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Young Talent Boosts Notre Dame's Defensive Backfield

Devin Studstill (Bill Panzica)

Notre Dame defensive backs coach Todd Lyght’s position group is young but talented.

Now it’s all a matter of that potential translating to the field.

“How will they react under the bright lights and on the big stage, that’s another thing, but these are big-time high school players that came to Notre Dame to play in big-time situations, so I think they’ll be ready,” Lyght said at Notre Dame’s media day.

The Irish signed seven defensive backs in the 2016 recruiting class, a group that includes four 4-star prospects and three 3-stars.

And with Notre Dame replacing 2015 starters Elijah Shumate at strong safety, Keivarae Russell at cornerback, as well as third cornerback Devin Butler (who is out with a broken foot), the young defensive backs are expected to challenge for some of those roles.

Junior cornerback Nick Watkins (arm) is also not expect back for another couple weeks.

Through two weeks of camp, the mental challenge has taken a toll on the freshmen, defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said. That’s especially the case for the safeties, a rookie class that includes Jalen Elliott, D.J. Morgan, Spencer Perry and Devin Studstill.

“For our middle linebackers and safeties, our system is difficult,” VanGorder said. “I’ve found that in pro ball the same thing when I had rookies, it’s a lot of football for those guys. I’d say they’re pretty typical of young players that have been thrown in there right away. We’ve had our 13th practice, and the volume is getting to them a little bit, so now they’re working on the mental toughness part to continue to grow like they need to. They’re talented. That freshman group is really talented.”

But Lyght said once Notre Dame opens the season, its offense will have prepared the secondary well.

“Practicing and training against our offense is tremendous because we do some many things offensively in regard to scheme, so they’re going to see a ton,” Lyght said. “When they get in a game against other opponents, they’ll be well prepared.”

Studstill, a 6-foot, 198-pound former three-star prospect, was limited during the first weeks of preseason practice with a hamstring injury. Despite missing some action, the Riviera Beach, Florida, native, has caught on quickly because he was an early-enrollee.

“(Studstill) is behind the eight ball a little bit, but he’s the type of player where he can catch on really quickly because he’s a fast learner,” said Lyght, a former Notre Dame star who played for the Rams and Lions in the NFL. “He’s one of those guys that’ll have a lot of production because he’s just a ballhawk and he makes a lot of plays. Those are the type of guys that you’re looking for.”

Studstill pushed senior Max Redfield for the starting free safety position in the spring and is likely to see action in some capacity when the Irish open the season at Texas on Sept. 4.

Elliott, a former two-way star at quarterback and safety at Richmond (Va.) L.C. Bird High School, has also impressed Lyght early on.

“There’s a lot on Jalen’s plate as far as what he has to learn, but he’s improving every day,” Lyght said. “He comes in to watch film. He’s very aggressive with his learning, he wants to take it all in. Obviously there’s a lot he has to learn and he has to sort through that, but he’s a guy that’s going to be able to get on the field and make plays for us.”

Donte Vaughn (Bill Panzica)
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At cornerback, Julian Love, Troy Pride Jr. and Donte Vaughn appear to have proved to the coaches they are worthy of action as rookies.

Vaughn is the most physically imposing of the group, standing 6-2 and 200 pounds with long arms. Lyght complimented Vaughn’s flexibility and one-on-one ball skills that could translate to the field this season.

“Three years from now, Donte Vaughn is going to be an elite player,” Lyght said. “He’s the type of player that can get things done and make plays at the end of the route due to his length, and he can really give offenses problems. We really like his ability to matchup on key guys and really take them out of the game, and he’ll be one of those shutdown corners when it’s all said and done.

"If he just comes along and obvious improves in the mental and physical toughness area, he’ll be a guy that we can rely on, especially down in the red zone where the fade ball comes into play. The more he gets in and has a greater understanding of what we’re doing defensively and improves on his technique, he’ll be a productive player for us this year for sure."

Love is expected to backup sophomore Shaun Crawford at nickelback and Lyght is excited about Love’s “reactive athleticism,” a trait that helped give him a 4-star rating by Rivals.com out of Westchester (Ill.) Nazareth Academy.

Pride, meanwhile, has the pure speed to get him on the field as a freshman. He was clocked at 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash and ran a 10.88-second 100-meter dash at Greer (S.C.) High School.

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