Over the last few seasons, there is one thing that has been consistent throughout that time: if Shaun Crawford is available, Notre Dame can field an excellent nickel defense. If he is not, then they cannot. It’s been that way ever since he arrived during the fall of 2015.
He famously beat out 5th year senior and future NFL starter Matthias Farley for the starting nickel spot one week into fall camp of his freshman season, only to be lost to an ACL injury two weeks prior to the season kicking off.