Dissecting the Depth Chart - Linebacker
Clark Lea was promoted to defensive coordinator for various reasons, but the job he did with his position group had to be near the top of the list. Two linebackers had breakthrough seasons under his tutelage.
The good news is the two are back this season. Because of that there’s plenty of reasons to feel good about the linebackers in 2018. There are a couple of big questions heading into fall camp, though:
Who’s going to play Rover beside them in the base defense?
Who’s going to play behind them when it’s time for others to see the field?
The second one might not seem as important as the first, but the Irish had four linebackers play big roles last fall and it would be ideal if they had a couple of more that they can count on who can also put them in a good spot for when last year’s breakthrough players are no longer around in 2019.
Sliding Over to Mike
Te’von Coney was 1A at Buck last September. By the time January hit he was playing like one of the best linebackers in America. He finished with 116 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss, which is in the same tier of production that Butkus Award winners Manti Te’o and Jaylon Smith had for the Irish.
Last season he slid over to Mike when they took Nyles Morgan out of the game and this season Coney is moving there on a permanent basis. It should not be a big adjustment for him and there’s a good chance he is going to be even more productive getting to play on 3rd downs this fall. He’s an outstanding blitzer.
The next guy slotted to play Mike is Jonathan Jones, who has flashed in garbage time, but hasn’t been given a chance to play meaningful minutes. Right now he is the frontrunner to be the next inside linebacker in because he has worked at both spots.
It’s not a slam dunk for Jones in the two-deep. At least not yet.
Early enrollee Bo Bauer made a strong impression in his first spring. Jack Lamb didn’t make as big of a splash, but he also enrolled early and will likely have a chance to compete at Mike and Buck. Drew White, who missed almost the entire spring with an ankle injury, will be given a shot as well. Like Lamb he could get reps at both spots.
Bauer and Lamb could redshirt and odds are that at least one of them will. It’s a crowded depth chart and that means that opportunities could be limited even if they decide to not work Coney too much early in camp.
Sliding Over to Buck
With Coney moving to Mike, there was a vacancy at Buck. They gave Drue Tranquill a shot at it this spring and it’s safe to say he won’t be moving back to Rover any time soon.
He looked very comfortable working off the ball versus the run. Together he and Coney may make up the best duo at inside linebacker the Irish have had since Mike Goolsby and Courtney Watson.
Tranquill might not leave the field much, but Jordan Genmark Heath, who moved from safety to Buck towards the end of spring, showed exciting speed at the position in a small amount of practices. He may not have known what he is doing yet, but if he figures things out before or early in the season, he’s an intriguing option.
DJ Morgan has gone from safety to Rover to Buck in his career. Tranquill did the same thing so it’s not out of the ordinary that it went that way. There is a lot of pressure on Morgan to get in the mix because it already appears he is trending the wrong way for playing time. JGH is a better athlete than him so Morgan needs to be better in other areas to hold him off.
In addition to Bauer and Lamb, Ovie Oghoufo also enrolled early. Based on the spring, he is the freshman farthest away from playing. Fall camp might give an indication to the staff whether he is long term Buck or if he a position switch might be in his future.
Bilal’s Time at Rover?
Asmar Bilal has always been a big time athlete. He’s developed into a more physical presence as well. For most of his time at Notre Dame, that hasn’t translated into a significant role. That’s because he always seemed to be a beat slow with his recognition and his physical gifts could not make up for it.
This spring was the first time it looked like that was changing. He is the favorite to win the Rover job and was playing faster than anytime we had previously seen him in practice. That needs to stay that way because there are players who will push him.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah redshirted last year, but he has good instincts and his potential is as great as any linebacker on the roster. I expect him to ascend throughout camp and all season. Converted safety Isaiah Robertson should not be counted out either. He might too talented to keep off the field.
Those are three fast, physical players and they are really only getting more of an opportunity because Tranquill kicked inside. Then there’s Shayne Simon who some have projected as a candidate to compete for the two-deep as soon as he makes it to campus. Simon could be good enough to do so and still end up redshirting. That’s just the reality of those that are competing in front of him.
It’s unproven at this point, but Rover could end up being the deepest position on the defense by the end of the season. It would not surprise me to see one of these players get a shot at Buck if Lea does not like what he sees early this August.
Right now I would not say that linebacker is the strongest position on the defense, but if some of the young talent develops as expected, it could be by time the Irish get to November.