Who is the better middle linebacker: Notre Dame's Manti Te'o, Boston College's Luke Kuechly or Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict? Te'o could edge ahead of his contemporaries tonight when the Irish play at Michigan (8 p.m., ESPN).
Everyone knows how physical the 6-foot-2, 255-pound junior is against the run. That's where he's better than Kuechly and Burfict. The question is Te'o speed working to the outside. He'll likely have to chase down Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson all night and it could give him trouble. Or, Te'o could prove why he's so highly regarded and get to the edge in a hurry.
After an outstanding opening game last week against South Florida, Notre Dame's Michael Floyd will get another chance to look like a top prospect tonight. The Wolverines' secondary had trouble last week against Western Michigan quarterback Alex Carder so Floyd should be the key to an Irish victory.
Notre Dame/Michigan NFL Draft watch notes
It’s unlikely he’ll come out after his redshirt sophomore year, but Irish tight end
looks like a future star at the position.
Michigan is transitioning to a more pro-style scheme and has few solid draft prospects on offense. On defense, though, Michigan has a few players to watch.
Defensive tackle
is the kind of player who manages to get the most out of his 6-foot-1, 300-pound frame. He’s quick off the snap which helps him get penetration.
Cornerback Troy Woolfolk is a lot like
of the San Francisco 49ers. He can play cornerback and safety but still needs to develop his man coverage skills.
The development of senior linebacker
will be interesting to follow this season. After playing sparingly his first three years, he had a stellar game against Western Michigan last week. In his first start on the weak side, he had 8 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and two touchdowns. He’s undersized at 6-foot-2, 221 pounds and needs to show he wasn’t simply playing against inferior competition today.
