With just over two weeks until the season opener, Notre Dame position battles continue to rage. While the quarterback battle, and other questions,<\/a> may have been decided, there\u2019s still a lot to figure out as fall camp wears on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>Despite the departure of 2nd-round draft pick Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah<\/strong>, the Irish still have a very deep linebacker corps. Drew White<\/strong> is one of the few certainties, as the captain will be playing a majority of the Irish\u2019s defensive snaps. After that, there are further questions about who will step up in starting roles. Asked which defensive players had \u2018transformational\u2019 summers like the wide receivers, head coach Brian Kelly<\/strong> didn\u2019t list any linebackers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Marist Liufau,<\/a> Shayne Simon<\/a>, Jack Kiser<\/a><\/strong>, and Bo Bauer<\/strong><\/a> figure to be factors in the rotation, but there are questions with all three players. Liufau was solid in 2020 but battled Simon all year for a starting position. Liufau may be a slight favorite, but both players could see a lot of snaps at Florida State.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Bauer is a dynamic player who can be paired with White to form a fearsome linebacker duo up the middle. He\u2019ll be getting snaps, but how many is yet to be determined. Then there\u2019s Kiser, who stepped up in a big way at times last season, but does he have starter-level consistency? Isaiah Pryor<\/strong><\/a> and JD Bertrand<\/strong><\/a>, the latter of whom has had a great fall, waits in the folds if Kelly can\u2019t fully rely on Kiser.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another room full of questions for the Irish, this position has some intriguing battles. Sophomore Clarence Lewis<\/strong><\/a> figures to be the top cornerback for the Irish, but senior Tariq Bracy<\/strong> <\/a>has looked good in Notre Dame’s fall practices. He was replaced by Lewis as a starter last season and is trying to earn back his role.<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Cam Hart<\/strong><\/a> has solidified himself as one of the most athletic players on the team, arguably the second fastest defensive player, behind Kyle Hamilton<\/a>.<\/strong> Hart is a converted corner so his technique needs to have improved in order to be a reliable starter. If he does, however, the Irish could have three starting-caliber cornerbacks, which isn\u2019t a bad problem to have. Kelly listed Lewis, Bracy, and Hart as three of the most improved players defensively, which gives new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman<\/strong> an unexpected luxury. With three vastly improved corners, the battle for the starting roles is one worth watching down the stretch of Notre Dame\u2019s fall camp.<\/p>\n Michael Mayer<\/strong><\/a> is an outstanding player, and he showed that from the moment he stepped on campus. However, Tommy Tremble<\/strong> may have been even more critical to the offensive success last season, despite minimal pass-catching contributions. A 3rd-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, Tremble was a physical and gritty tight end who excelled as a run-blocker. Devastating both at the line and downfield in assisting with big runs, Tremble was a force for the Irish. When he was injured in the 2021 Rose Bowl, Notre Dame struggled to generate much of a rushing offense. This year, Mayer returns, but there is an interesting battle to replace Tremble.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The odds-on favorite is George Takacs<\/strong><\/a>, who figures to be second on the tight end depth chart. Takacs appeared occasionally in Notre Dame\u2019s brutal four tight-end sets last year and looked good in the spring. But there\u2019s plenty of promising youth on the depth chart behind Takacs. Sophomore Kevin Bauman<\/strong><\/a> is an intriguing option while freshmen Cane Berrong<\/strong> and Mitchell Evans<\/strong> put together strong spring efforts. Takacs again figures to be the main option, but offensive coordinator Tommy Rees<\/strong> loves his tight ends and may utilize more than two. If so, who\u2019s the third, or even fourth in line to receive offensive snaps? It\u2019ll be a youthful battle to keep an eye on as Notre Dame forges their offensive identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nLinebacker Room<\/b><\/h2>\n
A 3-way Battle At Cornerback<\/b><\/h2>\n
Replacing Tommy Tremble\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n