Notre Dame Looking For New Leaders On Defense

Last year, Notre Dame set a school record for most defensive captains in one season with four: lineman Sheldon Day, linebackers Jaylon Smith and Joe Schmidt, and defensive back Matthias Farley. All four developed into obvious candidates for different reasons.

Day was a popular figure on campus with his huge personality and non-stop commitment. Even as a freshman he earned “The Mayor” moniker from the coaching staff because of how people gravitated toward him naturally. It didn’t hurt that he was a future NFL prospect.

With Smith and Schmidt, the former was maybe the most physically gifted linebacker ever to enroll at Notre Dame, and matched it with his work ethic, while the latter was a lion heart former walk-on who epitomized maximizing one’s talents, including earning Team MVP a year earlier.

Finally, Farley was a natural at taking control of the room, and he also spearheaded an improved special teams operation during the regular season while lining up just about anywhere needed in the secondary.

Where are the leaders on defense going to emerge this season? There is no single powerful personality like a Day, an obvious first-round talent like Smith or a returning MVP such as Schmidt. At least one figure on the current team does match the presence and innate leadership attributes of Farley, although in an understated manner.

“James Onwualu is as solid of a guy as we have relative to how he goes about his business daily: Preparation, on-field effort, he’s consistent, very knowledgeable,” third-year defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said of the senior Sam linebacker who has started 21 games in his career and recorded 68 tackles.

Like Farley, Onwualu was a wide receiver as a freshman, became a special teams mainstay and has become a versatile figure on defense while not getting pigeonholed into one spot in either the base or sub packages.

“James is a guy we can grow a lot of roles to,” VanGorder said. “He can line up in a lot of places for us.”

The three other most conspicuous candidates for a leadership/captaincy role on defense are the only other players on the entire team who have started at least 20 games, along with Onwualu: Cornerback Cole Luke (26), lineman Isaac Rochell (25) and free safety Max Redfield (23).

Like Smith, Redfield enrolled as a five-star prospect. However, he likely eliminated himself from a leadership role when he was suspended for the Fiesta Bowl. Plus, he’s in a battle with freshman Devin Studstill just to win the starting job.

Luke has been the antithesis of former teammate and fellow cornerback KeiVarae Russell, whose gift of gab and loquacious demeanor could regale anyone around him. The senior Luke is far more soft-spoken, but he likewise possesses the skill set to play at the next level.

No current member of the defense has better combined talent, production, versatility, durability and leadership traits on and off the field and in the classroom better than Rochell, whose brother Matt made 39 starts at the Air Force Academy as an offensive tackle the past three years.

“He’s a good leader and I learned a lot from him,” Rochell said of his brother. “It’s more about being a good person, because I think being a good person has a lot to do with being a good leader. I would say that’s the biggest thing I’ve taken from him.”

VanGorder expects both Rochell and Luke will take greater command during the summer, when the players have to take team ownership while the position coaches can’t work with them.

“It’s hard for a player to buy in totally to a leadership role until he’s had success,” VanGorder said. “… I think there’s a lot of leadership potential, but until they’re comfortable on the field and they gain a consistency on the field …”

Two prime examples are in the junior class: strong safety Drue Tranquill and Mike linebacker Nyles Morgan. Tranquill is quite verbal as a leader, but is coming off ACL tears each of the past two seasons.

“He’s just trying to shake the rust off,” VanGorder said. “When he gets confident, feels 100 percent mentally and physically, he’s got good leadership capabilities.”

Morgan carries himself with an unbridled confidence, but he played an unofficial 41 snaps last year behind Schmidt.

“When I think of him, I think of most improved in the communicating areas,” VanGorder said. “He does a good job of running our defense, he knows it well ...

“A lot of players have a hard time leading when they’re developing and trying to get consistency in their game and confidence in their game. We’ve got guys that are capable, but they’re just caught in a little bit of a development stage where they’re trying to establish themselves.”