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Edited August 4, 201410 yr by Parseghian's theorem

Is Grace practicing?

Here's a few updates from several of the ND sources as media was allowed today:

 

- Chris Brown was excellent, best WR. This was reported in summer workouts as well.

 

- Luatua will play this year, he is huge in a good way. Man handling people as a blocker and extremely thick lower body.

 

- Koyack is looking very good, very optimistic here from several reviews.

 

- Golson was all 1st team and smoother than Zaire today with tempo, accuracy and basically overall.

 

- As I noted earlier from the photos Jhonny Williams has a bigger lower body than I expected. This was commented on by the media as well and he was noted as explosive/strong today.

 

- The secondary is deep. Riggs looked great/aggressive plus our younger guys were in tune.

 

- Ishaq had an awesome first practice by all accounts.

 

- John Turner got kudos today, seems to know the position very well and played well.

 

- Tranquill playing at safety right now.

 

- Fuller noted as very fast. Schmidt noted as comfortable leader of the front 7 with Jaylon.

 

- Cage threw up on the field to end practice.

 

Love the updates...The Luatua one specifically. I remember him being highly rated after his junior year, and slipping a lot last year. Some have questioned his effort and physicality, and I hope he has turned a corner if those reports are true. I think the kid has all the tools to be an elite college football player if he wants it. Seems like he is off to a great start.

The one saving grace is that our secondary should be a top 15 unit in the country. Weis never had a secondary. Ever. I can't remember a time that we have been deeper, experienced and more talented at cornerback.

 

agreed.

 

up front we could be scary thin in the middle.

Thanks for the film, Faith. EG is absolutely BRIMMING with confidence and leadership, without an annoying ego to boot. He seems eager to take the reigns, up his team's level in terms of speed and cohesion, and increase the potential and variety of the playbook. I get the sense that the coaches trust him more than in 2012, as he's apparently pushing back on them in conversation and offering his reads and input. MAN I'm excited!

 

USA Today recently called him the #17 QB in the nation for 2014. This is why I hate preseason lists -- I can't wait for them to eat some serious crow. He is being vastly "misunderestimated".

The one saving grace is that our secondary should be a top 15 unit in the country. Weis never had a secondary. Ever. I can't remember a time that we have been deeper, experienced and more talented at cornerback.

 

right...I think we only had Darrin Walls as a legitimate corner...and then Harrison Smith didn't come into his own till Kelly got his hands on him

Thanks for the film, Faith. EG is absolutely BRIMMING with confidence and leadership, without an annoying ego to boot. He seems eager to take the reigns, up his team's level in terms of speed and cohesion, and increase the potential and variety of the playbook. I get the sense that the coaches trust him more than in 2012, as he's apparently pushing back on them in conversation and offering his reads and input. MAN I'm excited!

 

USA Today recently called him the #17 QB in the nation for 2014. This is why I hate preseason lists -- I can't wait for them to eat some serious crow. He is being vastly "misunderestimated".

 

it is hard to have him much higher. he is VERY unproven. but has tons of talent.

it is not like his freshman year was like winstons or manziels, ya know?

i have said before I dont think this season will be a one man show. i think we have lots of weapons at our disposal. and getting those players the ball in space will be the key. if we can run the ball like many of us hope/think we can, it will help golson shine even brighter.

The one saving grace is that our secondary should be a top 15 unit in the country. Weis never had a secondary. Ever. I can't remember a time that we have been deeper, experienced and more talented at cornerback.

 

a really good point.

remember start of 2012 when we had injuries at corner in preseason and we had unproven guys? worked out well, but front seven pressure probably helped more maybe.

right...I think we only had Darrin Walls as a legitimate corner...and then Harrison Smith didn't come into his own till Kelly got his hands on him

 

I've said it before: when your feature DB is Teraill Lambert, you'd better have a damn good offense.

 

I'm hoping for the best secondary since 92-93. Too bad we don't have a Bryant Young line up front like they did.

I think this speaks to the overall problem that ND has in "bridging the gap" between good and elite, at least since the early 90s.

 

What I mean is, ND always seems to have one or two units that are the weak link.

 

Take 2012, we had an all-world defense and good skill position players, but we had a freshman QB that made freshmen mistakes. With Charlie we had all-world QB's and offenses, but a horrible defense.

 

This year, I think most people expect the offense to be very good, and we expect a Top 10 defensive backfield, but again, depth on the DL and skill at LB (except Jaylon) is going to really hurt. How much, who knows.

 

We've talked about the reasons why this happens and why it will take the "stars aligning" so to speak in order for ND to win another NC. It just seems we are in this perpetual spin of being a position unit or two away from being elite.

I think this speaks to the overall problem that ND has in "bridging the gap" between good and elite, at least since the early 90s.

 

What I mean is, ND always seems to have one or two units that are the weak link.

 

Take 2012, we had an all-world defense and good skill position players, but we had a freshman QB that made freshmen mistakes. With Charlie we had all-world QB's and offenses, but a horrible defense.

 

This year, I think most people expect the offense to be very good, and we expect a Top 10 defensive backfield, but again, depth on the DL and skill at LB (except Jaylon) is going to really hurt. How much, who knows.

 

We've talked about the reasons why this happens and why it will take the "stars aligning" so to speak in order for ND to win another NC. It just seems we are in this perpetual spin of being a position unit or two away from being elite.

 

To be fair though, no team, outside 2012 Alabama, is perfect. Phil Steele has us as one of the handful of teams to be rated in all of his top position groups.

 

Look at FSU last year for example...where was their flaw heading into the season and what was their flaw down the stretch? Pass protection. Their offensive line was among the worst in the nation at protecting the QB. They gave up FOUR TIMES the number of sacks that we did.

 

You're going to be waiting forever, if you want a perfect team. Especially in CFB where your team is constantly turning over. What you need to win a title is a niche that you are better than everyone at. You need a handful of dominant position groups.

 

Do we have that? Yes. We have a dominant offensive line. We have a dominant secondary. We have the pieces for dominant skills positions. We have just as good a chance at going to the CFB playoff as anyone else.

To be fair though, no team, outside 2012 Alabama, is perfect. Phil Steele has us as one of the handful of teams to be rated in all of his top position groups.

 

Look at FSU last year for example...where was their flaw heading into the season and what was their flaw down the stretch? Pass protection. Their offensive line was among the worst in the nation at protecting the QB. They gave up FOUR TIMES the number of sacks that we did.

 

You're going to be waiting forever, if you want a perfect team. Especially in CFB where your team is constantly turning over. What you need to win a title is a niche that you are better than everyone at. You need a handful of dominant position groups.

 

Do we have that? Yes. We have a dominant offensive line. We have a dominant secondary. We have the pieces for dominant skills positions. We have just as good a chance at going to the CFB playoff as anyone else.

 

2012 alabama was not perfect.

oregon and k-state did them a HUGE favor.

 

but I think you make solid points on the other stuff.

To be fair though, no team, outside 2012 Alabama, is perfect. Phil Steele has us as one of the handful of teams to be rated in all of his top position groups.

 

Look at FSU last year for example...where was their flaw heading into the season and what was their flaw down the stretch? Pass protection. Their offensive line was among the worst in the nation at protecting the QB. They gave up FOUR TIMES the number of sacks that we did.

 

You're going to be waiting forever, if you want a perfect team. Especially in CFB where your team is constantly turning over. What you need to win a title is a niche that you are better than everyone at. You need a handful of dominant position groups.

 

Do we have that? Yes. We have a dominant offensive line. We have a dominant secondary. We have the pieces for dominant skills positions. We have just as good a chance at going to the CFB playoff as anyone else.

 

I wasn't arguing perfection, I was arguing good vs. elite. Perfection is unattainable.

I wasn't arguing perfection, I was arguing good vs. elite. Perfection is unattainable.

 

Oh I know. My point still remains though. It almost never happens that a team has all facets in that 'elite' level. I'm not entirely sure that having a handful of question marks on the front 7 is too difficult to make up for.

 

Defensive line is the most fickle position group in CFB. Look at Florida State last year as the model. In 2012, FSU had 36 sacks, their top two were ELITE in Bjoern Werner(13sacks) and Cornellius Carradine(11sacks). Throw in they lost their number 3 guy, Demonte McAllister(3.5sacks) and you had only 24% of their sacks returning for the 2013 season. They finished 2013 with 35 sacks and their line was incredible. In 2012 they had 11 guys register sacks, last year they have 18! 6 Freshman got sacks and 4 sophomores, in fact 15 new guys in total, registered a sack last year.

 

I don't think you need a seasoned DL to be successful. I do however, think you need a seasoned secondary.

Oh I know. My point still remains though. It almost never happens that a team has all facets in that 'elite' level. I'm not entirely sure that having a handful of question marks on the front 7 is too difficult to make up for.

 

Defensive line is the most fickle position group in CFB. Look at Florida State last year as the model. In 2012, FSU had 36 sacks, their top two were ELITE in Bjoern Werner(13sacks) and Cornellius Carradine(11sacks). Throw in they lost their number 3 guy, Demonte McAllister(3.5sacks) and you had only 24% of their sacks returning for the 2013 season. They finished 2013 with 35 sacks and their line was incredible. In 2012 they had 11 guys register sacks, last year they have 18! 6 Freshman got sacks and 4 sophomores, in fact 15 new guys in total, registered a sack last year.

 

I don't think you need a seasoned DL to be successful. I do however, think you need a seasoned secondary.

 

Fair enough and I'm not sure if my original post was just more out of frustration or more being Captain Obvious.

I actually think it was a good idea to make the first practice open. This practice is just getting people up to speed and you don't give a lot away. So open it up and let people see. No harm no foul.