Positional Previews #4 - Linebackers

We are continuing the Notre Dame Football 2009 Positional Previews by counting down 10 positions. You can read about the 10 positions and an explanation of the rankings here. In short, #10 is the position that I am least confident/most worried about heading into the season, while #1 is the position I am most confident/least worried about. Ability, depth, and intangibles all factor in.

Today we hit up #4 - Linebackers

Depth Chart - Here is the crowded depth chart for the Irish base 4-3 defense. The Nickel formation uses 2 and sometimes 3 linebackers - shown here also is the basic 2 LB Nickel defense (our best guess at least).

Talent - Plentiful. Of the 10 players in the depth chart above, 4 are 3 star (Calabrese, T.Smith, S.Smith), 5 are 4 star (B. Smith, Fox, McDonald, Fleming, Filer), and 1 is a 5 star (Manti Te'o) per Rivals, as high school seniors. That makes the linebacker corp as deep and almost as talent filled as any other position on the team (the LBs being #4, I say there are 3 positions better). Also remember that sophomore stud DT Ethan Johnson and freshman 5 star Manti Te'o aren't the only players on the Irish defense that narrowed their choices down to USC or Notre Dame. SAM starter Darius Fleming (pictured right) did as well, and he has had the best training camp possibly of any defensive player.

Changes - Jon Tenuta will continue to coach the linebackers, despite his new role as the de facto Defensive Coordinator. His aggressive style could mean even more blitzes for the linebackers, although there were plenty last year. Chicago area product Darius Fleming also moved from defensive rush end to the strongside (SAM) linebacker position, where he has made huge strides during the summer and August camp. Brian Smith played MIKE LB position last year, but has moved back outside to let Toryan Smith man that position. Things could get interesting though, as Tenuta wants to get his best 3 LBs on the field at once. Look for Manti Te'o to essentially take over Toryan Smith on the depth chart, bumping Brian Smith back to starting Mike and Te'o to Will, alongside Darius Fleming at Sam.

Depth - Solid in talent, but lacking in experience. There are 5 to 6 "game ready" linebackers - which Weis defines as guys that he has confidence to put on the field in any situation. In addition to the starters, Te'o and Scott Smith are the additional 2 guys forming the "game ready" crew. Steve Filer is likely a game ready player - if he can overcome his struggles with the playbook and in particular defending in space. Filer has as much athleticism as any linebacker on the squad - and is easily the best past rusher of all the linebackers. Filer and Fleming are the true wild cards of the linebacker position - if they blossom then this position is in great shape for a few years. True freshman and former safety Dan Fox has a bright future ahead of him at the Will spot, but he'll hopefully red shirt this year to get acclimated and physically ready. McDonald and Calabrese will provide solid depth in the future.

Goals - Better pass defense, less blitzing. The Irish linebackers blitz often as a tool to rush the QB and defend the run. Ideally they would get the same pressure with less blitzing. When the LBs were forced to play pass defense coverage, the Irish linebackers were average at best last year. The LB position must improve upon zero interceptions in 2008 - I think 4 interceptions is a huge step but a reasonable goal. The athleticism on the field with Te'o (pictured), Brian Smith, and Darius Fleming in particular should be a huge upgrade over prior years. With improvement on the defensive line, hopefully the Irish LBs will not have to blitz quite as often, perhaps resulting in more interceptions. Last year, the Irish linebackers accounted for 46% of sacks - a stout number but one that ideally would decrease to a healthier balance with the defensive line. 65% / 35% might be an ideal sack breakdown between defensive lineman and linebackers, respectively - assuming the sack total is respectable (in the 30s).

Final Analysis - The Irish linebacker corp is much more dynamic when Manti Te'o shocked the recruiting world with his commitment to the Irish over USC. Brian Smith, Fleming, and Te'o have all the talent the Irish will need to compete at the highest level. The Irish aren't completely in the same room talent wise on defense as USC - but they are knocking on the door when 2 starters were both recruited heavily by USC (Te'o & Fleming) and the 3rd starter is the best linebacker on your team (Brian Smith). It's normal to assume that Darius Fleming will struggle in some coverage and assignment aspects of his new position. Manti Te'o (pictured above) may as well . . . but he feels like the Tim Tebow of our defense. Its a stretch comparison, but this kid is special, mature, and a nasty competitor. ND's talent will be on display for the country this year - and I think the linebackers are the one that can really turn some heads.

Positional Previews #5 - Special Teams

We are continuing the Notre Dame Football 2009 Positional Previews by counting down 10 positions. You can read about the 10 positions and an explanation of the rankings here. In short, #10 is the position that I am least confident/most worried about heading into the season, while #1 is the position I am most confident/least worried about. Ability, depth, and intangibles all factor in.

Today we hit up #5 - Special Teams

Depth Chart - Here is the updated depth chart at the key kicking game and return man positions in special teams:

Talent - Nick Tausch - as a true freshman (pictured) - has beaten out senior and returning starter Brandon Walker for the field goal job. Walker was inconsistent early last year, but finished making 13 of his final 17 field goals in 2008. The Freshman Tausch also has beaten out Ryan Burkhart for the kickoff job - and Burkhart was the kickoff guy that kicked for the#1 ranked kickoff coverage unit in the nation in 2008. Freshman that see the field as a starter on day 1 are typically pretty good, so I would say talent is solid in the place kicking department. Eric Maust is a solid returning starter at punter, leading the Irish to a top 30 finish in 2008 for punt coverage. Net punting was only 59th in the country though, clearly putting our strength more so on the coverage side than the punting side - which means Maust has room for improvement in punting. Golden Tate and Armando Allen have the speed and dynamic playmaking ability that every team needs in the return game - and if you need any further justification, check out here and here.

Changes - After a solid year in punt defense and a fantastic year in kickoff defense, the Irish have a new kickoff guy in Tausch and a returning punter in Eric Maust. Again, it cannot be stressed enough how impressive Tausch must have been to unseat Ryan Burkhart. The word is that Tausch's kicks have incredible hangtime, although being similar in distance to Burkhart's. Kickoff and punt returns should look familiar from the end of last season, where Golden Tate and Armando Allen shared duties. There are numerous freshman that could see some action in the kickoff return games - guys like Shaquille Evans, Roby Toma, or Cierre Wood. All in all, the only major change was the insertion of Tausch.

Depth - Easily the best depth the Irish have had at Kicker, Punter, and return men since Weis has arrived. Freshman punter Ben Turk actually almost won the job over returning starter Eric Maust, meaning there is promise waiting in the wings at punter. Turk has become somewhat of an internet legend, since it was reported that all 5 foot 11 inches and 193 pounds of him can bench press "225" an amazing 26 times (to put that into perspective - thats more than top ranked linebackers Rey Maualuga and James Laurinaitis did at the NFL combine last year. Turk's nickname is "225"). Solid backup options with experience or promise at the 3 kicking duty spots, with numerous freshman options at kickoff and punt return spots behind the talented Golden Tate and Armando Allen. I suspect we will see plenty of freshman action in the kickoff return game, as the season goes on. No need to risk injury to our starting RB and WR when (hopefully) there are plenty of freshman up for the task. I suspect punt returns will remain mostly the job of Tate, however.

Goals - A top 25 finish in both kickoff and punt coverage is the goal coverage wise. After finishing #1 in the former and #30 in the latter, maintaining the progress is the key for the coverage units. Field Goal kicking wise, Tausch needs to be automatic inside of 40 yards (like any kicker). Making just 58% of his kicks (Brandon Walker's % from 2008) won't cut it - Tausch needs to make 70% of his kicks as a goal. In the return game, there has only been 1 kickoff return for a TD in the Weis era (Hawaii bowl clip above of Armando Allen). There hasn't been a punt returned for a TD since Tom Zbikowski days. A goal of 3 total kickoff or punt returns for TDs is not unreasonable given the talent in Golden Tate and Armando Allen. Yardage wise, the return games also need to get into the top 25 nationally. In 2008, the kickoff and punt return units finished 53rd and 60th nationally, meaning we need to improve.

Final Analysis - I am excited about this unit. Tausch has some moxy to unseat a senior returning starter at both kicking spots, while our coverage units had banner years in 2008. Our return game looks poised to really do some damage with Golden Tate and Armando Allen. Punting needs to improve a bit, more so on the punting side than coverage side. The Irish should be able to maintain their coverage success of 2008, while adding some big plays in the return game and a higher % success rate in field goals attempted. My only drawback is that the kicker is a freshman - albeit one that beat out our incumbent kicker for a starting role.

Positional Previews #6 - Safeties

We are continuing the Notre Dame Football 2009 Positional Previews by counting down 10 positions. You can read about the 10 positions and an explanation of the rankings here. In short, #10 is the position that I am least confident/most worried about heading into the season, while #1 is the position I am most confident/least worried about. Ability, depth, and intangibles all factor in.

Today we hit up #6 - Safety

Depth Chart - Hot off the press of Charlie's press conference on Monday, here is the updated depth chart. The Irish are experienced at Safety but are in serious need of bodies in the current recruiting class.

Talent - The Irish are plenty talented at Safety - enough to be extremely competitive. Neither of the starters Smith or McCarthy (pictured right) is a sure fire day 1 NFL prospect, but both most certainly will be NFL players. Harrison Smith is only entering his 2nd year of playing, and he has the size, speed, and playmaking ability to become a first day NFL draft pick. McCarthy led the team in tackles in 2008, compiling 110 of them from the strong safety spot. Sure tackling and heady play are his calling cards. Harrison Smith, Zeke Motta, and Dan McCarthy (younger brother of starter Kyle McCarthy) were all 4 star recruits, while Sergio Brown, Ray Herring, and Kyle McCarthy were 3 star. Ray Herring and Sergio Brown bring experience and depth to the position; Brown will be used as starting Nickelback likely, while Ray Herring would be the first safety to replace either Harrison or McCarthy should they go down with injury.

Changes - The biggest change is the move of Harrison Smith (pictured right) from Nickel outside linebacker to starting free safety. Harrison Smith was too athletic to keep off the field as a sophomore last year, but has always been a safety in ability. The departure of the extremely athletic David Bruton (Denver Broncos 4th rd draft pick) will definitely be felt, but Harrison brings some skills to the table that are better than Bruton. Harrison will likely be a better pass rusher and run defender than Bruton, who's best skill was covering massive amounts of real estate as a roaming free safety. Harrison has much more of the intangible "playmaker" ability about him as well - he has a nose for the football, as they say. Many feel good about the move and think there will be little if any drop off from Bruton to Smith. On the coaching side, Corwin Brown is now spending more time with the defensive backs as DB Coach and Associate Head Coach, instead of defensive coordinator (now Jon Tenuta).

Depth - Solid, for this year. With experienced seniors behind the starters, as well as some promising youngsters in early enrollee Zeke Motta and sophomore Dan McCarthy, this unit is in good shape this season. I would say the talent at safety lacks just 1 player - an elite, 5 star, Major Wright / Eric Berry type guy. Those type of safeties only appear about once or twice per recruiting class nationally though. The talent assembled at Safety is plenty good to accomplish Notre Dame's goals of a BCS game and 10-2. The problem is next year - with the departure of half the depth chart due to graduation, the Irish need some big time safeties in this recruiting class after 2 big signing day misses to USC last year.

Goals - Two major goals for this position: fewer tackles and more interceptions. Fewer tackles from the safety spot means that more tackles are being made by linebackers and lineman - which typically means less yards given up. If McCarthy and Harrison Smith combine for 207 again this year (like Bruton and McCarthy last year, the top 2 tacklers on the Irish defense) - 207 tackles representing 25% of total defensive tackles last season - then the Irish are much more likely to have a record worse than 9-3 than on it. Would be nice to get those safety tackles % down to 20% or maybe 15%. Secondly, these 2 need to improve upon 6 interceptions from safeties last year - 10 would be fantastic but 8 would be a very good job for the position.

Final Analysis - This position is solid, deep (for this year), but just not terribly sexy. People fail to realize that "not sexy" could be a huge asset, as our guys are team first, sure fire tacklers that make intelligent plays within their defensive roles. The "playmaker" label of Harrison Smith will have a chance to stick - and that potential is what makes this position slightly intriguing. Can these smart, sure fire tacklers make a few more plays? And more importantly, will the Irish front 7 step up so they don't have to? I predict the Safeties will impress and reach reach both goals noted above - only 20% of total team tackles, and at least 8 interceptions. Largely because of the instincts and playmaking ability of Tennessee's own, Harrison Smith.

Positional Previews #7 - Running Backs

We are continuing the Notre Dame Football 2009 Positional Previews by counting down 10 positions. You can read about the 10 positions and an explanation of the rankings here. In short, #10 is the position that I am least confident/most worried about heading into the season, while #1 is the position I am most confident/least worried about. Ability, depth, and intangibles all factor in.

Today we hit up #7 - Running Backs

Depth Chart - Here is a look at the HB and FB depth chart. All of these guys will play, so I have listed then in order of most carries to fewest for the season, a mixture of the actual depth chart and what I hearing.

Talent - The cupboard at running back is officially stocked. Of the top 5 RB, 4 of them were 4 star & top 100 overall players per rivals. Only Theo Riddick was not a 4 star recruit - and the true freshman scat back has been turning some heads in fall practice. At Fullback, James Aldridge was a 5 star RB out of Indiana, while Steve Paskorz was a 4 star LB out of high school. While all that talent has not been unleashed yet on the field, the raw material appears to be there to be solid and maybe great. Offensive line play can be the key to unlock this talent, but there are also concerns that we still lack the elite running back we need.

Changes - Tony Alford is the new running backs coach, replacing Mike Haywood who is now the head coach at Miami of Ohio. Alford brings solid experience, which you can read a little about here. The other notable change in the backfield is that James Aldridge has officially moved to full back from half back. The move makes sense, seeing that the Irish lack an athletic fullback, and the lack of carries Aldridge likely would have seen at tailback. The senior has had some injures skew his career, but his great attitude about the change bodes well for the season. While fullback is traditionally a less focal position in a Weis offense, Aldridge is athletic enough to get some carries and catch some passes out of the backfield that may surprise defenses.

Depth - Very solid, but still lacking an elite back. Armando Allen (pictured above) has shown more spurts of greatness as his career as moved forward, but inconsistency and the inability to break tackles has prevented him from being a very good runningback. Jonas Gray (pictured right) is officially behind Hughes on the depth chart, but I am predicting a break out year for the Jerome Bettis-like sophomore. While he saw minimal action as a freshman (and had some fumble-itis), many feel Gray has had an outstanding camp and will be in serious contention for carries. Gray has a similar body and skill set to Hughes, but apparently has had a better camp. Playcalling with specific running back skills in mind could be a huge help to the RBs - Allen needs space while Gray is better between the tackles. Theo Riddick should be great in the passing game, as will the team's 2nd leading receiver from 2008, Armando Allen. Will be interesting if both freshman Riddick & Wood see the field this year, or if their eligibility is preserved. Overall we have the bodies in place to run the ball effectively - but can these guys still find a way to run the ball even if our offensive line is just average? Great running backs find a way, and I'm not sure if we have one yet.

Goals - In 2008, the Irish rushed for a paltry 3.3 YPC. As presented in the offensive line preview here, yards per carry will be one of the key predictors for the Irish this year. YPC tells the true story of the running game, much more so than total rushing yards. The Irish need to get to 4.0 YPC to have a chance at a BCS bowl game, in the opinion of most experts. Allen should be shooting for 1000 yards (after his 621 yard performance last year), while a realistic goal for Hughes and/or Gray would be 500 to 600 yards. A few more long, breakaway runs are also needed to boost the running game. Can Allen break away from the defense like he did on the kick return during the Hawaii'i bowl game?

Final Analysis - This unit is ready to make big strides, lead by the frontman, Armando Allen. How close he gets to 1000 yards will be another very important predictor of this season. Armando has already proven himself in the passing game (50 receptions last year, 2nd on the team - yes 2nd), but needs to get a few more long runs to add to the rushing attack. This group of backs would be plenty good if running behind a top level offensive line - and I am not sure they will have that luxury this season. A solid year but only a 3.9YPC average is my official prediction.

Positional Previews #8 - Defensive Line

We are continuing the Notre Dame Football 2009 Positional Previews by counting down 10 positions. You can read about the 10 positions and an explanation of the rankings here. In short, #10 is the position that I am least confident/most worried about heading into the season, while #1 is the position I am most confident/least worried about. Ability, depth, and intangibles all factor in.

Today we hit up #8 - the Defensive Line

Depth Chart - Here is a look at the very young and unproven defensive line depth chart as it currently stands:

Talent - Average, but good numbers and some upside. Kapron Lewis-Moore (4 star end from Texas, and draft day commitment in 2008 - pictured right) redshirted last season, but created quite a buzz on the scout team later in the year. Many felt he could have been starting at the end of last season, but a season of eligibility was preserved.

The most talented player on the defensive line, and possibly the entire defense, is Ethan Johnson (pictured below - incidentally wearing the same number 9 worn by fellow sophomore tight end Kyle Rudolph, featured yesterday). The true sophomore from Oregon was a top 50 player who narrowed his college choices down to USC or Notre Dame. He played defensive end last season while learning the defense, sacking the QB in both the USC and Hawaii games. He moves inside to the 3 technique DT, which is likely his best position. He is definitely a player that can play any position on the line, and will be asked to be on the field as much as possible.

Ian Williams (3 star) has shown spurts of being a very solid nose tackle, but has lacked the focus and stamina to be an every down player. He has had a great summer and fall camp, showing a renewed sense of urgency. Kerry Neal started out as a freshman making an impact, but has not turned the corner towards being an every down consistent player, being weak against the run.

Of the backups, the sophomores have been making huge strides. Brandon Newman (3 star), Sean Cwynar (4 star), and Hafis Williams (3 star) all have been pushing each other on the fluid depth chart for the DT and NT position (Hafis not listed but battling wih Cwynar for backup DT spot). The trio bodes well for depth and the future, but they are all totally green.

Changes - Coaching changes were huge this offseason. Randy Hart is the new Defensive Line coach, replacing Jappy Oliver. Bryant Young (former Irish All American, 1st rd draft, and 4 time NFL pro bowler) is the Defensive Line Graduate Assistant coach (read about all coaching changes here). Hart brings lots of experience and energy to the position, and has gotten great reviews early. Bryant definitely has the ears of the players, as he is only 2 years removed from a 14 year NFL career. Ethan Johnson played a lot of defensive end last season, largely out of need. This year, he will move more inside, which likely is his best position. Kerry Neal is going to have to hold down that other end spot to make this depth chart stick together. Otherwise Ethan shifts back to end and the chart is shaken up once again.

Depth - We finally have the bodies and the numbers. A healthy number of redshirt sophomores (Hafis Williams, Cwynar, and Brandon Newman) provide the inside positions 4 years of stability. Defensive End lacks a true playmaker, but KLM should be a solid upgrade over what we had at the position last year. Just as with the offensive lines, numbers don't necessarily mean quality. Now that the line a good number of bodies, the next level is to get 2 or 3 more Ethan Johnson NFL caliber talents in the mix. They are on the way recruiting wise, at lease via Chris Martin, #1 DE in the country in the 2010 class, who is already verbally commited to the Irish.

Goals - To increase sacks and more importantly, tackles for loss. 26 sacks last year was not bad - but unfortunately over 75% of them were "blitz sacks", where the offensive line was overloaded. Rarely did a defensive lineman beat his blocking in a regular 4 man rush and get to the QB. Ethan Johnson did it a few times, being the exception. Of the mere 60 tackles for a loss last season (our opponents having about 80 against the Irish), the defensive line only was responsible for a third of those. That must improve, both in total as a team and in the defensive line's favor. I would say 40 TFL is a very good goal for the DLine, whereas 25 sacks would be as well. I doubt we get to both, as 30 TFL and 20 sacks are almost going to be a necessity by the defensive line if the Irish want to go BCS-bowling.

Final Analysis - I have heard it said that the 2009 season will come down to 3rd and 1 - Can we get it on offense? Can we stop it on defense? Difficulty in answering those questions is why the offensive and defensive lines are so low on my confidence rankings. The story is the same for both the lines - some potential stars, finally plenty of solid bodies after years of not enough players, but no proven production. Which line will have the better year? I am betting with only the slightest lean to the defense, solely for the reason that with 2 stars (KLM and Johnson) comprising 50% of the 4 man line on the field for most downs, that's better than 2 out of 5 on the offensive line (Robinson and Young). Most people probably like the returning experience on the offensive line and favor them. This defensive line is largely new, whereas the offensive line was mostly around last year - thats the difference in my book.

Hopefully both units are successful against 3rd and 1 - if both sides of the ball are, then we'll be playing in 2010 to cap off the season.