5 standouts from Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold Game

5. Nolan Ziegler, LB

There are certainly a few defensive players deserving of having their names on this list, but Ziegler stood above the rest when all was said and done on Saturday. Ziegler didn’t see the field much in his first year with the Fighting Irish, but could become a potential impact player for the defense in year two. During the Blue-Gold game, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker made 10 tackles, nine of which were solo, and one that went for loss. He and fellow second-year linebacker Jaylen Sneed looked quick and aggressive throughout the game. So too did some of Notre Dame’s most-hyped defensive freshmen like Jaiden Ausberry and Drayk Bowen. If each of those guys continue to develop through the fall, Al Golden’s defensive unit could become a force to be reckoned with.