing at 1, and then Onye might fill in another spot, either nose or 3T. That's also assuming someone like Vernon doesn't light things up and be impossible to keep off the field.

 

[CanadalovesND]

Josh Edward, Wildcats Insider, CB'd him to Kentucky.

Kentucky has alot of undergraduates at the DT position. If he wants to start, I'm not sure if that's the best for him.

 

[Dale]

Isn’t he not officially in the portal and therefore no contact at all should have been made?

Weird to bother to submit a CB now given that would technically be impermissible if there was real info behind that.

 

[IrishBoognish]

Isn’t he not officially in the portal and therefore no contact at all should have been made?

Weird to bother to submit a CB now given that would technically be impermissible if there was real info behind that.

You talkin bout rules!!??

 

[Dale]

You talkin bout rules!!??

Lol apparently rules I’m not understanding. He’s even visiting Kentucky this weekend per On3. I thought the new “transfer windows” were in effect. Maybe Lacey isn’t even enrolled at ND anymore?

 

[CanadalovesND]

Isn’t he not officially in the portal and therefore no contact at all should have been made?

Weird to bother to submit a CB now given that would technically be impermissible if there was real info behind that.

Lacey said he would enter the Portal after the season concluded. So yeah this seems confusing. From my understanding, Lacey is still enrolled and is still working to finish his degree, so I wouldn't be logical for him to have left the university. However, I think Lawrence Keys did the same thing last year - he entered the portal in October, and choose to commit to Tulane before the end of the season. All the while he was still a ND student completing his degree.

 

[T-Boone]

Lawrence keys would have been handy

 

[jprue24]

Wants to be close to home, but on a solid team. Good for him. I wish him the best.

 

[PANDFAN]

Lawrence keys would have been handy

Dude can't do shit for his team now but somehow would have been handy here... there's a reason he didn't get many snaps

 

[BeauBenken]

I think Lacey has already graduated so its a free-for-all.

 

[NDPhilly]

Hope he’s enjoying watching from his dorm 👍

 

[notredomer23]

Hope he’s enjoying watching from his dorm 👍

He’s at Kentucky today. The short sightedness of his decision is crazy

 

[irishandy]

I bet if he played yesterday he would've known how to tackle.

 

[stpeteirish]

Most of the snaps yesterday went to Smith and Rubio with Ade and Cross both hurt. Lacey probably plays 50 snaps and makes a huge difference.

 

[irishff1014]

Most of the snaps yesterday went to Smith and Rubio with Ade and Cross both hurt. Lacey probably plays 50 snaps and makes a huge difference.

And he wouldn't be transferring if Smith wasn't brought in. There was no need too. We shoot ourselves in the foot sometimes.

 

[JD Irish]

And he wouldn't be transferring if Smith wasn't brought in. There was no need too. We shoot ourselves in the foot sometimes.

This isn't the coaches' fault. The kid quit on the team in the middle of the season when he clearly had a role to play.

 

[Dale]

And he wouldn't be transferring if Smith wasn't brought in. There was no need too. We shoot ourselves in the foot sometimes.

Lacey was playing more than Smith when he left. Smith being brought in was a direct result of Aiden K getting hurt in the spring. You suggest being only 2 deep at NT, neither of which are true NTs, just to make the backup happy?

Awful take.