Pre-Spring Depth Chart: Defensive Line

I agree on just about everything you stated. I’m looking forward to the future D-Line play of Notre Dame… I can’t even remember the last time I said that…

Leadership, experience, depth and incoming talent has turned this area of the defense into a strength. I worried about losing Ian W. to injury impacting our run defense last year, but Cwynar and Hafis stepped right in. With depth and experience comes the ability to work out positions in BK’s philosophy of Power players. Love the versatility he is recruiting. Coaching makes the difference. Defense really starts with the DL.

Great article, though there’s not really anything contentious here to debate about.

The interesting question is what position the utility guys end up at and when.

This was a tough one to write, surprisingly boring too. Most agree on the two-deep and the players who might chip in beyond that.

Very true Whiskeyjack, there’s more argument about where the utility guys end up.

It might be unwise to burn the red shirts of both Tuitt and Lynch. Assuming they both end up being solid starters during their collegiate careers, wouldn’t you want to preserve a fifth year of eligibility for one of them, so we are not faced with a situation in a few years where we have to replace both?

charlie,

I think Lynch and Tuitt are the two players from this class that I’m okay with not redshirting.

One, we need help at defensive end. That’s not to say that KLM and EJ are not good players, but Kelly has stressed that the team needs more speed, athleticism and playmaking ability on the edge, and these freshmen directly address that need.

Two, I’d say we need both for the murderer’s row that will be the 2012 schedule. It would be nice knowing both Lynch and Tuitt are going to go into that season with experience.

Three, they appear to be too good to keep off the field. I wouldn’t say they are a lock to play, but the odds are pretty high both are on the two-deep next fall. This is the one position Coach Kelly wants depth and the ability to rotate guys in and out (like so many successful defenses do), so putting both Lynch and Tuitt out there seems like an easy decision.

Probably any other position I think you have a great point, but I think Kelly is intent on molding a nasty defensive line and doing it as soon as possible.

Depth along the D-line? When was the last time you could say that about the Irish? It is a good problem to have.

I agree that Nix should step up, but with the numbers, does any one player really need to step up? I wouldn’t be surprised to see BK/Diaco run 3 deep at NG to keep player fresh and basically the same at DE (KLM, EJ, Schwenke, Lynch, Tuitt & ???).

I have read/heard a lot of negative comments about how EJ hasn’t been all that was adverstised (i.e. a disappointment in some eyes). I couldn’t disagree more. He played out of position for all of 2009 at DT in a 4-3, and played solid minutes in 2008. He was generally undersung last year along the front (along with KLM and Williams/Cynwar). These guys won’t put up super sexy numbers in a 3-4, but that isn’t their job either. It is to take up space (and blockers) and push the pocket in passing downs.

Looking forward to recruiting, where do you see the needs for 2012? I think you need one big time NG, and 2-3 solid DEs. Any thoughts?

We’ve got depth, bitches!! It feels good to say that…

3 deep seems a little crazy. I can see Cwynar, Nix, and Hafis playing a lot. But on the ends, I think we need to see how things shake out with the development of some players (Schwenke, Niklas, Heggie, Tuitt, Lynch, etc.) before we assume Diaco is going 6-deep there.

Johnson has been an unsung hero of sorts, just because he does tend to play pretty well but is in the least flashy position on the field. I don’t think he’s a great player, and it would be nice if he stepped up as a senior, but he doesn’t deserve the criticism he’s received…you are right.

One nose guard and maybe two DE’s sounds about right. But it probably depends upon how some of these guys play this year. All of the nose guards should be back, except maybe Newman, and only EJ is gone after 2011. So there’s still a lot of bodies here, but we can probably assume some of those utility players move somewhere else too.

I hope to see Tyler Stockton play well this year.

If you guys are looking for a contrarian, someone to stir the pot, and to just be generally disagreeable, I’ll be your Huckleberry.

On Cwynar stepping in to the NG position—we played a LOT of four man fronts when Ian went down. So we were essentially playing with two NG’s: Hafis and Cwynar. Those two, along with the rest of the D line played lights-out, dominant football. You just couldn’t run against our front seven. But will Cwynar experience the same level of success playing a true 0-technique full time? Time will tell, but I’m optimistic.

Charlie, I’m with Eric on Lynch and Tuitt, but for another reason: you’re not likely to keep either of those guys for a fifth year. Keeping them around for a fourth year will be difficult. You may as well get your money’s worth by playing them as freshmen and getting them experience early. That way they can provide some sizzle to go with the steak that is your gritty senior leadership.

I guess I can’t deliver on my promise to be the contrarian, because I’m not even going to bust Jim’s chops. Jim, have you been consorting with the football cretins, troglodytes, and fire-worshipers on the NDNation boards? Who’s bad-mouthing EJ? It must be people that expect 4-3 defensive end numbers from a 3-4 defensive end. We know better because, as you point out, putting up numbers isn’t his job. Unless you’re really watching them, 3-4 DE’s may not wow you, but that doesn’t mean that they are playing dominant ball.

Mouth

Eric – what about Emeka Nwankwo? I didn’t see him mentioned. Don’t you think he would be in the 2-deep at DE?

MotS,

Did we play a lot of 4-man fronts with Cwynar and Hafis in the middle?

Or was it the usual 3-4 look, but with Fleming with his hand on the ground?

Sam,

Nwankwo was not asked back for a fifth year.

The Coach and I discussed this. I specifically remember a lot of four man fronts, but I was sans DVR at the end of the season, so I don’t have the film to prove it. If we were in the usual 3-4 with Fleming playing with his hand on the ground, doesn’t that constitute a 4-man front?

Would LOVE to, and think we just might, see Ethan Johnson erupt this year. Can’t say enough good things about the D not having to learn a new playbook or adjust to a new coaching regime this offseason. All they have to do is settle in and pin their ears back. Defense really stepped up and set a high bar for themselves in the second half of last season and I can’t wait to see them improve on that. GO IRISH!

Amen mcs.

MOTS—

I almost laughed out loud at that one. Can’t remember where, but I read as much free content as I can get my hands on, so no doubt it was probably those same people—you know, the ones that bad-mouth recruits and scare them away.

To your point about 4-3 looks towards the end of the year, here is my thought. After IW went down (and even in the bowl game), they went to a lot more single high safety looks from my memory. Obviously during the Army game they played a 4-4 hybrid look with Blanton more of a safety in the box than anything, and obviously it was very effective. I seem to remember more pseudo 4-3 looks with Flemming having his hand in the dirt later in the year as well, but no film to back it up. More than anything, I think this had to do with 1) the effectiveness of stopping the run and 2) players getting more comfortable in the system as they season went on. Ultimately, the look/feel/execution of the 3-4 is personnel driven, so as Diaco found his strengths/weaknesses, he adjusted. I don’t know if I would necessarily project the same look for 2011 (mainly due to the loss of Walls and a thin/inexperience depth chart at DB). I have even read a few people saying that they think ND will go back to a more traditional 4-3 look at times due to the DL haul in the 2011 class. I don’t think you will see that with the current offenses in college football, but to see it against more traditional/pro-style run first offenses, it is logical that the 1st and 2nd down look will be much different than 3rd down.

I looked at some clips from various games and I’m pretty sure the base defense was always a 3-4 with Fleming’s hand down. We might have run different stuff vs. Navy and Army, but I don’t think we saw many looks with two NT/DT’s (Ian Williams, Cwynar, Hafis) playing inside in a more traditional 4-3.

Forgot to include this yesterday, but Hafis Williams was backing up EJ at DE last year, correct? I don’t think he was playing NG/DT, but it probably looked more that way with Cwynar and Williams in the game at the same time and Flemming lining up to that side with his hand down.

I guess my point earlier was that the look changed slightly as the season went on, and while the 3-4 will be the base in 2011. With some of the athletes on the defense, different looks as the game goes on won’t surprise me, and the D won’t be as vanilla as it was the first 7 games of 2010.

I think you may be right Jim. Sometimes it was hard to tell if Hafis was subbing for Cwynar or EJ, but I believe he was primarily a backup at DE.

2012 Recruiting got off to a great start today with the commitment of Tee Shepard. I imagine we will see a few more trickle in through the next few weeks and then momentum really starting to pick up with the spring game and summer camps.

Word, put up a short post on Sheppard.

Great start indeed!

I’m EJ’s gramps and I’m just glad to see any info on him good or negative. I do know that prior to the training table ( and perhaps maturity) he lost a lot of weight during the season. Not so last year. At Christmas at home he had put on more than a few from his published weight. I don’t know if that slowed him down any but he sure looks like someone to contend with. I also know that EJ has had lots of D coaches during his career. I’m guessing that that has some positives since I figure all coaches have their things that they are really good at and can pass on to their players. I know EJ has positive comments about all his coaches – but that’s his nature anyway.
Doc

Thanks for the comments Doc. I think a lot of us are expecting big things from EJ this year. He’s been a big leader for this team ever since he stepped on campus.

Thanks for stopping by!