Listed Measurements: 6-foot-2, 208 pounds
2017-18 year, eligibility: Sophomore with four years of eligibility remaining including 2017
Depth chart: Morgan stands behind three other options at the boundary safety position, one of which had only this spring to make impression enough to move up the depth chart. Sophomore Jalen Elliott is the likely starter, backed up by early-enrolled freshman Isaiah Robertson and junior Nicco Feritta.
Recruiting: A rivals.com four-star recruit, Morgan committed to Notre Dame rather than Arizona State, Cal or Colorado, among others. His primary Sun Devil recruiter was Del Alexander, now the Irish receivers coach. Rivals rated Morgan the No. 23 safety in the class of 2016 and the No. 47 prospect in California.
CAREER TO DATE
Morgan preserved a year of eligibility in 2016.
QUOTE(S)
The only recent mention of Morgan came in a quick discussion of the safety depth chart from Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly the week of the Blue-Gold Game. Kelly indicated Morgan was on the same level as Robertson in regards to deserving playing time.
WHAT KEITH ARNOLD PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“If the Irish need special teamers, Morgan is an immediate plug-and-play option. If they want to spend a year developing him as an understudy, a redshirt makes sense. If Morgan catches on to the position like [current sophomore] Devin Studstill did, he can compete for time behind [current senior] Drue Tranquill. If he doesn’t, saving the year makes sense.
“Expecting a major impact by Morgan is setting the bar too high. But if he can be part of Scott Booker’s special teams core and help provide depth behind Tranquill and sixth-year safety Avery Sebastian, Morgan will join classmates Spencer Perry and Jalen Elliott as first-year lettermen right away.”
2017 OUTLOOK
An inability to climb this particular safety depth chart puts a rather staunch ceiling on Morgan’s short-term future. Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko is desperate for a contributor on the defensive backline. The opportunity is there, and was all spring, yet Morgan did not force himself into the conversation.
With that in mind, Notre Dame special teams coordinator Brian Polian will undoubtedly be happy to have a physical player at his disposal. Morgan should contribute on special teams this year. That is not necessarily a sentence to irrelevance. If he makes some plays in that third of the game, Elko and Kelly will have to take notice.
DOWN THE ROAD
Of the three safeties ahead of him on the boundary side of the depth chart, it should be noted Elliott has three more years of eligibility and Robertson has as much eligibility as Morgan does. Not moving up the ranks this spring bodes poorly for Morgan’s chances in the coming years, especially as more players join the ranks.
If Morgan shines on special teams this year, making plays in games will lead to conversations among the coaches about giving him a chance to do such with the defense. If he does not, however, Morgan may need to make a position change in order to find playing time.
With that in mind, he projects as a possible candidate at rover. Tranquill has two years of eligibility remaining, but no particular backup has distanced himself from the rest. Junior Asmar Bilal is touted as the run-stopping option at rover, but that is both a small niche and an unproven aspect. In seasons to come, Morgan could find playing time at rover an easier commodity to make a reality than it is for him at safety.
2017’s Notre Dame 99-to-2
Friday at 4: Goodbye A-to-Z, hello 99-to-2 (May 12)
No. 99: Jerry Tillery, defensive tackle
No. 98: Andrew Trumbetti, defensive end
No. 97: Micah Dew-Treadway, defensive tackle
No. 96: Pete Mokwuah, defensive tackle
No. 95: Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, defensive tackle (originally theorized as No. 92)
No. 94: Darnell Ewell, defensive tackle (originally theorized as No. 95)
No. 93: Jay Hayes, defensive end
No. 92: Jonathon MacCollister; defensive end (originally theorized as No. 46)
No. 91: Ade Ogundeji, defensive end
No. 89: Brock Wright, tight end
No. 88: Javon McKinley, receiver
No. 87: Michael Young, receiver (originally theorized as No. 84)
No. 86: Alizé Mack, tight end
No. 85: Tyler Newsome, punter
No. 84: Cole Kmet, tight end (originally theorized as No. 90)
No. 83: Chase Claypool, receiver
No. 82: Nic Weishar, tight end
No. 81: Miles Boykin, receiver
No. 80: Durham Smythe, tight end
No. 78: Tommy Kraemer, right tackle
No. 77: Brandon Tiassum, defensive tackle
No. 76: Dillan Gibbons, offensive lineman (originally theorized as No. 65)
No. 75: Josh Lugg, offensive tackle (originally theorized as No. 73)
No. 75: Daniel Cage, defensive tackle
No. 74: Liam Eichenberg, right tackle
No. 72: Robert Hainsey, offensive tackle
No. 71: Alex Bars, offensive lineman
No. 70: Hunter Bivin, offensive lineman
No. 69: Aaron Banks, offensive lineman
No. 68: Mike McGlinchey, left tackle
No. 67: Jimmy Byrne, offensive lineman
No. 58: Elijah Taylor, defensive tackle
No. 57: Trevor Ruhland, offensive lineman
No. 56: Quenton Nelson, left guard
No. 55: Jonathan Bonner, defensive lineman
No. 54: John Shannon, long snapper
No. 53: Sam Mustipher, center
No. 53: Khalid Kareem, defensive lineman
No. 48: Greer Martini, inside linebacker
No. 47: Kofi Wardlow, defensive end
No. 45: Jonathan Jones, inside linebacker
No. 44: Jamir Jones, linebacker/defensive lineman
No. 42: Julian Okwara, defensive end
No. 41: Kurt Hinish, defensive tackle (originally theorized as No. 94)
No. 40: Drew White, linebacker
No. 39: Jonathan Doerer, kicker (originally theorized as No. 52)
No. 38: Deon McIntosh, running back/receiver
No. 35: David Adams, linebacker
No. 34: Tony Jones, Jr., running back
No. 33: Josh Adams, running back
No. 25: Jafar Armstrong, receiver (originally theorized as No. 87)
TRANSFERS
No. 66: Tristen Hoge, offensive lineman, transfers to BYU
No. 50: Parker Boudreaux, offensive lineman
No. 30: Josh Barajas, linebacker, to transfer to Illinois State
INJURIES
No. 13: Tyler Luatua, tight end, career ended by medical hardship