Spring Roster Update

[Fighting_Irish9]

Quarterbacks
1. Sr Brady Quinn
--2. rSo David Wolke
--3. rFr Evan Sharpley
--4. Fr Demtrius Jones
--5. Fr Zach Frazier

***Quinn The obvious starter but the race for the Backup has not shaped up all that great so far, neither QB has really stepped it up in Weis's eyes so Jones or Frazer may have an outside shot at taking over the primary back up job, but don't hold your breathe on that one.

IMO Sharpley will end up as the Primary Backup QB



Running Backs
1. Jr Darius Walker
--2. rJr Travis Thomas -
--3. Fr James Alderidge -
--4. Fr Munir Prince -

***Walker will retain his starting spot but expect to see a lot of Travis Thomas. With the departure of Justin Hoskins James Aldridge should see most of the mop up duty and may even get a few quality carries. Though Alderidge hasn't been spectactular this spring he definatly has the potential to be a great back in the future and every bit of experience he can get will be helpful

With Princes Speed, he is a wild card for playing time next year, special teams, 3rd down, Slot...


Fullbacks
1. So Asaph Schwapp
--2. rJr Ashley McConnell
--3. Fr Luke Schmidt

***Schwapp looks to be a 4 year starter at ND, Mconnell should get a lot of playing time however.

I expect to see Schmidt redshirted this year


Wide Recievers
1. Sr Jeff Samardzija
2. rSr Rhema McKnight
--3. So David Grimes -
--4. So DJ Hord -
--5. rJr Chase Anastasio -
--6. Fr George West -
--7. rSo Darren Bragg -
--8. Fr Richard Jackson -
--9. Fr Robby Parris -
10. Fr Barry Gallup -

***McKnight appears to have Bounced back to be as good as new according to Weis. Grimes has stepped into the #3 as hord has been hampered by injury. West may not see much time at WR but expectations are very high for him as a Kick returner next year.

I expect Samardzija's numbers to drop also expect to see Hord step up as the #3 reciever next year. Hope to see a couple Bubble screens/Hitches to West to see what he can do with the ball


Tight Ends
1. rSr Marcus Freeman -
--2. rJr John Carlson -
--3. Fr Konrad Rueland -
--4. Fr Will Yeatman -

***Freeman will likely be labled the starter but both Freeman and Carlson will see about equal playing time and also expect to see ND run a lot of 2 TE sets. With Hiben's departure, Rueland should get some snaps as a True Freshman in Mop up duty.

There is an outside shot Mullens move to DT will be delayed with the loss of Hiben


Center
1. rJr John Sullivan
--2. rSr Bob Morton
--3. Fr Dan Wenger

Guard
RG - 1. rSr Bob Morton
LG - 1. Dan Santucci
--2. rSr Brian Mattes
--3. So Michael Turkovich
--4. Fr Chris Stewart
--5. Fr Matt Carufel
--6. Fr Eric Olsen

Tackle
RT - 1. So Paul Duncan
LT - 1. Sr Ryan Harris
--2. rSr Brian Mattes -
--3. Fr Sam Young
--4. Fr Bartley Webb

***Duncan seems to pretty much have locked up the one open O-line position but there still is an outside shot Mattes or Turkovich unseat him.

With the complex offense and blocking schemes Weis runs it seem pretty unlikely that Young will see any time with the starting Unit next year unless the game is in hand


Defensive Ends
1. Sr Victor Abiamiri -
1. rSo Ronald Talley -
--2. rSr Chris Frome -
--3. rSo Justin Brown -
--4. Fr Kellen Wade -
--5. rJr Dwight Stephenson Jr -
--6. Fr John Ryan -

***The End opposite Abiamiri is still very much up for grabs, all are very good against the run but no one has really stepped up as a great pass rusher

Though Still very much under the radar, I'm hoping to see Stephenson Jr step up as a pass rusher and make some noise this upcoming season


Defensive Tackles
1. rSr Derek Landri
1. rJr Trevor Laws
--2. rFr Darrell Hand
--3. So Patrick Kuntz -
--4. Pa[/u]ddy Mullen -

***This group was and will be very good against the run but the Pass rush needs to improve. Neither Landri or Laws put much pressure on the QB up the middle and really haven't shown much improvement in that area this spring.

I'm hoping Hand and Kuntz will step up their game allowing for more of a rotation in the middle

Apache LineBacker
1. rSo Anthony Vernaglia -
2. rJr Kevin Washington -
3. rSo Abdel Banda -

Middle Linebacker
1. rSo Maurice Crum -
--2. rJr Mitchell Thomas -
--3. Fr Toryan Smith -
--4. So rJr Nick Borseti -

Outside Linebacker
1. rJr Joe Brockington -
--2. So Steve Quinn -
--3. So Scott Smith -
--4. Fr Morrice Richardson -

***The LB Group is still far from Solid, Crum's injury has kept him from really mixing it up and showing he can play the MLB position. Brockington gets the most love from the Staff after Crum Jr and they are also pretty high on Vernaglia and Quinn. Were everyone shakes out though is still a question


Cornerbacks
1. rJr Ambrose Wooden -
1. Mike Richardson -
--2. rSo Terrail Lambert -
--3. rSo Leo Ferrine -
--4. Fr Darrin Walls -
--5. Fr Rasheon McNeil -

***Despite ESPN and Some posters concerns, the Defensive Backfield looks to be ND's Strongest group. Lambert looks very close to breaking into the starting lineup ahead of Richardson, though Richardson's small injury keeps me from saying Lambert has taken it. Ferrine's Nickel spot however looks to be in danger as both the Lambert/Richardson (loser) will be up for it, but so will David Bruton who the coaches just want to get on the field any way they can.

I know a few expect to see a lot of McNeal and Walls but again, as spring shapes up, it looks more and more unlikely that either get any quality minutes


Strong Safety
1. Sr Chinedum Ndukwe -
--2. So Ray Herring -
--3. So Kyle McCarthy -
--4. Fr Jashaad Gains -

Free Safety
1. rJr Tommy Zbikowski -
--2. So David Bruton -
--3. Fr Sergio Brown -
--4. Fr Lenard Gordon -

***Both Bruton and Herring get high praise from the coaching staff, Bruton may even surpass Ndukwe as the Strong safety around the half way point but Ndukwe's experience should keep him in the starting lineup for the big early games

Special Teams
Punter - rJr Geoffry Price
Kicker - Sr Carl Giola
---2.Fr Ryan Burkhart

The Return game is difficult to predict other than West will be returning Kickoffs, Who will be back there and who will be returning punts could be anyone from a long list of players.


Summary

The offense looks to be headed in a more conservative direction. A lot of 2 TE sets and less throwing the ball down field. This could just be keeping it simple in the Spring but I think Weis plans on pulling in the reins a bit next year to keep the Defense off the field. This may Hurt Quinn's Heisman chances but will give ND a better chance of winning.

The Defense looks to be pretty solid against the pass next year if they can get decent pressure on the QB. Unlike last year expect ND to be more flexible with their defensive sets as Bruton's increased size makes him less of a liability against the run and gives ND a better Nickel and Dime option.

 

[Subway Alum - MA]

Great Stuff!

Great Stuff!

Thanks for the very comprehensive update. Some interesting developments? Will there be another following the Blue & Gold game? It will be interesting to see and hear about how the players perform under game conditions. Looking forward to next Saturday - and all that will bring!

 

[tgolden]

Why does it seem like everyones so high on Toryan Smith but not Morrice Richardson when Richardson was the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year over Smith? Is this just a guess or am I missing something?

 

[Fighting_Irish9]

Why does it seem like everyones so high on Toryan Smith but not Morrice Richardson when Richardson was the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year over Smith? Is this just a guess or am I missing something?

My guess would be because Richardson is an OLB and people are uncomfortable with the idea of Crum moving to MLB and since people kinda forget about guys after a year or two they don't have faith in the other guys that are talked about for MLB...and all the talk about this great Highschool MIDDLE LINEBACKER has them all excited about Smith

 

[jiggafini19]

Crum should be at MLB because he lacks the speed to play on the outside, IMO. Reggie Bush, among others, proved that.

Even with injuries, the guys who were going through drills didn't impress a whole lot of people on the inside that were seeing practice and reporting the information back to us.

The secondary got better and the linebackers are now the main issue of the defense.

Come August when Richardson is healthy, he and Wooden will have the starting spots locked down.

Double tight end formations = no third WR emerged.

 

[tgolden]

My guess would be because Richardson is an OLB and people are uncomfortable with the idea of Crum moving to MLB and since people kinda forget about guys after a year or two they don't have faith in the other guys that are talked about for MLB...and all the talk about this great Highschool MIDDLE LINEBACKER has them all excited about Smith

Another question- how different is OLB from MLB that one of the frosh couldn't end up switching? I know there's usually a size difference and maybe a little speed diffence, and OLB's tend to cover more, but is there a chance that Richardson could end up inside or Smith outside?

But how is Brockington doing, I haven't forgotten about him? I know he had surgery, but I think he could do well, and he has the most experience of anyone except Crum.

 

[jiggafini19]

Another question- how different is OLB from MLB that one of the frosh couldn't end up switching? I know there's usually a size difference and maybe a little speed diffence, and OLB's tend to cover more.

Your middle linebacker is the quarterback of the defense in most cases. He commands the huddle, calls the play and thus communicates with the head coach/d coordinator more than anyone else. Middle linebackers have to be very agile because their main responsiblities can be dropping into coverage or playing the run, depending on the scheme called.

The outside guys are strong and weakside linebackers. Strongside lines up on the tight end side of the ball and thus has two main objectives: tackle the running back or rush the QB so the weakside LB can drop into pass coverage. Usually the strongest of the three LB. This is the position Morrice Richardson projects to play.

The weakside LB should thus be the fastest of the three because of the assignment of drawing pass coverage. Still needs to play the run, but has free safety like priviledges to roam the field because the strongside man guards the line. This would be the ND "Apache" spot.

Now based on this Football 101 rambling I've just done, what position requires the most experience? And what linebacker has the most experience at Notre Dame?

This is why I want Crum in the middle. Toryan Smith should back him up at the most.

 

[tgolden]

Okay, thanks for the football 101, I didn't know some of that stuff; I always love to learn. And I see your points.

Also, was Hoyte middle last year and Mays outside? What about with Watson, Goolsby and Curry- Watson called the plays, but I always thought Goolsby was a middle LB?

Also, if you want to teach me some more, in the old system, and system that other teams use, is Sam strong, Mike middle, and Will weak?

It's great to have knowledgeable people like you, and sorry if I'm ruining the thread.

 

[irish4life99]

I don't know if anyone saw the SBT articale about Smith. Now I like this kid, and I think he'll be a big contributor some day. He might even see some playing time. But for them to say that he's looking like he might start is pushing it big time. If he does were in much worse shape than I thought we were. Just hate seeing how thin we are; it scares the crap out of my. Here's the link:

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060416/NDSports02/604160424/-1/NDSPORTS

 

[jiggafini19]

Okay, thanks for the football 101, I didn't know some of that stuff; I always love to learn. And I see your points.
Also, was Hoyte middle last year and Mays outside? What about with Watson, Goolsby and Curry- Watson called the plays, but I always thought Goolsby was a middle LB?
Also, if you want to teach me some more, in the old system, and system that other teams use, is Sam strong, Mike middle, and Will weak?
It's great to have knowledgeable people like you, and sorry if I'm ruining the thread.

You misunderstand me Golden, the "football 101" was a shot at myself. I realized while writing the thread that I had rambled on somewhat. I wasn't trying to offend or anything.

Mays played the middle, Hoyte the OLB. Beyond that, I think the scheme was differet under TW's staff. Hoyte and Goolsby were "ILB" and Curry an OLB. I could be wrong here. I don't recall who was taking the signals, but my guess would be Goolsby or Curry.

Your Sam-Mike-Will comment is correct.

I don't care if they put junior high kids on the field. If they're the best at their position and they can give ND the best chance to win, play them. Toryan Smith, Sam Young, D Walls or whoever.

 

[jiggafini19]

Lou Somogyi's BGI synopsis heading into the Blue and Gold Game:

1. Linebacker and #2 QB are the most unresolved spots on the team.

2. Price at punter and Goia at kicker seem to be settled in for now.

3. Grimes appears to be the #3 WR option, but his playing time could depend on how many double and TRIPLE tight end sets Weis will run, which is sounds like he will do often.

4. John Latinia said that right tackle is not resolved and will most likely get decided by the time the season starts. Duncan is in the lead, but hasn't hammered it down.

5. Latina wants Chris Stewart, Young, Webb, Wenger, Carufel and Olson to settle into ONE position on the line come fall. They'd prefer this as opposed to having "swing men".

6. Victor Abiamari has reported to spring camp at 270 lbs. and aspires to have a season that will propel him to NFL first round draft pick status. The boy is hungry.

 

[scooper]

Great news on Abiamiri. Is is a huge key to next season. I don't think they corners were awful last year. In fact, they stepped up a bit from what I expected. The biggest problem was lack of pass rush. No corner is a true shut down corner if he doesn't get some help up front.

I suspect that Grimes will be one of those less heralded guys that will have a great career here before all is said and done.

 

[tgolden]

You misunderstand me Golden, the "football 101" was a shot at myself. I realized while writing the thread that I had rambled on somewhat. I wasn't trying to offend or anything.

I wasn't offended, I seriously appreciated it. I think I know a lot about football, but I know that there is still a ton I don't know. Thanks for all the info. And I ramble a lot too.

 

[irishwavend]

Heard some news from a friend who was speaking with one of the players.

1.) Apparently, West is getting dogged really hard at all the practices because he is a bit slow on the uptake. He is getting dogged so much that he is wondering why he ever decided to enroll early.

2.)Goia is AWFUL. Ever since he hurt himself, he is too scared to kick so his kicking has been atrocious as he seems tentative and scared to take a full stab at the ball. Burkhart may come in and kick right away. I personally doubt it, but don't be surprised.

3.) We are incredibly thin at receiver...After our main four, there is going to be an extreme drop off that will be difficult to compensate for if there is an injury early in the season.

4.) Aldridge has so much potential, but the knee injury seems to be one of the questions where: Is it something that plagues his career, or is it just something in the short term that needs to heal; but it doesn't seem like he is going to be doing much for a while of the knee doesn't shape up.

I felt kinda like "Well, shit!" after that conversation, but we should keep our eye on the positives and hope the injury bug doesn't plague us.

 

[jiggafini19]

I love this reality check. But let me retort...

1. Good. He's a freshmen. Hard times will do him good. They need to be tough on him, not like at SC where practices are "fun".

2. If ND ever needs to summon the kicking game in a close contest, kiss your Sears Trophy dreams goodbye. Still an issue.

3. Could we see Gallup, Jackson, maybe Darrin Walls? Some of you out there seem to dislike the thought of playing freshmen, but there will be 28 on this roster which is more than the other three classes combined almost. (I kid, but it seems that way right?)

4. This is why Marc Tyler will come to Notre Dame. Walker and Thomas graduating, Aldridge's durability concerns plus a slew of RB in the SC incoming class = Marc Tyler in the gold helmet.

That's ultra positive coming from me. Blah.

 

[scooper]

3. Could we see Gallup, Jackson, maybe Darrin Walls? Some of you out there seem to dislike the thought of playing freshmen,

This could be in reference to me as I've argued against it. It's not that I don't like playing them. I just don't like fans counting on them before they ever step foot on the field. You know the saying about counting your chickens before they hatch. An upgrade in talent or not, the difference between high school and DI football is immense. I went from one of the biggest high school programs in Ohio to DIII and it was a step up. Though talented, some of these kids are going to have to have an adjustment period.

I listened to an interview this morning with Cincinnati's Mark Dantonio. They played a lot of freshmen last year and had possibly the youngest starting lineup in college football. He was raving this morning about the physical difference in many of their freshmen from fall to this spring after they had a year to mature and work out.

I expect some freshmen to contribute and I hope WR is one place where they do, but it's dangerous to rely on them.

but there will be 28 on this roster which is more than the other three classes combined almost. (I kid, but it seems that way right?)

Kidding aside, that is more than this year's freshmen and sophs combined.

 

[Pete]

Doesn't take a full two years to heal from a torn ACL? I remember when James from Indy torn his the first year back he didn't have that explosive first step but year two he was fine. And McGahe in Buffalo didn't even play the year after his so he could fully heal, and then year two he was outstanding.

 

[jiggafini19]

Scoop, I know you're one of the handful out there. My theory is that the best players play. But I also don't agree with playing freshmen just for the sake of doing it.

If Toryan Smith or Richard Jackson or Sam Young or Konrad Reuland are on the field, they'll be there because they earned it and outworked the guy in front of them to get there. I don't think Weis will play favorites to "his" recruits.

The best will play.

And again, in many cases they might not have much choice. Depth is still a concern.

 

[scooper]

I'm not saying they can't. I just don't agree with many fans looking at a four or five star freshman coming in and assuming they will blow away guys with a couple years on them. Guys with more physical maturity, more hours in a college weight room and more time in film study and on the practice field.

Some of them may very well come in and do so. But it's dangerous to put all your eggs in that basket.

The incoming class will pay huge dividends in 08, and due to lack of numbers, will have to step up in 07. Some will no doubt contribute in 06. But the overall improvement for 06 is going to have to come from the current roster. Some guys that are already here are going to have to step things up a bit.

 

[jiggafini19]

Some of them may very well come in and do so. But it's dangerous to put all your eggs in that basket.

I've heard that Young, Reuland, Smith, Richardson, Walls and McNeil COULD see playing time as freshmen in regards to this discussion. Judging from the quantum leap the secondary has made this spring, it could be tough for Walls and McNeil to break through in 06. In 07, maybe a different story.

Judging from what is being said about the linebackers this spring, if no one has the inside track at starting by Saturday night after the B and G Game, Smith and Richardson are going to get long, hard looks. The same can be said for Young because while Duncan is in the lead, he hasn't hammered the RT spot down acccording to Latina.

The last thing we want to see are injuries. Otherwise, you'll be seeing a lot of these frosh.

 

[scooper]

Definately, some of these guys will see playing time. And I agree that the one spot where they have a chance to start is LB. That's one guy out of a highly rated class of 27 guys who may start over 3 and 4 year vets. That just shows how tough it is for a true freshman to be a full time starter in DI football. It can happen and often does, but more often than not, they are better served by a year of maturity and training.

Just for poops and giggles, here are my predictions on who will contribute significantly from the freshman class.

Sam Young-in a RT rotation by mid season.
Konrad Reuland- Third TE getting in some action in 2 and 3 TE sets.
George West-I still like him to get up to speed and return kicks.
Toryan Smith-best chance to start if current LB's don't step up.
Walls or McNeil-Whoever shows better early will get some nickel and dime time.
Munir Prince-the only true "speed back" on the roster may get some looksy by default.
Ryan Burkhart-this one is obvious as the kicking game is scary right now,

I think others will get playing time, but these are the guys whose affects will clearly show. Some of the others may make a nice impact on coverage teams ala Bruton last season.

Many would put Aldridge on this list. If his knee is not 100%, I predict he'll be given the proper time for it to heal. Those injuries take longer for running backs than other positions. Their agility and burst is crucial.

 

[Fighting_Irish9]

I just don't see Walls or McNeal getting much time next year....

With Bruton, Lambert and Ferrine there isn't much room to stick either of those guys.

I just can't imagine Young playing much after watching St. Thomas's State Championship game, the guy was manhandled, he has a ways to go before he can play at the DI level.
Don't get me wrong, tons of potential but he just looked slow in that game

West will be returning kicks, not sure how much time he will see outside of Special teams though

 

[jiggafini19]

I just don't see Walls or McNeal getting much time next year....

With Bruton, Lambert and Ferrine there isn't much room to stick either of those guys.

There's room a plenty if you out play the guy ahead of you. Bruton is a safety. After seeing the Blue and Gold Game, Lambert and Ferrine aren't world beaters. They're better, but I'm not running home to tell mom about it. Bruton and Herring should get the nickel and dime looks as far as I'm concerned.

I just can't imagine Young playing much after watching St. Thomas's State Championship game, the guy was manhandled, he has a ways to go before he can play at the DI level.

The first part of this sentence is inaccurate. The DE from Lakeland was good, but by no means "manhandled" Young. As for the second part, that doesn't bode well for the other five because Sam Young is the most college ready O linemen they are bringing in. And the way Abiamiri chewed up Duncan and spit him out, Young will get an opportunity to show what he can do.

 

[LuckoftheIrish86]

Abiamiri better have chewed Duncan up, he is the only sign of any type of pass rush we got this year.

 

[Indydomer]

Abiamiri's talent will finally be put on display this year. I think he has realized he better get his ass in gear or going to the NFL is out of the question. He'll come up huge this year imo.

 

[Domer95]

Your middle linebacker is the quarterback of the defense in most cases. He commands the huddle, calls the play and thus communicates with the head coach/d coordinator more than anyone else. Middle linebackers have to be very agile because their main responsiblities can be dropping into coverage or playing the run, depending on the scheme called.

The outside guys are strong and weakside linebackers. Strongside lines up on the tight end side of the ball and thus has two main objectives: tackle the running back or rush the QB so the weakside LB can drop into pass coverage. Usually the strongest of the three LB. This is the position Morrice Richardson projects to play.

The weakside LB should thus be the fastest of the three because of the assignment of drawing pass coverage. Still needs to play the run, but has free safety like priviledges to roam the field because the strongside man guards the line. This would be the ND "Apache" spot.

Now based on this Football 101 rambling I've just done, what position requires the most experience? And what linebacker has the most experience at Notre Dame?

This is why I want Crum in the middle. Toryan Smith should back him up at the most.

Jigga, thanks as always for the concise, insightful info....if only rambling Kinesology majors at Big Televen schools could write like that.....

 

[jiggafini19]

Abiamiri has to be the most motivated guy on the team that doesn't play in the secondary.

And it was bad. They had to double team him just about every time. Duncan had better check in to Coach Mendoza's summer school and get some Nasty Genes from GNC.