Rakes Report #49: The All-BK-at-ND Team, Defense
Did you miss yesterday’s holiday hangover edition? If so, check your inbox/spam filters or just click here. My friend Matt and I also did a podcast covering selections on both sides of the ball, which you can listen to here. It probably goes too long, but we did mention nearly every single contributor from the Fighting Irish from 2010 to 2015, so there were a lot of names. Here’s the iTunes link, if you want to subscribe or perhaps even leave a review.
On defense I'm going to build an all-star nickel (four linemen, two linebackers, five defensive backs), which should allow the flexibility to stay on the field against anything the opposition might throw at us. I also think it plays to the strengths of six years of Brian Kelly rosters. Without further ado:
Linebacker
Let us get the honorable mentions out of the way:
Joe Schmidt was possibly on his way to a 100-tackle season in 2014 before he went down in early November. Whether it was causality or coincidence, the defense – which was already starting to fray – came completely apart following his departure. He won the Monogram Club MVP, which is voted on by the Irish players, despite only playing in eight of 13 games. That means something.
Dan Fox and Carlo Calabrese both eclipsed 90 tackles in 2013, attempting to fill an impossible void in the middle. Fox also added a sack, two picks and a fumble recovery.
Danny Spond didn’t pile up a ton of stats in 2012, but he was pretty much the perfect drop linebacker in Bob Diaco’s 3-4.
Both Darius Fleming and Prince Shembo were technically outside linebackers, but functioned as defensive ends most of the time. We’ll discuss their productivity when we get to defensive line, but even if you classified them as linebacker they would not crack our top two.
But our two starting linebackers are 2012 Manti T’eo and 2015 Jaylon Smith, two former Irish captains and two of the best players in school history. If you were putting together a list of the best linebackers in program history, not just the Kelly era, then these guys would be a prominent part of the conversation, along with the Bobs Crable and Golic and Mike Stonebreaker, and we’ve had them both over the last six years. The thought of the two of these players inhabiting the same defense is the stuff fan fiction is made of, like your two favorite super heroes finally appearing in the same comic. The coverage skills combined with the ability to disrupt a backfield means they could solve any offensive puzzle.
A few particulars, starting with Te’o. His 2012 tackle total was actually one of the lowest of his Irish career, accumulating just 113 to go with his seven (!) interceptions, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and 1.5 sacks. (It’s funny to think that one criticism of Te’o going into his senior year was his lack of turnovers forced, as he didn’t have an interception his first three seasons on campus.) He also took home a litany of awards, collecting unanimous All-American status, the Maxwell (Player of the Year), Bednarik (Defensive Player of the Year), Nagurski (Defensive Player of the Year), Butkus (Linebacker of the Year), Lombardi (Linebacker/Defensive Lineman of the Year) and Walter Camp (Player of the Year) trophies. He was the first purely defensive player to win the Maxwell or Walter Camp since Pitt’s Hugh Green did it in 1980, which is rare air.
Te’o also finished second in Heisman voting to Johnny Manziel. This used to really bother me, but now that we’ve seen how aggressively average Kevin Sumlin appears to be as a college head coach, perhaps Manziel deserves the credit for taking Texas A&M to their 2012 heights. Te’o was the first defense-only player to finish second in the Heisman since, you guessed it, Hugh Green, and was selected with the 38th pick of the draft.
Much like Will Fuller, the first volume of the Rakes Report was spent chronicling the exploits of Jaylon Smith, who kept a defense that always seemed on the edge of spiraling off into space tethered to respectability. He totaled 114 tackles (nine for loss), six QB hurries, a forced fumble and two recoveries. He only had one sack and zero interceptions but I strongly believe he could have been a double-digit sack guy if he wasn’t needed everywhere else on the field. His injury in the Fiesta Bowl is as a depressing as a sports thing you’ll ever see, but he still managed to get drafted No. 34 overall after earning the Butkus Award and consensus All-American status. He should have been unanimous but the Football Writers Association of America spurned him. How does one join the FWAA? Basically send them 50 bucks. Good work, everyone.
Before we move on, let’s just take a minute to imagine these two guys lining up side-by-side in blue and gold. Deep breath. Exhale. Okay, moving on.
Defensive backfield
Let’s get the easy one out of the way and lock Harrison Smith in at safety. The sole season-long captain for the 2011 season, Smith is also the only player in Notre Dame history to register at least 200 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 15 pass breakups. You could pretty much take either his 2010 or 2011 season, but I’ll take the senior who ended up being a first round pick in the 2012 draft, going 29th overall. (Although the 2010 edition was responsible for the game-sealing interception that ended USC’s winning streak in 2010, one of the more exultant moments in recent Irish history.) He is also a great example of how much situation and coaching matters in how we look at legacies, as the guy who looked completely lost at linebacker under the Weis regime worked his way to the first night of the draft and followed up with a dominant NFL career under Kelly and Chuck Martin.
Cornerback is tricky, as often a guy who is really, really good might have worse stats because no one bothers him. A guy who is perhaps only solid might look a little better because he’s put into advantageous situations with help. I believe playing cornerback might be one of the most difficult jobs in sports, but evaluating the best ones to play under Kelly at Notre Dame is turning out to be one of the more challenging aspects of newsletter writing.
To start, I’m going to take the lynchpins from the 2012 and 2013 secondaries, Bennett Jackson and KeiVarae Russell. Jackson was a captain in 2013 who was fourth on the team in tackles with 64, including five for loss, one sack, two picks, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. A converted wide receiver, he was drafted in the sixth round following his graduation. Another line on his resume is that he was third on the 2012 team in tackles and second in interceptions.
Russell is an interesting case, as a year away from football following his suspension and some lingering injuries seemed to limit him during his senior year, so we’ll take the 2013 version despite a) The fact he went in the third round (74th overall) and still had a number of highlight reel plays (one of the most badass interceptions I’ve ever seen soaring over JuJu Smith; the clincher against Temple) means that I would be totally okay if you preferred the more experienced version. 2013 KeiVarae was fifth on the team in tackles with 51, and despite the fact he only had one interception he had eight passes broken up, while 2012 KeiVarae was a freshman All-American who had the beautiful interception against Marqise Lee at USC. Basically whichever vintage of KVR you crack open I’ll be happy to join.
After some consideration, my third corner is going to be 2015 Cole Luke, although the sophomore version in 2014 would also fit nicely on this squad. I think can be tough to evaluate individual performances on last season’s defense due to the injuries and occasional fire drill nature of the whole enterprise, but Luke has put together a pair of solid seasons at starting corner. He only had two picks last year, but one was massive, intercepting Heisman finalist DeShaun Watson in the endzone at Clemson. His 2015 totals were 41 tackles (one for loss) and five passes broken up, which is very solid despite not being as prolific as his 2014, where he totaled 48 tackles, four picks, 11 breakups and a sack. He started all 13 games in both campaigns, so much like Russell, I’d happily have either edition and think his senior year could be a lock for this roster.
Second safety is an interesting debate, and if you wanted to keep both of these guys and perhaps bump out Luke, I wouldn’t fight you. The options are 2012 Zeke Motta and 2011 Robert Blanton. Motta started all 13 games for the 2012 defense and ranked as the second leading tackler with 77 (two for loss). Also chipped in three pass breakups and was a 7th round pick in 2013 draft. Blanton started all 13 games in 2011. 70 tackles (8 for loss), a sack, two picks and six pass breakups. 5th round pick in 2012 draft. Didn’t actually play safety in college.
So the last point on Blanton is kind of a big one, as he was a straight corner in his time at Notre Dame, but I think I’m comfortable playing him at safety next to Smith. He did exactly that (start at safety next to Smith) for the Vikings in 2014 and led the team in tackles. While NFL success isn’t everything here, I think it shows that much like with Zack Martin, this position change is very plausible. Blanton is also responsible for one of the biggest individual plays of the early Kelly era, blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown against No. 14 Utah to help jumpstart the upset and completely turn the season – and perhaps Kelly’s entire tenure – around.
Motta was a very steady hand on one of the great Irish defenses, but I will go with the big play potential of Blanton at my second safety spot. If you wanted to move Luke out, put Blanton at nickel and make Motta the second safety, I’d be fine with that, but I’m very comfortable with this call.
A few other honorable mentions: If Drue Tranquill hadn’t been hurt in 2015, I think he was on his way to potentially taking the nickel spot here. We also would be remiss to not note the contributions of Matthias Farley, who did yeoman’s work no matter what situation he was thrown into. Jamoris Slaughter would have had a great shot if not for bad luck with injuries. Gary Gray, Darrin Walls and Cody Riggs all had moments at corner as well.
Defensive line
I think there are three very easy picks here and then one more interesting debate ends up with a clear answer. Let’s knock the easy picks out:
2013 Stephon Tuitt – You could also take the 2012 version, but I want the guy who made his shoulder a permanent accessory of Cody Kessler’s spine during the 2013 USC rock fight. Tuitt started all 13 games during his junior year, gathering 50 tackles (9 for loss), 7.5 sacks, 13 additional QB hurries, an interception, a forced fumble and a pair of pass breakups. Also should be noted that he led the 2012 team in sacks (with 12) and his 77-yard fumble return to open the season in Dublin will always be one of my favorite things. He was drafted 46th overall, with the 14th pick of the second round.
2012 Louis Nix – The 2013 edition of Irish Chocolate was limited to just eight games with injuries, so we’ll take the version that anchored the 12-1 defense and was one of the few bright spots against Alabama. 50 tackles (7.5 for loss), two sacks, a forced fumble, three QB hurries and in a very fun number for a defensive tackle, five pass break-ups. Nix is a perfect fit in a 3-4, but I think he’ll be fine blowing up gaps in our nickel as well. Nix was a third round pick, going 83rd overall, and will provide the comic relief for our 22 standouts.
2015 Sheldon Day – The two-time captain was non-stop during his senior year despite injuries hobbling him late in the season, collecting 48 tackles (12.5 for loss) with eight sacks, another 13 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and four passes defensed. He did most of his damage inside, but I think he would be more than capable of sliding out to defensive end. Day would have made this team strictly on merit, but the fact we get his mom and their handshake/hug skills is definitely a bonus. He was selected early in the fourth round of the draft, 103rd overall.
That leaves us one spot. A few close calls before the selection:
2015 Romeo Okwara – High on the list of sins committed by the Kelly staff is not redshirting a very, very young Okwara — not yet 18 — in his first year on campus. His senior year was very solid, with 48 tackles (12.5 for loss), eight sacks, seven QB hurries and a blocked kick. He went undrafted, but has signed with the Giants to compete for a roster spot.
2014 Jarron Jones – His season was cut short from injury, but he was productive in the eleven games he played, 40 tackles (7.5 for loss), 1.5 sacks, seven QB hurries and a blocked kick. Was one of the best players on the field against Florida State when there were a lot of very, very good players on the field, including Jameis Winston who he harassed all night.
2013 Prince Shembo/2011 Darius Fleming – As we discussed earlier, they were essentially defensive ends in the Diaco scheme. Shembo put together 48 tackles, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a silly 17 quarterback hurries, earning a fourth round draft spot. Fleming was all over the place, collecting 55 tackles (7 for loss), 3.5 sacks, a pick, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. Fleming’s performance earned him a selection in the fifth round of the draft (and eventually a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots). He got heavy consideration for the final defensive line spot, but I think there’s only one person it can go to.
2012 Kapron Lewis-Moore rounds out our front four, a captain and consistent awesome presence on the 12-1 team. His 2010 was more productive from a pure tackles standpoint (62), but I want the version with the experience, the more mature beard and the captain “C.” 40 tackles (8.5 for loss), six sacks, two passes broken up, nine quarterback hurries, a pair of forced fumbles and a sixth-round placement despite the fact he had suffered an ACL injury against Alabama only a few months prior to the draft. Fleming brings more of a pure pass rush to this, but KLM was such an important part of a great team and I feel like you have to have him on this one.
So that’s your defense: KLM, Big Lou, Day and Tuitt across the front, Manti and Jaylon at linebacker and a secondary of Smith, Blanton, KVR, Jackson and Luke. This doesn’t have all the sparkly first-round picks of the offense, but I’d like its chances stifling most offenses.
Looming
Let’s quickly hit some potential players from the 2016 team that could be on next summer’s edition of this squad.
Isaac Rochell/Jarron Jones – The senior end was sturdy in 2015, but it would mean great things for the 2016 edition if he made a push for KLM’s spot. If Jones is completely healthy and returns to the level of athleticism we saw in 2014, that would also be awesome. None of the other defensive linemen jump out as immediate candidates (although I would love to be pleasantly surprised!), although I would love to see Daelin Hayes as a “no duh” selection in the ’18 or ’19 edition of this.
Linebacker – I’m trying to think how I would respond if Nyles Morgan went from “Unable to get on the field” to “Better than Manti and/or Jaylon” in under a calendar year. Let’s move on.
Cole Luke – Could lock down his spot with only a slight improvement from his sophomore and junior years.
Shaun Crawford – Judging only by the amount of praise he’s received since arriving on campus and his activity in the spring game (see: not a heckuva lot of evidence, really), he could make a run at the nickel spot if he’s fully healed by the start of the season.
Max Redfield – The single best thing that could happen for the 2016 Notre Dame defense would be for everything to click for the five-star senior and have him earn a conversation about the safety position. The second best thing would probably be Devin Studstill just stepping in and being the miraculous cure to what’s ailed this position group under Brian VanGorder. I would be very happy with either.
Drue Tranquill– I’m all in on Tranquill forever. If he can stay healthy, he can absolutely push for a spot on this team.
Final lineup
QB 2015 DeShone Kizer
RB 2012 Theo Riddick
RB 2015 C.J. Prosise
WR 2011 Michael Floyd
WR 2015 Will Fuller
TE 2012 Tyler Eifert
T 2015 Ronnie Stanley
T 2015 Mike McGlinchey
G 2013 Zack Martin
G 2013 Chris Watt
C 2015 Nick Martin
DE 2012 Kapron Lewis-Moore
DE 2013 Stephon Tuitt
DT 2012 Louis Nix III
DT 2015 Sheldon Day
LB 2015 Jaylon Smith
LB 2012 Manti Te’o
CB 2013 KeiVarae Russell
CB 2013 Bennett Jackson
CB 2015 Cole Luke
S 2011 Harrison Smith
S 2011 Robert Blanton
So, what do you think? Very dumb? Kind of dumb? Half-decent? Very curious about your feedback, so please hit me up on Twitter or reply here.
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Also, a reminder as Father’s Day and the true dog days of the offseason approach, the Kindle compilation of the 2015 season is here. I think this is also a good gift for mothers, potential fathers, potential mothers or just people who need some light beach reading.
And if you didn’t like it? Let me know how I can make it better.