khalid kareem

Try that again. [Patrick Barron]

Previously: The Offense

Resources: My charting, ND game notes, ND roster with oddly specific heights, CFBstats

Those who lost track of Notre Dame back when we were on hiatus missed the Brian VanGorder defense. Those who didn't grow up in football in Michigan in the 1980s shouldn't be surprised when those that did all have VanGorder stories. Bowling Green's 119th-ranked defense is generating them now. I've got one I might share one day too. But ping a Notre Dame fan and you'll get all you need. Remember the year they went 4-8 (and Michigan State was 3-9?) That team was 82nd against the pass.

In 2017 they hired Mike Elko, who instituted a 4-2-5 under with tiny linebackers and a safety at the hybrid "Rover" position. In 2018 Elko left ND to his able assistant Clark Lea, the former LBs coach, who moved the rover inside for even tinier linebackers. This year they had to replace their best player at every level, and both of the linebackers. Again they moved the latest Rover to the weakside LB spot and drew in the next safety-like object. They also returned both All-If You Belonged to a Conference safeties, and a pair of defensive ends PFF thought were the best in the league, plus a Uche-like edge rushing specialist whose season unfortunately ended a few weeks ago. They've also somehow gotten even smaller across the middle, and make up for it by flinging them all at the line of scrimmage every snap.

The film: Georgia again because USC runs an Air Raid and we're going to be playing in a rainstorm unless the powers that be tell TV to go screw and move the game to noon for the safety and well-being of 113,000 people.

Personnel: My diagram:

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PDF Version, full-size version (or click on the image)

Again, take all scores in context. Notre Dame plays balls out with their linebackers to make up for their and the DTs' size issues, and that puts a lot of pressure on the secondary to make tackles and the ends to compress the line of scrimmage and get to the quarterback. We'll start with the DEs. Starting with the ends, SDE Khalid Kareem (+9.5/-5.5) is a Wormley-type tight end destroyer whom Georgia edged successfully a few times on read plays, and "Drop End" (WDE) Julian Okwara (+6.5/-3, –2 in coverage) is a standup DE/OLB hybrid except he's useless in coverage and extremely scary as a pass rusher. Inside they roll with most a three-man group of NG Kurt Hinish (+9.5/-3.5) who's solid, 3-Tech Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (+10/-6) who's variable, and true freshman (composite #172) NT Jacob Lacey, with 3-tech/5-tech swingman Jayson Ademilola (composite #172) preferable to the available ends when someone else needs a spell.

I think they're lying about weights at linebacker. Maybe not for MLB Drew White (+6.5/-9.5 run, +0/-3 cov), a burst of acceleration who will get to the right hole if you point him straight at it. But former hybrid space player WLB Asmar Bilal (+3/-2 run, +1/-1 cov) still looks and plays like a defensive back, and has to shoot things aggressively or risk getting manhandled. The new "Rover" (HSP) Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (+9.5/-4 run, +0/-2 cov) mostly impressed me—he's the defense's wild child and used more or less how you would want a guy like him to be. The main backup is WLB Jack Lamb (+1/-1 run, +0/-1 cov) who spells Bilal on passing downs (mostly so he can pass rush), and a few snaps here and there for the true sophomores, old fashioned Pennsylvanian linebacker Bo Bauer (DNC), top-100 athlete Shayne Simon (DNC), and backup Rover Paul Moala (+1/-1).

The secondary features a lot of guys Michigan fought for, starting with speedster FCB Troy Pride Jr. (+0/-1 run, +2/-2 cov), an excellent Cover 2 cornerback who's got the size and speed but perhaps not the oomf to play as strongly in man on Georgia's well-endowed group of wideouts. BCB TaRiq Bracy (+0/-0 run, +2/-3 cov) is a widdle guy with some fight in him, and split time with a more extreme version of himself, forever-eligible starting nickel/former Brady Hoke commit Nk Shaun Crawford (+1/-3 run, +5/-2 cov), who's expected back this week from his latest foray onto the DL. Crawford's YMRMFSPA Blake Countess that Brian never got to write nonetheless still holds.

I do like the safeties a lot. FS Alohi Gilman (+6/-3.5 run, +0/-0 cov) is the Navy transfer ball-hawk who reminded you of Kovacs last year and will do so another ten times this year even though he's faster than Kovacs ever was. He's also not nearly as strong—UGA still has D'Andre Swift, who took Gilman for some piggy-back rides in this game. SS Jalen Elliott (+7/-2 run, +0/-1 cov) is very fast, especially when coming up in run support, and mostly mistake-free. He does fine on slot receivers. FS Kyle Hamilton (+0.5/-1 run, +0/-0 cov) joins them as a rangy middle-1/3rd coverage safety on passing downs.

[After THE JUMP: BLITZBALLLLLLLLL]

Preferred Walk-On Hello: Simeon Smith

According to The Wolverine's Brandon Brown, Michigan has added an intriguing preferred walk-on for 2016 in 6'6", 208-pound Kalamazoo (MI) Loy Norrix WR Simeon Smith, who spurned at least one lower-division full ride to realize his dream of becoming a Wolverine ($):

Smith did visit Ferris State last week and was offered a full scholarship but he's in a good situation to be able to turn something like that down and attend Michigan.

"I have the Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship," Smith explained. "I can get free tuition to any school in the state of Michigan. I told the coaches at Michigan that I was interested before the Oregon State game and they said they were definitely keeping an eye on me. Then yesterday they offered me a preferred walk-on spot and I had to accept it."

Smith is exactly the type of prospect you like to see as a PWO; the film shows a prospect with lots of raw physical talent—with that frame he could end up as a jumbo outside receiver or a tight end. There's little question he'll be able to handle the academic load, as well:

While athletics played a role in Smith's decision to become a Wolverine, so did academics. Since transferring to Loy Norrix for his junior year, Smith has accumulated a 4.4 grade point average.

“I’ve heard they’re one of the best engineering schools in the country, and I’ve been taking AP calculus and AP physics to prepare to be an engineer,” Smith said. “When this opportunity popped up for me, I couldn’t turn it down. 

“I get the education I’ve always desired in addition to getting to play football at a level most people dream about.”

Not a bad combination.

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]

MSU Visitors: Biggest Recruiting Weekend Of The Fall

Well, I hadn't even started this post before Michigan got a commitment this weekend. Three-star GA RB Kurt Taylor is the newest member of the 2017 class; here's a short post on him for now, and he'll get the full Hello treatment on Sunday.

As for the rest of this weekend's visitors, 247's Steve Lorenz has the full list posted for free. Some highlights follow.

Official visitors:

  • Five-star GA TE Isaac Nauta is arguably the most important recruit left on Michigan's board—yes, perhaps even including Rashan Gary—and this weekend's visit will give the Wolverines a chance to push past home squad Georgia.
  • Four-star CA WR Dylan Crawford hasn't let on much about his recruitment, but 247 national analyst Steve Wiltfong recently put in a Crystal Ball pick to Michigan.
  • Four-star CA ATH Lamar Jackson was ticketed for USC by most; with that program in a state of disarray, the door is open for another school to make a move.
  • Four-star CA CB David Long is a Stanford commit but Michigan appears to have a real shot regardless.

Unofficial visitors:

  • Penn State commits Lavert Hill (four-star Detroit King CB) and Quinn Nordin (top-ranked Rockford kicker) will be two to keep an close eye on this weekend, especially Nordin. Hill's teammate Donnie Corley (four-star WR) is also expected to be in attendance.
  • Four-star 2017 CO QB Dylan McCaffrey, Michigan's top target at the position in the class, will be on campus. With Stanford, where his father Ed went and brother Christian currently stars, coming off a blowout of UCLA, Michigan might need to make a statement.
  • Several members of the Pipeline 9, including five-star Cass Tech WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, are expected to be there.
  • Three-star 2017 Ann Arbor Pioneer OLB Antjuan Simmons could be in line for an offer; his recruitment has blown up lately.

There are plenty more at the link above. This is a huge recruiting weekend for Michigan. That probably didn't need to be said.

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]