#5 Prince Shembo – 2013 Top 25 Notre Dame Football Players
We’ve reached the top five with just one remaining offensive player. We’re not jumping back to offense just yet though as our #5 player on our list of the top 25 players on the 2013 Notre Dame roster is one of the defensive stalwarts for the Irish this season. Our #5 player actually wears two #5’s on his jersey – OLB Prince Shembo.
Originally recruited as a player who could grow into a defensive end in a 4-3 defense for Jon Tenuta, it was unclear where Shembo was going to fit into the 3-4 defense Bob Diaco was going to install at Notre Dame when Brian Kelly brought him in as his defensive coordinator when he replaced Charlie Weis.
Could Shembo be a viable cover linebacker on the college level? Was he going to grow to be too big and be a dreaded “tweener”? These were all questions that were asked when Shebmo reconsidered his commitment in the wake of Weis’s dismissal.
Three years later as Shembo enters his senior season, those questions no longer linger as Shembo is primed for a breakout campaign during his final season in South Bend after some ups and downs the last few seasons. Shembo was a pass rushing specialist as a freshman in 2010 with 4.5 sacks in a reserve role before taking a step back in 2011 as he adjusted to a larger role in the Notre Dame offense.
Why Prince Shembo could be ranked higher
After Shembo’s sack total dipped to just 2.0 in 2011 despite starting eight games and playing in 12; the North Carolina native picked up his game in 2012 and got to opposing quarterbacks 7.5 tackles while notching double digit tackles for loss for the first time in his career. On the heels of his breakout campaign, big things are expected from Shembo in 2013.
It took Shembo a little while to adjust to a starting role in 2011 but once he settled in last year he started to become a playmaker in a Notre Dame defense full of impact players last fall. His tackle, tackles for loss, and sack totals all increased to career highs last year.
If Shembo continues to progress as he did last year, a double digit sack season is in the cards for Shembo making him the first linebacker to hit double digit sacks for Notre Dame since Bert Berry in 1996.
Why Prince Shembo could be ranked lower
While Shembo enjoyed a breakout season last year, he did so with a cog at middle linebacker that had the attention of every offensive coordinator on the 2012 Notre Dame schedule. With Manti Te;o chasing around quarterbacks in the AFC West now, will those same coordinators put more of a focus on Shembo and slowing him down?
On top of not having Manti Te’o in the middle of the defense, Notre Dame also will be without Danny Spond on the other side of the linebacker corps after the senior had to prematurely retired from football due to problems with migraines during fall camp. That’s a lot of talent to replace for the Irish and all of that inexperience could impact Shembo’s output in the process.
What would a successful season in 2013 be for Prince Shembo?
Even with the losses in the linebacking corps, Prince Shembo should have a big season in 2013. He has gotten better every year much like TJ Jones and if he improves as much in 2013 as he did in 2012, he will be a force to be reckoned with this fall for the Irish.
A successful senior campaign for Prince Shembo would include 10+ sacks, 50+ tackles, and a couple of forced turnovers whether they be direct (forced fumbles, INTs) or indirect (tipped passes that get picked off, pressure that forces bad throws, etc). That is the one area that Shembo hasn’t had much of an impact yet to this point in his career. There was a senior linebacker for Notre Dame a year ago that didn’t force too many fumbles during his first three seasons in South Bend either. He ended up doing alright.
The rest of our countdown so far:
#6 – TJ Jones – WR
#7 – DaVaris Daniels – WR
#8 – Chris Watt – OG
#9 – Sheldon Day – DL
#10 – George Atkinson – RB
#11 – Keivarae Russell – CB
#12 – Matthias Farley – S
#13 – Troy Niklas – TE
#14 – Tommy Rees – QB
#15 – Amir Carlisle – RB
#16 – Danny Spond – OLB
#17 – Dan Fox – ILB
#18 – Jarrett Grace – ILB
#19 – Greg Bryant – RB
#20 – Christian Lombard – RT
#21 – Elijah Shumate – S
#22 – Jaylon Smith – OLB
#23 – Ishaq Williams – OLB/DE
#24 – Max Redfield – S
#25 – CJ Prosise – WR
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
He looks like a cartoon villain on that pic
Mister Prince Shembo appears athletic..(+) He possesses long developed limbs, strength, quick eye-hand coordination + smarts which is what NFL decision makers seek come draft time.