2015 Spring Practice Thread

[dublinirish]

Malcontents?


hmmm..

Team Revo 4 Life

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Team Revo 4 Life

Daniels, Moore, Hardy, and ?

 

[PANDFAN]

Daniels, Moore, Hardy, and ?

jalen brown

 

[IrishLion]

Daniels, Moore, Hardy, and ?

Jalen Brown? Josh Atkinson?

 

[PANDFAN]

moore,daniels,amir,brown,josh atkinson,hardy

 

[Domina Nostra]

Wait, does that 88 number include Russell?

Yes, 88 should include Russell.

It's strange to me they took Sebastian and may have to cut 2 5th years.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

moore,daniels,amir,brown,josh atkinson,hardy

Thank you so much!

Forgot about Amir, considering his troubled relationship with the Atkinson's.

Hey I wonder if this was before or after he was benched?

 

[NDdomer2]

Yes, 88 should include Russell.

It's strange to me they took Sebastian and may have to cut 2 5th years.

What would safety depth look like without him. He is our 3rd best safety instantly, IMO. he was a no brainer take.

If it was Hounshell or Sebastian. It's Sebastian all day.

Again, all my opinion.

 

[Riddickulous]

Any players you guys are particularly looking forward to seeing Saturday?

 

[Huntr]

Golson v Malik, even though its gonna be Ev in the fall.

 

[IrishLion]

I'm looking forward to seeing Malik get plenty of reps throwing the ball. We know QB's are live, but I still don't think we're going to see the offense running him like they did against LSU. And this is good, IMO, because where Malik needs to catch EG is as a passer.

 

[PANDFAN]

1. CJ running the ball from backfield
2. tillery
3. redfield/shumate---do they REALLY look night/day from last year
4. same w/ morgan

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

I'm wanting to see the linebackers.
I want to see jaylon moving around position to position, I want to see James wrecking guys, and I want to see nyles flatten someone.

Also, I wouldn't mind seeing the return of the werewolf.

 

[NDdomer2]

Any players you guys are particularly looking forward to seeing Saturday?

Under the assumption that the second half (with running clock) will feature more of the "low depth chart" guys.

I want to see if any of that time includes some of these 5th year guys and how hard they play trying to earn a spot.

Do we see Mike H. at all?

 

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Kizer,Brent.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

I want to see the OL function as a unit. I want to see the DL force pressure without having to bring the house.

I want to see Nyles Morgan read his keys correctly and not overrun a play and I want to see the safeties play well.

 

[GoIrish41]

I just want the Irish to win.

 

[Domina Nostra]

I want to see the OL function as a unit. I want to see the DL force pressure without having to bring the house.

I want to see Nyles Morgan read his keys correctly and not overrun a play and I want to see the safeties play well.

Ditto. Great calls.

I also want to see the coaches give some kids a chance to take over WILL.

And I want to see Robinson, Holmes, or Brent makes some plays.

 

[Huntr]

I just want the Irish to win.

Receive opening kickoff, 1st play from scrimmage false start, time out to avoid delay of game when play resumes.

That ought to get them in prime shape for the fall.

 

[Johannes]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>This is going to be interesting ...

<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NDCallThePlay?src=hash">#NDCallThePlay</a> <a href="http://t.co/XmsqYgkYKM">pic.twitter.com/XmsqYgkYKM</a></p>— Brian Kelly (@CoachBrianKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachBrianKelly/status/589159031677329409">April 17, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Ironman8]

Play with 2 QBs? Hmmmmm

 

[ulukinatme]

2 QBs for a play? I'm intrigued.

 

[Johannes]

The question is... which two quarterbacks?? Golson and Zaire are too obvious. Could we see Hayes and Cage? Has Tillery earned the right to a snap behind center? Where does former QB, current invalid Nicky Baratti factor into the intrigue?

 

[dublinirish]

im looking forward to seeing Grace running around and hitting again

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Play with 2 QBs? Hmmmmm

Rees and Heggie.

 

[dublinirish]

is there a former players flag game tomorrow? I would hope Reesus is there dominating evan sharpley in it

 

[ulukinatme]

The question is... which two quarterbacks?? Golson and Zaire are too obvious. Could we see Hayes and Cage? Has Tillery earned the right to a snap behind center? Where does former QB, current invalid Nicky Baratti factor into the intrigue?

I think Kelly made a point this week that we wouldn't see a defensive linemen behind center again in the Spring game Which is a shame, because when else can you do such a thing? Big Lou got the biggest pop of the Spring game 2 years ago when he got his turn. Should make it a yearly event, most deserving DL or defensive player gets a snap or something.

 

[Huntr]

Receive opening kickoff, 1st play from scrimmage false start, time out to avoid delay of game when play resumes.

That ought to get them in prime shape for the fall.

I would just like to point out the scrimmage indeed started out with opening kick -> false start. No timeout, so ...PROGRESS!

 

[PANDFAN]

Irish247 Extra Points (April 20)

Notre Dame played Saturday’s Blue-Gold game without three likely starters on defense.

Two members of the group—linebacker Joe Schmidt and defensive tackle Jarron Jones—were at LaBar Practice Complex. The third watched the defense he’ll be a part of come June from more of a distance.

Cornerback KeiVarae Russell’s return from suspension is imminent. Russell hasn’t officially been cleared to return to school, but Irish coach Brian Kelly said he expects the senior to be on campus in June.

After Saturday’s game, Jaylon Smith and Max Redfield discussed what Russell brings to the Irish.

“Very enthusiastic guy,” Smith said. “He’s going to bring the juice and it’s something that were sort of missing from time to time, because last year it was Jarron (Jones) and then when he went out we really didn’t have anyone to bring that juice.

“With him and KeiVarae coming back it’s going to be amazing, and just looking forward to it. I definitely miss him. He’s just excited to get back. He’s been working on his craft ever since he got dismissed, but he’s learned from his lesson and he’s just looking forward to getting back and being part of the team.”

“Aside the fact that he’s an incredible athlete and an incredible player, he’s a vocal leader for our team,” added Redfield. “He’s a guy who is not scared to say his opinion at any point in time and is not afraid to call somebody out if they’re doing something wrong, so that’s obviously great from any kind of team, and we’ll definitely benefit from getting him back.”

Leaders emerging in spring football

Sheldon Day and Nick Martin return as team captains from the 2014 campaign. But following the departure of Cam McDaniel and Austin Collinsworth, Kelly has the opportunity to select two more.

Notre Dame has plenty of options on the defensive side of the ball. Fifth-year seniors Joe Schmidt and Jarrett Grace are potential options, while left tackle Ronnie Stanley is a possibility to join Martin as an offensive captain. The left tackle said he’s noticed two wide receivers whose names could be in the mix as well.

“C.J. (Prosise) has done a real good job,” he said. “Chris Brown has done a real good job, and the whole receiving core have done a real good job just being more enthusiastic than they’ve ever been before honestly.

“And just being locked in every day and not jus going through the motions and really focusing on their technique, and I can just see it in their play and it’s really showing off. I think definitely around the skill group it would be more around C.J., Chris Brown, have definitely been guys who have stepped up for their position groups.”

Golson or Zaire? Either a good option for teammates

There may be a competition at the quarterback competition, but it isn’t affecting the rest of the team.

The players are confident in both Malik Zaire and Everett Golson, and whoever lines up under center on Sept. 5 will have the full support of his teammates.

“At the end of the day I love both of the guys,” said Smith. “Whoever’s going to help us win is who I like. But they both provide different and similar things. They both have the ability to run and they both have a strong arm. It’s just about which one you want. I’m glad I don’t get to make the decision.”

“It’s great actually, having two players that can play at a high level like they do and just communicate with everyone the same way,” said Stanley, “and we just got enough time that we got close to both of them…I just think it’s really nice the way it fits in with our offense as well.”

The left tackle thinks both quarterbacks bring similar qualities to the offense.

“Honestly, I don’t think they’re too much different and I don’t think I’m in a real position to even judge that,” said Stanley. “I play offensive line, so I just know if it’s completed or not. They’re both good quarterbacks. I’ve blocked for either one of them. I’m confident with whoever is back there.”

Three sophomores stand out to Kelly in spring game

Three rising sophomores stood out to Kelly in Saturday’s Blue-Gold game, including two in a position group that will add four new faces in June.

“I was pleased that some of the younger receivers caught the ball,” Kelly said. “Corey Holmes (three receptions, 37 yards) caught the ball when he needed to. Justin Brent (one reception, 29 yards, one touchdown) caught the ball when he needed to. I was pleased there.

Cornerback Nick Watkins, who played opposite Cole Luke with the first-team defense, also caught Kelly’s eye. He made four tackles and broke up a pass in the scrimmage.

“I think although Nick Watkins got beat by Will Fuller, he made some solid tackles, played physical,” Kelly said. “So I think those three freshmen, hoping that they continue to grow and emerge. I saw those guys continue to get better, but it will be one of those things where I'll have to sit down and watch the film to get that kind of depth in terms of who surprised.”

Irish search for offensive identity

Notre Dame will try to establish its offensive identity in this summer’s organized team activities (OTAs). The first three weeks of September include meeting with Texas, Virginia and Georgia Tech, which doesn’t give the Irish time to ease their way into the season.

“We want to have an identity when we come into (fall) camp,” Kelly said. “We've got to play Texas, Virginia and Georgia Tech right out of the gate. We have to have an identity of who we are. We can't wait four or five weeks to find out oh, well, we're a running team, we're a passing team, we're this, we're that.

“We want to use those OTAs to really start to establish our DNA and our identity as to who we are.”

Kelly talks Jhonny Williams

“Obviously for Johnny, he's worked really hard to put himself in a position physically to get out there and compete. He's a really good athlete. Transitioning to Notre Dame has been difficult for him. He was underweight and playing at the defensive end position.

“He's worked so hard on putting on weight and making that transition, and carrying all that weight has been hard for him. He's got to work really hard in school and all those things, so it was nice to see him have some success today because he's a good kid that works hard and obviously a local guy, it's nice to see him have some success.”

 

[PANDFAN]

Spring depth chart

1. Everett Golson (5-Sr.) OR Malik Zaire (RS-So.)
3. DeShone Kizer (RS-Fr.)
4. Montgomery VanGorder (RS-Fr.)

Spring review

No decision was made on a starting quarterback this spring as Everett Golson and Malik Zaire worked with new quarterbacks coach Mike Sanford on honing their fundamentals. Graduate assistants tracked every pass Golson and Zaire threw this spring, and a heavier emphasis than in years past was put on the quarterbacks’ statistics. Sanford frequently led the quarterbacks through read-option drills, and it became evident the read-option will play a larger role in the offense this fall.

Golson declined to speak to the media in what Irish coach Brian Kelly called the South Carolina native’s best spring practice in his five years with the team. Kelly and associate head coach Mike Denbrock both said Golson, who turned the ball over 22 times in 2014, improved his protection of the football this spring.

Zaire will work on his accuracy this offseason. The junior is a stronger and more elusive runner than Golson, but his passing is erratic.

Fall outlook

Without a clear No. 1 and No. 2 quarterback, the option for Golson to transfer after graduation and play elsewhere this fall remains a possibility, though Kelly said he expects the fifth-year senior to be with the team in August. The competition is poised to continue deep into August. True freshman Brandon Wimbush is set to arrive in June.

“Game management situation with Everett, consistency and efficiency with his read option game we've got to continue to work on,” Kelly said of Golson. “And Malik, it's really about his consistency in all the things that he does. He does some things so well and then there'll be a couple things that are not consistent.

“He'll do it so well in the same play, then there's a drop off. So we think that's more concentration, that's just more focus and just working on those things with him.”

Running back

Spring depth chart

1. Tarean Folston (Jr.)
2. Greg Bryant (RS-So.)
3. C.J. Prosise (RS-Jr.)

Spring review

The highlight of the backfield this spring came in the form of a cross-training slot receiver – not running backs Tarean Folston or Greg Bryant.

C.J. Prosise worked in the backfield to add depth until reinforcements, freshmen Josh Adams and Dexter Williams, arrive in the summer. But a relatively smooth transition to running back, coupled with bruising size and breakaway speed that trumps Bryant and Folston leaves Kelly with a welcomed competition in the backfield entering August.

It isn’t that Folston or Bryant regressed. Kelly said the two juniors did everything that was asked of them this spring and added both improved in their pass protection. But Prosise showed an innate ability to avoid running outside of the tackles frequently—normally the most difficult habit to break in a transition to running back—and showed off his power and speed on Saturday scrimmages April 11 and 18.

Fall outlook

If the Music City Bowl is any indication of what’s to come, the Irish will need contributions from a core group of three running backs this fall. Kelly began last season by splitting carries relatively evenly between Cam McDaniel, Bryant and Folston until the latter took over the starting role following a number of 90-plus yard midseason performances.

Kelly wants Prosise to have more than 10 touches per game, and it will be interesting to see how many of those are handoffs. The Irish coach said he will give Prosise “every opportunity” to earn the No. 1 role at running back and wide receiver. The backfield is quietly turning into a position to watch in August.

“I think C.J. puts some pressure on both those guys and I just want to create some competition,” Kelly said. “We’ve got some freshman coming in in the fall and just trying to create competition and I think that that brings out the best in all those guys.”

Tight end

Spring depth chart

1. Durham Smythe (RS-So.)
2. Tyler Luatua (So.)
3. Nic Weishar (RS-Fr.)
4. Mike Heuerman (RS-So.)
5. Chase Hounshell (5-Sr.)

Spring review

Durham Smythe’s only career reception makes him the most experienced pass-catching tight end on the roster, and he looked the part this spring. The Texas native earned his place as the No. 1 tight end on the roster entering August and has the ability to be a threat in the passing game.

“I like the spring Durham Smythe has had,” Kelly said. “I think he’s really, in my eyes, has kind of picked up where the Notre Dame tight ends need to be when you expect them to step in for the next graduating senior. It’s pretty clear that he’s going to be an important part of our offense.”

Smythe still needs to master his in-line blocking, though, while Tyler Luatua remains the most impressive blocking tight end on the team. He dropped 10 pounds during winter workouts in an effort to be a more athletic fit in the passing game. The sophomore isn’t a refined receiver, but his blocking was excellent in Saturday’s Blue-Gold game.

Considering the overflow of scholarship players once the addition of the incoming freshmen class, graduate-transfer Avery Sebastian and the potential return of KeiVarae Russell and Ishaq Williams takes effect, it’s nearly impossible to see Notre Dame going into the season with six tight ends on the roster. If there is an odd man out after freshman Aliz’e Jones arrives, it will likely be fifth-year candidate Chase Hounshell or Mike Heuerman.

Fall outlook

Jones gives the Irish a talented threat in the passing game and additional competition for playing time. The freshman is expected to contribute this fall, and how quickly his blocking ability and knowledge of the playbook progress will likely be a determining factor in how much time he spends on the field.

Collectively the group only has one career start (Luatua started the Music City Bowl as an extra blocker and wasn’t targeted in the passing game), but the most inexperienced group on the roster is also one of the more intriguing areas. A boost in production from 2014 wouldn’t be surprising after an average season from the tight ends.

Wide receiver

Spring depth chart

Z Receiver

1. Amir Carlisle (5-Sr.) OR Prosise (RS-Jr.)
3. Torii Hunter Jr. (RS-So.)

W Receiver

1. Chris Brown (Sr.)
2. Corey Robinson (Jr.)
3. Justin Brent (So.)

X Receiver

1. Will Fuller (Jr.)
2. Corey Holmes (So.)

Spring review

Returning every wide receiver from the 2014 campaign doesn’t immediately spell success. Will Fuller went through spring football with a cast on his hand and looked much more like his 15-touchdown self in the Blue-Gold game, particularly when he hauled in a 68-yard pass from Malik Zaire.

But as a group, the wide receivers didn’t standout as one of the team’s strengths. There were still a noticeable amount of dropped passes, and Corey Robinson didn’t show the kind of progression Kelly and Denbrock were hoping for.

Torii Hunter Jr. went through his first spring practice fully fit and flashed his speed at times. Amir Carlisle remained consistent in the slot, while Justin Brent took steps toward removing himself from Kelly’s doghouse in one of the more positive stories from the spring at wide receiver.

Fall outlook

How frequently Prosise lines up in the backfield will affect the playing time of Hunter Jr. at slot receiver. The redshirt sophomore is the only player on the roster with the ability to play in all three wide receiver positions, and he will have more of a chance to produce on the field this fall than he did in his first two years. Four incoming receivers will bring added pressure to the current crop of wideouts, and Kelly is looking forward to seeing how the group responds.

“The thing that I reminded them is that I’ve got some receivers coming in that are going to push all of them,” Kelly said. “There’s going to be some eyes open, I think, because I think they’re all going to get challenged with the group of receivers we’ve got coming in because they all want to play. And I’m not going to hold them back from playing.”

Offensive line

Spring depth chart

Left Tackle

1. Ronnie Stanley (RS-Sr.)
2. Hunter Bivin (RS-Jr.)

Left Guard

1. Quenton Nelson (RS-Fr.) OR Alex Bars (RS-Fr.)
3. Jimmy Byrne (RS-Fr.)

Center

1. Nick Martin (5-Sr.)
2. Sam Mustipher (RS-Fr.)
3. Tristen Hoge (Fr.)

Right Guard

1. Steve Elmer (Jr.)
2. John Montelus (RS-Jr.)
3. Colin McGovern (RS-Jr.)

Right Tackle

1. Mike McGlinchey (RS-Jr.)
2. Mark Harrell (RS-Sr.)

Spring review

It may be difficult to believe, but a unit that allowed 28 sacks last fall and looked lost at times is probably the deepest position on the Irish in 2015. Notre Dame’s offensive line was a liability this fall. Until the Music City Bowl, the Irish line looked overpowered. But as the Irish ran for a season-high 263 yards on 51 carries, the offensive line found its rhythm.

Mike McGlinchey earned his first start at right tackle over the injured Christian Lombard and finds himself as a starter five months later. Redshirt freshmen Alex Bars and Quenton Nelson are locked in a battle at left guard. Ronnie Stanley opted to put the NFL off for another year and returned to school. And with vast improvements from Steve Elmer at right guard, a healthy Nick Martin at center and steady progression from reserves like John Montelus, the first and second-team offensive front stopped the pass rush in its tracks last Saturday.

After the Blue-Gold game, Kelly acknowledged the offensive line is the deepest it’s been in his six years in South Bend.

“I think you probably go seven, eight (deep) is really the difference here,” he said. “And I thought what was really revealing to me today is that when the quarterbacks flipped, it was hard to tell whether it was the first offensive line or the second offensive line.

“Usually, you know, when the second offensive line is in there. It was the third offensive line where you saw a bit of a drop-off in there. But with the first and second offensive line, both those quarterbacks were effective and efficient with whoever was in there and I think that was the big telltale for me.”

Fall outlook

Besides Nelson and Bars splitting snaps at left guard, Notre Dame’s first-team offensive line is set in stone, and Kelly says both will play. Last week, Elmer said the continuity has been beneficial in spring football.

“That was huge, playing next to Mike and Nick consistently was really, really good for me and for both of them,” Elmer said. “I know where Mike’s going to be, I know where Nick’s going to be on different looks, and obviously they know where I’m going to be too. That’s just great for everybody.”

247