Replace And Reload: Safety

Notre Dame must replace a great deal of production and leadership at safety next season.

No position on the roster was affected more by departures than safety. Notre Dame must not only figure out a way to lose experience and production, it must replace two captains and emotional leaders.

How well Notre Dame fills that void will go a long way towards determining just how good the Irish will be on defense in 2020.

WHAT WAS LOST

Notre Dame must replace a lot of production, a lot of snaps and a great deal of leadership now that Jalen Elliott and Alohi Gilman are headed to the NFL. The duo combined for 284 tackles, 16 pass break ups and nine interceptions the last two seasons. That came on the heels of a season (2017) in which the entire safety position combined for just five pass break ups and no interceptions.

The production this duo provided was impressive, and they formed one of the nation’s top safety duos the last two seasons. They both had a great deal of responsibility on and off the field put on their shoulders in 2019, and after a rough start they both settled in and played well.

Gilman and Elliott were a strong duo, and it seemed they have a strong on-the-field bond. They played off each other well, and both were captains. Their leadership was enormous, and their ability to communicate to each other, and the rest of the defense played a major role in how effective the entire unit was the last two seasons.

That might be where their loss hits the hardest. Elliott and Gilman were both exceptional leaders, both vocally and with their play. Their production can be replaced, but that part of their game provides a much, much greater void on the defense.

WHAT RETURNS

There is talent coming back at safety, but the overall depth chart is thin, and right now there is a gap between the two to returners on the depth chart and the next two players. Notre Dame cannot afford to suffer an injury at the position or for someone in the depth chart to not pan out.

There are options for moving a player to the back end should one of those two things happen, but if everything goes according to plan there is a chance the safety position could provide even greater production next season.

That’s quite a bold statement considering how good Gilman and Elliott were, but that’s the kind of talent that sits at the top of the depth chart.

Kyle Hamilton, Sophomore — Notre Dame has produced some quality college safeties in the last decade, including former first-round draft pick Harrison Smith, but Hamilton has a chance to be the best of the group before his career is over.

That is the kind of talent the Atlanta native brings to the game, which we saw during his freshman All-American campaign. He won’t be a finished product in 2020, and he’ll make young guy mistakes now that he is in position to be more of an every down player. But as we saw in 2019, Hamilton’s combination of elite length, athleticism and intelligence he will result in him making a lot of plays.

Hamilton led the Irish defense with four interceptions and was second with six pass break ups despite being 11th on the defense in snaps. Hamilton has exceptional range on the back end and he brings versatility to the defense. The 6-4, 210-pound safety showed this season he can play downhill in the alley, he can play off the hash and he can man the deep middle of the field.

Defensive coordinator Clark Lea did a masterful job putting Hamilton in good positions, and Hamilton rewarded him with excellent play in coverage. Even when Hamilton was initially beat he showed the ability to recover and use his speed and length to make plays on the ball.

The freshman showed an advanced feel four picking up routes and he closed on the football quite well, which helps him get his hands on a lot of footballs. According to Pro Football Focus, Hamilton allowed just seven completions and 74 yards on 23 targets.

Like all young players, there are still fundamental areas where Hamilton must continue to improve(footwork, better angles to the ball, alignment), and he must make big strides as a tackler, especially when coming down in the box. If he shows just normal freshman to sophomore year growth he will provide the defense with a difference maker on the back end.

Houston Griffith, Junior — The difference between Notre Dame being just solid at safety in 2020 or repeating - perhaps even enhancing - its 2019 production is how much growth Griffith makes this offseason. After being moved from corner to nickel to safety to corner and now back to safety, Griffith is finally at the position where his game is best suited.

Safety is where his all-around skillset is best suited, and where his athleticism plays up the best. If he can finally settle in and get comfortable he could be a breakout player in 2020. Griffith’s athletic skills were never ideally suited for cornerback. At safety, the Chicago native can do what he does best, read, react and play downhill.

When Griffith has been most impressive at Notre Dame was his first spring after he was moved to safety. His football IQ is outstanding when he’s comfortable, and his ability to make fast reads and then fly to the ball stood out practice after practice. From a coverage standpoint, he thrives jumping crossing and drag routes, handling tight ends in man coverage and driving downhill on the back and tight ends on release routes.

Griffith is a quality tackler, but that part of his game will have to get cleaner to earn and keep a starting role. The key for Griffith this spring and summer is finally being allow to stick at a position, making the mental and confidence leap needed to be an impact player, and then show the maturity as a player to handle all that is asked of a safety in the Notre Dame defense.

Should Hamilton (6-4) and Griffith (6-0) earn starting roles in 2020 the combination would give Notre Dame much better length at safety than it had the last two seasons. When you throw in Ohio State transfer Isaiah Pryor (6-2) the Irish will have much better size on the back end of its defense next season.

DJ Brown, Junior — Brown has a chance to earn a much more important role on both the defense and special teams if he can have a strong offseason. He’ll certainly get a lot of reps this spring, and he needs to make the most of them.

Brown is a fluid athlete, but he lacks explosiveness and speed. A cornerback in high school, Brown was still learning how to play man coverage when further off the ball. If he can show better comfort with this part of his game he should make a big leap next fall. With more confidence at the position and with the technique needed to excel, Brown will be able to maximize the athletic skills he does possess.

If Brown continues to develop he’ll not only have a chance to be the third or fourth safety, he could also find a more consistent role on special teams.

Litchfield Ajavon, Sophomore — Ajavon lacks the size and range of the other safeties on the roster, but he’s a very smart player and he’s a quality athlete. We haven’t seen much from Ajavon in a Notre Dame uniform, but despite his lack of size he showed a willingness to hit as a prep player.

Due to his lack of size and top-end athleticism, Ajavon needs to be efficient and have a firm grasp of the defense. A player like him can excel, but there can be no doubt in his mind from an assignment or technique standpoint. The more experience he gains in the system the more comfortable he will become, and that is when Ajavon could have a chance to climb up the safety depth chart.

NEWCOMER

Isaiah Pryor, Junior — Landing Pryor helps solidify the safety depth chart. The Ohio State transfer will have a chance to battle with Griffith for the starting job, but no matter who starts expect both to play a key role in the defense. As we saw in 2019, Notre Dame is more than comfortable playing three safeties.

Pryor made eight starts for the Buckeyes in 2018, registering 31 tackles, five pass break ups and an interception in eight games before a shoulder injury put him on the sidelines. He made 13 tackles and broke up a pair of passes as a freshman in 2017. A downhill player, Pryor is at his best when playing the alleys. He needs to clean up his technique and limit the missed tackles and that hurt him as a sophomore, but he has the size and physicality to thrive with this part of his game.

His size and speed gives him the traits needed to handle tight ends in man coverage, but he struggled in coverage for the Buckeyes in 2018. When Pryor is at his best is coverage is when tasked with playing tight ends or jumping drag and crossing routes, but Pryor’s game is ideally suited to play against the run.

KEY QUESTIONS

1. How much will the loss of Gilman/Elliott’s leadership and communication skills impact the defense?

2. Will Hamilton continue being a playmaker in a more every down role?

3. Can Houston Griffith finally settle into a position and finally become an impact player?

4. Will Pryor be able to clean up his game, limit mistakes and become a key part of the rotation?

5. Can Brown and Ajavon improve enough to solidify the depth chart?

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