Matthias Farley will make his first ever start at safety for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday after Jamoris Slaughter suffered a season-ending Achilles' tendon tear against Michigan State, and Farley is ready to complete his transition from one-time wide receiver to a full-time starting safety. Farley was recruited as a wideout, but he made the switch and has been making situational contributions for the Irish as a safety early in 2012. Now it's his chance to shine, and head coach Brian Kelly knows there will be some bumps along the way (quotes via CSN-Chicago):
"You lose a Jamoris Slaughter, you're losing an A player," coach Brian Kelly said. "Matthias is certainly not at the level yet of a Jamoris Slaughter. He's got to continue to develop. But we have a lot of confidence and trust in him. He'll be getting a lot of work back there."
Notre Dame has jumped out to a 3-0 start this season, so the pressure will be on Farley to keep the back end of the defense secure as the Irish push towards the top of the NCAA rankings.
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