Prediction No.8 for the 2016 Notre Dame Football Season: The Linebacking Corps Will Be Even Better

Yes, you read that right. linebacking corps will be even better this season. You’re probably wondering  “How could they be better without Jaylon Smith?!” Yes, Smith was a very talented player and one of the best to come through the Notre Dame football program, but across the board it should be a much stronger unit.

First, Nyles Morgan finally takes over for Joe Schmidt. You have to admire Schmidt for his work ethic and giving every ounce of himself to the team, but he lacked athleticism and at times was exploited because of it. In terms of physicality and athleticism, Morgan should be a major upgrade over Schmidt. He was the crown jewel of ND’s 2014 class, but has yet to get his shot at some playing time. I will note that he did start the last four games of the 2014 season after Schmidt went down with an ankle injury. Morgan performed fairly well for a true freshman as he recorded 10+ tackles in three times. Last season he played very sporadically, mostly seeing time on special teams or when the Irish were up big. He steps into the role of starting middle linebacker this season. Look for him to emerge as one of the leaders on defense.

One player I personally am excited to see this season is outside linebacker, James Onwualu. As one of the few seniors on defense, he now becomes the leader of the defense. He’s had a great spring and by all accounts is on track for a great senior season. Linebackers coach Mike Elston recently praised Onwualu as the one of the top cover linebackers in the country. This season he will make the move from weak outside linebacker to strong outside linebacker. That position was manned by Jaylon Smith for the past couple of seasons, so we could see Onwualu lining up at multiple positions just as Smith did. Barring injury, expect a big senior year out of Onwualu.

Since the other outside linebacking position taken by Smith one should expect a drop off by whoever steps in, but thats more of a testament to Smith’s ability. The drop off should not be that drastic. Asmar Bilal has received most of the playing time with the starting unit this spring due to Tevon Coney’s injury in the Fiesta Bowl. While he might not be the same player, the coaches have compared his athleticism to Smith. Brian Kelly recently said that Bilal was one of the underclassmen of the spring. A starting position is not guaranteed for Bilal since the Irish will have more depth at the position when they break for fall camp. He should have the upper hand on the competition because of his spring performance. Others that could throw their hat into the ring are Coney, Josh Barajas and incoming freshman Johnathan Jones.

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Overall the linebacking unit as a whole, while they will be inexperienced, they should be better. They will be more athletic and talented. If all play up to their potential, the linebackers will be a strength rather than a weakness.