General team info

[#1rish]

Grace broke his leg in four places?? Geez, I didn't realize it was that bad.

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>On personnel- <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeDenbrock">@MikeDenbrock</a> I feel that we are now in the position, personnel wise, to run the offense <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachBrianKelly">@CoachBrianKelly</a> envisions <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoIrish&src=hash">#GoIrish</a></p>— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFootball/statuses/429307153120112640">January 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Huntr]

I gotta say, it feels great listening to the coaching staff talking about ND Football for real, instead of just speculating on a message board or reading what little real info we get during the period prior to NSD. I can't freakin wait until the season starts this fall. March 3 spring practice can't get here soon enough!


And it's only been a month since the season ended lol.

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>BK: Springmann and Jones would be prime candidates to play nose-guard.</p>— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISDUpdate/statuses/429305521217101824">January 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>ML: I've chatted with Everett and Malik. They are both great kids and are as excited as I am to get this going.</p>— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISDUpdate/statuses/429309150913236993">January 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mike Denbrock says the wide receivers feel very comfortable with Malik Zaire. Says he understands his strengths and weaknesses. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NotreDame&src=hash">#NotreDame</a></p>— Andrew Owens (@BGI_AndrewOwens) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGI_AndrewOwens/statuses/429309468006821889">January 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[ResLife Hero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>BK: Jarrett Grace's leg was broken in four places. He's progressing, but it's going to take some time.</p>— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISDUpdate/statuses/429302674379390976">January 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Damn. Had no idea it was more than 2. Good thing we were able to bring in some reinforcements this class. Hopefully Deeb is ready to go as well.

 

[ryno 24]

I'm excited to see how the defense will look. I think the team will be fast paced all around next year. Much more blitzing, more points given up and more points scored. I am also wondering if the comments about Malik are real or lip service/ coach speak

 

[Emcee77]

Back to the team. I am remarkably uplifted by all I hear with the returning injured players. Everyone but Grace seems to be ahead of schedule, and that Grace may even come back with the kind of injury he had, is just amazing!

Here is to hitting it out of the park in '15!

I had the same reaction, it is fantastic to hear that guys like Springmann, Hounshell, Councell, Nick Martin, Randolph and Baratti are all doing so well.

OTOH, Grace was the most important player in that group, with the possible exception of Springmann, so it's a major bummer that his injury was more serious than some of us realized. Hopefully Moore and Deeb can take advantage of their increased reps this spring and make great strides. I'd think they will both be laser-focused, as it's their first chance to be full-time 1s.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Hunter Jr. can do

These posts were in the Intel thread. Prob should be over here.

 

[Emcee77]

Montelus is also full-go for the spring, btw. Didn't see that mentioned on here.

 

[greyhammer90]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>On personnel- <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeDenbrock">@MikeDenbrock</a> I feel that we are now in the position, personnel wise, to run the offense <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachBrianKelly">@CoachBrianKelly</a> envisions <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoIrish&src=hash">#GoIrish</a></p>— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFootball/statuses/429307153120112640">January 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

AWWWWWWWW YEEEEEEAAAAAAAH!

 

[Irish#1]

That's f*cking interesting, man. Kinda disappointing, too, but I'll reserve judgment until I see how BvG's variation looks like.

I keep telling you guys that today teams that play 3-4 play 4-3 about half the time. The down and difference will dictate which one.

 

[ryno 24]

I keep telling you guys that today teams that play 3-4 play 4-3 about half the time. The down and difference will dictate which one.

I like the base 3-4 because of how defenses are evolving, and we have a lot of talented Lbs but we will be in the 4-3 a lot as well

 

[Son of Kenmare]

If I time my 'ludes right I may not have to be sober until then. I just have to take them very, very, carefully.

Jeff Spicoli: People on 'ludes should not drive.

 

[PANDFAN]

Notre Dame: A source tells CoachingSearch that South Florida coordinator of recruiting operations Leah Knight is interviewing for a similar position at Notre Dame.

assuming jr's role or someone being promoted and her taking their spot

 

[IRISHbluehen]

Notre Dame: A source tells CoachingSearch that South Florida coordinator of recruiting operations Leah Knight is interviewing for a similar position at Notre Dame.

assuming jr's role or someone being promoted and her taking their spot

I believe that Diaco took the on campus recruiting coord with him to UCONN so she may be interviewing for that position as well.

Of note, she previously worked on the Bama recruiting support staff.

 

[PANDFAN]

I believe that Diaco took the on campus recruiting coord with him to UCONN so she may be interviewing for that position as well.

Of note, she previously worked on the Bama recruiting support staff.

and she aint to shabby looking

 

[PANDFAN]

After a couple of decades of inconsistent performance, the Notre Dame program looks to be on a steady upward trend. Under Brian Kelly's leadership, the Fighting Irish have made it to four consecutive bowl games for the first time since 1995, and if they win nine games this upcoming season, they will have posted 30 wins over a three-year period for the first time since 1993. These achievements are part of why the school recently announced a $400 million stadium upgrade that the university's president called, "the most ambitious building project in the 172-year history of Notre Dame."

Despite losing one of the top passers in team history (Tommy Rees), a tight end (Troy Niklas) and wide receiver (TJ Jones) whose touchdown prowess put them near the top of the Notre Dame single-season historical charts at their respective positions, the departure of six starters on defense (including two of the top 10 sack leaders in team history in Stephon Tuitt and Prince Shembo) and the recent suspension of DaVaris Daniels, their leading returning receiver, there are many reasons to believe this program's upward trajectory will continue in 2014 and beyond.

Offensive outlook

The program's continued rise starts with the return of quarterback Everett Golson. Golson has shown some elite skills in the past, including the ability -- despite his poor off-field decision-making -- to post an extremely low percentage in the bad decision rate (BDR) metric that gauges a quarterback's penchant for making mental errors that lead to a turnover opportunity for the opposing team.

The passing game also features some quality returning targets. Daniels, who should return for the summer semester barring any additional off-field issues, had a markedly superior yards per attempt (YPA) mark with Golson under center in 2012 (11.3 YPA on 39 targets, according to ESPN Stats & Information) than he did with other quarterbacks in 2013 (6.7 YPA on 111 targets) and thus could see a return to his former ways. Ben Koyack, a Mackey Award candidate (best tight end in college football) prior to the 2013 season, posted an 11.4 YPA on 17 targets last year and thus could fill Niklas' shoes (9.4 YPA on 53 targets). The Irish also bring in several top recruits in the class of 2014, including four-star TE Tyler Luatua and four-star WR Corey Holmes.

Notre Dame's rushing attack had more than a few issues breaking off long gains last year, as the Fighting Irish had only 53 rushes of 10 or more yards (tied for 95th in the Football Bowl Subdivision) and just 11 rushes of 20 or more yards (tied for 98th in the FBS).

This might make it look as if the Blue and Gold ball carriers weren't getting the job done, but the Irish running backs actually fared much better in the area of fewest plays that ended up gaining zero or negative yards, as only 20.9 percent of their rushing attempts were stuffed at the line or worse (ranked 34th in the FBS). Notre Dame ball carriers also did an above-average job in the area of rushes that gained 5 or more yards (40.7 percent, tied for 42nd). They weren't breaking off the big runs, but they were moving the ball forward.

[+] EnlargeGolson
AP Photo/Joe Raymond
Everett Golson is set to return under center for Notre Dame in 2014.
A closer look at the game tape explains these rushing numbers. The Fighting Irish blocking wall had a multitude of run-blocking issues ranging from an inability to complete combination blocks (where one lineman helps with a double-team and then releases to the second level to block another defender) to not properly accounting for all of the defenders in the box to mental gaffes that left opposing players unblocked. The running backs were quite adept at finding gaps in the defensive wall even when these mistakes occurred, but their adaptability had limited upside. They often turned bad plays into decent gains but couldn't turn them into breakaways.

However, those blocking issues didn't show up in pass defense (the Fighting Irish allowed only eight sacks in the entire 2013 season), so this may just be a matter of concentrating more on developing the team's run-blocking skills. Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand has a history of developing strong run-blocking groups (the 2012 Irish ran for 200 or more yards in seven games and did not display anywhere near the volume of run-blocking issues seen in 2013), and with fifth-year senior right guard Christian Lombard coming back (he was recently given another year of eligibility), Hiestand will have three returning starters to work with. This group also will benefit from the fact that left tackle Steve Elmer, who isn't counted among the returning starters, racked up six games of starting experience at right guard last year, so he won't be starting from scratch. Also add to that three four-star OL recruits from the class of 2014.

Defensive outlook

The Irish have a bit more rebuilding to do on the defensive side of the ball because of the aforementioned loss of six starters, but it isn't as if this unit lacks for talent. Notre Dame signed its share of skilled defensive players over the past three years when it finished fourth in the ESPN recruiting rankings in 2013, ninth in 2012 and ninth in 2011. The Irish are also on pace for another strong recruiting class in 2014, as they currently sit 11th in the ESPN rankings.

This talent collection allows Notre Dame to bring back two of its top four tackles-for-loss defenders (Sheldon Day and Jaylon Smith) along with projected defensive line starters Jarron Jones (a four-star offensive line recruit in 2012) and Isaac Rochell (the No. 13 ranked defensive end recruit in 2013). Plus, the Irish's 2014 recruiting haul includes three four-star defensive lineman, including 10th-ranked DE Andrew Trumbetti.

With safety Austin Collinsworth joining Lombard in the group of four Notre Dame players to be given a fifth year of eligibility, the Fighting Irish also return three secondary starters to the lineup. That is a good sign for a defense that ranked 31st in the nation in Adjusted Total QBR (a metric that adjusts Raw QBR by schedule strength) from October through the end of the season (39.4) despite having matchups against the strong passing games of Arizona State, USC, Pittsburgh, BYU and Stanford.

The defense also will benefit from the fact that three of their first four games (Rice, Purdue and Syracuse) are against teams that don't have powerful offenses. That should give new defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder some time to get this talented platoon to jell.

In addition, the Irish special teams bring back Kyle Brindza, one of the most prolific kickers in program history whose talents were key to Notre Dame's Pinstripe Bowl victory over Rutgers.

Given the team's strong base of returning starters, emerging players and some encouraging trends to build on from 2013, Notre Dame is well-positioned to continue its upward trajectory. Moreover, all taken together, these factors should help Kelly once again navigate this team into Top 25 contention for much, if not all, of the 2014 campaign.

insider

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Nine <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NotreDame&src=hash">#NotreDame</a> players have been invited to the NFL Combine: Atkinson, Niklas, Jones, Martin, Watt, Nix, Tuitt, Shembo & Jackson</p>— Andrew Owens (@BGI_AndrewOwens) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGI_AndrewOwens/statuses/431163500916781056">February 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[IrishBlood81]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Nine <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NotreDame&src=hash">#NotreDame</a> players have been invited to the NFL Combine: Atkinson, Niklas, Jones, Martin, Watt, Nix, Tuitt, Shembo & Jackson</p>— Andrew Owens (@BGI_AndrewOwens) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGI_AndrewOwens/statuses/431163500916781056">February 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Thats the most in some time isn't it?

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Quite an impressive number.

 

[irishog77]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Nine <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NotreDame&src=hash">#NotreDame</a> players have been invited to the NFL Combine: Atkinson, Niklas, Jones, Martin, Watt, Nix, Tuitt, Shembo & Jackson</p>— Andrew Owens (@BGI_AndrewOwens) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGI_AndrewOwens/statuses/431163500916781056">February 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Glad to hear this. I think the last 8 will all definitely get drafted. Wouldn't be shocked if Atkinson did, but perhaps a little surprised. He'll be 215+ with speed, so he'll certainly be intriguing.

Alabama has 12 players invited. Wonder how many invites fsu has?

 

[Me2SouthBend]

He's Baaaack...

Kelly on the recruits: Front Seven | Inside the Irish

Kelly on the recruits: Offensive Line | Inside the Irish

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Skill position recap from CBK.

Kelly on the recruits: Skill Players | Inside the Irish

 

[greyhammer90]

Skill position recap from CBK.

Kelly on the recruits: Skill Players | Inside the Irish

Thanks Keith

 

[Emcee77]

We might be getting another walk-on LB. Apparently there is a kid who played OLB for Woodberry Forest (Prosise, Randolph and Martini's high school) who is coming to ND next year. Per Dan Murphy at BGI, our coaches have asked him to try out for the team when he gets to ND.

 

[CanadalovesND]

We might be getting another walk-on LB. Apparently there is a kid who played OLB for Woodberry Forest (Prosise, Randolph and Martini's high school) who is coming to ND next year. Per Dan Murphy at BGI, our coaches have asked him to try out for the team when he gets to ND.

Probably either Myles or Isaiah Brown.

Maxpreps - OLB Myles Brown

Maxpreps - OLB Isaiah Brown

 

[Damion704]

Alabama Crimson Tide win recruiting war and moves up in latest Way-Too-Early Top 25 - ESPN

 

[Irish#1]

Probably either Myles or Isaiah Brown.

Maxpreps - OLB Myles Brown

Maxpreps - OLB Isaiah Brown

Both seem a little on the small side. I wonder what the staffs thinking is?

 

[Luckylucci]

Both seem a little on the small side. I wonder what the staffs thinking is?

They're walk-ons. Probably not much thinking involved.