They may almost never get the same love of their offensive counterparts but the value of a truly great cornerback can’t be overstated when it comes to assembling a great defense.
Notre Dame has been fortunate to have many over the years, with it being Julian Love most recently setting the bar as a first-team All-American in 2018.
In the Rose Bowl this Friday, Notre Dame’s offense will be taking on one of the best in recent memory in Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II.
And before you ask, yes, that is the son of the former Miami Dolphins standout defensive back.
The younger Surtain stars in Alabama’s defensive backfield and figures to be one of the first 10 players selected in the next NFL Draft. A quick whip around Notre Dame’s key offensive players and coaches tells you all you need to know about the star.
“Surtain is special,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said, “He’s probably the strength of their defense in terms of an individual”.
Notre Dame wide receiver Ben Skowronek sees one thing that especially stands out for Surtain.
“I think it starts with his feet,” Skowronek said. “He has really good feet, able to mirror routes. When you combine that with his length and over athleticism, that’s going to make him a top cornerback prospect for the upcoming NFL draft. He has all the tangibles. I’m excited to go out there on Friday and compete against him.”
Veteran Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book had nothing but praise for the future NFLer as he discussed how you have to play against a talent like his.
Yes, he’s really good,” Book said. “No doubt about that. Just means you’ve got to be on time. If you’re late, he’s going to take it. And he’s a really good corner who is going to play a lot of football for a lot of years in the future. So you’ve got to be on time. You’ve got to be confident that you made the right read, the right choice. And then at the end of the day, you’ve got to trust your receivers to go out and help you out. And that’s really what it’s about. You can’t really be lackadaisical, and you can’t be late. And you don’t want to find that out the hard way.
“But we know he’s there. We know how he plays. We studied a lot of film on him. So it’s going to be really good. I’m not saying you can’t throw the ball there ever. But he’s just a really good corner. No doubt about that. It’s about being on time. Especially from my perspective as a quarterback.”
Surtain defended 10 passes during Alabama’s march through the SEC while pulling down one interception. He also stepped up to make a pair of tackles for loss.
It’s one thing to be aware of an opposing talent but it’s another to not let them actually beat you. Will Rees, Book, Skowronek, and the rest of the Notre Dame offense be able to accomplish that?
That’s just one of the many challenges awaiting the Irish as they’ll try and pull off a monumental upset in the Rose Bowl.