Nolan Ziegler Getting More Spring Opportunities For Notre Dame

Notre Dame sophomore linebacker Nolan Ziegler is getting a shot to compete for time this spring

Nolan Ziegler is looking to make a move this spring. The rising sophomore linebacker played in all of one game, Notre Dame’s 44-0 win over Boston College, as a true freshman last fall, but he could find his way onto the field with more regularity in 2023. What role his playing time takes is not a concern right now.

“I want to do everything the team needs to win,” Ziegler said after Wednesday’s Fighting Irish practice. “So, whatever they need me to do, I'm there.”

The former high school safety and wide receiver has worked at linebacker since enrolling early a year ago along with fellow linebackers Jaylen Sneed, Junior Tuihalamaka, and Josh Burnham. While his athleticism and speed are apparent, he still finds himself in a bit of a numbers crunch with starters JD Bertrand, Jack Kiser and Marist Liufau all returning.

Ziegler’s quickest path to the field on Saturdays next fall is special teams. The same place where former Irish linebacker Bo Bauer made his mark during his five-year Notre Dame career. Bauer has already made Ziegler his personal pick to be a special teams star for the Irish in 2023.

“You always put a big emphasis on special teams and I take pride in that and it means a lot,” Ziegler remarked. “Bo, he helped me a lot my freshman year; just getting used to it, just having somebody to be there for me and help me through everything. So that means a lot.”

Ziegler saw special teams action in high school. He says he blocked a few punts while helping Catholic Central High School to three consecutive Michigan state championships. But he also relishes the all gas, no brakes nature of covering kickoffs.

“It takes extra effort and that drive because special teams is something that you want to make the team better,” Ziegler said. “It's something that wins national championships, so it's something I want to do.”

Bauer played on virtually every special team unit and it’s easy to see Ziegler following that path as his career gets started. But he eventually wants to make his mark as a starting linebacker. He has cross trained at all three linebacker positions, but he is predominantly working at the two inside spots.

At 6-3 and 225 pounds, he is two inches taller and just five pounds lighter than returning middle linebacker JD Bertrand. When defensive coordinator Al Golden moved him there last year it caught him off guard initially, but it’s grown on him.

“I'm starting to get it,” Ziegler said of the move to linebacker. “Once you put it all together and everything works together for all the play calls. Once you can figure out the pieces of the puzzle with the plays, I think you start getting it more smoothly and play faster out there.”

Reps are always hard to come by for players who are not on the two-deep during the season, but the shift to spring gives more hands-on opportunities for players like Ziegler.

“I think the hardest part is when you're not out there actively doing it,” Ziegler said of the hardest part of learning the defense. “Now, I'm really getting reps at it and you know, you make mistakes, and you go out there watch film, correct it. You learn from it and you get better from it. So that's what I think I'm improving the most from being out there. I make some mistakes, but I learn from it and correct it and get back out there.”

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