jayson ademilola

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:

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]

Buckle Up

Three-star CT ILB/FB Ben Mason, who picked up an offer while on an unofficial visit last month, will announce his college decision tomorrow evening:

I will be announcing my commitment on Tuesday May 3rd at 6:30 at Cover Two in sandy hook @Cover_Two_SH

— Ben Mason (@benmason41) April 29, 2016

Michigan is the prohibitive favorite; there were rumblings Mason might commit shortly after his offer came in, and all ten of his Crystal Ball selections are for the Wolverines. He's coming off a strong showing at the New Jersey Opening regional that earned him position MVP honors:

Sandy Hook (Conn.) Newton linebacker Ben Mason won MVP honors for his position group, doing well in drills, the Cat and Mouse setting and also moving well in coverage in 1-on-1s and 7-on-7s. It’s easy to call the 6-foot-2 ½, 247-pound Mason a throwback, and one wouldn’t think this would be a setting he’d shine in, but Mason did his thing and left with hardware.

Mason could be an inside linebacker, fullback, or even defensive end in college. If a commitment comes as expected, I'll have much more on him tomorrow.

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

Spring Game Fallout, Part I

In addition to landing four Spring Game weekend commits—Hello: Chase Lasater, Leonard Taylor, Phil Paea, and O'Maury Samuels—Michigan made significant impressions on several other visitors.

The nation's top-ranked center, IMG-by-way-of-NJ four-star Cesar Ruiz, released an ordered top 12 following his visit that features Michigan in a tie at the top with Alabama and UNC. He gave his thoughts on M to TomVH:

“They have done a great job making me feel welcome every time I visit. Every time I’m there I feel home and they make me feel like a part of the family. I have a lot of old friends and old teammates that are going there and I would have an opportunity to play with them. Brad Hawkins and Ron Johnson were teammates and old friends like Rashan Gary, Ahmir Mitchell and Kareem Walker.”

A trip to Alabama is next on the docket. While Ruiz won't be an easy pull with his impressive offer sheet, Michigan has a lot of connections in their favor.

When we were put on commit watch notice over the weekend, many thought that three-star NJ ATH Markquese Bell would be one to drop. While that didn't come to fruition, it sounds like Michigan is ahead of the pack; Bell raved about his visit to Scout's Brian Dohn:

"Everything was great," said Bell, who plays at south Jersey's Bridgeton (N.J.) High. "It was my first time there. I just liked everything about the school. The spring game was awesome. The fans are electric. I wanted to put pads on and go play."

Michigan made a similarly strong first impression on four-star CA C Brett Neilon, who told TMI's Brice Marich he's looking to make a return trip:

Said Neilon, “it’s a place I could see myself at and will be a place I research and look at hard. Yeah, I will try to visit again.”

It'll be tough to pull Neilon out of California, but if a school manages to do it, Michigan looks like the one.

They may be in similar position with four-star NV CB Alex Perry, who told Marich his visit went "great," and Michigan will make his top list whenever he releases one. He plans to return for an official.

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