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Notre Dame Football 2019 Look Ahead: Linebacker

By Mason Plummer

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: Asmar Bilal #22 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs to the sideline with teammates after a play in the first half against the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: Asmar Bilal #22 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs to the sideline with teammates after a play in the first half against the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 17: Shayne Simon #33 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and teammates take the field against the Syracuse Orange during their game at Yankee Stadium on November 17, 2018 in New York, New York. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /

Nathan’s Take: 

Linebacker will be one of the more interesting position groups to monitor in the spring and summer with the departures of both Te’von Coney and Drue Tranquill — two of the best linebackers in the country. The Irish coaching staff has been active on the trail over the past few cycles and find themselves with plenty of talented bodies ready to showoff their skill sets. These two guys won’t be easily replaced and no one guy will likely provide Notre Dame the same type of impact. However, it is possible to receive the same type of production as the past few years, and that comes with depth — something the 2019 roster will not lack at linebacker.

As it stands today, Jonathan Jones (MIKE), Asmar Bilal (BUCK) and Shayne Simon (ROVER) likely have the inside track for starting positions entering spring ball. Jones was expected to be a quality depth piece during the 2018 season, but rarely saw defensive snaps behind Coney. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was receiving a ton of buzz at ROVER until a season-ending leg injury early on. Shayne Simon was pegged as a freshman contributor on defense, but was relegated to special teams for the most part. There are plenty of question marks entering the 2019 season for this group.

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