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Notre Dame Football: Going From Nothing to Something in the Secondary

By Noah Strackbein

Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Devin Studstill (14) intercepts a pass intended for Michigan State Spartans tight end Josia Price (82) in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. MSU won 36-28. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Devin Studstill (14) intercepts a pass intended for Michigan State Spartans tight end Josia Price (82) in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. MSU won 36-28. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Notre Dame football had one of the worst secondaries in college football last season, but with a year of experience should be considered a top unit in 2017.

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Last year, the Fighting Irish dealt with an inexperienced secondary consisting of two true freshman corners competing for a starting position and split safety snaps between a sophomore and a freshman. Not a deadly combination for any besides an opposing receiving core.

Notre Dame allowed 196.4 passing yards per game and gave up 14 touchdowns through the air to opposing offenses. Although that wasn’t the worst in college football, they weren’t statistics that lead to a winning season.

While fans watched DeShone Kizer do everything he could to score and then have it erased on the defensive end almost every game, you saw that they Irish weren’t built to stop the pass. With the off the field issues they had to deal with prior to the season, it wasn’t like this backfield had much chance. But as the season progressed, you saw that Notre Dame really had nothing.

You can blame inexperience, Max Redfield, Brian VanGorder, or whatever you believe made the Irish so bad. But the bottom line is that the season is behind us, and 4-8 is a record you can only build off of. With the talent they have and the leaders they bring back, the future looks a lot more promising than the past.

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The Irish bring back freshman stud, Julian Love, and talented sophomore, Donte Vaughn. They’ll need to adjust to life without Cole Luke, but add a year to experience for both underclassmen. While Love will likely be handed the starting role, Vaugh will compete with veteran Nick Watkins for the other spot.

As a big 6’3, 210-pound corner, Vaughn has everything he needs to be a star in South Bend. All he’ll need to do is prove his worth on the field and show the talent he came to Notre Dame with. Now, that the nerves are gone, Vaughn will be twice as good as he was in 2016.

The cornerback unit is taken care of. These returning sophomores are explosive. The team is now theirs and with a strong start, could find the confidence to take over most passing games. Coming into Notre Dame, they were both considered future stars and now, even if it’s earlier than expected, they have the chance to be.

The safety core in South Bend is dangerous. Starting with Drue Tranquill, the senior hard-hitting playmaker who has a knack for the ball, but never shies away from laying someone out. In his junior season, Tranquill was the leader of this defensive backfield. Finishing with 79 tackles and an interception, Tranquill was a bright spot that did what he could to hold this secondary together.

This season, he comes in looking to dominate. He may not have a future in the NFL right now. But one impressive season and he’s on the radar of many pro scouts. Put him in Mike Elko’s defense that loves to hit people and watch as Tranquill becomes one of the scariest human beings on the football field.

On the other side, Nicco Fertitta is the guy who’s always looking to put someone to sleep. He doesn’t have much experience through his two years at Notre Dame, but this season, he’ll be in the mix with sophomore, Devin Studstill. The sophomore is more of a coverage player, racking up only one interception in 2016, but being involved in almost every coverage scheme to keep him with the best receiver.

These two both need to continue developing, but for now are strong assets to a young defensive backfield. Both together will still be a slight weak spot in this secondary but a piece that could turn out to be an all-around monster combination at the position.

Nothing to something. That’s what this secondary is about to do. They were one of the NCAA’s worst in 2016, and it had a significant impact on the outcome of Notre Dame’s season. This year, they’re the same faces with more experience.

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Every player in this core came to South Bend looking to be special. Their potential was high, and the early experience has made it even higher. Don’t sleep on the secondary this season. They’ll be a force and an active part of this Irish rebound.

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