Tommy Zbikowski to Linebacker
Can’t believe I forgot about this one yesterday. There have been posts clamoring for Zibby to move to linebacker for the past two seasons, and prior to the addition of Corwin Brown, I would have agreed with them. Brown, however, has just got done turning Kerry Rhodes into a Pro-Bowl caliber safety, and I would like to see what Brown can do with Zibby this year. The weight gained Zbikowski gained for his fight last summer looked like it may have slowed him down a hair. Instead of seeing him bulk up and play linebacker, I’d love to see him slim down a bit and remain at safety. One think people tend to forget is that most of the deep plays given up were aimed at the other safety.
Terrail Lambert to Safety
This is an interesting one, and one I had not really thought about much. That said, I think its pretty intriguing. I’m not quite sure if Lambert is physical enough to play safety, but he would be able to provide the deep coverage that Notre Dame has been lacking. Lambert will start the Spring as one of the starting corners, but if some of the young corners show they are ready to start, a position change to safety is not completely unthinkable. I still have questions about Lambert’s ability to stop the run though. He was a sound tackler most of the year, but he isn’t overly physical.
Munir Prince to Wide Receiver/Flanker
Another interesting one. I think Prince probably has the speed and the moves in the open field to play the position, but on the few opportunities he had to catch the ball, he didn’t exactly show great hands. It’s hard to judge based on those limited chances, so I wouldn’t rule this one out. With Robert Hughes and Armando Allen joining the backfield in 2007, Notre Dame will have the numbers at running back to make such a move. Seeing Prince with the ball in the open field could be an exciting scenario for Notre Dame fans. He doesn’t have the size to be the kind of receiver that gets the tough third down because he will have to deal with a lot of jams at the line. If he could line up in a multiple receiver set he has the speed to get downfield.
Stay tuned for DCE 102 later tonight for my crack at projected the offensive depth chart.
With recruiting winding down, the number of posts on the message board complaining about missing out on the likes of Martez Wilson, Ben Martin, Lorenzo Edwards, and Justin Trattou will start to dwindle. The number of positions proposing position changes, however, will sky rocket.
To get a jump start on that, here’s a look at a lot of the proposed position changes you will see posted on the board over the next few months.
Luke Schmidt to LB
Schmidt has the size for linebacker (6’3’, 230), but I think Weis will want to keep him on the offensive side of the ball. Schmidt’s got all the tools to be a very dangerous weapon at fullback/h-back. Notre Dame hasn’t had a fullback that you could consider a weapon since Marc Edwards. Schmidt has the potential to be that kind of fullback.
Asaph Schwapp to LB
Speaking of fullbacks, there’s been some clamoring for Schwapp to get a look at defense this spring as well. Schwapp is a big kid (6’0”, 250) and would be a massive inside linebacker. He might be too short to play an outside linebacker/pass rusher position Schwapp is going to be coming off a serious injury that cost him 10 games in 2006. Because the injury happened in the 2nd game of the season, though, Schwapp will still have three years of eligibility left. The thought if Schwapp lining up as an inside linebacker is certainly intriguing since he has the strength to be able to take on guards.
Chris Stewart to NT
Because of his massive size, he has become an obvious choice to be DCE’ed to nose tackle this off-season. While being huge is one of the characteristics to being a nose tackle in a 3-4, Stewart might be a little too tall. Interrior offensive linemen may be able to get under him at 6’5”. Still, Stewart could definitely take up some space at nose tackle and if he can keep adding strength this off-season, this is one position switch I would not be surprised seeing happen.
Greg Little to LB
Little hasn’t even signed a letter of intent yet, but he is already being DCE’ed all over the field because of his freakish athletic ability. Little is one of the most physically gifted athletes Notre Dame has gotten over the last several years and brings a lot of versatility. That said, I hope he doesn’t end up anywhere but wide receiver. I’m sure he would be a fine linebacker, but I think he could really flourish in this offense.
Demetrius Jones to WR
Everyone who is penciling Jimmy Clausen in as the starter is already penciling Jones in as a wide receiver. You’ll hear plenty of Arnaz Battle and Carlyle Holiday success stories as proof this move will work, but I’d really like to see what he’s got a quarterback. Having an elusive quarterback is a very dangerous weapon in an offense and you have to think that Weis would find ways to utilize his abilities very well.
Eric Olsen to DT
Olsen was one of the most impressive freshmen offensive linemen last year and cracked the two deep. With both starting guards graduating, Olsen will have a chance to start on offense, so this move just doesn’t make much sense to me. He’s got the kind of mean streak in him that the offensive line has been missing at Notre Dame over the last few years and I think his talents will best be suited on offense.
Chris Little to DT
Little is one of three incoming freshman offensive linemen whose name has popped up as a possible defensive lineman. Like Stewart, Little takes up a lot of space so people are obviously going to suggest that Little move to NT. Little’s current size might be more of a result of him not being in great playing shape due to some injuries. Little did have 40 tackles (20 for loss, and 4 sacks on defense during his senior year. Little’s height, however, could be a drawback as a nose tackle.
Emeka Nwankwo to DT
Nwankwo has recently said he’ll get a look at defense, but no matter where he ends up he will need to add some strength. Nwankwo is more suited as the second tackle on the outside in a 3-4, but doesn’t have ideal speed for the position. Still Nwankwo, has the size and desire to play defense and attitude is a big part of playing on the defensive line.
Andrew Nuss to DT
Nuss is another offensive line prospect who has said he’d like to play defense. Nuss wants to play on the defensive side of the ball and has the size to do it. Like Nwankwo, Nuss would probably be an outside defensive tackle because he doesn’t really have the size to be a nose tackle in a 3-4.
I think that about covers it for now. If you think of any others feel free to add them in the comments below and update this post with the better or more entertaining ones.
[tags]Notre Dame Football, Asaph Schwapp, Chris Little, Greg Little, Andrew Nuss, Emeka Nwankwo, Eric Olsen, Demetrius Jones, Luke Schmidt[/tags]
Since that kick return in 2000 by Julius Jones, Notre Dame has returned just two kickoff’s for touchdowns - both by Vontez Duff (96 yards vs. Purdue in 2001 & 92 yards vs. Navy in 2002). And if knowing that Notre Dame has returned just 2 kickoffs for touchdowns in the last six seasons doesn’t depress you enough, its been 174 consecutive kickoffs without the Irish taking one all the way (8 in 2002, 46 in 2003, 41 in 2004, 34 in 2005, and 45 in 2006).
The last two seasons especially its been a rare treat for the Irish to return to close to mid field. There are some young players on the team who may have the ability to become good return men - Armando Allen, Munir Prince, and Golden Tate from these last two classes immediately come to mind. With David Grimes stepping into a full time receiver role, he will likely not see any time on kickoffs this year. George West was solid and showed some promise on returns in 2006, but didn’t really show that extra gear very often.
The problem, however, is not just the return men. Blocking on kickoffs has been anything but solid. All one has to do is look at that 2000 Nebraska game to see how a team can overcome a gap in talent against elite teams. Special teams can change a game around, and until Notre Dame has a defense that can go shot for shot with high powered offenses, an emphasis should be placed on fixing the special teams.
Brian Polian hasn’t done much with the special teams since he was placed in charge of them two years ago. It’s time for him to crack or get off the pot. New defensive coordinator Corwin Brown has special teams experience from his days at UVA, but it’s not really fair to ask one coach to fix the special teams AND the defense… is it?
Last week Florida poached Justin Trattou from Notre Dame’s commitment list. This week it looks like USC may be trying to visit Mike Ragone according to LA Daily Neews writer Scott Wolf:
USC coach Pete Carroll is scheduled to visit with Marvin Austin, the No. 1-ranked defensive tackle in the country, today. But we also hear Carroll might visit tight end Mike Ragone, who committed to Notre Dame almost nine months ago.
The Trojans do not have a tight end commitment this year and according to their prospect list on Scout.com, they only have Eric Brooks (#57 tight end), Trey Henderson (#64 tight end), and Mikhail Marinovich (Not Ranked) left on the board.
Last week’s defection by Trattou certainly surprised me, but I could at least understand it because of his concerns over how he would be used in the 3-4. Ragone switching, however, would completely shock me because of how well tight ends have performed in Charlie Weis’s offense. That success has led to Notre Dame landing the #2 ranked tight end last year in Konrad Reuland and the #2 ranked tight end this year in Ragone.
Another gem from our buddy Pete Carroll according to SI.com:
If the Raiders don’t take LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first pick of the April 28 draft, stop the presses. At a speaking engagement near Palm Springs the other day, USC coach Pete Carroll said he figured he knew his former protégé, Lane Kiffin, would pass on Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn in favor of Russell, now that Kiffin is the head coach of the Raiders. His reasoning: Kiffin likes throwing it downfield, and Russell’s downfield arm is much stronger than Quinn’s. “The kid from LSU is exactly what they’re looking for, more than the kid from Notre Dame,” Carroll said. Just another brick in the wall of the evidence that says we don’t quite know where Quinn will go, but we know where Russell is likely to go.
I find it just a little bit coincidental that Carroll would make public comments about a quarterback, Quinn, from a school he has to recruit head to head with and face every year, not being what the Raiders were looking for. Quinn going #1 overall would be huge for Notre Dame and recruiting in the future, especially at the quarterback position.
For Quinn’s sake I hope he doesn’t get drafted by the Raiders because I think Lane Kiffin is going to be an absolutely terrible head coach for the Raiders, and I would like to see Quinn go to a place where he has a better chance to succeed. Based on reports that Randy Moss has already cursed out Kiffin, the situation in Oakland doesn’t look too promising.
Back to Russell over Quinn for a second though… Does anyone else remember Russell being a likely candidate for the top overall pick before the Sugar Bowl? First the media compared Quinn to Troy Smith all season and now that Smith stank it up in the title game, its Quinn and Russell. Russell is a fine quarterback with a lot of raw talent, but any scout who watches the Sugar Bowl and doesn’t see that his gaudy stats were a result of some of the most shoddy defense in a BCS game is blind. Russell was throwing to wide open receivers and was actually behind them on numerous occasions.
Should the Raiders pass on Quinn, the Lions at #2 could very well take him. With Roy Williams at receiver and Kevin Jones at running back, Quinn would have some weapons to work with in Detroit. After a decade of incompetence from the Lions, there are certainly better situations for Quinn to walk into, but there are also plenty of worse situations.
Hughes, who goes 5-11, 226 pounds and runs a 4.6 40-yard dash, is regarded as one of the nation’s 10 best running backs.
“There’s no wiggle to him,” CSTV recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. “He’s a north-south runner with great hands, a Darius Walker-type with more power. Robert’s not a runaway guy; he runs over people.”
I really don’t like the Darius Walker comparison here from Lemming because I think the two backs are completely different. Walker excelled at using his vision and using his acceleration to change direction without losing much speed. Walker was NOT a power back and all one needs to do is watch the many, many instances where Walker ran out of bounds at the end of runs (even against USC when we needed to kill the clock… but I digress). Hughes is NOT that kind of back. Hughes is a smashmouth, run you over kind of running back that will be able to convert short yardage situations. One of Walker’s limitations was his ineffectiveness in short yardage situations.
Walker was, however, a better receiver out of the backfield than Hughes coming out of high school. The only real similarity between the two is that both lack top end speed. Hughes power and ability to break tackles will more than compensate for a lack of blazing speed.
Former Notre Dame and Bears defensive tackle Chris Zorich, who attended Hughes’ announcement, said he’s encouraged by the Irish’s recent efforts to sign Public Leaguers.
“There has been such a gap, and I don’t want to blame the coaching staffs from that time period,” said Zorich, a Chicago Vocational product. “But do you want to tell me that there haven’t been good enough athletes in the Public League? Obviously, that’s not true.”
Runs with power and a good pad level…Good forward lean…Tough in the red zone…Good hands out of the backfield…Very good burst…Size, naturally strong with thick legs…Quick but lacks top end speed…Not a shifty runner…Same skill set as former Florida State running back Greg Jones.
That pretty sums of Hughes perfectly. He isn’t going to win any track meets, but he is going to be a work horse running back for the Irish that will wear down defenses as games develop. I like the comparison to Greg Jones too as Hughes has the ability to be that kind of powerful runner for the Irish.
In overtime, the game plan was simple — give it to Hughes, a 6- 1, 230-pound running back, and let him carry the ball. Hughes ran for six yards and then three before his third-down touchdown.
“That one yard seemed like a 200-yard game all by itself,” Hughes said. “I thought I ran a mile. We were losing at the half, and everyone’s head was down in the locker room. I just told them, ‘Let’s get it done.’ I closed my eyes and prayed that we would just have a chance.
You get the sense from a lot of Hughes’ comments that he could be a real team leader for the Irish. He’s very level headed and seems like a no non-sense, old school football player.
Robert Hughes has given up his favorite Chinese takeout, beef fried rice, to keep in top shape. But Hubbard’s 6-foot, 225-pound running back admits it is a small price to pay to achieve his goals.
“I’d rather give that up than $1 million,” he said.
Hughes scored on a 13-yard run with 6:36 remaining in the 4th to tie the game at 20-20. Hughes carried 32 times for 190 yards and 2 TDs. QB Sean Catthouse rushed for 78 yards on 14 carries, and threw for a TD in the win. “We’ve all got heart,” Hughes said. “A few mistakes here and there is not the deciding factor in the game. It’s how you finish.”
“My only three are Cal, Notre Dame and USC. They all want me for outside linebacker. Coaches from Cal and USC will be at my house sometime this week, I think,” Smith said. “But I don’t know when. Notre Dame coaches will be at my school on Tuesday. Notre Dame’s probably recruiting me the hardest. I talk with them on the phone the most.
“I’ll announce sometime next week where I’m going. I don’t know how it will come out. I don’t have any plans. My parents don’t have any preference either.”
Another very interesting quote from Smith…
“I basically talked with all the coaches, probably Steve Sarkisian (quarterbacks) the most. He’s cool, but nothing really stands out about him.
I find that quote very interesting and very encouraging for Notre Dame here. The Irish had a lot of ground to make up at one point and the fact that Smith said that nothing stood out about the coach from USC he talks to most should be seen as a positive for the Irish.
Corwin Brown has been known to make an impression on people so here’s hoping he can come in and possible push Smith to Notre Dame since it appears he is still very much on the fence.
Lost in the shuffle over the weekend was the news that Georgia Tech’s Patrick Nix will be leaving Tech to be the offensive coordinator at the University of Miami.
“Nix has been offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech for the last three seasons, taking over playcalling responsibilities from Chan Gailey this year.
“I am honored to be the new offensive coordinator,” Nix said Friday night in a statement released by the school. “It’s a great opportunity to coach at one of the top college football programs in the country.”
The loss of Nix as the OC for the Yellow Jackets means they will travel to South Bend to open the season with a new quarterback, new #1 wide receiver, and new offensive coordinator which bodes well for the Irish who will be breaking in three new defensive line starters and two new defensive backs along with new defensive coordinator Corwin Brown.
Notre Dame is going to have a lot of new faces to start next year and will have a lot of questions to answer on both sides of the ball. Having a team coming in with a new OC and QB definitely beats the hell out of having to play a team with an established QB in a familiar offense - even if Tech fans are glad to see someone else under center besides Reggie Ball.
The only down side for the Irish and Brown will be a relative lack of film to study in preparation. Last year when Nix took over the play calling from Gailey the Irish weren’t exactly sure what to expect and this year will be much the same for Notre Dame in terms or preparation.
[tags]Notre Dame Football, Georgia Tech, Patrick Nix, Corwin Brown[/tags]
“An AFC scout who said he paid particularly close attention to the defensive ends said he liked Nebraska’s Adam Carriker and Notre Dame’s Victor Abiamiri during the North practice Tuesday morning.”
ESPN Insider also reported on Monday that Abiamiri was turning some heads this week and could find his way into the late first round.
Abiamiri came to Notre Dame as the most highly touted defensive end in years, but never really reached the level of dominance most felt he could achieve. He certainly had a good career with the Irish, but it was marred by inconsistency. Most of Abiamiri’s best games came against rather weak competition - most notably Stanford.
The defensive coaching that Abiamiri got over the last four years most likely didn’t help much. He played on defenses that didn’t exactly make it easy for a defensive end to dominant. He does have all the physical to be a top line pass rusher in the NFL. If my Eagles lose Juqua Thomas to free agency, I would love to see them grab Victor at the end of the first round and pair him with Jevon Kearse and Trent Cole.
Minter, whom Irish coach Charlie Weis replaced over the weekend with New York Jets assistant Corwin Brown, all but shrugged.
“I understand because I’ve been in his shoes,” said Minter, the head coach at Cincinnati from 1994-2003. “You have to make some hard decisions. Would I have let me go if I were in his shoes? No. But I think Charlie will be more comfortable with somebody from the Belichick-Parcells family. Charlie has brought in a young guy who doesn’t have my experience. But he’ll be more comfortable with him.”
Really? You wouldn’t have fired you if you were Charlie. That’s surprising. Shocking really.
Actually, it really isn’t because it explains why Minter isn’t a head coach anymore - he wouldn’t fire a defensive coordinator whose defense gave up 40 or more points in each of the three biggest games of the year while giving up over 1,100 yards of offense in the last two bowl games.
By the way, thank God Corwin Brown doesn’t have Minter’s experience - I’m hoping for a defensive coordinator that can keep people under 40 points and 500 yards in big games.
[tags]Rick Minter, Charlie Weis, Corwin Brown, Notre Dame Football[/tags]
C-Dog said:
bleednd82, I agree in general about Greg Little. But has something happened with him? JC, Ty will coach out the season. He will be fired if he loses 3 more games. I... About: UHND Opponent Poll - Week 5
C-Dog said:
Guys, I am more optimistic after Purdue, but no opponent can be taken for granted by this ND team. The Lads have much work ahead of them requiring focus, preparation... About: UHND Opponent Poll - Week 5
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Tommy Zbikowski to Linebacker
Asaph Schwapp to LB
Another gem from our buddy Pete Carroll according to 
