SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame wrapped up the training camp portion of preseason last weekend with a scrimmage inside the stadium that pushed 100 plays. It marked the end of the coaching staff’s evaluation of its roster before jumping into Texas A&M prep. And that meant it was also a last chance for a few players to move up (or down) the depth chart, at least until after Aug. 31 in College Station.
For what it’s worth, Marcus Freeman liked what he saw, even if he doesn’t have all the answers for what the scrimmage meant.
“I told our coaching staff, ‘Man, that’s the most-prepared group I’ve been a part of on both sides of the ball.’ Really competing, really executing, not trying to trick each other, just doing what you’ve been doing,” Freeman said. “It was a great scrimmage and very pleased — look forward to going back and watching it and finding ways that we have to improve.”
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There’s plenty of that to come for Notre Dame, not just in the next two weeks but during the next four months, assuming this season goes to Freeman’s plan. But Notre Dame figured out a few things about itself during camp’s opening stages.
Here are some of those lessons learned:
1. The captains reflect the roster’s balance
Notre Dame announced five captains on Sunday, four on defense and just one on offense. That quarterback Riley Leonard got the nod after showing up eight months ago and missing most of winter conditioning and spring ball says something. But so does Jack Kiser, Rylie Mills, Benjamin Morrison and Xavier Watts getting the nod on defense. The Irish have some of the best returning experience on defense in the country. The offense? That will be a work in progress.
How much progress Notre Dame makes comes down to the quarterback.
“His overall understanding of what we want to eventually become offensively, I think he’s got a clear vision of that and he’s done a good job of kind of running with it,” said offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. “I think the respect that has grown for him within our locker room is pretty cool to be a part of.”
Howard Cross III and Mitchell Evans could have landed captaincy nods, too, with Cross a surprise omission. He’s not a “rah rah guy” by his own admission, but few players command as much respect as the defensive tackle. He’ll lead Notre Dame’s defense, one way or another.
“Look, there’s going to be some captains, but we have way more leaders than captains,” said defensive coordinator Al Golden. “Everybody has the potential to lead.”
For the first time since 2011, Notre Dame won’t have an offensive lineman among its captains.
Benjamin Morrison is one of the nation’s top returning CBs. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
2. No group had a better camp than the secondary
It started on opening day when Morrison ran with the starting lineup after having shoulder surgery four months ago. Earlier this summer, Freeman had doubted Morrison would be full go at the start of camp, needing to ease his way back. Not exactly, as the potential All-American showed he was ahead of the game.
“My biggest thing is just like, I’m healed,” Morrison said. “It’s a constant battle, gaining your confidence back. But I think I’ve got to put my trust in God, and I think I’ve been healthy for a while now.”
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And it just got better from there.
Christian Gray beat out Jaden Mickey for the starting job opposite Morrison, building on the staff’s belief the sophomore has star potential. Freshman Leonard Moore looked the part of a fourth corner, something the Irish needed after Clarence Lewis transferred to Syracuse. At safety, Adon Shuler pushed grad transfer Rod Heard II to start next to Watts, meaning both will play this fall. Golden said Jordan Clark will start at the nickel, but Heard and Mickey can play it.
A group concerned about its own depth created some the past two weeks. Creating depth from within is usually coach-speak, as if a position group can get deeper simply by talking about it. Instead, Notre Dame’s staff worked the problem all camp, rotating liberally during practices. Sometimes it looked good. Sometimes it didn’t. But it was all a net gain for the secondary, which might be Notre Dame’s strongest position group.
“We know it’s not always static in terms of who is in the game,” Golden said. “I think that’s really important to build that vertical and horizontal depth.”
During last weekend’s scrimmage, the starting secondary won often against the first-team receivers. It won’t be the last group the Irish secondary bottles up.
3. No position had a worse camp then the offensive line
Notre Dame’s ideal offensive line never made it to full pads.
By the first weekend of camp Charles Jagusah had already been lost for the year after a shoulder/chest injury that required surgery. Then offensive line coach Joe Rudolph said the left tackle job was Tosh Baker’s, with the left guard job open between Pat Coogan and Rocco Spindler.
Now?
The Irish exited camp with freshman Anthonie Knapp working at left tackle and redshirt freshman Sam Pendleton repping as the top left guard. If Notre Dame starts that pair with center Ashton Craig, right guard Billy Schrauth and right tackle Aamil Wagner, it would mean the starting five would have six career starts total to its name.
“You have some experience, you have guys that aren’t as experienced, or have zero experience but are really talented football players,” Freeman said. “And what we decide is best for Week 1 doesn’t mean it’s going to be the best for Week 5 or 6. And that’s something we’ve discussed as a coaching staff, but we’ve got to figure out what’s best for Week 1.”
It all means Notre Dame probably won’t go that young that early, not with Coogan’s 13 starts from last season at the ready.
Regardless, a position that appeared to be Notre Dame’s pain point on Aug. 1 now feels like a critical concern moving toward Texas A&M’s defense. Freeman put on a brave face exiting camp, but the loss of Jagusah and failure of Baker to win the job is a concern.
4. Riley Leonard made believers of Notre Dame
It wasn’t just being named a captain, which felt in the works from the moment Leonard arrived.
It was what Leonard did with his super-sized helping of reps as the coaching staff tried to get him caught up on the offense. Not only was Leonard fully healed from last season’s ankle injury that required two surgeries, but his escapability was a reliable headache for Golden’s defense. And Golden’s defense doesn’t get many headaches.
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During last weekend’s scrimmage, Denbrock called a designed quarterback run for Leonard out of an empty set, with running back Jeremiyah Love split (or motioned) wide. If Notre Dame can take advantage of Leonard’s legs while also simplifying the defense — an empty set forces a defense to play a light box — it could give the Irish a go-to personnel set. It’s a look that didn’t work last season with Sam Hartman or with Jack Coan before that.
Leonard may still be a developmental passer, but his legs should create an extra second for targets to get open. Deploy that run threat correctly and Notre Dame’s quarterback can be a walking play-action fake every snap.
Jeremiyah Love was second on the team with 385 rushing yards. (D. Ross Cameron / USA Today)
5. There’s no doubt about RB1
Conventional wisdom had Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price splitting reps this fall. Then Freeman said it didn’t take a “rocket scientist” to see Love needed more touches. There was no such refrain about Price, despite his kickoff return touchdown against USC and 100-yard game in the Sun Bowl. Price has lead-back ability, but when the coaches talk up the run game, it’s all Love.
Love said he’s up 15 pounds from the end of last season, now weighing 210. It’s hard to imagine him taking the same reps as Estime, who carried 210 times through 12 games last season. But it’s easy to imagine Love working with Leonard in the zone read game while also threatening defenses in the pass game. Love had just eight catches for 77 yards last season.
“I’d just say my work ethic. I come in every day and just work.” Love said. “Last year, I really learned a lot from (Estime). And shoot, I just came in every day and showed up.”
If there’s a breakout player on the Irish offense, it’s probably Love.
6. The Irish talk up linebacker depth. Will they use it?
Golden and linebackers coach Max Bullough spent the past two weeks selling the idea Notre Dame has five linebackers who could play this fall. That might be true. It’s also possible that the Irish won’t go all that deep considering the expertise of Jack Kiser compared to the inexperience of everyone else.
Kiser is the unquestioned leader of the group and seems set to start at will linebacker. That leaves Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa to rotate in the middle while rover reps — hard to come by because the position subs out in nickel — would go to Jaylen Sneed or Jaiden Ausberry. The Irish mixed and matched the positions a lot during camp, stress testing Sneed on the interior or Bowen and Viliamu-Asa together in the middle.
“Just trying to find different roles for everybody,” Golden said. “That’s one of the things that we tell everybody. You’re auditioning every day for roles.”
Kiser will be the primary defender on the headset communication with Golden in the box. He won’t be the only player equipped with the radio, but it’s hard to imagine another linebacker speaking fluent Golden in-game like the sixth-year linebacker.
“It’s probably good because Jack’s really smart,” Golden said. “If he had a button back to me it would be a long day. We’d go back and forth.”
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(Top photo of Riley Leonard: Joseph Weiser / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
