If you are under the age of 30, odds are you might now know the pure joy of running to a bookstore in the summer and buying every college football preview magazine you can get your hands on to get ready for the upcoming season. The rise blogs and digital content has taken away some of that fun, but not for me. I still love the pre-season football magazines and pick up a few each year. The NDInsider Season preview might become a fixture in that mix.
Tyler James at NDInsider/South Bend Tribune hooked up a copy of this year’s magazine and it did not disappoint.
Some of the features include:
- A look at Torii Hunter becoming Notre Dame’s #1 Wide Receiver
- 3-Star recruits who have out-performed their ratings
- A profile of MIKE Nyles Morgan explaining how late-night film sessions have helped the junior LB
- Freshman profiles
- Position analysis for all positions
- Staff season predictions
- Much more
One section I particularly liked was Eric Hansen’s piece on reconstructing the Notre Dame secondary. Hansen had some great quotes from Notre Dame great Shane Walton on one of the most maligned members of the 2016 Notre Dame roster – Max Redfield. Here’s an excerpt:
“Physically, there’s no doubt about that, you can see it. Now I’m there every day, so I don’t if it’s scheme issues that he’s not understanding. I don’t know if it’s the mental/emotional part of the game that he’s not understanding. It just hasn’t clicked yet.”
“Everyone is different. Some people come in and right away they get it. Other people the light switch comes on at different times. I think I’ve seen glimpses of that he’ll be the best safety in the nation. You also see the mental mistakes, but he has the ability to be an incredible linchpin on that defense.”
That is some strong praises for a player that was at least temporarily passed on the depth chart by an early enrollee this spring. Let’s hope Walton is right and the light comes on for Redfield.
If you will be spending any time on a beach or traveling the rest of this summer, the NDInsider Preview should be in your carry on. You can pick up a copy for yourself here.
