SDE:
Isaac Rochell
Jarron Jones
NG:
Jerry Tillery
Daniel Cage
WDE:
Jay Hayes
Jonathan Bonner
DLB:
Andrew Trumbetti OR Daelin Hayes
WLB:
Tevon Coney
Greer Martini
MLB:
Nyles Morgan
Josh Barajas
CLB:
James Onwualu
Asmar Bilal
numental mistake.
We haven't seen a lot of guys get time. There are at least 3 freshman and a sophomore that haven't seen the field. Before you say that "If they were good enough to see the field, they would be on the field..." I don't believe that for a second. See Trumbetti, Andrew and Martini, Greer.
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Then basic coverage skills and assignments.
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If anything he could maybe play DE in a 3-4 defense. Trumbetti as an OLB would be a trainwreck too.
Notre Dame spent the last three years recruiting for a 4-3 defense, switching back to a 3-4 now would set this thing back even farther.
A pre-requisite of the next DC should be running a 4-3 defense.
Isaac Rochell
Jarron Jones
Daniel Cage OR Jerry Tillery
Jay Hayes
Jonathan Bonner
Andrew Trumbetti OR Daelin Hayes
Tillery is only a sophomore and is just starting to come into his own. I think he is at the best position for his skill set right now.
And if the only positive thing ND gets to be #1 at this year is behuemoth DE in Jarron, they should take it simply for entertainment value at this point.
Notre Dame doesn't have the personnel to play a 3-4 right now. IF they switch, we're going to have at least a season - probably two - of sub par defense regardless of the DC.
Seems like that's rarely been a good enough reason, but maybe that will change.
Maybe this presents better tossups at each position:
J. Hayes OR Bonner
Cage OR Jones
Rochell OR Tillery
Trumbetti OR D. Hayes
He's not built to be a OLB.
There is not alignment of the current personnel that would fit a 3-4. The only purpose of moving to a 3-4 would be to have 2 or 3 more years of excuses for why Notre Dame sucks on defense.
It is too difficult to find one great NG (let alone multiple that are needed for depth at the position) that you need to effectively play a base 3-4. Especially if your 3 down have 2 gap responsibility. I don't think most people appreciate just how good the DL was in 2012. Tuitt, Nix and KLM were exceptional players at the college level. However we all saw how the 3-4 can be exposed by a great power running team.
And Trumbetti has earned ... splinters