Notre Dame Fighting Irish sophomore defensive end Stephon Tuitt made his mark with a 77-yard return for a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the team's 50-10 victory over Navy in Dublin, Ireland, and now he is looking to build on that early success. The former five-star recruit has impressed head coach Brian Kelly with his mission to dominate (quotes via CSN-Chicago):
"The only word I remember him using was dominate; dominate in the classroom, which he did in the summer, over 3.5 (GPA)," coach Brian Kelly said. "He's been on this mission of, whatever it is, and it's not just football, it's everything in his life, it's film study -- last night, he's in there film studying, taking notes, and I think he's just a very, very driven young man right now. The fire is lit with him to dominate and be the best at everything he does."
Kelly also mentioned that the 300-pound lineman ran with cornerbacks during drills in fall camp, which is a nod to Tuitt's freakish combination of size and speed that allowed him to cover wide receivers at times in practice. If Tuitt can continue to produce big plays, the Notre Dame defense could be primed for a big year.
For more Fighting Irish coverage, visit SB Nation's One Foot Down, College Football Hub, and SB Nation Chicago.