My brother attends Notre Dame and there is a lot of talk about playing with 2 Linebackers and 5 Defensive backs. With the play of Herring and Bruton at Safety during the blue/gold game - to go along with Walls, McNeil, Ferrine and Lambert you have to get these guys some time.

 

Also they will do a great job of mixing up the allignments with a 3-4 to be seen at times.

 

The main point for the 4-2-5 is you can have Tommy or Nwudke come up and play a linebacker when needed. Last year the defense was pretty predictable and Minter spent a lot of time at NFL teams camps to see how they handle their defense. I expect the defense will be a lot better than expected!!!!

hopefully toryan smith and morrice richardson can make some noise in fall camp and maybe solve NDs LB probblems. i think it's pretty sad that ND would have to do that just because no one is stepping up at the LB spots.

Mike there has been rumors the last few weeks that ND may look to play a 4-2-5. Not sure if that is there base or just occasionally.

i hope it's nothing like BYU's 4-2-5 defense. i'd be open to the idea of ND using a third safety as a LB and just move him all over the field like a rover.

charlie has always been a guy who has played to his strengths. Our strength is definitely not LB.

i hope it's nothing like BYU's 4-2-5 defense. i'd be open to the idea of ND using a third safety as a LB and just move him all over the field like a rover.

 

BYU plays the 3-3-5.

I completely agree with you broke, If your strength is at another area, why not focus the defense on that part until someone is ready to step up. I'd rather trust charlie. I think it would work.

Yeah BYU is is a 3-3-5... but they still shut down our running game the last two years.

 

I have been saying for a while that it sounds like we will see a bunch more 5 DB looks. If you look at what they are telling Harrison Smith and others, they want to use the Apache as a Hybred safety spot. I think that whatever they call it the Apache will be players that we recruited as safeties.

It could be very successful. Look at South Carolina when Holtz was there in 2000 and 2001, when Charlie Strong was the DC. They ran the 4-2-5 because they had all little guys, and they ranked sixth in the nation in scoring defense in 2000 (15.8 points per game) and 12th in 2001 (18.4 points per game)

I look for Brockington to have a break-out year. He has fully recovered from his back surgery-better than he was before- and with Mendoza in the weight room he has gotten up to 240 at his last weigh in, which is great news. He was listed at 215 before sprinf practice. Plus he has good feet and will be much mroe effective in passing situations and is extremely motivated to prove everyone wrong about him.

It is a good thing that we've got good and innovative coaches. Sure our LBs are a weakness but there are ways to cover them up and it sounds like the staff is exploring different options on how to do so. This is great news, hopefully opposing offenses will be kept guessing this year.

I look for Brockington to have a break-out year. He has fully recovered from his back surgery-better than he was before- and with Mendoza in the weight room he has gotten up to 240 at his last weigh in, which is great news. He was listed at 215 before sprinf practice. Plus he has good feet and will be much mroe effective in passing situations and is extremely motivated to prove everyone wrong about him.

 

Glad to hear he's doing well. Surgery recovered LBs are the first step to answering the questions at LB. But how does a 25 pound increase in weight help passing situations? In passing situations you'd pull a big bruising LB like Ronnie Nicks rather than a more mobile LB like Anthony Denman. Motivation is great but that's not going to cover a Bush coming out of the backfield. We had healthy big guys last year that struggled in pass coverage. Weight wasn't the issue.

i think you will see more nickel as jag said on another thread to help with passing, i for one trust minter, and think he has gotten a bad wrap, him and charlie will have the D playing well this year

Yeah BYU is is a 3-3-5... but they still shut down our running game the last two years.

 

Reporter: "Will you stick to the passing game?" Weis: "Well if they bring 7 or 8 on every play, we'll throw it on every play."

I actually think the D is going to be a strong point this year. I am going to catch flack for saying this but I don't care...We have good people returning and yes we have much much talent coming in as freshman....who will play and do well!! There I said it. I don't care that they are new/young/inexperienced...whatever, they are also some of the most talented in the country!!

im with u ron

i'll believe it when i see it but untill then NDs defense will cost us atleast one game this season.

It is not like the defense needs to get that much better.... If we had the a defense around the top 50 in the country last year, we are undefeated and playing Texas for the NC. We need the defenense to become a top 50 defense and we are golden.

i totally agree. it's not like were going to be doomed if the defense isn't ranked in the top 15. if they can improve to be a top 40 defense then this season is in the bag....maybe.

last season USC made it to the championship game and their defense was ranked 48th in the country and gave up 361 yards per game.