With a veteran defense that came back for 2021 there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for Notre Dame’s freshmen to make an impact. In total, only the top rated defensive recruit from the class (linebacker Prince Kollie) and hybrid linebacker/pass rusher Kahanu Kia burned a year of eligibility this past fall. Kollie’s decision was expected even though his impact (14 tackles, many on special teams) was fairly limited. And while Kia’s decision was a little more puzzling perhaps we should factor in him now going on his 2-year mission and not coming back to football until the 2024 season. You’re probably unlikely to get 4 full years of football out of Kia once he comes back anyway.
Check out our Reviewing the Redshirts for the offense HERE.
Note: A pair of defenders from the 2021 class have already left Notre Dame. Defensive end Devin Aupiu transferred to UCLA right before fall camp and played in 6 games for the Bruins this fall. Safety Khari Gee recently entered the Transfer Portal and is headed back home to Georgia Tech.
Position – Player
Composite Grade
18 Stripes Grade
Tier 3 – 2022 Likely Isn’t the Year
DE Will Schweitzer
0.8713
84
DE Jason Onye
0.8689
78
It’s going to be tough for both of these guys in 2022, especially with Foskey and Justin Ademilola coming back for yet another campaign. I thought Onye was a long-term project and he didn’t have the opportunity to enroll early, either. He’s also listed at 289 pounds on the latest roster and has put on a ton of weight (40+ pounds) from his listed high school size. Perhaps he’s now looked at more as an interior prospect?
I thought there was some good things in the future for Schweitzer but he just hasn’t played a lot of football having his senior season of high school cancelled and a knee injury keeping him out of 2021. Listed at 6’4″ and just 225 pounds I’d bet he’s at least another year away from challenging for pass-rushing reps.
Tier 2 – The Door is Open
DT Gabriel Rubio
0.9473
92
CB Chance Tucker
0.8721
85
CB JoJo Johnson
0.8647
83
S Justin Walters
0.8721
81
Rubio has to get involved this year and will face an important off-season. He has been on campus since January 2021 and is the type of recruit the program needs to develop early in his career in order to rebuild the interior line depth. What’s the old adage about the second spring practice telling a lot about a player? Let’s hope Rubio makes some noise this spring.
That we heard next to nothing about Tucker last year was a little concerning, although less so for Johnson who injured his knee. We can assume Notre Dame probably isn’t bringing in any transfers at corner so there will be some opportunity for these guys to see the field. Tucker is a little under-sized at 183 pounds while Johnson has bulked up nicely to 191 pounds.
The situation with Walters was a bit puzzling in 2021. He certainly didn’t look terrible when the media was present during practices and he turned a ton of heads with a couple big plays during the spring game, too. Then, next to nothing happened for him during the season when the defense was searching for some answers at safety following Kyle Hamilton’s injury. Notre Dame brought in grad transfer Brandon Joseph from Northwestern and Houston Griffith surprised some people by returning for 2022, as well. The two-deep is pretty much set so if Walters makes a move he’ll have to displace someone (like Griffith) who has played a ton of football for the Irish.
Tier 1 – It’s Go Time, Baby
CB Ryan Barnes
0.8722
86
CB Philip Riley
0.8992
86
As of this writing, Tariq Bracy hasn’t officially announced he’s coming back for 2022 although it’s expected he’ll unite with Cam Hart and Clarence Lewis as the trio of returning starters. We say this every year, and through multiple different defensive coordinators it rarely changes: The 4th cornerback at Notre Dame almost never sees the field.
Still, Barnes and Riley are the more physically developed corners with good size which could put them in play for snaps at corner or as a 3rd safety and/or big nickel package.
Class of 2023 Austin Siereveld 4 star OL 6’5″ 315 lbs. from Ohio, has reportedly committed.
More forays into Ohio!
247 isn’t listing it? Is anyone else confirming this?
I’m seeing a PWO longsnapper, but not this kid
There was a YouTube video, with MF in it, so I assumed it was real. ???
Was there a deep fake commitment video what is going on!??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_OTHNQ0cMw
I think it’s a random fan video – nothing on the kid’s Twitter. Unless it’s a silent commitment…
Yep, that’s what I saw.
Great series! I hope that Onye will develop into a rotation player, probably next year. I really hope that at least one of those corners emerges to challenge Lewis this spring
IU’s McCollough is our new RB coach. I hear this is a good thing
Pretty cool.
I understand he is as good as, if not better than the one we lost.
Maybe ND can get McCollough’s kids to come to ND. One is a high 4* S for the 2023 class the other is a high S/edge 4* for the 2022 class and he has another son enrolled at IU who also is a S, but not ranked as high as his brothers.
I read or listened to someone somewhere who thought it was pretty realistic that his kids may come with him.
that seems like that would be a huge get – to get a top 100 edge rusher in the 2022 class and decent 4 star safety.
The 2022 son just put on IG this afternoon that he is staying at IU. Who knows for how long.
He’s an assoc HC at IU. It would make sense to bring him in to a similar title/role hear to help out a brand new defensive HC.
With their dad’s two stints at IU they’ve probably spent a good number of their formative years in Bloomington so I wouldn’t be stunned if any or all stay down there
So, since this is a defense thread, any news or speculation or conceptual surmises re: a new DC?
My guess is that it is Golden. No other reason for this much silence.
There seems to be controversy associated with this?
I mean, given his Miami tenure it’s hardly inspiring.
I understand that as a fan I am not really qualified to judge what makes coach a good fit necessarily.
I also know that people who get paid a lot of money to do just that, even experienced ones, sometimes hire Brian VanGorder. Given that MF is not experienced at this, I have my worries.
There will be controversy with almost any person chosen. My view is that there are a lot of HCs who make good coordinators. In that world, sometimes people go too high. He was a good HC at Temple. Miami may have been a bridge too far. His defenses had been pretty solid before he got to Miami.
Supposedly, he was a good recruiter. He will probably coordinate the defense that Freeman wants, much like Rees ran the offense Kelly wanted. His HC experience would likely be important to Freeman who has coached one game. He brings a lot of NFL experience, not necessarily good or bad, but nice to have.
If that is who Freeman wants, let’s see. He knows more about coaching than I ever will.
There would be no controversy bringing back this beautiful man.
Watch out for werewolves!
His hair is… perfect
Such a stallworth football coach.
To be somewhat begrudgingly fair, no one else has gotten it right at Miami in 20 years.
Really a shame that Freeman couldn’t get Dave Arranda to leave his HC job at Baylor to come be our DC. Big fail IMO.
Dear lord someone thought that was a serious statement.
Nice perspective. I incline to agree more than not, at least enough to see how it plays out. Couldn’t find the list, but there are/were a ton of top teams in need of a DC, it really shouldn’t be surprising that Notre Dame isn’t getting a glamor name this time around. (Also, I’m just mostly glad timing-wise that Freeman was in last year’s cycle and/or the same openings weren’t around back then as were open this time.)
In essence I think Golden is mostly what people were looking for (experience) and what Freeman is looking for (experience +ability/willingness to coach LBs), just with poor name recognition since he was a flop at Miami. But like you said plenty of poor HC’s tend to be right and be a lot better in lesser roles.
How is he doing with Cincy’s linebackers? That 2nd half adjustment to dropping 8 seemed to go well for them, hopefully he had something to do with that.
Personally, I think the entire defensive staff from DC on down has done an admirable job this season. Outside of a couple of guys like Hendrickson, it’s not exactly the most talented or accomplished unit. To that end, Golden and the others have done very well to minimize the weaknesses and put the team in a position to win the AFC. Burrow is a great player and leader, but it was really defense that won the game in Arrowhead on Sunday.
Don’t know if we knew this one or if he’s scholarship, but folks, I cannot emphasize this enough: YCNHTMKLSLSTQ
https://247sports.com/college/notre-dame/Article/Rino-Monteforte-From-Snapping-with-Grandma-to-Committing-to-Notre-Dame-181959792/
I assume this means the other LS on scholarship will be hitting the portal. I don’t mind the spare punter, he is not on scholarship. But now, two spare kickers.
We’re 3 and 4 deep at every special teams position.
This is what excellence looks like…
If only we went three deep at WR.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/33192815/former-oklahoma-sooners-qb-caleb-williams-transferring-usc-trojans
So clearly one impact of the transfer portal is faster rebuilds. Sheesh.
Shocking!
Shocking it took so long to announce. Is he already enrolled there then?
O and he brought his WR with him didn’t he? I know the concerns about USC’s OL but man unless our DL turns out to be dominant this game is going to be scary for us.
SC is lucky the portal is so wide open. They have another recruiting class outside the top 50. (65th 8 kids) They’d be in big trouble but, they have 13 transfers. (#s as of this morning)
They’re still in trouble. Unless Williams is adept at throwing from flat on his back.
He was listed above in “the door is open”, but so is the portal. More like GoGo Johnson, amirite?
Yeah. Seems like he’s closing the door
bummer. he seemed to be the one who had the most upside to genuinely play corner.
Well looks like Harbaugh is leaving scUM to go back the NFL. This is really a terrible spot for Michigan to try and pick up the pieces of a coaching staff and prepare for spring practice. And personally I just love to see it.
Mike Elston about to show up at the Gug tomorrow like George Costanza after pretending his work separation never happened.
Yeah, Elston I at least feel bad for. He gave a lot of good work and good years to ND and I don’t fault him to leaving for his alma mater and for a change of scenery to try and get a DC job eventually. Maybe he ends up getting it at scUM but just so much uncertainty that is for sure.
I thought I read somewhere that Elston’s contract is not tied to Harbaugh at all. So I think he’s guaranteed to stay there for the next couple of years no matter what happens.
That makes sense, and they’re weird enough about their Michigan Men to the point where I’m sure he will be alright, just making a joke. Pretty crazy for him though, considering he only worked for Kelly so long now in, what the first five weeks of 2022 alone Elston is about to work for 3 different coaches in Freeman, Harbaugh and whoever the replacement is.
Maybe Elston is crazy like a fox and knew Harbaugh would be leaving. Chaos is a ladder.
haha good point. Though he didn’t have to be that crazy to realize Harbaugh might jump very soon (whether this year or next year, etc.).
Not guaranteed to stay. Just guaranteed to get paid.
Who is Tre Reader?
Preferred walk on. Linebacker though, which eww, not even a longsnapper? @Not sure why they need him then@
Didn’t Schweitzer get some snaps last fall? Or am I confusing him with somebody else?
Gerad Parker (Co-OC + WRs at WV) is now our guy at TE coach. Seems interesting of a shift but I guess he’s apparently a plus recruiter. Never heard of him before today.
Mots: to be fair, TE recruits itself to some extent at ND so not a bad call to get someone who can wear multiple hats
Why would an OC want to move back to TE? Is ND that big of a step up or is it just more of a means to a better gig later (esp. with some OC experience on his resume)?
I’m betting the other half of the “co-OC” had the bigger half.
Yeah, it sounds like he got demoted for the ’21 season but got to keep a “co” title which was probably a trade-off for agreeing to dropping back to position coach.