Notre Dame's first half beatdown against Purdue allowed some of Notre Dame's youth to see the field. In that time, there were some very impressive performances that have surely gotten coaches and fans excited about the future.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
Maybe the most impressive performance of the game was freshman safety, Kennedy Urlacher. Urlacher has been getting a lot of buzz this week due to his play on Saturday, and rightfully so. He showed off his blazing speed, quick pursuit, and hard-hitting ability for much of the second half. In his debut, he tallied three tackles and broke up one pass with a big hit that jarred the ball loose. All of this led to a 86.2 PFF rating, a nation's best among freshman safeties. Urlacher showed off his impressive athletic skills as a safety, proving that he is quick enough to cover the field, and physical enough to make hits at the line of scrimmage. "Man, he's a ball hawk," Coach Marcus Freeman said when describing Urlacher. He is player to keep your eye on next week against Miami (OH) should the Irish run away with the game, and for years to come.
Another freshman that shined on Saturday was Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. KVA has been a huge piece of this Notre Dame defense so far this year, an impressive feat for a true freshman. Against Purdue, he seemed to be all over the field. It is easy to see that he has an elite knack for the football. This became apparent when he found himself on the end of a tipped ball resulting in an interception. Viliamu-Asa has all the right tools a defense needs at linebacker, but it is his instincts that are special given his age. He's been given high praise by Max Bullough prior to the season, and now it's easy to see why. His lateral quickness and secure tackling have compounded his sense for the position have set him up incredibly well for early success. Although his tackles dropped to just three against Purdue, his presence was felt with a half sack and one tackle for loss. It's hard to imagine a world where he won't be the center of this defense in the coming years.
Cornerback Leonard Moore also caught the eye of Freeman with his elevated snaps on Saturday against Purdue. Moore, a freshman, is a talented and highly anticipated member of this secondary group. Due to the immense amount of skill in the secondary, he has hasn't seen significant playing time just yet, but given the praise from fellow teammates and coaches alike, his snap counts are likely to increase exponentially in the near future. On Saturday, Moore was able to play 21 snaps and looked good doing it, recording two tackles in his limited time on the field.
Although Boubacar Traore has become a more familiar face on the Notre Dame's defense, as just a redshirt freshman, he is still looking to prove that the hype surrounding his game isn't just a flash in the pan. On Saturday, he took a step in the right direction with a very impactful performance. His big play came when he took an interception back for a touchdown. His performance also included a sack and two tackles for loss. Traore's athleticism helped seal the game for the Irish, which was a welcomed site after a slower start to Traore's season than some projected. In any case, this was the performance a lot of fans were waiting for, and likely a momentum builder for the young defensive lineman. He'll look to continue building upon an incredibly impressive performance this Saturday.
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