Last spring, Matthias Farley was moved from safety to cornerback. After spending the better part of two seasons as a starter along the back line, Brian Kelly’s decision to shift Farley to cornerback—where the depth chart looked stocked with ascending talent—felt like a demotion after a poor 2013 season, even if the Irish head coach promised it wasn’t.
After KeiVarae Russell’s departure and Cody Riggs’ move outside, Farley’s shift to nickel back was the shrewdest personnel decision on the roster. After struggling through an injury-plagued 2013, Farley became the closest thing the Irish had to a playmaker in the secondary, sharing the team lead in interceptions while finishing second in sacks and fifth in TFLs.