Film Don't Lie | JD Bertrand
Notre Dame is going to have some big shoes to fill at inside linebacker in 2019 when Clark Lea will no longer have Te’von Coney and Drue Tranquill to rely on. Fortunately for Lea, he’s going to have several options to choose from and the future looks bright at the position.
It did so even before J.D. Bertrand decided to commit and he only gives the Irish one more good player to compete there. This isn’t a “need”. It’s a luxury to gain his commitment and many programs would have loved to have a player of his caliber added to their class.
He plays with an old school mentality that I don’t see often enough in today’s game.
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 218
Projected Position: Mike linebacker
ISD Grade: 91 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 91.2 (4-star)
What he does best:
Bertrand is a downhill player. He shows good recognition versus the run and pass and attacks when he sees an opportunity. This is a perfect example of that when he doesn’t allow the guard to get off the double team in time before he gets skinny through the gap. That’s an advanced play from a confident player.
I love the leverage he plays with. It starts with his stance, which is almost a crouch. He doesn’t pop up out of it. In a game where it is often stressed that the “low man wins”, Bertrand wins a lot by getting lower than the person assigned to block him.
Everything about this is fantastic to me. He drops his pads to take on the isolation block from the fullback, stuffs him in the hole, and then sheds to finish the play.
Bertrand shows a knack as a blitzer. He has great timing and his acceleration, like here where he is rushing off the edge, is impressive.
I realize that it’s rare to find a linebacker who doesn’t hustle to make every tackle, but this particular play is the best example of why Bertrand will fit right in with the rest of the Notre Dame defense. This isn’t even his man. He busts his butt when the ball is in the air to finish on the receiver to make sure he’s not coming down with the catch.
What he needs to improve:
While I wouldn’t describe Bertrand as stiff in coverage, he isn’t the smoothest athlete. It will help him to clean up his footwork with his drops and to help with his change of direction.
He attacks blocks violently, but he’s going to need to be more consistent using his hands to defeat blocks more. He’s not going to win trying to light up guards at the college level like he has been in high school.
What’s his ceiling?
Bertrand is a very good prospect that has a chance to develop into a heck of a Mike linebacker. Like every young player, he’ll need to add weight and get stronger, but he may always be a bit smaller for that spot. In an ideal world everyone would prefer a player who is a bit taller and longer, so technique is going to be huge for him.
I don’t see instincts/recognition being a big issue. That could close the gap between some others who he will be competing against who are slightly better athletically. His biggest obstacle to playing time is going to be the crowded position room.
He has starter potential and could be a very good one, but he’ll need to distinguish himself from the others who will be fighting for reps. I think a good comparison for him is Drew White (I had him rated higher than most as a recruit). It’s a terrific bonus to add him to the class and I’m excited to see him in the mix with the other seven linebackers they’ve brought and are bringing in the last couple of cycles.