Tag: Houston Griffith

Notre Dame/Florida State: Shakeup in Irish secondary pregame?

Is there a change of plans for the Notre Dame secondary tonight? Pregame work outs seem to indicate as much. Keep an eye out.

We’re quickly approaching kickoff between No. 5 Notre Dame and Florida State and we’ve got some news regarding tonight’s depth chart for the Irish.

Per reports from various media members at Notre Dame Stadium tonight, it appears the secondary will look a bit different.

That list in the secondary is missing the name Nick McCloud, the graduate transfer who started both games this season at one of the corner positions, opposite Bracy.

McCloud was not mentioned by Kelly during the week as being unavailable, nor was he mentioned as one of the unavailable players by Notre Dame PR earlier Saturday.

It could be a shakeup or it could be a whole lot of nothing.  Either way it’s something to keep your eye on with the Notre Dame defense tonight.

Watch: My Three Favorite Alohi Gilman Moments at Notre Dame

What’s hard to account for is who takes over that leadership roll?

When things hit the fan and the wheels appear to be coming off, who steps up and demands the respect of the room and begins to stop the bleeding?

Gilman was fantastic at exactly that and No. 11 will be missed next season.

As you may or may not have heard, Notre Dame safety Alohi Gilman is taking a pass on his final year of eligibility and will enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

Gilman played the last two years at Notre Dame after spending his freshman season at the Naval Academy in 2016 and sitting out due to the transfer in 2017.

With Gilman gone the skill-level isn’t going to take a massive hit as Houston Griffith and Isaiah Pryor among others are waiting for their time to shine in blue and gold, but Notre Dame will move forward without one of their great leaders.

When I think of Alohi Gilman I think of a player who reeked of leadership whenever you heard him speak, watched his demeanor on the field or sideline and had a knack for making the absolutely huge play when it was needed the most.

With that in mind, here are my three favorite:

-Forced Fumble Creates Cure Craziness Against Vanderbilt

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Notre Dame Football: Alohi Gilman Declares for NFL Draft

He has a nose for the football and made a habit making huge plays which was on display Saturday as Brian Kelly gave him the game ball for his performance in the Camping World Bowl victory over Iowa State.

It wasn’t much of a surprise if you’ve been paying attention but on Monday night Notre Dame safety and captain Alohi Gilman announced he’ll be passing on his fifth year of eligibility and putting his name in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Gilman played the last two seasons at Notre Dame after spending his freshman year at the Naval Academy where he was credited with 76 tackles (50 solo) and a forced fumble.

After sitting out the 2017 season due to a transfer ruling it didn’t take long for Gilman to make an impact on the field in 2018.

When I think of Gilman I think of a player that teammates clearly love and feed off of but someone who has a knack for making a huge play in the most-necessary of moments.

He has a nose for the football and made a habit making huge plays which was on display Saturday as Brian Kelly gave him the game ball for his performance in the Camping World Bowl victory over Iowa State.

With Isaiah Pryor coming in next season and Houston Griffith already being on campus it’s easy to see why Gilman is deciding to take his NFL chance now instead of playing with Kyle Hamilton another year.

From the way-back machine – Alohi Gilman takes down Josh Adams back in 2016:

FWIW – WalterFootball.com ranks Gilman as the 19th best safety in the 2020 NFL Draft.

No. 16 Notre Dame Blasts Boston College: 5 Instant Thoughts

Hamilton went from a relative-unknown as a recruit as little as 14 or so months ago.  By the time he actually enrolled in school some outlets had him as Notre Dame’s highest ranked recruit in the class and his instant-impact isn’t going unnoticed.

 

Although the first half was closer than most would like, the final score was a rout as No. 16 Notre Dame improved to 9-2 on the season as they beat up Boston College, 40-7, as four scores, three being field goals in the first half turned into four scores with three being touchdowns instead in the second.

The win completes a second-straight undefeated season at Notre Dame Stadium and gives the Irish a great chance at their third 10-win season in a row, something that hasn’t been done since 1991-93.

No. 1: Domination on Defense

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