Dissecting the Depth Chart - Cornerback
There have been very few seasons where questions didn’t exist about the cornerback depth chart for Notre Dame and last year was no exception. By the end of the year those concerns were answered as the position was arguably the strongest it had been in the last 15 seasons.
They had four who played important snaps, one was named as a second team All-American, and they helped the Irish finished in the top-20 in yards per attempt for the first time since 2013.
Three of those fours players are back with Nick Watkins deciding to transfer to Houston. Even without him, the cornerback position might be even better than it was in 2017.
Love and Company
From the spring to fall camp, Julian Love appeared poised to make a leap as a sophomore by barely letting any receiver catch the ball against him in practice. He followed that up by having the best single season a cornerback has had since Shane Walton in 2002.
Love finished with a ridiculous 23 passes defensed (three interceptions and 20 pass breakups) to go with two pick sixes. There were very few low points for him last fall and he should be one of the better cornerbacks in the country this season. He does pretty much everything well.
By November Troy Pride was starting opposite Love. He has always been a great athlete, but started to develop as an all-around corner by playing significantly more physical. His progress is a big reason why Watkins ended up transferring. Pride has been too good to keep off the field.
The most important thing for Shaun Crawford was going through a season fully healthy, but he did more than that. He was solid as the nickel aside from a few deep balls where he got caught peeking in the backfield and made some significant plays to help the Irish win games.
His strip and recovery of the ball against Michigan State running back LJ Scott as he was about to go into the end zone was a turning point in that game. He helped the Irish pull away with a couple of big plays against Boston College as well. If he is a better a year removed from an Achilles injury, then the top three corners for the Irish could rival almost any team in the country.
The loss of Watkins left a void in terms matching up with big receivers and junior Donte Vaughn will have a chance to step in and fill that. After contributing as a freshman in 2016, Vaughn didn’t see the field much and has not been as consistent with his technique in practice as the others in front of him.
If he progresses in that area then he could be a big asset for the Irish. If he doesn’t, then some young players will have a chance to jump him on the depth chart.
No Pressure on the Freshmen
After missing out on signing any cornerbacks in 2017, the staff went heavy on the position this past cycle. They signed five, but some of them may not end up staying at corner. Houston Griffith already moved to safety where he has a good chance to compete for playing time this season.
That leaves four others and they all arrived in June. There is no pressure for any of them to play immediately if the veterans stay healthy, but if they earn it, then they might just force their way onto the field.
Noah Boykin is the highest ranked of the group and has the athletic tools to compete right now. If he can add the technical tools and pick up the defense quick enough, his height and length make him an intriguing addition to the team this season.
DJ Brown will be interesting to watch in fall camp because he showed strong route recognition on film and made plays because of it. It’s possible he makes a splash in 7 on 7 and team drills that could advance him up the depth chart. How he matches up physically in terms of his speed will probably determine if he has a chance to play early or not, though.
How heavy Tariq Bracy could be a biggest factor for him this August. He may need the time in the weight room before he is ready to play consistently at the college level. In saying that, he has very good ball skills and is a twitchy athlete that could help in the return game right away. He may be groomed at nickel behind Crawford as an introduction into the defense.
ISD’s Matt Freeman has mentioned that Joe Wilkins has been working at receiver as well as cornerback this summer. He may not even be with Todd Lyght’s group to start camp.
If he is, though, he is the biggest wildcard of freshmen. He is more raw based on what was asked of him in his high school defense compared to the other corners, but his combination of size and speed makes him a unique prospect if he stays at defensive back. A redshirt is probably likely on either side of the ball, but we’ll see if he surprises early when the pads go on.