2010 Defensive Preview

Defensive Line

Back to the 3-4.

The Notre Dame defense, under new defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, are formally switching back to the 3-4 scheme that they played in 2007 & 2008. The party line is that current Irish personnel is better suited to the 3-4, and the IFP staff believes that to a certain extent. But more to the point, we think, is that the 3-4 is basically now en vogue across the football landscape. Grouchy St. Nick of Saban, reflecting the currently popular Parcells/Belichik school of NFL defensive strategy, swears by the 3-4 at Alabama and major college football has always been a copycat game. The 3-4 was likewise the primary defensive set for Kelly’s Cincinnati Bearcats, who were in the Top 10, nationally, in sacks and tackles-for-loss in 2009. So this is the way we’ll go. A sustained, year-to-year commitment to a defensive approach, whether that approach is the 3-4, the 4-3, the 4-4, the 4-2-5, or the Buddy Ryan 46, and subsequent recruiting to fill the needs of that approach are what IFP hopes to see out of all this. Defensive coordinators, defensive coaches, and defensives schemes seemed to come and go at random under Weis, and yes, the IFP staff was as guilty of gulping down the Jon Tenuta Kool-Aid as anyone. In hindsight, though, it does seem like an amazing lack of focus to this critical aspect of the game was a major factor in Weis’ undoing. There is no escaping the fact that last year’s Irish defense collapsed down the stretch; an astronomically high 265 rushing yards allowed per game & 5.7 yards/carry allowed in the final four games of the 2009 season is all the proof anyone needs. But while the Irish defense was being routinely gashed, seemingly giving up 30+ points every Saturday over the last few Weis years, we are sure that astute IFP readers noticed something of a renaissance in high caliber defensive football being played in other parts of the country. The truth is, there is little room at the BCS party for teams that aren’t packing a Top 10 defense these days. To think otherwise is to kid ourselves.

So, to that end, IFP will shed its Blue-and-Gold colored glasses for just a second and state our opinion that a Brian Kelly-led quick fix in St. Joe County will be predicated by what happens with the Notre Dame defense. The new spread offense will be fun…and effective. Perhaps even VERY effective. But the rubber will meet the road for the 2010 Irish when the other guys have the football.

Junior Kapron Lewis-Moore (6-4, 275) will start at one defensive end spot. Lewis-Moore started 9 games last year, was 6th on the team in tackles, and has reportedly put on 50 pounds since arriving as a freshman. On the other end, Junior Ethan Johnson (6-4, 280) moves back to the DE position he was originally recruited to play. Johnson played end as a freshmen but moved to tackle as a sophomore; he started 11 games at DT last year, registering 32 tackles and 4 tackles-for-loss. Lining up between Lewis-Moore and Johnson at nose tackle will be senior Ian Williams (6-2, 305). Williams, who had 39 tackles and 6 tackles-for-loss last year, has played in every game during his career since arriving in South Bend.

Defensive line depth behind the starting three is a concern, particularly at nose tackle. The Irish have a total of one game’s worth of back-up nose tackle experience in junior Brandon Newman (6-0, 300) and sophomore Tyler Stockton (6-0 290). Converted DE Sean Cwynar (6-4, 280 from Marian Central Catholic in McHenry, IL) or highly-touted incoming freshman Louis Nix (6-3, 315 from Jacksonville, FL) may end up getting the nod to spell Williams first, depending on how summer practice goes.

Senior Emeka Nwankwo (6-4, 290) and junior Hafis Williams (6-1, 285) are probably the back-up defensive ends heading into summer camp. Nwanko got a little PT as a sophomore in 2008 but did not see any game action last year. Williams got into 6 games as a reserve DT last season.


Linebackers

Solid experience.

First and foremost, sophomore Manti Te’o (6-2, 250 from Laie, Hawaii) who demonstrated his play-making ability early-on with 69 tackles in 10 starts as a true freshman in 2009, will start at one inside linebacker position in the “new” Irish 3-4. Te’o, an every down type of linebacker who will likely call defensive signals this season, had 8 tackles and one INT in the Blue-Gold game last April. Starting next to Te’o at the other ILB spot will more than likely be junior special teams standout Anthony McDonald (6-2, 235), who is coming off very solid spring. McDonald and Te’o will be backed up by senior Steve Paskorz (6-1, 245), sophomore Carlo Calabrese (6-1, 240), and junior David Posluszny (6-0, 225). Paskorz was a back-up fullback as a sophomore & junior. Calabrese played some special teams as a frosh and was considered among the top 30 LBs in his HS graduating class by ESPN two years ago. Posluszny’s older brother Paul was an All American linebacker at Penn State and now plays for the Buffalo Bills.

Successful 3-4 schemes typically have a designated pass-rushing outside linebacker on the field at all times (ref., U of Cincinnati’s 2.85 sacks/game last year). Disguising when and from where this pass rusher will attack an opposing QB is a base principle of the 3-4 scheme. And all signs point to junior Darius Fleming (6-2, 245 from Chicago St. Rita) as “that guy.” Fleming had 12 tackles for loss and 29 stops overall as a sophomore a year ago and is probably the quickest edge-rusher on the current Irish roster. Brian Smith (6-3, 245) should start at the other OLB spot opposite Fleming. Smith had 71 tackles a year ago (2nd on the team) and will probably be less of a pass rushing OLB in 2010 and more of a drop-into-coverage, check the tight end, play “in space” type. Backing up Fleming and Smith will be senior Kerry Neal (6-2, 245), who, like Ian Williams, has played in every game since arriving at Notre Dame including 21 starts, and Steve Filer (6-3, 235 from Chicago Mt. Carmel). Filer led all Irish defenders with 12 tackles & 2 tackles-for-loss in the Blue Gold game.

While it is pretty easy to trash the 2009 Notre Dame defense based on last year’s numbers, IFP actually believes, with three of four productive starters returning from a year ago, that the 2010 Irish may have a starting 4-man linebacker corps as good as any team on the 2010 schedule. We expect linebacker play to be a strength this season.


Secondary

Step up.

For a guy who all but forced the coaching staff to find a place for him to play two seasons ago as a sophomore, now-senior Harrison Smith (6-2, 215) has had an up-and-down tenure in South Bend in our opinion. Maybe it has been the position swapping, from safety to linebacker and back to safety, or maybe it is more complicated than that, but IFP thinks it is fair to say that Smith hasn’t lived up to the advance billing. He can wipe the slate clean this year, however. Kelly has designated Smith as a safety, only, and he played well enough this spring to secure his starting spot going into summer practice.

Junior Jamoris Slaughter (6-0, 195 from Stone Mountain, GA…Georgia Bulldog/SEC country) will start at the other safety spot. Slaughter came to Notre Dame as a cornerback and has played both CB and FS to date. He started the Washington State game last year.

The 2010 Irish starting cornerbacks will be familiar names…more than likely seniors Darrin Walls (6-0, 190) and Gary Gray (5-11, 190) with junior Robert Blanton (6-1, 195) spelling either as needed and/or serving as the 5th DB in nickel situations. Experienced, yes. Good enough? Unfortunately the jury is still out. The Walls-Gray-Blanton trio fielded a lot of blame for Notre Dame’s 76th ranked pass defense a year ago and IFP agrees they deserve their fair share. But good pass defense is a team accomplishment that starts with a smart, effective pass rush. And the gold hats did leave their corners on islands often last year, in the Tenuta blitz frenzy that, in hindsight, the Irish may have lacked the personnel to pull off. That’s water under the bridge, though. Now is now. Walls has 21 starts under his belt. Gray, IFP readers will recall, was considered the best corner in the country coming out of HS three years ago. And Blanton was really good as freshman, if less so last year. So it isn’t like the Irish will be rolling out raw, untested sophomores at the corner this year. IFP believes these three are better than they showed a year ago…a belief that Purdue will immediately put to the test on September 4th.