I was waiting on word that Chocolate was coming back, but now that he is, I am certain that next year's defense will be even better then this year's version.

 

Defensive Ends~~Sheldon Day will simply take over for KLM. Sheldon will be about 6' 2'' and 290+. He came in early last year, got tons of reps and will make a leap in his production. He has more big play ability then KLM. He will play in the NFL some day.

 

Stephon Tuitt~~Had been slowed with mono, but he is a work out freak. Runs with the linebackers. Should be an All American at 6' 6'' and 310 and could set new sack records for the Irish. He will be a household name. You won't run on this front 7. Probable first team All American.

 

Chocolate~~Maybe our favorite down lineman. Will whip every center he faces, plug the middle, demand double teams and will stuff the run game and even get a couple sacks. He's the best nose guard in America next year. Thank You for coming back Louis.

 

Quality Depth~~Tony Springmann 6' 6'' 310 with lots of reps under his belt. Showed ability to penetrate the line, even used a 360 to make a sack. This is what makes teams great, like Alabama. Big Red still has 3 years of eligibility.

 

Chase Houshell~~injury might have been a blessing. He needed a red shirt year and got it. He should be about 285 at 6' 4''. This former 4 star lineman will demand playing time. Still has 3 years of eligibility. I look for him to spell Sheldon. Great depth here.

 

Kona Schwenke~~Proven commodity. Should max out at about 295 and stands 6' 4''. Not quite as stout as chocolate, but you can't run on him. Can play either the nose of D.E. Alread, 3 guys on second team with good expierence, size and ability.

 

Jarron Jones~~6' 5'' 300. Hard to block in practice. Long arms used to control the blocker. Getting stronger under Longo and ready to make his name. No experience yet, but he will get it this year. Might even play some at the nose. Superior athlete. 4 star recruit.

 

Basically we have 7 players for 3 positions. We have two freshmen coming in but now we can redshirt our freshmen. This is where it all starts. Big boys up front are the best in the country, absolutely.

 

Outside linebackers~~This is where we are making great strides in player development and recruiting. We are killing it in recruiting. These guys are a big reason I say we improve next year.

 

CATS~~These guys get to make plays. Less pass coverage responsibilities. They get after the quarterback. Shembo returns for his senior year. He is tough to stop at 6' 2'' and 250. What excites me are the guys developing behind him. Bigger and faster.

 

Ishaq Williams~~Time to break out. Hopefully he kills it in the weight room and plays at about 6' 5'' and 260. Sounds a bit heavy, but not on his frame. He looks skinny at 255. Don't think he was really a 5 star athlete, but he is superior and he can make plays. He could have a good year.

 

Ben Councell 6' 5'' and 250. Great looking athlete with speed and athleticism. Came on strong as a high school senior to get his 4th star. Can't wait for spring ball to see him.

DOGS~~

 

Danny Spond~~Back for his final year at 6' 2'' and 250. Simply put, he takes care of business. Can't run on him and he is quite good in pass coverage. He is a big reason we didn't have a hole in our defense.

 

Romeo Okwara~~6' 4'' 250. Great athlete. Currently lined up at Dog but could move to D.E. or Cat. Broke the Oklahoma player in half right in front of me. Great athlete with length and good speed. Oh where to play him.

 

Jaylon Smith~~A true freshman but he is so good and so freakin fast he will play. He said he will line up behind Shembo at Cat, but he might be more natural as a DOG because his cover skills are big time.

 

Basically, our outside linebackers are to die for and it will only get better. Kelly nails it in recruiting every year.

 

Inside Backers

 

First Fox will return on one side and should hit 6' 3'' and 245. His numbers along with Carlo Calabrese at 6' 1'' and 245 are similar to Te'o minus the interceptions.

 

Yeah, Te'o is gone but we have a tandem that will be very poroductive in Jarret Grace at 6' 3'' and 245 and Alex Anzalone at about the same size. Alex is a phenom and comes in early. He is very fluid, very aggressive and very agile. He can turn on a dime for a big man. We all loved Manti and we can't replace his leadership, but I tell you we will be stellar at middle linebacker. These guys are a bit taller.

 

Kendall Moore~~6' 1''240 with good skills and knows the calls. Quality quality depth.

 

Not going to go into the secondary just yet, but everyone knows we return 4 of our top 5. If someone wants to tackle that~~go for it, Otherwise I will hit it later.

Edited December 17, 201211 yr by OklahomaIrish

I was waiting on word that Chocolate was coming back, but now that he is, I am certain that next year's defense will be even better then this year's version.

 

Defensive Ends~~Sheldon Day will simply take over for KLM. Sheldon will be about 6' 2'' and 290+. He came in early last year, got tons of reps and will make a leap in his production. He has more big play ability then KLM. He will play in the NFL some day.

 

Stephon Tuitt~~Had been slowed with mono, but he is a work out freak. Runs with the linebackers. Should be an All American at 6' 6'' and 310 and could set new sack records for the Irish. He will be a household name. You won't run on this front 7. Probable first team All American.

 

Chocolate~~Maybe our favorite down lineman. Will whip every center he faces, plug the middle, demand double teams and will stuff the run game and even get a couple sacks. He's the best nose guard in America next year. Thank You for coming back Louis.

 

Quality Depth~~Tony Springmann 6' 6'' 310 with lots of reps under his belt. Showed ability to penetrate the line, even used a 360 to make a sack. This is what makes teams great, like Alabama. Big Red still has 3 years of eligibility.

 

Chase Houshell~~injury might have been a blessing. He needed a red shirt year and got it. He should be about 285 at 6' 4''. This former 4 star lineman will demand playing time. Still has 3 years of eligibility. I look for him to spell Sheldon. Great depth here.

 

Kona Schwenke~~Proven commodity. Should max out at about 295 and stands 6' 4''. Not quite as stout as chocolate, but you can't run on him. Can play either the nose of D.E. Alread, 3 guys on second team with good expierence, size and ability.

 

Jarron Jones~~6' 5'' 300. Hard to block in practice. Long arms used to control the blocker. Getting stronger under Longo and ready to make his name. No experience yet, but he will get it this year. Might even play some at the nose. Superior athlete. 4 star recruit.

 

Basically we have 7 players for 3 positions. We have two freshmen coming in but now we can redshirt our freshmen. This is where it all starts. Big boys up front are the best in the country, absolutely.

 

Outside linebackers~~This is where we are making great strides in player development and recruiting. We are killing it in recruiting. These guys are a big reason I say we improve next year.

 

CATS~~These guys get to make plays. Less pass coverage responsibilities. They get after the quarterback. Shembo returns for his senior year. He is tough to stop at 6' 2'' and 250. What excites me are the guys developing behind him. Bigger and faster.

 

Ishaq Williams~~Time to break out. Hopefully he kills it in the weight room and plays at about 6' 5'' and 260. Sounds a bit heavy, but not on his frame. He looks skinny at 255. Don't think he was really a 5 star athlete, but he is superior and he can make plays. He could have a good year.

 

Ben Councell 6' 5'' and 250. Great looking athlete with speed and athleticism. Came on strong as a high school senior to get his 4th star. Can't wait for spring ball to see him.

DOGS~~

 

Danny Spond~~Back for his final year at 6' 2'' and 250. Simply put, he takes care of business. Can't run on him and he is quite good in pass coverage. He is a big reason we didn't have a hole in our defense.

 

Romeo Okwara~~6' 4'' 250. Great athlete. Currently lined up at Dog but could move to D.E. or Cat. Broke the Oklahoma player in half right in front of me. Great athlete with length and good speed. Oh where to play him.

 

Jaylon Smith~~A true freshman but he is so good and so freakin fast he will play. He said he will line up behind Shembo at Cat, but he might be more natural as a DOG because his cover skills are big time.

 

Basically, our outside linebackers are to die for and it will only get better. Kelly nails it in recruiting every year.

 

Inside Backers

 

First Fox will return on one side and should hit 6' 3'' and 245. His numbers along with Carlo Calabrese at 6' 1'' and 245 are similar to Te'o minus the interceptions.

 

Yeah, Te'o is gone but we have a tandem that will be very poroductive in Jarret Grace at 6' 3'' and 245 and Alex Anzalone at about the same size. Alex is a phenom and comes in early. He is very fluid, very aggressive and very agile. He can turn on a dime for a big man. We all loved Manti and we can't replace his leadership, but I tell you we will be stellar at middle linebacker. These guys are a bit taller.

 

Kendall Moore~~6' 1''240 with good skills and knows the calls. Quality quality depth.

 

Not going to go into the secondary just yet, but everyone knows we return 4 of our top 5. If someone wants to tackle that~~go for it, Otherwise I will hit it later.

 

That's what she said.

IMO, there's a HUGE dropoff between Nix and Schwenke. Remember the Pitt game when they were running on our Defense early? Schwenke was in there, and was a big reason why they were getting gashed early on. Kona was beat pretty badly on the very first play.

I remember Pitt running on us, but I remember plenty of times Kona held his own. Nix is in a class all by himself. I'm hoping we flip the USC dude but if we don't there is an inevitable drop off. Springmann can minimize it with more development in the weight room. Remember Nix didn't start out playing like this. I watched him a lot when he first saw the field and sometimes he really got knocked around. Nobody wins every play. Kona will be at his peak next year and gets a lot of reps. We have so many returning players because Kelly plays a lot of people. To me, the front 7 will be as good as last year. Anzalone will surprise. The secondary is not the issue it was at this time last year. That is why I think over all we are actually better.

 

Throw in the fact that Golson is seasoned and the offense will not put the defense in constant danger. With the improved secondary and an improved offense, I think, statistically, the defense will improve. Logical???

It may appear better on paper or according to depth but I can't believe our defense will be better without Manti. I just think he brings something special to the team that won't be carried over by any of the guys on your list.

It may appear better on paper or according to depth but I can't believe our defense will be better without Manti. I just think he brings something special to the team that won't be carried over by any of the guys on your list.

 

That, and there is just natural ebb and flow between years. ND got some big breaks this year, a few missed FG's against, some amazing red zone D, timely turnovers, you can't count on that stuff every year.

 

Consider that ND has a Red Zone TD allowed % of 24.24 this season. That is by far the lowest in the last 5 years of any BCS school. The typical leader comes in around 35-40%. In just isn't likely to happen again next season.

 

ND allowed 9 defensive TD's this year. That is the fewest EVER in a 12 game season. The typical leading D gives up around 15.

 

That isn't to say the defense won't be great, but some of the stats this D has put up are once in a generation type of stats. The likelihood of seeing that again are pretty remote.

It may appear better on paper or according to depth but I can't believe our defense will be better without Manti. I just think he brings something special to the team that won't be carried over by any of the guys on your list.

 

very much agree with this. Manti is a special player that will be hard to replace.

Being better than #1 is gonna be awfully tough.

I am GIDDY at the return of NIX--which i expected but needed to hear it for sure---

 

I agree with OKLAHOMA--- Our defense will be TERRIFIC next year as well.

 

I doubt we will ever see the stats of this year---NO TOUHDOWNS ALLOWED----__10 POINTS A GAME---REDZONE BEING THE DEADZONE--

 

This season was one for the ages on defense---but we will be a force next season as well---and with our offense IMPROVING so much from the one we started with this season--we likely can make a run next year as well-------

 

BRIAN KELLY IS BUILDING A MONSTER!!!

 

aloha's go irish!

That, and there is just natural ebb and flow between years. ND got some big breaks this year, a few missed FG's against, some amazing red zone D, timely turnovers, you can't count on that stuff every year.

 

Consider that ND has a Red Zone TD allowed % of 24.24 this season. That is by far the lowest in the last 5 years of any BCS school. The typical leader comes in around 35-40%. In just isn't likely to happen again next season.

 

ND allowed 9 defensive TD's this year. That is the fewest EVER in a 12 game season. The typical leading D gives up around 15.

 

That isn't to say the defense won't be great, but some of the stats this D has put up are once in a generation type of stats. The likelihood of seeing that again are pretty remote.

 

Three things:

1.Sack numbers are going to be off the charts next season.

2.The quarterback quality next year takes a nose dive. First year starters at 8 of the teams we face.

3. Solidified, experienced secondary. Which will also factor into the sack numbers because their will be a greater comfort level in allowing Jackson/Russell to be placed on an island.

 

Do we lose leadership with Motta, KLM and Manti? Hell yes. You can't replace that. But we return skill, experienced skill. Nix, Tuitt, Shembo. No doubt they rack up at least a combined 25 sacks.(20.5 this season)

That, and there is just natural ebb and flow between years. ND got some big breaks this year, a few missed FG's against, some amazing red zone D, timely turnovers, you can't count on that stuff every year.

 

Consider that ND has a Red Zone TD allowed % of 24.24 this season. That is by far the lowest in the last 5 years of any BCS school. The typical leader comes in around 35-40%. In just isn't likely to happen again next season.

 

ND allowed 9 defensive TD's this year. That is the fewest EVER in a 12 game season. The typical leading D gives up around 15.

 

That isn't to say the defense won't be great, but some of the stats this D has put up are once in a generation type of stats. The likelihood of seeing that again are pretty remote.

 

Exactly. Our own people don't seem to even realize how special this defense is!

 

The leadership and confidence of Manti cannot be over-stated. Furthermore, as an old MLB, I know how truly they are the QB's of the defense. I think we miss Manti's smarts just as much as his physical tools...

Yeah, it'd be pretty tough to be better than this year's defense. With Nix back though, we can certainly hope to build on it and perhaps establish some type of annual consistency on the defensive side of the ball.

Three things:

1.Sack numbers are going to be off the charts next season.

2.The quarterback quality next year takes a nose dive. First year starters at 8 of the teams we face.

3. Solidified, experienced secondary. Which will also factor into the sack numbers because their will be a greater comfort level in allowing Jackson/Russell to be placed on an island.

 

Do we lose leadership with Motta, KLM and Manti? Hell yes. You can't replace that. But we return skill, experienced skill. Nix, Tuitt, Shembo. No doubt they rack up at least a combined 25 sacks.(20.5 this season)

 

Might give up more points but less yards (especially if sacks increase)

Might give up more points but less yards (especially if sacks increase)

 

Yeah and I think another factor will be that the defense won't be relied on to carry games with Golson improving with this offense. More blow outs means more garbage TDs allowed

Edited December 18, 201211 yr by piratey

Well, I thought our secondary would be worse off this year, so nothing would surprise me at this point....