Notebook: Notre Dame knows defensive depth will be tested at Ohio State

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Al Golden stumbled his way through explaining it, but the message resonated even before corrected it.

Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator knows the No. 5 Irish need to have depth at every level of the defense. Not just for the season opener Saturday at No. 2 Ohio State (7:30 p.m. EDT on ABC), but for the entirety of the season.

“We've been working on vertical depth, which is natural — 1s, 2s and 3s,” Golden said after laughing off using lateral instead of vertical on his first explanation. “But the other part of it is just trying to make sure guys are playing with different guys all the time so that we don't just get locked in.”

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That latter part is what Golden called horizontal depth. Meaning someone like Rylie Mills can play defensive end or defensive tackle. JD Bertrand can play mike linebacker or will linebacker. TaRiq Bracy can play cornerback or nickelback. Brandon Joseph can play left safety or right safety. So on and so forth.

Leaning on that depth will be a necessity playing against a potent Ohio State offense that led the FBS in total offense (561.5 yards per game) and scoring offense (45.7 point per game). The 2022 version of that offense will still feature a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback, C.J. Stroud, and dynamic weapons around him such as wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back TreVeyon Henderson.

“Great operation at the line of scrimmage with the quarterback and from a system standpoint,” Golden said of the Ohio State offense. “They try to get into the right play as much as possible. Talented group. Big and physical up front. The running back is as good as anyone. The wideouts — it’s a great challenge for us.”

It would be lazy, Golden said, to simply called Ohio State’s wide receivers talented. Even though the group lost Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson as top-10 NFL Draft picks in the offseason, the expectations are high for a position led by Smith-Njigba but also featuring Marvin Harrison Jr., Julian Fleming and Emeka Egbuka.

“They're good route runners,” Golden said. “They're competitors. In a lot of ways, they really complement each other.”

There’s no doubt in Golden’s mind that the Irish defense will have to use “a lot” of players. Fortunately for Golden, who will be making his Irish debut, many of Notre Dame’s backups have experience, too. They need to be ready to play from the start.

“It's going to be a battle,” Golden said. “The game is not going to be decided early. We just have to get to the point where we understand it's going to be punch, counterpunch. It's going to be a long night.”

Marist Liufau’s lingering issues from last year’s season-ending leg/ankle injury appear to be in the past. The senior linebacker was limited at times throughout preseason practice, but Golden delivered a positive update Saturday.

“He was a little hobbled in the beginning, but I don't think there are any issues now,” Golden said. “He's been good. Long linebacker who can run and is not afraid to be physical. I'm excited about Marist. Hopefully he'll have an opportunity to stay healthy this year and really fulfill himself as a player. That would be great."

The Irish have four experienced linebackers to use in three different positions with Liufau, Bertrand, Bo Bauer and Jack Kiser. Both Bertrand and Bauer were named Friday as two of the team’s six captains this season.

Bertrand (will) and Kiser (rover) mostly played one linebacker spot last season. The Irish want all of the top linebackers to be more interchangeable this season.

“We’re trying to make them all versatile and trying to push them out of just playing one spot,” Golden said. “Trying to mix guys in at rover, mike, will, whatever it takes for us to move them around and feel comfortable with whatever combination is in the game or as the season unfolds if there’s an injury.

“I love coaching them. It’s an honor to coach them. They prepare like crazy every day and work really hard at it. They’re very good leaders and do a nice job of running the show up front.”

The next two linebackers in the mix for playing time are freshman Junior Tuihalamaka and sophomore Prince Kollie. Tuihalamaka emerged as quick learner in the spring and has continued to show the ability to play early. He’ll also play big roles on special teams. Kollie missed some time this preseason with a concussion.

“Junior has been healthy the whole camp so he’s really progressed nicely and he’s worked very hard at it. I’m excited for where he is,” Golden said. “Now, PK was injured for a while but the last two days he looked like himself — he played like how he ended the spring. He had an awesome summer.

“This will be a big week for him in terms of being right there on the cusp — he was right there going into camp but he got banged up a little bit. He’s healthy now and I told him (Saturday) I thought that was his best practice.”

• Mills has become an obvious candidate for a breakout season on Notre Dame’s defensive line. Outside of the Virginia game when he recorded four tackles and two sacks, Mills only totaled 12 tackles and one sack as a rotational player in the other 12 games last season.

There's a good chance he surpasses those numbers by the end of September as a starting defensive end.

"I love Rylie. I can't say enough good things about him and his versatility as a football player,” Golden said. “He's a technician. He made incredible strides in the weight room this summer. Incredible strides, awesome sacrifices to get to the point where he is now.

“I'm really excited about him as a football player. I'm glad I have an opportunity to coach him. He's a pleasure to coach. What a great young man, competitor and technician. He always wants to try to do it the right way.

“We know this: if he's in there, wherever he is for us on the D-line, we know he's going to try to do it exactly the way (defensive line coach Al Washington) designs it. That's a credit to the young man."

• Freshman cornerback Jaden Mickey made a strong case for playing time as an early enrollee in the spring. Fellow freshman cornerback Benjamin Morrison didn’t arrive on campus until June, but he’s pushing for playing time as well.

“He didn't have the benefit of the spring,” Golden said. “But he's a really smart young man, and he prepares really hard. Every time I turn around, he and Mickey are in (cornerback coach Mike Mickens’) office. They want to watch film. They're just yearning for information and trying to learn.

“Ben has really come on of late. Really talented kid. Tough competitor, and what he's doing off the field to get ready is probably the biggest difference for him.”

• Experience and quickness are obvious assets for fifth-year senior Bracy when he slides inside to play slot cornerback in nickel packages. But Golden made sure to highlight the physicality with which the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Bracy plays.

“You have to be tough to play in there,” Golden said. “If you're ever playing inside, because the run’s going to pop sometimes, you have to get it on the ground. He does a great job with that. He's tough young man. Really happy with his progress so far.”

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