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It’s Now Or Never For Notre Dame Safety Max Redfield

Theoretically, the return of Max Redfield for his senior season should be a comforting reality for Notre Dame considering the former five-star brings 23 starts to an otherwise inexperienced safety unit.

The problem for the Irish is it’s tough to tell which Redfield the Irish will get in 2016.

The Mission Viejo, Calif., native struggled with inconsistency during most of his second season as a starter in 2015, which ended with the program sending him home days prior to the Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State for a violation of team rules.

“Basically, it was a terrible decision on my part,” Redfield said. “I didn’t follow the rules and regulations of the team, which is obviously understandable why I got dismissed. It hurt and it was terrible. If I could go back, obviously I wouldn’t do that — but I learned a lot from it.

“I moved forward from it the second it happened, and try to learn from it and try to become a better person, player, all that kind of stuff. And even though it did hurt, just move forward and just realizing what I can learn from it and how I can grow from it to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Head coach Brian Kelly added an interesting wrinkle to the safety outlook Wednesday when he revealed that early enrollee freshman Devin Studstill is currently the No. 1 free safety ahead of Redfield. Whether it is a motivational tactic with the senior remains to be seen.

“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.

“He 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. We’ve been very pleased.”

During an interview Friday, Redfield said he is trying to use the suspension as a positive experience while he attempts to develop into a leader for the back end of an Irish defense that must replace six starters from an already shaky unit a year ago.

“I love it,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this a long time. I’m comfortable with not being a leader, but I also love stepping up and having my voice heard. Leading by example is something I need to do — and I understand I need to do that and can always get better at that — and I’m comfortable with that.

“We have other great leaders as well and a lot of young players who are eager to learn and eager to get better. It’s good for us and obviously we’re going to balance that out and work with each other.”

With 2016 marking his final season of eligibility, it’s now or never for Redfield.

“Max is an interesting young man,” Kelly said March 16. “… Anytime you come in with a lot of hype and praise and five-stars, there’s a lot of expectations. I think the game for him is one that he’s had to learn a lot about the position that he’s playing. He’s playing a position that requires a lot of football knowledge and he didn’t have a lot at the position, and he’s gained a tremendous amount of football knowledge in a very short period of time.

“The progress has been steady. It hasn’t been fast, but he’s at the cusp of really putting it all together for us.”

Redfield expects the culmination of that progress to be right around the corner.

“I feel like I’m harnessing those details on and off the field and just being conscious of basically everything you’re doing at all times,” he said. “Just move forward and benefit your game on and off the field is something I need to be a little more conscious of and be sure that everybody is conscious of it and being a leader at this point.”

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