Notre Dame Football: Avery Davis is now a DB, Houston Griffith will play corner
By J.P. Scott
Brian Kelly confirmed two big position changes for Notre Dame football at his annual Spring press conference today.
If there is such a thing, Brian Kelly’s annual Spring press conference is one of the most anticipated by Notre Dame football fans during the year.
At Friday’s conference, Kelly confirmed two relatively major position changes.
The biggest change will be Avery Davis moving from running to defensive back. The talented athlete has been searching for a positional home with the Irish since his arrival on campus. It appears his next stop on the depth chart is one that Brian Kelly has put much thought into. In regard to the change, Kelly had this to say:
“Finding a spot for Avery, he’s a winner. We recruited him as a quarterback because of his traits. He’s a winner. His numbers, his physical numbers, they jump out at you. Comparing him to other defensive backs, it just made sense to find an opportunity for him. We moved him there and he moves so well. He has really good instincts. We think he has a real chance at cornerback. We’ll see how it plays out. I think I’ve been pretty good at being intentional with the moves. These aren’t guesses. I think he’ll be a really good corner and could play at the next level. He’s 190-something pounds. He has hands. He’s excited.”
As for the other change — which is more of just a confirmation — Kelly is moving Houston Griffith to cornerback full time. Here’s what Coach Kelly had to say about that move:
“We are moving Houston Griffith to corner. He’s a boundary corner. We will have him there and competing there. He knows our defense. He’s confident in our structure. He’s extremely physical. He had a great offseason. Of all the defensive backs, he has probably done more physically than anyone else. He’s ready for that challenge.”
The Griffith move is a welcome one to fans who have been in love with his defensive back skills since he landed on the Irish recruiting radar. Settling in at corner will now allow him to develop and master the coverage skill necessary to fill a major position of need.
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As far as the Davis move goes, it makes sense. He’s one of the best athletes on the team, and you always want your best athletes on the field. He was going to have a hard time getting playing time as a running back and it would have been a waste to have him focus too heavily on special teams. With this move, Davis provides the Notre Dame secondary with a nice upgrade in terms of athleticism and speed.