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Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis needs a faster defense, and top-notch recruiting classes if the Irish are to challenge for a national championship, writes Allen Pinkett of MSNBC.com.

Allen Pinkett

Take away from LSU's 41-14 win over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl that the Tigers are without question an elite team, and the Irish are an above average team.

For Charlie Weis that's not good enough, but to change it, there's plenty of work ahead for the second-year Notre Dame head coach and his staff.

And with a huge personnel turnover next season, the Irish won't be rocketing up into the class of an LSU, USC or Ohio State for at least a while.

Speed among needs on defense
Where Notre Dame got hurt the most against LSU was in giving up big plays. The LSU receivers got behind the Notre Dame secondary, and when they did the results weren't pretty.

Surrendering big plays is nothing new for Notre Dame, even though the Irish improved by reducing the number of big plays they gave up over last season. Still, Notre Dame gives up too many big plays, and going forward Weis will be intent on recasting his defense with speedier players less prone to getting passed in the fast lane.

Weis is an offensive guru, but even if in the post Brady Quinn era the Irish remain an offense that can score points in bunches against most if not all opponents, Notre Dame doesn't want to be in the position where it has to go out and prevail in scoring shootouts in order to win games.

Notre Dame's best defensive should not be its offense. To become an upper echelon team, Notre Dame needs to be plenty strong on both sides of the ball.

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One area on defense where the Irish certainly need more speed is in the secondary. There could be significant change in this unit as free safety Chinedum Ndukwe and cornerback Mike Richardson have closed out their collegiate careers, and the same may be true for strong safety Tom Zbikowski.

It's thought that with favorable NFL Draft status Zbikowski, who has one year of eligibility left, won't return for a fifth season. Having Zbikowski back would only help the Irish because among other things he brings such a physical presence to the secondary.

I think Zbikowski will talk with Weis and get advice from the right people to best determine where he projects to be taken in April's draft. In my mind it doesn't make sense for a player to leave college football a season early unless he is sure he will be taken in the first or second round.

Seemingly perfectly suited to step in and make the Irish faster in the defensive backfield are Darrin Walls and Raeshon McNeil, both of whom underwent a learning curve as freshman reserves this season.

If Notre Dame gets one of its wishes granted then cornerback Ambrose Wooden, who has year of eligibility remaining, will return. He was hobbled by injury this season, but looked to me like he was back up to speed in the Sugar Bowl.

Turning up the heat
In addition to adding speed to its defensive backfield, Notre Dame needs to get more people on the defensive line that can get to the quarterback.

The speed of opposing wide receivers is negated if the enemy quarterback is under duress and occasionally on his back from the Irish pass rush. That hasn't happened nearly as much as it has to in the future.

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Besides blue-chip defensive linemen that Weis may have among his recruits of last year and this year, one of those from whom I think help will come in the future is Morrice Richardson, a linebacker who'll be a sophomore next season, and who is a pass-rush specialist.

Also on the rise is sophomore-to-be defensive lineman John Ryan, who pleasantly surprised in the Sugar Bowl by making some plays.

And there's the possibility Maurice Crum, who shifted to middle linebacker this season, will move back outside for his senior season. Notre Dame is looking for big things from linebacker Toryan Smith, who will be a sophomore in 2007.

If as expected seniors Travis Thomas and John Brockington apply for and are granted a fifth season, then the linebacking corps -- previously thought to be a possible weakness for 2007 -- will instead be a strength.

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