Midweek Musings: Notre Dame Running Back Room Is Loaded, Freshman Corners Need To Help
Thoughts on Notre Dame football and the Big Ten Conference.
RUNNING BACK ROOM IS LOADED
Notre Dame lost an excellent running backs coach this offseason when Lance Taylor departed for Louisville as the program's new offensive coordinator. Upgrading from a coach that had as much success as Taylor can be a challenge, but that's exactly what Notre Dame did when it landed Deland McCullough, one of the best RB coaches in the business.
For McCullough, he walks into a room that is low on proven production but very high on talent and complementary skills. If the first-year position coach can get the most out of that depth chart the Irish should have one of the better backfields in the nation.
It starts with junior Chris Tyree, one of the most explosive runners in the nation. Tyree already has a pair of 90+ yard touchdowns in his career, and the former track star is finally healthy. Notre Dame needs Tyree to stay healthy, it needs him to be more efficient and decisive, and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees needs to get creative with different ways to get him the football.
Tyree getting back to around 6.5+ yards per carry (he was at 6.8 as a freshman) is the ideal number, and continuing the pass game production we saw at times last season is a must. Tyree being a healthy and consistent part of the game plan gives the Irish a true home run hitter that defenses must account for when he's in the game.
Behind him are a pair of talented sophomores, but it's an inexperienced unit. Their on-field maturity likely holds the key to success for the Notre Dame backfield.
Sophomore Audric Estime has had a strong camp from all accounts, and the 6-0, 230-pound runner is going to offer a very contrasting style. Estime is a force due to his size and power, but he's a nimble athlete for his size and he shows impressive vision and feel for the game. If Estime and Tyree both step up this season you'll inevitably hear a lot of "Thunder and Lightning" references.
Then there's sophomore Logan Diggs. He's not nearly as fast as Tyree, he's not as big and physical as Estime. I'd argue that Diggs really doesn't have any one specific physical skill that you look and say, "Wow, that's excellent." But here's the thing that's always been true, he's just good. Diggs was one of my favorite player in the 2021 class and his combination of smooth athleticism, vision and playmaking ability are impressive.
Coming into fall camp it was unknown when Diggs would be back to health after suffering a shoulder injury in fall camp. He appears to be in good position to start the season in the rotation.
If Diggs can stay healthy and be a bit more assertive than he was last year (which was done out of necessity because of the blocking issues), he'll be a force for the Irish this season, and when you combine that with the one-two punch of Tyree and Estime you can see why Irish Breakdown has a feeling this backfield could shock a lot of outsiders .... and even some Notre Dame fans .... with their play this season.
FRESHMAN CORNERS WILL NEED TO PLAY
Notre Dame doesn't need freshman cornerbacks Jaden Mickey and Benjamin Morrison to play this year from a pure numbers standpoint. The Irish actually have good numbers at the position with veterans Cam Hart, TaRiq Bracy and Clarence Lewis - who all have a lot of starting experience - and sophomores Ryan Barnes, Chance Tucker and Philip Riley.
That's not why the freshman corners are needed this year. Simply put, Notre Dame needs an infusion of high-level talent in the secondary, and that's what Morrison and Mickey bring to the table in my opinion.
Morrison graded out as a Top 100 recruit with a five-star upside on the Irish Breakdown board. He's long, athletic, instinctive and physical. His ceiling is as high as any cornerback on the roster not named Cam Hart. He wasn't an early enrollee and his game needs polish, but he's an incredibly talented player.
Mickey graded out as a Top 150 recruit on the Irish Breakdown board and he was an early enrollee. The California native made an immediate impact during the spring with his attitude, confidence, playmaking ability and reports I received were his speed was even better than expected.
Mickey is going to play this season, but can he be consistent and avoid some of the freshman pitfalls? That will determine he can give the defense a huge boost. If we are talking about his talent and not his experience he'll be a Freshman All-American, but if his experience - or lack of - is the talking point it means he struggled with consistency.
Morrison is the key here since we know Mickey will play. If Morrison can grow his game up quickly he'll force his way onto the field, he's that good. If Morrison forces his way past players like Barnes and Tucker - which won't be easy - it means he's tapping into his five-star upside even sooner than expected.
That's exactly what the Notre Dame secondary needs in 2022.
2022 BIG TEN PREDICTIONS
Predictions for the Big Ten for the 2022 season.
EAST
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
2. Michigan Wolverines
3. Penn State Nittany Lions
4. Michigan State Spartans
5. Maryland Terrapins
6. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
7. Indiana Hoosiers
WEST
1. Nebraska Cornhuskers
2. Wisconsin Badgers
3. Iowa Hawkeyes
4. Minnesota Golden Gophers
5. Illinois Fighting Illini
6. Purdue Boilermakers
7. Northwestern Wildcats
Ohio State is still the class of the Big Ten, but there are some teams ascending. I know Michigan lost a lot and is having a rough offseason, but their offense should be much better, especially if JJ McCarthy can win the starting job. Penn State will also be improved.
Picking a winner in the West is not easy, as I could see each of the top four teams winning it. Nebraska is my sleeper pick to win it, but they have to show they can be disciplined and not beat themselves week after week. Iowa probably has the least talented roster of the group but they are so well coached. If Minnesota's schedule wasn't so difficult I would have put them higher. They are the dark horse in the West, especially after the offseason coaching changes.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Some of the best calls from Mike Tirico, who did a fantastic job as the play-by-play guy at Notre Dame in recent seasons. He will no longer be calling games.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Irish Breakdown launched its CFB Nation All-America Podcast today with hosts Bill Bender and Bill Trocchi of Sporting News. Check out their first show, they did a great job!
Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge
Irish Breakdown Content
Notre Dame 2022 Roster
Notre Dame 2022 Schedule
Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Offense
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Defense
Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense
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