This Guy Plays Notre Dame Football: #18 Troy Pride Jr.

Troy Pride Jr., a sophomore cornerback from Greer, SC, helps us continue on with our Notre Dame Fighting Irish player profile series. He wears #18, and he should be an up-and-coming player for the Fighting Irish. As a true freshman, he came in to play cornerback when the defense was struggling last season. He has 12 total tackles in his career, and hopefully with some more playing time that total will add up (including hopefully a rise in interceptions). He’s listed third on the depth chart, but he could help out the defense in a major way, especially with his shown speed (see below).

3 Things to Know About Troy Pride Jr.

1. He is fast. Pretty fast, actually. He runs track for Notre Dame as well as being on scholarship to play cornerback, and he was the quickest high school runner in South Carolina.
2. He helped the secondary out last season with some production, including his 5 tackles in the victory against the Miami-Florida Hurricanes. He may have fumbled a punt return in that game as well, but hey at least the Fighting Irish got the win that day.
3. He was recruited as the 176th best player in the 2016 class. Hopefully with his skill and current expertise, he can contribute even more for the defense in the 2017 season.

YouTube Hot Fire

It’s not in football, but this video shows his blazing speed, which can definitely help.

I, MattyG, Dub Thee...

Troy, Jimmy Johns, Pride Jr.

Freaky fast. Freaky good (hopefully).

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

2017 Forecast

Troy has not had much time to impress, as he came in last season during a time when the whole team (especially the defense) was struggling. However, if his speed can help with his coverage of some of the wide receivers that the Fighting Irish will face, he could be a strong asset to the team. Hopefully, his speed will translate to the skills needed for him to succeed at the cornerback position.

Even though he is third on the depth chart at his position, he still could see some time, especially if the way he plays during fall camp and throughout the season changes. With a more developed scheme on defense and more time to learn the program, we could look to see #18 making some tackles and some interceptions. It will definitely be needed. Developing this young talent could be a key for the defense, as having an established threat at cornerback would help make amends for last season and previous seasons’ defensive struggles. Hopefully Troy will see increased playing time and more success.