Camp Predictions and Thoughts
Notre Dame will open Fall Camp on Friday at Culver Academy. It could be a big year for the Irish as they return several key players and have plenty of young talent rising up the depth chart.
Jamie and I took a look at a few of the players we expect to have a big camp as well as some that need to have a good August.
Which second-year player is going to make the leap in this camp?
Matt: He’s in his third year in the program, but running back Tony Jones Jr. (pictured) will be entering his second season of playing. Jones learned a lot last year as he got his first taste of action while battling injuries. He’s never dealt with injuries, so I know standing on the sidelines only fuelled the fire, and it’s clear he took it to heart as he changed his body this offseason.
Notre Dame is going to need Jones to replace the production that left with Josh Adams, and it’s his time. He’s patiently waited for his time, and I expect him to take the next forward. The Irish offensive line should be good up the middle, and it plays into the strength of Jones’ game.
Jamie: Last year it was Julian Love. This year I think it's going to be defensive tackle Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. He had a chance to get a ton of reps in the spring with an injury to Jerry Tillery, and I think he is ready to take the next step to have a more impactful role in fall camp. Look for him to be more of a 1B at 3-tech rather than a number two at that spot as an improved pass rusher that may find his way into playing nose in Notre Dame's third down package.
Who will everyone be talking about before Michigan that we haven't been talking about much this summer?
Matt: We have mentioned his name a few times this summer, but I’m not other sites have given him the recognition. I believe Khalid Kareem is going to be a star in 2018. Kareem should have played more last year as he was highly productive when he was in and might have been Notre Dame’s best pass rusher a year ago.
The reigns will be coming off this year and playing Michigan week one could be a tremendous start for him. Kareem grew up outside of Detroit and was a Michigan fan growing up, so it’s safe to say he’s going to be a little fired up for September 1st.
Jamie: I'm with Matt on Kareem, but I'm going to go with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at Rover. I thought he had some awesome flashes in the spring out of all of the players there, and I believe he has the most upside. He's a terrific athlete that has awesome ability to change direction explosively.
I expect him to make some plays in camp that will make Clark Lea want to get him on the field more than just a regular backup. He's going to push Asmar Bilal for that starting spot.
What receiver or defensive back will turn the most heads in one on ones?
Matt: Chris Finke will always turn heads in 1-on-1s, but I’m going to go with Chase Claypool on this one. 1-on-1s are just too hard for cornerbacks and defensive backs to have much success as they have to guard the entire field. Claypool flashed last year and this spring he was more consistent. He’s entering his third year of playing, and that’s when the light goes on for many receivers.
Jamie: I'm going the other way with this and think it will be safety Houston Griffith. I know we've been praising him for a while as someone who will play this season as a true freshman, but I think he can be a unique player at safety because of his ability to play man coverage. Where many safeties struggle in one on ones, Griffith should match up better than most. It will be giving the staff another reason to consider playing him significant minutes early in the year.
Which of the freshmen who are expected to redshirt will force their way onto the field with a great camp?
Matt: Justin Ademilola stands out for me. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about his summer and I could see him getting a shot in some packages during camp as Notre Dame is looking for a pass rush. If he can get to the quarterback, Clark Lea is going to find a role for him, and I think he will get a shot to prove he deserves to be on the field this fall.
Jamie: Lawrence Keys is someone that I view as a long shot to play this season because of his size and the fact that Notre Dame may play quite a bit of snaps with two tight ends on the field. I have flashbacks of Michael Young impressing in camp last year, and that led to him playing last season, even if his role wasn't very significant.
If Keys can show out with his speed and ability to make defenders miss, he'll have a shot at traveling this year and possibly winning the kick return job.
What backup is going to play like he deserves to be a starter?
Matt: Two guys come to mind, and they are both on the line. Defensive end Julian Okwara enters the season as Notre Dame’s best pass rusher, but he is playing behind Daelin Hayes on second and third down. Okwara wasn’t great against the run, but I also wouldn’t put him in the liability category either. Hayes was the more rounded player a year ago while Okwara struggled with his weight.
Sophomore offensive lineman Aaron Banks has always impressed me during his time at Notre Dame. I would imagine he’d be starting for most schools as he can play tackle or guard, but Notre Dame is loaded on the offensive line. It will be a big year for Banks as he has a chance step in next year for Alex Bars.
Jamie: Okwara would have been my pick. I'm all in on him having a breakout year.
To not be repetitive, my pick is going to be Shaun Crawford. Julian Love and Troy Pride seem to have the starting corner jobs locked down, which is a primary reason why Nick Watkins decided to transfer. I'm not sure Crawford is going to jump Pride to be the starting field corner in camp, but I think we'll start to see even more of the player he was projected to be before his two significant injuries.
He's always been a playmaker, and another stronger and healthier should equal more consistency with his game. I think he'll be even better at nickel this year and that this camp will help him earn more snaps in the regular defense in addition to playing on 3rd down.
Which player has the most to prove during Fall Camp?
Matt: This one is pretty simple for me. Receiver Javon McKinley played a little bit his freshman year but then redshirted last year. McKinley was highly ranked and highly recruited out of high school, but he has yet to flash at Notre Dame.
The size and athleticism are definitely there for McKinley, but the light needs to go on in other aspects of his game. McKinley recorded 3,596 receiving yards and 38 touchdowns against some of the best competition in the county in high school. If Del Alexander can pull that player out of McKinley in August, the Irish would be an extremely deep team at receiver heading into 2018.
Jamie: Jonathan Jones has shown fire on special teams and made plays in garbage time. Now he is ascending to a more significant role, and a very important was as the next man in at Mike linebacker. He has to prove he can be counted on if Te'von Coney is not in the game because Coney can't play every down all season. Jones also has to prove that he can handle shedding guards and making tackles consistently against the inside run game and being more than just a player who flashes.
The players behind him are young, so he has a leg up on the others that he is competing with, but he needs to separate himself from the pack and close the gap between himself and Coney in this camp.
What player that needs to rebound over the next month?
Matt: Jalen Elliott had a very good spring and showed what kind of player he could be at the safety position. I don’t think anyone expected Elliott to be an All-American by his sophomore year, especially after not really playing the position in high school, but I do believe he should have been a little more sound.
Elliott struggled greatly at times last year and didn’t consistently make the routine play. The safety position is quickly going from starting true freshmen out of necessity to a very talented and crowded unit, and Elliott needs to continue to show the progress he showed in the spring.
Jamie: Elliott is an excellent choice, and if he continues how he looked in the spring, then he could be on his way to doing so. Alizè Mack is my choice, though, after he had a season to forget after coming back from an academic issue the year before.
Things looked like it clicked for Mack this spring with him putting together good performances day after day. Most importantly, he stayed healthy. That will be key for him this camp because the competition at tight end is too stiff for him to miss any significant amount of time and still be counted on. No one doubts his talent, but now is the time for it to all come together for him. He has NFL potential, and a great camp could set himself for him to finally have a great season.