The Irish depth chart gets a little shakeup this week. Defensive End Pat Kuntz and Tight End Will Yeatman are back with the Irish. Which is a huge. Most fans expected them to return, but nothing is final until it is… well, final. These two are returning as the most likely starters at their positions. (Yeatman plays a different type of TE than Ragone. Both will have ample playing time.)
The Irish do lose a player, however, in redshirt freshman ILB Aaron Nagel. Nagel has decided to transfer to another school as he felt that he was buried on the depth chart.
Here is a link to a free article at BlueAndGold.com about Nagel’s decision.
The only comment I have is a small warning. The Irish are walking into 2008 with 7 unused scholarships after Nagel leaves. People talk about how transfers are a sign of a healthy program… The lesser quality players leave and it opens up scholarships for more elite prospects. I call bullshit. Maybe in 2010 this is a viable answer, but not in 2008 after a 3-9 year and 7 schollies under the limit. We are not talking about a a soon to be junior that will never see the field. This is a soon to be sophomore with 4 years of eligibility left. It isn’t the end of the world and yes, Nagel would probably be buried on the depth chart come August, but you never know. I am glad that he is leaving on good terms and it doesn’t devastate the program, but I am not doing jumping jacks either. Depth wins championships ALL THE WAY DOWN.
Good luck to Aaron, who will be deciding to attend either Northwestern (where his brother will be a frosh), Vanderbilt, or Illinois.
Welcome back Pat and Will. Prepare for skunkbear hunting.
