Notre Dame football: Predicting five breakout players for 2016
By Greg Hadley
Nyles Morgan
Solely because of his position, Morgan is an easy choice for Notre Dame’s breakout star of 2016. The newly minted “Mike” linebacker will be the center of the Irish defense, and his performance will go a long way in determining that unit’s effectiveness.
After getting a few starts in 2014 due to injuries to Joe Schmidt and Jarrett Grace, Morgan faded to the background in 2015, barely playing at all. But there’s no denying the kid’s talent (he was one of the very best inside linebacker recruits of his class), and the hype surrounding him has increased exponentially since this spring.
The pressure on Morgan will be enormous with the departure of Schmidt and Jaylon Smith. Since the beginning of the decade, the heart of the Irish defense has always been its middle linebacker. Luckily, he has had a taste of the spotlight and already committed some of the boneheaded mistakes young players make.
With that out of the way, and with a solid unit all around him, Morgan should become a household name for the Irish this season.
Next: A true freshman