Welcome to another edition of Wu Am I? for the 2009 season. Once again- I am trying to identify the 36 players of impact for the 2009 squad. So without any further bullshit, I open chambers 29 & 30…
Raeshon McNeil #8
Cornerback
6’0″ 190 lbs.
Senior
Cooleemee, North Carolina
Wu Name: Shaolin Tha Ill-Figure
Raeshon McNeil was one of 5 freshman defensive backs to arrive at Notre Dame in the summer of 2006. McNeil and Walls were the celebrated duo, that Irish fans hoped would change the fortune of the pass defense- which had turned into a very real nightmare. Instead, it was a slower process than some anticipated- yet a normal one as well. McNeil should have red-shirted his freshman year but saw mop up duty and special teams action. His sophomore year saw McNeil playing a larger role as the primary nickel back, and he showed great aptitude towards the art of blitzing. In the spring before his junior year, McNeil was touted as the retuning nickel back, and key back-up at corner. That changed once Walls left school- leaving a big hole at a vital position. McNeil played well, his junior year at corner. Irish fans will always bitch and moan about a few plays here and there, but McNeil was steady and had 2 INT’s and 11 pass break ups.
2009 presents another challenge for McNeil. The return of Darrin Walls, the emergence of Robert Blanton, and solid play at the nickel from Sergio Brown- means the competition will be fierce. Through it all, I believe Raeshon will take these challenges head on, and make a big impact for the Irish defense. Starter or not- McNeil will be playing quite a bit throughout the entire game. Just don’t be too surprised when he is making plays-whether against the pass, against the run, or as a pass rusher. Raeshon will be consistent, and Raeshon will cut you down.
Kapron Lewis-Moore #89
Defensive End
6’4″ 257 lbs.
Sophomore
Weatherford, Texas
Wu Name: Radiophonic Oddity
KLM was a last minute surprise for the incoming class of 2008. Kapron pulled the trigger one day before signing day (from what I remember), spurning Texas A&M- a school KLM was previously committed to before the switch. Lewis-Moore was touted as a premier pass rusher and had infinite potential as well as room to grow on his wide frame. Kapron redshirted his freshman year, but came into the spring as the #1 defensive end! That says a lot about how the staff feels about KLM. An injury stopped what any kind of real look we could have gotten of Kapron.
So, yeah. We really don’t know a lot about Kapron Lewis-Moore. We know what we have been told- and we can look at depth charts. There is room for help at the end. I think that KLM could have probably seen the field last year, but the staff probably wanted another year of shine before they unleashed this ravenous beast upon mankind. I like that theory- and that’s what I’m sticking with.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ITLNzPoEqs&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00
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