Our Defensive Recruits--V 2.0.0.7

GARY GRAY…ONE WORD: VERSATILE. PLAYED QB/WR/CB. VERY ELUSIVE WITH DECEPTIVE SPEED. NOT REAL BIG, BUT WILL COME UP AND HIT. COVERS RECEIVERS LIKE A BLANKET. PROVED HIS WORTH AT THE AAA GAME AND COVERED EVERYONE THEY PUT ON HIM. NEEDS TO GET A LITTLE BIGGER AND A LITTLE MEANER. CAN RETURN PUNTS AND KICKS IF NECESSARY, BUT BETTER AS A COVER CORNER. WILL BE A VERY GOOD PLAYER FOR YEARS TO COME. WILL SHOW HIS TALENTS EARLY AT THE ND SPRING GAME.

HARRISON SMITH…ONE WORD: HITTER. VERY GOOD IN THE BACK PEDAL AND WILL COME UP AND TAKE YOUR HEAD OFF. SMART PLAYER WITH GREAT INSTINCTS AND FINDS THE BALL WHEREVER IT IS ON THE FIELD. GOOD SPEED FOR A BIG MAN, 6’2” AND 205 LBS. WILL BE 215 BY THE TIME HIS SOPHMORE YEAR IS OVER. PLAYED RB AND IS GOOD WITH THE BALL. ANOTHER PLAYER THAT WILL WORK HARD AND LEARN THE SYSTEM. WILL PLAY WHERE NEEDED.

KERRY NEAL….ONE WORD: ATHLETE. PLAYED WITH A HAND IN THE DIRT IN HS, BUT CAN PLAY STANDING UP. FAST, STRONG AND SMART. GETS TO THE BALL AND HAS GOOD TECHNIQUE WITH FEET AND HANDS. WITH A LITTLE ADDITIONAL SIZE, HE WILL BE IN THE MOLD OF ABIAMIRI, ONLY BETTER AGAINST THE RUN. LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING KERRY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

ANDREW NUSS…ONE WORD: BIG. 6’5” 285 LBS. WILL MAKE THE SWITCH TO DL BUT CAN GO ON THE OL AT ANY TIME. GREAT FEET FOR A BIG GUY AND CAN GET UP THE FIELD. PLAYS ANGRY. VERY GOOD PLAYER THAT WILL SEE SOME TIME NEXT SEASON TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.

IAN WILLIAMS….ONE WORD: MEAN. 6’2” 295. CAN YOU SAY NOSE TACKLE. TYPICAL NOSE TACKLE FRAME AND PLAYS BIGGER THAN HE IS WITH LONG ARMS AND VERY GOOD FEET. GETS TO THE BALL AND IS A TENACIOUS RUSHER. HAS A VERY GOOD CHANCE TO LEARN THE SYSTEM AND SEE SIGNIFICANT PLAYING TIME AS EARLY AS NEXT SEASON. VERY GOOD ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL, BUT WILL REMAIN ON DEFENSE.

AARON NAGEL ...ONE WORD: BLUE-COLLAR. HARD WORKING, SMART AND STRONG. 6’ 1” 215 LBS. DOES WHAT EVER IT TAKES TO SUCCEED. HAS GOOD SPEED AND IS STRONG OFF OF BLOCKS. WILL PUT WEIGHT ON AND PLAY OUTSIDE LB IN THE NEW 3-4. WILL SEE A LOT OF TIME ON SPECIAL TEAMS THIS SEASON. NOT AFRAID TO GET DIRTY. OUTSTANDING CITIZEN AND STUDENT. WILL DO WELL AS A ND PLAYER.

STEVE PASKORZ…ONE WORD: PENNSYLVANIA. IN THE MOLD OF OTHER PENNSYLVANIA BACKERS. ANOTHER BLUE COLLAR TYPE PLAYER THAT HAS PLAYED BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL. ATHLETIC ENOUGH TO PLAY RUNNING BACK, BUT IS A TYPICAL INSIDE TYPE BACKER WITH THE NEW DEFENSE. NEEDS TO PUT ON SOME WEIGHT TO SOLIDIFY OUR INSIDE BACKER POSITION. AGAIN, SOMEONE WHO WILL SEE PLAYING TIME ON SPECIAL TEAMS.

BRIAN SMITH…ONE WORD: MIDDLE-MAN. OUR ONLY TRUE INSIDE 3-4 TYPE BACKER COMING IN THIS SEASON. WE NEED SIZE AND HE HAS IT. AT 230 NOW, HAS THE FRAME TO PUT ON 10-15 AND STILL KEEP HIS ATHLETICISM. WILL NEED SOME FINE TUNING, BUT CAN PLAY THE MIDDLE FOR THE NEXT 3 OR 4 YEARS. HAS THE HEART AND DESIRE TO BE AT NOTRE DAME, EVEN AFTER GETTING SORT OF SHUNNED IN THE BEGINNING.

BRANDON WALKER…ONE WORD: KICKER. THAT IS A WORD WE HAVEN’T SEEN IN A WHILE. HE CAN PUNT AND KICKOFF WITH CONSISTENCY AND MAY HAVE A SHOT AT TAKING THE FIELD GOAL DUTIES. HIS FUTURE WILL BE IN THE PUNT GAME. WITH ONE YEAR TO LEARN FROM ONE OF THE BEST. I SEE BRANDON GETTING OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE LONG FIELD GOALS AT SOME POINT EARLY IN THE SEASON.

PRETTY GOOD DEFENSIVFE CLASS WITH THE MOVE OF NUSS TO THE DL. WE MAY SEE NWANKWO COMING OVER TO THE DEFENSIVE LINE, BUT PROBABLY WILL KEEP HIM AT HIS BEST POSITION. STEWART, IN MY OPINION WOULD BE A BETTER FIT AT THE NOSE, BUT CHARLIE MAKES THE DECISIONS. THAT IS WHY HE GETS THE BIG BUCKS. NOT THAT I CAN’T GIVE MY OPINIONS FOR ITS TWO CENTS…..