Devin Studstill Earns High Praise — And No. 1 Reps — From Brian Kelly
Just as one safety is on his way out at Notre Dame, another seems to be rising the depth chart quicker than most could have imagined.
Head coach Brian Kelly announced Wednesday morning that sophomore Mykelti Williams is no longer with the program — he declined when asked to provide specifics on the situation — and also added an interesting tidbit for Irish fans concerned with the outlook at safety, saying that freshman Devin Studstill has been receiving No. 1 reps with the defense.
“He’s running with our first group right now,” Kelly said. “He’s been really good. We’ve been very pleased with what he’s been doing and very happy with the way he’s picked up our defense. Excellent ball skills, excellent retention.
“He’s been probably the guy that’s done the most back there.”
Asked where Studstill is at with knowledge of defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s complex scheme, Kelly pointed out that the early enrollee “wouldn’t be out there working with the first group unless he had a natural ability to pick up what we’re sending him.”
“He’s been able to pick it up as a mid-year enrollee in spring ball and he’s making plays and getting lined up and getting guys in the right position,” Kelly said. “We’ve been very pleased.”
Whether Studstill is truly a threat to ultimately start at free safety ahead of the senior Max Redfield is unclear, but what is clear is that the coaching staff has already been impressed by the freshman’s first two months on campus.
“He’s just a natural player and it comes easy to him,” Kelly said. “He’s a natural player that has played safety and it just flows easily to him. It’s not hard for him.
“He’s had no setbacks in terms of the learning curve. He had one mistake today, but it really comes easy to him.”
Redfield started the past two seasons and has totaled 23 starts in his career, but in both 2014 and 2015 was passed up at some point on the depth chart. In 2014, freshman Drue Tranquill replaced him in November before he suffered the first of two ACL injuries. Last season, fifth-year senior Matthias Farley at times assumed Redfield’s role on the field.
Tranquill also seems to be responding to first-team reps at strong safety after his 2015 season was cut short just three weeks into the season with his second ACL tear.
“He’s coming along very well,” Kelly said. “He’s playing a lot for us. Made some nice one-on-one tackles today live, live tackling. He’s involved in live tackling drills and our live 11-on-11 situation where there was some question as to whether he would be allowed to do that.
“That would be answered today and I think he answered it fine. He did not come off the field when we went live. He forced the issue and he looks good.”
Quick Hits
• Senior wide receiver Corey Robinson and senior offensive lineman Colin McGovern both sat out Wednesday’s practice with concussions, but Kelly said he hopes both will be able to return to action March 30 after Notre Dame’s Easter break.
• Sophomore wide receiver Miles Boykin — also expected to return March 30 — underwent surgery to repair a spiral fracture in his finger. Kelly said Boykin practiced through it but “we want him to get it fixed and stable.”
• The most significant injury of the spring hit sophomore wide receiver CJ Sanders, who will be out roughly four months with a hip flexor strain.
Notre Dame’s medical staff is currently deciding whether to treat the injury with surgery or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment, a non-surgical option.
“We should get him back running full go in July and we should be able to get him rounded into shape for camp in August,” Kelly said.
The head coach suggested that sophomore wide receiver Chris Finke and sophomore running back Josh Adams could replace Sanders as the punt returner and kick returner, respectively, for the time being.