Notre Dame Football: 5 Key Skill Position Players to Watch in 2016
By Kyle Nishida
Safety Max Redfield
Max Redfield has been labelled as the Fighting Irish’s most inconsistent defensive player in the past. As a senior, he seems posed to shake off that label and become the playmaking safety everyone thought he could be.
There were high expectations put on Redfield even before he got Notre Dame. He was a five-star safety coming out of high school and was viewed as the headliner of the Fighting Irish’s 2012 recruiting class.
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Unfortunately, Redfield has struggled to live up to those expectations. He is an athletic specimen, and he has the mental toughness to be a star safety for the Irish. However, he has never been great on game day.
On some occasions, he has not even been able to step on to the field. He broke team rules and was sent home before the Irish’s Fiesta Bowl appearance against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
As a junior, Redfield recorded 64 total tackles in 10 games. He also had two tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. He played through a broken hand early in the 2015 season, which could be why he played poorly at times.
Even with his past failures, Redfield could potentially have a great 2016 season. During preseason practices, Brian Kelly has been giving Redfield first-team reps and has loved his play so far.
"“Been very pleased with Max Redfield. He has elevated to that level of consistent performer. I hate to throw kind of clichés around, but he’s been that guy that everybody was hoping for out of high school. He’s playing at that level. He’s at an elite level, the way he’s practicing; the way his volume has increased where he can go all day and play at a high level.”"
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While Max Redfield has been a punching bag for Notre Dame fans, he could work his way into their good graces in 2016. It sounds like he is primed for a breakout 2016 season.