Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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among juniors with the option to enter the NFL Draft. He makes the Sun Devils' pass rush one of the most dangerous in the country again this year. Defensive End: Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh) The 6-0, 275-pound Donald led the Big East in tackles for loss last season with 1.54 per game. He can line up inside or out and gives Pitt the pressure it needs to complement a talented secondary. Inside Linebacker: Max Bullough (Michigan State) There are plenty of options to choose from on Notre Dame's schedule at middle linebacker, but Bullough's consistency and the weapons around him will make him as productive as anyone in the country this season. Outside Linebacker: Kyle Van Noy (BYU) Van Noy is one of the rare players that can singlehandedly change a game from the defensive side of the ball. His play behind the line of scrimmage makes him one of the best Bronco Mendenhall has ever produced. Cornerback: Lafayette Pitts (Pittsburgh) Pitts made 35 tackles and broke up nine passes as a redshirt freshman last year. The 5-11, 195-pounder has the tools to be a top-level pro prospect and a lot of support around him on the field. Safety: Ed Reynolds (Stanford) The senior makes up one half of what could be the country's best safety tandem this coming fall. His six interceptions last year were the most by any Stanford player since 1973, and the 301 yards he picked up while returning those interceptions were the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision. On The Horizon The established big-time players on Notre Dame's schedule this year are familiar names to football fans. Here are three players you might not know yet, but could be due for a breakthrough season in 2013. 1. RB Justin Davis — USC Davis enrolled early at Southern California this year, which could help him become just the third Trojans running back to start the first game of his freshman year. The fourstar prospect turned heads with a 116-yard performance in USC's spring game and an impressive showing at the spring practices overall. He may have to sit behind senior Silas Redd at the start of the season, but there's no doubt he'll make an impact. 2. WR Lacolton Bester — Oklahoma The senior made three catches last year after transferring from East Mississippi Community College in the summer. He found a spot in Oklahoma's crowded receivers depth chart this spring thanks to some standout performances in practice. The Sooners expect the 6-3, 208-pound Bester to be a big-play threat and a reliable pass catcher in Norman. Like Davis, he has plenty of competition to climb past with Jalen Saunders, Jaz Reynolds and Sterling Shepard all returning this year. 3. RB Jon Lee — Air Force The Falcons have had great success plucking talented running backs from the Greater Atlanta region. Lee, a Bethlehem, Ga. native, looks ready to be the next in that line. He scored a touchdown on the first carry of his college career in 2011. Since then he's averaged 8.7 yards per carry while waiting for his chance to take over as the starter. The job is his to lose this year on a very young Air Force offense. Now in his 15th season at Oklahoma, Bob Stoops has set a high bar with his 149 career wins. Last year's 10-3 finish, including home losses to Kansas State and Notre Dame, was considered a disappointment. photo by bill panzica The Coaches Raw talent can get you only so far in football. Putting the pieces together in the right way takes hard work, experience, expertise and a little bit of luck. The head coaches Notre Dame will face in the 2013 season have won 579 football games in their careers. Only Pittsburgh's Paul Chryst (6-7) has a losing record. Here are the top three head coaches preparing for the Irish this summer. 1. Bob Stoops — Oklahoma (149-37 career record) The 15-year veteran in Norman is the lone coach on Notre Dame's schedule with a national championship ring. He led the Sooners to a title in his second year (2000). Since then his teams have finished outside of the top 25 only once, and outside the top 15 only twice. 2. David Shaw — Stanford (23-4) The calm, reserved Stanford head coach is almost the polar opposite of Jim Harbaugh, the man he succeeded in Palo Alto. Nonetheless, the program's transition to Shaw has been seamless. He has won back-to-back Coach of the Year awards in the Pac-12 and continues to stock up talent at a school that is quickly becoming a national power. 3. Brady Hoke — Michigan (66-57) Hoke is pressing all the right buttons (including Notre Dame's with his offseason "chickening out" comment) for the folks up in Ann Arbor. He is using a blueprint similar to the one Brian Kelly followed to rebuild the Irish, with comparable results so far. He still has more to prove than other coaches on the schedule this year (such as Michigan State's Mark Dantonio), but the ceiling is high for Hoke and the Wolverines. Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview ✦ 115 112-115.Opponent Superlatives.indd 115 6/25/13 11:12 AM