Rover Is An Evolving Position For Notre Dame
When you talk about the rover position for Notre Dame, they are usually discussed in the linebacker section of any article you read or podcast you frequent. Based on the players who have excelled for the Irish over the years, that makes a ton of sense.
Irish fans would quickly reminisce about names like Drue Tranquil and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, along with Asmar Bilal and Jack Kiser, all of which had varying levels of success manning the rover position. Each of those players were definitely cut more from the linebacker cloth than what you would expect from a defensive back.
The great thing about football, however, is nothing ever stays the same for too long. There is constant evolution, seeing both sides of the football develop new concepts, wrinkles and having to adapt to match the other.
It appears that the rover spot may be a position that could be taking a dramatic shift moving forward. With the offensive game becoming more and more of a space game each year, defenses are left having to match the ability to counteract that increased space.
Moving forward, it could end up more closely resembling a safety type. The Notre Dame staff is fully aware that this may be not only advantageous, but necessary.
ROVER TRAITS
Despite the rover position potentially looking more safety centric moving forward, there are several traits that will still stay true to its roots. Length is something that will always be prioritized. Rovers must be able to close passing windows, display range and work off of contact, all of which are made easier with length.
The ideal rover must also have a nice combination of short area quickness and explosiveness. Things happen quickly out in increased space and they must be able to close quickly on screens, short passes and trigger in the run game.
Of course comfort navigating space is something that is paramount. A rover can’t be uncomfortable navigating space or tackling out in the open.
Rovers must also be able to move inside when they are pressed into more of a SAM linebacker role. That all comes down to physicality and a nasty demeanor. You can’t be a timid player to work effectively in the box.
TOP TARGETS ON THE BOARD
There aren’t many defenders nationally who are as impressive as Many (La.) High School star Tylen Singleton. The 6-2, 190-pound athlete has some special athletic traits to work with, boasting an absurd amount of speed and explosiveness.
Singleton is a player who could not only play safety if he wanted, but would excel at it. His upside on the second level of a defense is just too hard to ignore. Whether Singleton ends up with Notre Dame or not, this is a player who could potentially assume five-star status when it is all said and done.
He is that special.
Speaking of special, the Irish staff also discovered another impressive football player when they offered Theodore (Al.) High School athlete Cameron Pruitt recently. There isn’t much to stand on in terms of recruiting rankings for Pruitt, then you turn on the field.
The level of explosiveness and short area quickness that he possesses at 6-3 and 190 pounds is absurd. Pruitt also has a proclivity for making big plays, including some big hits and forcing several turnovers.
After Singleton and Pruitt, you start getting into the players who could potentially begin their careers at safety but have the profiles to also excel at rover down the road. Versatility is the name of the game for these four recruits.
The staff is very high on Baltimore (Md.) Gilman standout Dejuan Lane, who could be one of the more intriguing athletes in the 2024 safety class overall. The minute you pop on the film, the length and range immediately jumps off the screen.
Notre Dame has been by Gilman multiple times before the dead period to see Lane. They hope to get him on campus over the next few months.
Another newer name to the board is American Fork (Utah) High School safety Davis Andrews. At 6-2 and 190 pounds, the Utah standout has some surprising comfort working from depth as a safety.
Andrews is a proactive football player with a high IQ and a nice all-around athletic profile. As his body develops, he could be another interesting option as a rover long term.
The son of former Chicago Bears All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher, Chandler (Ariz.) High School standout Kennedy Urlacher is another newer member of the board for Notre Dame. He immediately made the decision to set a visit to campus on April 15.
Urlacher is another player who brings some extreme physicality to the table. He is the smallest player on this list at 6-1 and 180 pounds but don’t tell him that. The Arizona native plays with complete disregard for his body, coming to balance and striking with the best of them in the run game.
Despite currently being committed to the University of Arizona, Notre Dame did extend an offer to Sacramento (Calf.) Grant Union hybrid defender Kingston Lopa earlier this month. The 6-4, 190-pound Lopa is listed as a safety by trade but has the type of length, physicality and short area explosiveness to excel on the second level.
He is a new member to the board so his level of interest is still something that needs to be assessed further. Lopa is one to keep an eye on over the next few months to see how much traction the Notre Dame staff can create.
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