2 defensive starters already out for the season... wow deja vu!

[justacollegefan]

Seriously this is sad... I said last year the strength and conditioning was currently a joke but obviously you get injuries regardless. Still to see Jones and now Crawford out before a single snap is really sad, especially for the secondary because it was already bad and now is going to get thrashed unless some players step up.

This really sucks!

 

[gipper04]

What does S & C have to do with ACL and MCL tears?
The majority of these injuries come from non-contact actions, such as planting your foot and torqueing the knee.

 

[TurnoverMachine]

Shawn wasn't going to be a starter on defense this year, but he's a talent for sure. He hasn't died and will be back nest season.

Top nickel back is pretty much a starter.

 

[Bodizephax]

Tim Brown had two very serious knee injuries in the NFL but he still came back and made the hall of fame.
Two examples of very well conditioned athletes who had serious injuries are Adrian Peterson and Laqwuon Treadwell---Well conditioned athletes get injured all the time. Football is tough on the body.

Coach Longo has done a great job---Since he has been here--the ND football players are in much better shape than in previous regimes.

 

[Bodizephax]

Seriously this is sad... I said last year the strength and conditioning was currently a joke but obviously you get injuries regardless. Still to see Jones and now Crawford out before a single snap is really sad, especially for the secondary because it was already bad and now is going to get thrashed unless some players step up.

This really sucks!

Notre dames secondary is loaded this year---- Cole Luke and K. Russell maybe one of the best cb tandems in the country. Nick Watkins is getting a lot of praise and Mathias Farley makes big plays in limited action. Max Redfield is a super talent who the coaches think is ready for a break out year. Elijah Shumate has a lot of talent and Drue Tranquill and Avery Sebation is giving him a run for his money at SS.
Devin Butler has a lot of experience and will be a quality back up.

*** And just a side note----Cole Luke had 15 passes defended last year which was more than K. Russell had in two full years. K. Russell is the better athlete and the coaches have said he has really learned the cb position and should be our best corner this year.l

 

[continually35forever]

This injury sux - Crawford would have helped this yr and strains our depth @ CB - Margin for error just became much smaller re injuries to CB's . I hope Watkins - Russell and Luke stay healthy .

 

[TheDecker]

Crawford wasn't going to be a starter (Farley was still the primary NB) however, he was competing with Watkins for #3 CB duties and being the primary "small nickel", where he would man the slot in 3 CB formations

His loss definitely hurts CB depth, and really sucks, but shouldn't have a major impact as long as Watkins is able I continue the trajectory he's shown this spring and fall

He still may have beat out Crawford for the #3 CB spot anyways

 

[TheDecker]

for the secondary because it was already bad and now is going to get thrashed unless some players step up.

What's this based on?

With Luke, Russell, and Redfield our starting DBS should be a strength...and is probably one of they're talented units in CFB

 

[twalsh]

Seriously this is sad... I said last year the strength and conditioning was currently a joke but obviously you get injuries regardless. Still to see Jones and now Crawford out before a single snap is really sad, especially for the secondary because it was already bad and now is going to get thrashed unless some players step up.

This really sucks!

Yet we have a safety and a corner on some pre-season All America lists. Go figure.

 

[perseverare]

the secondary is a team strength.

 

[HDK]

Secondary is a strength but hard to see two important players out for the year before the season begins. I sometimes think ND is just plain jinxed.

 

[end_23]

Settle in boys. The drama is just beginning.

 

[IRISHJD98]

Shawn wasn't going to be a starter on defense this year, but he's a talent for sure. He hasn't died and will be back nest season.

Agree. If losing a kid that's been practicing with the program less than a month is a major setback we might as well cancel the season.

 

[Pennick4]

Crawford wasn't going to be a starter (Farley was still the primary NB) however, he was competing with Watkins for #3 CB duties and being the primary "small nickel", where he would man the slot in 3 CB formations

His loss definitely hurts CB depth, and really sucks, but shouldn't have a major impact as long as Watkins is able I continue the trajectory he's shown this spring and fall

He still may have beat out Crawford for the #3 CB spot anyways

Crawford was going to start except when we played an option team.

 

[mirer03]

he was showing well in practice but he was not going yo start at nickel.

 

[pumpbeef]

I repeat why is Kelly have practice at full speed. Should be half speed at best. when I played that was the rule.......

 

[NDSMC78]

I repeat why is Kelly have practice at full speed. Should be half speed at best. when I played that was the rule.......

Yeah, but they do things differently in big time college football than they did in Pop Warner.

 

[justacollegefan]

What's this based on?

With Luke, Russell, and Redfield our starting DBS should be a strength...and is probably one of they're talented units in CFB

Based on? I don't know... maybe just watching our secondary look terrible for years. Russell replaces our best DB from last season, Cody Riggs, and after that the other players would be graded as a C or C+ at best. I see you mention Max which is kind of funny considering he is one of the bigger busts over the past few years being a huge 5 star recruit and not making an impact. He is a big hitter but also has issues in coverage and misses tackles as well.

Hey I hope you are right or at least some of the kids have grown, like Max, because we need them to step up big. The other issue is that we don't have a strong pass rush, especially a strong pass "rusher", so it forces BVG to blitz more players than he really should or probably wants to. If we don't have a decent rush then these guys in the secondary will get lit up unless there is improvement in the secondary.

Lastly I know people are saying Crawford wasn't a starter but the kid is very good and would have been in there a lot, maybe not a true "starter" but eventually he would be and he added needed depth. Anyway let's just hope you are correct and we get some pass rushers, maybe one of the LB's comes into his own on blitzes? It would be great to see since we have struggled with pass rush and secondary issues for a while.

I hope Jones and Crawford have good recoveries and are strong next year and I think they will.

Hoping for the best... the deja vu definitely freaks me out

 

[justacollegefan]

Yet we have a safety and a corner on some pre-season All America lists. Go figure.

would love to see that list lol... russell is legit and will be able to play man but we needed another strong corner. who the safety is on that list is what I want to see? I must have missed something last season because I sure didn't see any big time safety in our secondary.

 

[Pennick4]

he was showing well in practice but he was not going yo start at nickel.

Yeah he was going to start ahead of Farley.

 

[SALittleGiant513]

Cole Luke may have been better then Riggs towards the end of the season. Last year almost all the injuries were front 7 guys and alot were definitive starters. Jones was going to be wait and see anyways at the beginning because with guys that big its hard to guess how they come back for lisfranc injuries. This is nothing like last year.

 

[TheDecker]

Based on? I don't know... maybe just watching our secondary look terrible for years. Russell replaces our best DB from last season, Cody Riggs, and after that the other players would be graded as a C or C+ at best. I see you mention Max which is kind of funny considering he is one of the bigger busts over the past few years being a huge 5 star recruit and not making an impact. He is a big hitter but also has issues in coverage and misses tackles as well.

Hey I hope you are right or at least some of the kids have grown, like Max, because we need them to step up big. The other issue is that we don't have a strong pass rush, especially a strong pass "rusher", so it forces BVG to blitz more players than he really should or probably wants to. If we don't have a decent rush then these guys in the secondary will get lit up unless there is improvement in the secondary.

Lastly I know people are saying Crawford wasn't a starter but the kid is very good and would have been in there a lot, maybe not a true "starter" but eventually he would be and he added needed depth. Anyway let's just hope you are correct and we get some pass rushers, maybe one of the LB's comes into his own on blitzes? It would be great to see since we have struggled with pass rush and secondary issues for a while.

I hope Jones and Crawford have good recoveries and are strong next year and I think they will.

Hoping for the best... the deja vu definitely freaks me out

You're total lack of football knowledge comes out 100% in staing that Cole Luke would have graded out at C level last year. He was definitely out best coverage CB and arguably our best overall DB as well

Add to that the fact that Russell is expected to be a 1st round CB and Redfield is a Pre-Season All-American and a potential 1st/2nd round pick either in this draft or the next...

And you end up with a very long post from you above that's completely filled with fail

Our secondary is a strength this ear, and one of thhe more talented secondaries in all of CFB

Thre best part is expects analysts, and scouts all see that and report on it, but you think you have some "grading system" that really tells a more accurate story

You need to go back to the drawing board

 

[TheDecker]

would love to see that list lol... russell is legit and will be able to play man but we needed another strong corner. who the safety is on that list is what I want to see? I must have missed something last season because I sure didn't see any big time safety in our secondary.

Off the top of my head, check Phil Steele's All American list. Redfield I'd first team there
And check CBS, Redfield is 2nd team there

And that's without even looking, he's on MANY others...

This really says all that needs to be said about you opinion on this matter

 

[TheDecker]

Furthermore, Cole Luke is not only a "strong starter" at CB but I'm more worries about him leaving early for the NFL than I am about him not playing very well this year

Again, this is another opinion shared by analysts/scouts, that you're just completely off base on

 

[TheDecker]

Yeah he was going to start ahead of Farley.

No, no he wasn't. He didnt even play the same role as Farley

He was pushing Nick Watkins for the #3 CB spot, though he hadn't won that spot over Watkins at the time of his injury (at all).

If he had won that role, he would have played the slot in 3 CB looks. Instead it's very likely that Watkins will be the #3 CB with Russell sliding into the slot in these looks (which very well may have been the outcome of hat competition anyways)

Farley was always going to be the "base nickel" but his role is muh more of a hybrid safety/outside linebacker. Other teams often refer to his role as "bandit" or "star" position.

He would be on the field to focus on defending the edges in the run game or quick passing game and to rush the passer

 

[IRISH_FRIAR]

Cole Luke may have been better then Riggs towards the end of the season. Last year almost all the injuries were front 7 guys and alot were definitive starters. Jones was going to be wait and see anyways at the beginning because with guys that big its hard to guess how they come back for lisfranc injuries. This is nothing like last year.

I agree it is nothing like last year YET. I'm an optimistic person by nature but let's see how many others get injured and who in particular gets injured.

 

[Pennick4]

No, no he wasn't. He didnt even play the same role as Farley

He was pushing Nick Watkins for the #3 CB spot, though he hadn't won that spot over Watkins at the time of his injury (at all).

If he had won that role, he would have played the slot in 3 CB looks. Instead it's very likely that Watkins will be the #3 CB with Russell sliding into the slot in these looks (which very well may have been the outcome of hat competition anyways)

Farley was always going to be the "base nickel" but his role is muh more of a hybrid safety/outside linebacker. Other teams often refer to his role as "bandit" or "star" position.

He would be on the field to focus on defending the edges in the run game or quick passing game and to rush the passer

Wrong he was going to be the starting nickel.

 

[TheDecker]

Wrong he was going to be the starting nickel.

He would have had a role, but he wasn't going to supplant a 4th Year "Starter" in Farley

He would have been the #3 CB and the "Small Nickel" if he was able to beat out Watkins and Butler for that job

 

[IRISHJD98]

Sucks losing anyone in Fall camp, but it happens everywhere. Clemson has lost a starting linebacker for the season and had a redshirt freshman linebacker (expected to get significant playing time) quit football. And another linebacker just had his knee scoped and will miss some time.

 

[Pennick4]

He would have had a role, but he wasn't going to supplant a 4th Year "Starter" in Farley

He would have been the #3 CB and the "Small Nickel" if he was able to beat out Watkins and Butler for that job

If you had listened to Kellys presser then you would have figured out that Crawford had replaced Farley as the nickel.

 

[perseverare]

At time of the injury, Crawford had moved ahead of Farley.