One of the biggest worries before last season was figuring out exactly how the Irish secondary would survive without the services of Darrin Walls – the man who emerged as the best cornerback on the team in 2007.
Terrail Lambert was expected to an adequate replacement at starter, but depth remained a major concern.
Enter freshman Robert Blanton. Almost from the moment fall camp opened last season, it was obvious Charlie Weis saw something he liked in his new player. Whether it was confidence or just raw talent, the Irish coach felt comfortable that Blanton was a guy that would help the team absorb the loss of Walls.
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Blanton's interception for a touchdown against Purdue helped propel the Irish to a 38-21 victory.
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As it turns out, the first impression Blanton made was right on.
Blanton didn’t play in the opener last season against San Diego State, but he appeared in the other 12 games, and played his way into a starting role for the final four games.
Not only was Blanton terrific in pass coverage – evidenced by two interceptions and three pass breakups – but he also emerged a reliable and hard-hitting tackler, finishing with 33 stops and three tackles for loss.
The defining games of Blanton’s rookie season came against Purdue when he put the Irish on track to victory with a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown. The other was against USC when Blanton recorded a career-high seven tackles, one TFL and added another interception. It seemed like Blanton was the only Irish player on the field against the Trojans.
“When I became the starter last season, it really helped my confidence,” Blanton said. “I always knew I could do the job but it’s always nice to know the coaches trust in you also.”
The one gripe we’ve had about the talented and steady Irish secondary – and maybe its nit-picking – has been about needing to make more game-changing type of plays. And of all the members of this unit, Blanton seems to have the greatest knack for making the big ones.
It showed again in this year’s Blue-Gold Game when Blanton picked off a Jimmy Clausen pass and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown. The play helped Blanton land MVP defensive honors, as did his blanket coverage work against Michael Floyd.
“He just threw the ball straight to me, it wasn’t too hard,” Blanton said of the interception. ?
Weis said the coverage and play wasn’t that simple, though those types of reads and returns are becoming Blanton’s strengths.
“You better realize that the kid is going to challenge you on routes, especially three-step routes,” Weis said. “He’s got ball skills and once he has the ball in his hands, don’t be surprised when the ball ends up in the end zone down at the other end because he knows what to do with it.”
The basic skills are already in place for Blanton to become one of the best Irish cornerbacks in years. So Blanton tried to use spring ball as a chance for some experimentation.
“It allows you to work on things that you may have not done that great during the season,” Blanton said of his spring focus. “It allows you test out some new things you might want to do the next season.”
What’s a good season?
We said it with Raeshon McNeil. We said it with Darrin Walls. We’ll say it with Robert Blanton.
A good season will be landing a starting spot, keeping it, and playing well enough to lead this unit in minutes played.
Blanton got significantly better as last season went along. He recorded 16 of his 33 tackles in the final four games when he started, so that’s the momentum he will carry into his sophomore campaign.
Expect Blanton to record at least 45 tackles this season, be a part of at least six turnovers, and get himself a second career touchdown.
A good sophomore season for Blanton essentially will be to put himself into all-American consideration as a junior.
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