The 2011 Campaign: 1st Day in Full Pads

The weather gods smiled down upon our campus as God's Mom watched her favorite football team practice in full pads for the first time this year.

Highlights provided by UND.com

Notable moments of the day included the impressive play of a leaner, meaner Louis Nix (recently self-nicknamed Irish Chocolate), an intense pancake block by freshman TE Ben Koyack that fired up the whole squad (at 1:55), and the ferocity of freshman DE Aaron Lynch as he initiated contact with opposing offensive lineman to reach the ball carrier on multiple occasions (at 2:18 and 2:55).

Overall, today demonstrated how the focused energy and the all-in attitude shared by the squad's established leaders make this team stand out in comparison to those of the recent past.  

On Day 1 of Year 2 under the Kelly Regime, the Fighting Irish looked driven, locked in, and fueled by a fresh sense of confidence.  As an added bonus, the flashes of brilliance shown by Kelly's first class of recruits (though they are admittedly still very raw) stand as signs of good things to come for the future of Notre Dame Football.  I am known by many to be a slightly delusional optimist, but I do believe that our return to glory is looming just over the horizon.

Despite Snow, Kelly's Staff Strikes Recruiting Gold

Despite witnessing the aftermath of a record-setting snowfall that has blanketed much of campus, Florida native and highly touted football prospect Aaron Lynch finally committed to Notre Dame today over Miami and Florida. Lynch will enroll early three days from now, joining fellow incoming defensive end Ishaq Williams in the classroom as the newest members of Kelly's 2011 recruiting class.

Both Lynch and Williams have been highly regarded as two of the top pass rushers in the nation at the high school level, and they will be joining a lineup that brings together several more standout athletes on the defensive side of the ball, including Stephon Tuitt, another defensive end that remains "firmly committed" to the Fighting Irish despite his current visit to Georgia Tech.

Assuming that all 22 members of Kelly's first true recruiting class will remain committed until National Signing Day, the Notre Dame coaching staff will have brilliantly composed an army of reinforcements that could have an immediate impact as they supplement an already surging defense next season.

It has been a long time since the Notre Dame defense struck fear into the hearts of opposing players, but defense just might be the key to Kelly's vision of a hard-nosed football team and his desire to put the "fight" back in the Fighting Irish.

Coupled with the return of Hurricane Floyd, these mid-winter additions to an already powerful defensive front should warm the hearts of all those Fighting Irish fans who are looking forward to a successful 2011 season.

(View Lynch's film review here)

(View Tuitt's film review here)

Film Review: Stephon Tuitt

Monroe, Ga., defensive end and latest ND commit Stephon Tuitt is the complete package: in addition to moonlighting as a right tackle on offense, Tuitt defends the run and the pass about equally well. He is a snug fit as a 5-technique in Bob Diaco’s 3-4 defense.

Tuitt compliments fellow 2011 commit Aaron Lynch rather well. Tuitt is shorter (by an inch according to listed numbers, but it looks like a shade more), which showed up in his lack of batting down passes, a staple of Lynch’s repertoire. Lynch is more athletic and has a quicker burst off the line, but Tuitt has just as quick feet and might even be faster once he gets going, as shown in the most physically impressive play from any 2011 ND commit on tape: starting 19 seconds into his film, Tuitt chased down a running back from behind without much of an angle. This play screams ‘what ND has been missing’ and ‘how can a big guy move that fast?’ While both need to focus on lower-body lifting, Tuitt is stronger than Lynch in the upper body, heavier (although Lynch has room to outweigh him, if he doesn’t already), and punishes ball carriers with a bit more authority.

At the same stage, Tuitt looks more ready to hold the point of attack against a college offensive line. Lynch’s specific pass-rushing skill set could give the Floridian a more direct route to immediate playing time, but Tuitt had the physical edge from the fall 2009 tape. One will help another, though, because both are good enough to attract either double teams or help for the offensive tackle from a tight end or back. Expect both to log meaningful minutes as freshmen before starring as a top defensive end duo.

Aaron Lynch's Irish Quartet

At a Saturday morning press conference, star defensive end Aaron Lynch picked Notre Dame and extended a remarkable recruiting sequence with four public commitments in under 24 hours. The previous three are great pickups, but Lynch is the gem of not just the weekend but the year to date.

His junior tape from Preps Report is the best film—not to mention the most entertaining—of any of his fellow ND verbals. The seven minutes are repetitive for all the right reasons: 6-6, 266 Lynch is too big, fast, and strong for any takers in the Ft. Myers area. To compliment his physical gifts, Lynch shows skill in breaking up passes. For Lynch, the tendency to go for deflections is a double-edged sword at times when QBs use a pump fake, although at the 1:07 mark he recovered for the sack anyway.

Impressive against the run, Lynch has sufficient lateral speed to contain a back in the flat and force him to the sideline. He doesn’t take himself out of plays and he’s a consistent terror on every down. Lynch sometimes rushes as stand-up blitzer, so he’ll need to get comfortable playing each snap in a down position. He’s agile enough to develop DE moves and he can chase down skill guys from the line of scrimmage. He can refine these traits and gain muscle mass, but unlike most freshmen on the line, it won't happen during a redshirt year. Lynch looks physically ready to get a little PT for the Irish in 2010 let alone 2011.

While nose guard Louis Nix is comparable in terms of prototypical fit for the scheme, no ND defensive lineman matches Lynch’s upside. His sack numbers as a freshman in 2011 will be similar to Ethan Johnson’s ’08 pace. While Lynch isn’t the first defender in ND’s 2011 group who garnered offers from the SEC’s best teams, he’s probably the first of the caliber who would actually beast at those schools. Lynch is a perfect 3-4 DE and the cornerstone of Kelly’s recruiting class. Soon enough, he’ll also be the centerpiece of Diaco’s defense and maybe, just maybe, Notre Dame’s next national championship.