Listed Measurements: 6-foot-1, 238 pounds
2017-18 year, eligibility: Senior with only one season of eligibility remaining
Depth chart: Morgan will start as the middle linebacker in defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s scheme. Junior Te’von Coney essentially backs up both Morgan and fellow senior linebacker Greer Martini. If another reserve is needed, the Irish will most likely turn to sophomore Jonathan Jones before looking to the freshmen duo of Drew White and David Adams.
Recruiting: A rivals.com four-star prospect, Morgan whittled his recruitment down from a lengthy list including Alabama, Florida and Michigan. His final decision was between Notre Dame and Ole Miss. Yes, that Ole Miss. As more and more is learned about Mississippi circa 2013 and 2014, the U.S. Army All-American’s decision stands out as increasingly insightful. Rivals rated the first-team USA Today All-American as the class’s No. 5 inside linebacker, the No. 2 recruit in Illinois and the No. 72 overall player in the country.
CAREER TO DATE
Morgan went from minimal action to a starting role his freshman season when Joe Schmidt went down with an injury against Navy. Morgan started four of the season’s five final games, with the exception being against USC. He nonetheless made 11 tackles against the Trojans, his third consecutive game with a tackles total in the double digits.
With Schmidt back to health in 2015, Morgan’s role returned to special teams and mop-up duties before leading the defense last year.
2014: 12 games, four starts, 47 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks.
2015: 13 games, 17 tackles, one forced fumble.
2016: 12 games, 12 starts, 94 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, one fumble recovery.
Morgan’s 94 tackles and four sacks each led the Irish last year, and his six tackles for loss is second among returning defenders, trailing Martini by one takedown behind the line of scrimmage.
QUOTE(S)
Perhaps the most-illuminating mention of Morgan in the past eight months came on National Signing Day, an odd piece of timing for a rising senior. Irish coach Brian Kelly mentioned Morgan while describing Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s recruiting visit only a week earlier. Kelly meant to be praising Owusu-Koramoah’s dedication to football, but he also showed part of the reasoning in naming Morgan a captain for 2017.
“We hosted [Owusu-Koramoah] with Nyles Morgan, “Kelly said. “When you host somebody, you want them to see Notre Dame and see the social aspects. These guys didn’t leave the film room. It was like they were joined at the hip for six hours just talking football.”
WHAT KEITH ARNOLD PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“Notre Dame’s leading tackler. And it might not even be close. Yes, he’ll need to stay healthy. And yes, he’ll [need] to cut down on some of the mental mistakes that can turn a three-yard gain into a 30-yarder. But Morgan is the perfect prototype for middle linebacker in [former Irish defensive coordinator Brian] VanGorder’s scheme — and that’s what sold him on Notre Dame in the first place.
“It won’t be all perfect for Morgan. I wonder if there’s a role for him on third downs, especially in passing situations. But his athleticism, toughness and nose for the football make this a relatively easy forecast.”
2017 OUTLOOK
If a healthy Morgan does not again lead the Irish in tackles, it will be a good sign for the implementation of the rover, Elko’s preferred defensive wrinkle. More precisely, it will be a sign senior Drue Tranquill took to that position better than anyone could have expected. Otherwise, expect Morgan to lead the way. (Last year he topped Tranquill’s second-place tackle total by 15.)
In the 99-to-2 entry for No. 45 Jonathan Jones, this space set the season’s over/under on defensive snaps missed by a healthy Morgan in competitive situations at 5.5. That may seem bold, but Notre Dame does not have many options behind him, nor would it likely use them if it did, and Morgan’s career arc shows why not.
As a freshman, Morgan may have racked up tackles commiserate with his playing time, but he also missed tackles and struggled as much as he succeeded. The speed of the game and concepts needing grasping were too much, it seemed. If he was forced into playing time as a sophomore, it is safe to presume he would have fared better, but still not as well as he did last year.
Continuing that progression this season should lead to 100-plus tackles, two handfuls of tackles for loss and perhaps a repeat of last year’s four sacks. Again, though, if Morgan falls short of those figures, it may actually bode well for the defense. It would mean Tranquill is flying to the ball unencumbered by coverage concerns, it would mean the defensive tackles are shedding blockers and getting to ballcarriers on their own, and it would mean sophomore defensive end Daelin Hayes is bringing down the quarterback before Morgan can get to him.
DOWN THE ROAD
Morgan will be drafted. His frame and leadership will entice more than a few NFL teams, but it would take a truly transcendent senior season and excellent combine results to make him an early-round pick. That is as much due to the modern NFL as it is to Morgan’s potential.
He has yet to reach his ceiling, though, and that ceiling certainly entails an NFL career.
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. 32: D.J. Morgan, safety
No. 30: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, rover
No. 29: Kevin Stepherson, receiver
No. 28: Nicco Fertitta, safety
No. 27: Julian Love, cornerback
No. 26: Ashton White, safety
No. 25: Jafar Armstrong, receiver (originally theorized as No. 87)
No. 24: Nick Coleman, safety
No. 23: Drue Tranquill, rover
No. 22: Asmar Bilal, rover
No. 21: Jalen Elliott, safety
No. 20: Shaun Crawford, cornerback
No. 19: Justin Yoon, kicker
No. 18: Troy Pride, cornerback
No. 17: Isaiah Robertson, safety
No. 16: Cameron Smith, receiver
No. 15: C.J. Holmes, running back
No. 14: Devin Studstill, safety
No. 13: Avery Davis, quarterback
No. 13: Jordan Genmark Heath, safety
No. 12: Ian Book, quarterback
No. 12: Alohi Gilman, safety
No. 11: Freddy Canteen, receiver
No. 10: Chris Finke, receiver
No. 9: Daelin Hayes, defensive end
No. 8: Donte Vaughn, cornerback
No. 7: Brandon Wimbush, quarterback
No. 7: Nick Watkins, cornerback
No. 6: Equanimeous St. Brown, receiver
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