Notre Dame spring depth chart preview: Linebackers

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With Notre Dame spring practice beginning later this month, CSNChicago.com is previewing each position group's depth chart and 2016 outlook. Today, we examine a young linebacking corps that has to get up to speed quickly without Jaylon Smith and Joe Schmidt (each player's 2016 status is listed in parentheses, these go MLB-WLB-SLB)

1. Nyles Morgan (Junior)
2. Josh Barajas (RS Freshman)

1. Asmar Bilal (RS Freshman)
2. Josh Barajas (RS Freshman)

1. James Onwualu (Senior)
1A. Greer Martini (Junior) 

Injured: Te’von Coney (Sophomore)

Overview

With Schmidt, Smith and Jarrett Grace gone, there will be plenty of turnover at Notre Dame’s two inside linebacker spots. Morgan, who replaced an injured Schmidt in 2014 but didn’t play much in 2015, should take over at middle linebacker. Bilal likely fits in at the Will with Coney, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Fiesta Bowl, almost certainly unavailable during spring practice. 

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If Coney is healthy for the beginning of the 2016 season, he’s likely to start at Will. Bilal has the flexibility to back him up or play outside at Sam, though the Onwualu-Martini pairing — with Onwualu starting against passing-oriented offenses and Martini against running-oriented ones — looks relatively set. Barajas could back up Morgan at Mike, and perhaps even push for playing time there with a standout spring. 

Martini began his college career as a Will linebacker and probably could play all three spots if necessary. 

Outlook

The process of replacing Smith and Schmidt will be a strong challenge to Notre Dame’s ability to develop defensive players. Morgan, Barajas, Bilal and Coney were all former four-star recruits who are certainly physically gifted, but both Smith and Schmidt had an excellent knowledge of Brian VanGorder’s defense and were able to communicate it well. 

We saw flashes from Morgan in 2014, when he racked up 47 tackles and three and a half tackles for a loss, but he had some difficulties grasping VanGorder’s defense well enough to effectively communicate it to the rest of the front seven. That communication aspect is critical for the Mike linebacker in VanGorder’s system — while Schmidt’s production dropped in 2015 (he told ESPN earlier this month he dealt with a shoulder injury all season) his ability to communicate the defense helped keep that group from being an unmitigated disaster. 

[MORE: Notre Dame spring depth chart preview: Offensive line]

Morgan, by all accounts, took a good attitude toward his sporadic, special teams/garbage time-dominated minutes in 2015. If he enters 2016 with a good grasp of the defense, this unit should come together nicely. So for VanGorder and linebackers coach Mike Elston, there may not be a more important player to develop over the next six months. 

Incoming freshmen

Jamir Jones, a three-star recruit and brother of Irish nose guard Jarron Jones, has the flexibility to play as either a Sam outside linebacker or as a rush end in VanGorder’s system. He’ll begin as an outside linebacker and could have a window to play as a true freshman given the pass-rushing vacuum Notre Dame will have to deal with and VanGorder’s prior willingness to play first-year players who can rush the quarterback. 

Three-star Orlando native Jonathan Jones was a much-needed late addition to Notre Dame’s recruiting class to provide depth at inside linebacker. 

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