With new media guidelines limiting what people can actually write about, I thought I’d do you one better. Here’s VIDEO from today’s workout, where the Irish went through full-speed, full contact, ones-versus-ones and twos-versus-twos in the red zone.
While it isn’t exactly a great view, there’s little not to like about seeing Manti Te’o fly sideline to sideline, or Dayne Crist looking 100 percent as he’s taking snaps under center. It’s even fun to watch the coaching staff swarm to the play afterward, position coaches immediately swarming to their guys, finding coachable moments after full-speed work.
I found it interesting that while we’re expecting the snap under center to become extinct, every play that we see in the red zone is under center, and it is very much smash-mouth football to the fullest. Running with the number one offensive line was Trevor Robinson at right tackle, Taylor Dever at right guard, Dan Wenger at Center, Christ Stewart at left guard, and Zack Martin at left tackle.
The defense looked to be swarming as well, with Harrison Smith and Dan McCarthy laying some big sticks coming up to support in the run game, and Zeke Motta getting some time up in the box as well. Te’o and Anthony McDonald looked paired in the middle at linebacker, but I’m not sure what we can read from any of that.
I’m not sure we should make too much out of who’s playing where and who jumped who on the depth chart, but it certainly is nice to see some full-contact football after a pretty rough offseason and last few weeks for the Irish.