Notre Dame Linebackers Should Benefit From Experience And A Slimmed Down Playbook

Notre Dame's linebackers should be able to bounce back from an inconsistent 2022 season thanks to talent, experience and schematic changes

There is, arguably, not a more critiqued and criticized position group at Notre Dame than defensive coordinator Al Golden’s veteran trio of JD Bertrand, Jack Kiser and Marist Liufau. Some of it is deserved, and at least some of it is also probably due to the robust stable of young, talented linebackers who start the 2023 season behind those three on the depth chart.

Bertrand, Kiser and Liufau (in that order) were the team’s leading tacklers a year ago, giving Golden both experience and upside in his linebacking corps, But make no mistake, Notre Dame’s second-year coordinator has no plans to let his veterans fall into a comfort zone.

"I was raised never to be comfortable,” Golden said after Friday’s practice. "I’m never comfortable.”

Notre Dame’s defense ranked No. 22 in total defense (329.3 total yards allowed per game) and No. 37 in rush defense (131.3 YPG) in 2023, but there is still room for improvement. Golden was the third defensive coordinator in as many seasons last year, but now goes into his second season making him the program’s first second-year defensive coordinator since Clark Lea in 2018 and 2019. He was able to use that first season to decide what to keep and what to throw away in his defensive scheme.

"When I got back into it in January, really the first six weeks all I did was see what we could throw out and what we really need,” Golden explained. "We threw a bunch out. I don’t think we added a ton, but we threw a bunch out that really didn’t have application just because of the way the season evolved and how we’re playing. We also had the ability to look at who we’re playing. We had the whole spring to look at who we’re playing and say, what do we need menu-wise and let’s coach that and this other stuff let’s remove and make it (pride) and let the kids play with clarity.”

That change should allow the returning linebackers to play more free, to play with more confidence and most importantly, to play with fewer mistakes. This should be especially helpful to Liufau, who might be the most talented veteran, but a case could be made he also made the most mistakes last season.

"Marist, we’ve been challenging him in zone coverage, because we know he can rush the passer and we use him in that, do that a lot on third down – just to be a better zone player," Golden explained. "He’s really responded, he’s gotten better. Just one example but it’s a very mature group. When you’re not telling them where to align and what their assignment is, then you can really drill down. That’s the biggest difference.”

A more experienced and deeper linebacker corps, a year of experience working with Golden, and a more streamlined playbook could be the recipe the Irish linebackers need to be a far more impactful unit in 2023.

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