Official: Mike Elko hired as DC
- Thread starter Ara64
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We need a big time nose guard and outside linebacker who can make an immediate impact. My sales pitch would be your playing right away
Hillary would make a great nose guard.
Elko took a two star recruit from Fort Wayne and made him one of the best freshman safety in the country! (He coached safeties too!) Imagine what he'll do with Studstill and Elliott and Spencer Perry! Great hire. I'm pumped!
Elko coached the Demon Deacon safeties. He was instrumental in the development of All-ACC strong safety Jessie Bates III this season. Bates III finished the year with 93 tackles and five interceptions, including two that were returned for TDs. The ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up, Bates III was also named a freshman All-American by USA Today.
Elko coached the Demon Deacon safeties. He was instrumental in the development of All-ACC strong safety Jessie Bates III this season. Bates III finished the year with 93 tackles and five interceptions, including two that were returned for TDs. The ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up, Bates III was also named a freshman All-American by USA Today.
Darnell Ewell is an excellent prospect at NG. If he walks on campus at 305lbs+, with his strength and physique, he'll play right away. I'd like to add a guy like Pilli to the equation as well, for depth and development sakes.
PJ Mustipher and Jayson Ademilola as a must get tandem in 2018.
As for outside linebacker, Antjuan Simmons is probably the best guy on the board for the Irish. Good player. Elite? I don't think so, but quality... The guy ND and Elko need to step up is Asmar Bilal. All the physical tools necessary to be an excellent, two way outside backer. He, Daelin Hayes and Julian Okwara are probably the most important players on the roster in 2017 in terms of development. The strength coach has 8 months to help those guys make major gains.
PJ Mustipher and Jayson Ademilola as a must get tandem in 2018.
As for outside linebacker, Antjuan Simmons is probably the best guy on the board for the Irish. Good player. Elite? I don't think so, but quality... The guy ND and Elko need to step up is Asmar Bilal. All the physical tools necessary to be an excellent, two way outside backer. He, Daelin Hayes and Julian Okwara are probably the most important players on the roster in 2017 in terms of development. The strength coach has 8 months to help those guys make major gains.
The way Elko uses his linebackers is interesting, with the rover or hybrid being of most interest to me. IIO and others have been calling for Drue to be moved from safety to linebacker, and this might finally happen under Elko with the way he uses the Rover. Not clear as to when or if non paying members get access to all the rival articles, but the work done by Bryan Driskell or coach D is outstanding and well worth the monthly cost. His analysis of Elko's defense and his write up on linebacker schemes and ND personnel fit for same are not only outstanding in helping to understand what to expect under Elko, but reason for excitement over this hire. All of a sudden a guy like Spencer Perry is on my radar due to coach D's assessment of his fit with Elko's scheme.
I'd love to see Mike Elko really push for Jerron Cage. People keep telling me that he isn't elite and I agree.. But he's good enough for Ohio State, he's got more upside than his brother, imo, who has been a co-starter at ND and he's a higher rated prospect at DT than Elko has ever had at any of his stops. If his brother is the floor for what he could be, he's a take all day in a class that doesn't exactly have a plethora of prospects left on the board.
Fred Hansard from the Hun School in New Jersey is another name that has come up. That kid is a stud. Would play right away, but has already been committed to Florida and flipped to Penn State in this cycle.
Fred Hansard from the Hun School in New Jersey is another name that has come up. That kid is a stud. Would play right away, but has already been committed to Florida and flipped to Penn State in this cycle.
First thing that I thought of when Mike Elko's name came up as a candidate... Drue Tranquill, Spencer Perry and D.J. Morgan would finally have a home ad that "Rover", "Assassin".
Nose guard is the worst possible position to try and get a freshman to play.
That position is the simplest to play but by far the most physically demanding.
They are playing against center and guards who often times have begun getting their adult strength which is a different more powerful strength than just weight room.
Asking an 18 year old regardless of weight to impact that position is extremely difficult. They can be used there but to expect impact is very hard.
The kid from Clemson is the exception however what saves him is his motor is high speed go go go.
A sheer strength point of view he gets pushed around at times.
There is no doubting that. I would love to have 3-4 other viable NG candidates so that Ewell could redshirt. Unfortaunately, Cage is a concussion away from being done playing, Dew-Treadway is an unknown and coming off a dreaded foot injury to a DL and the other guys on ND's roster are pretry suspect... I don't expect Ewell do play 30+ snaps per game, but ND is going to need 15-20 quality reps per game out of him. Thankfully he's a bit of a man child and is pretty damn strong for a 18 year old... Really wish he was an EE and had yhe opportunity to spend the winter with the new strength staff.
Inside, it's going to be Cage (if he plays), Tillery, Dew-Treadway, then possibly Bonner and Jay Hayes, out of need.
It would be nice to have gotten Jerron Cage but the staff didn't go after him despite his numerous visits to see his brother. I always thought it was odd.
We have Cage, MDT and even Tillery who can play NG. Mokwuah, Tiassum and Ewell behind them.
JHayes, Taylor, Tillery, Bonner and maybe Kareem can play 3T. Hinish coming in.
JHayes, Bonner, Kareem and maybe Ade is ready at SDE.
Trumbetti, DHayes and Okwara at WDE.
Elko should be able to get a credible 7-8 man rotation out of those 15 guys. Still, I want Jerron Cage.
We have Cage, MDT and even Tillery who can play NG. Mokwuah, Tiassum and Ewell behind them.
JHayes, Taylor, Tillery, Bonner and maybe Kareem can play 3T. Hinish coming in.
JHayes, Bonner, Kareem and maybe Ade is ready at SDE.
Trumbetti, DHayes and Okwara at WDE.
Elko should be able to get a credible 7-8 man rotation out of those 15 guys. Still, I want Jerron Cage.
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We certainly have bodies along the DL, the big question is this... Are any of them very good. I'd love the two-deep to look like this if everyone is healthy.
SDE: Hayes
2. Kareem
NG: Cage
2. Dew-Treadway
DT: Tillery
2. Bonner
WDE: Hayes
2. Okwara
Not the most talented group, but serviceable if ND gets good production from its back seven.
I really want 1 more DT in this class and 2 more WDE... If ND could pull WDE Michael Allen, NG Brandon Pili, LB Antjuan Simmons, DB Latavious Brini and maybe get a late flip from another school, I'd consider that to be a successful defensive recruiting class given the circumstances.
