Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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wide receivers the forefront of an Irish receiving corps after three productive seasons, and a much larger workload is inevitable this year with all the development underway with that group. Without much flash, Jones is now the beacon to which the rest of the receivers look. Safeties coach Bob Elliott has a unique perspective on the pivotal player, having spent a lot of time watching Jones work against the Irish defense in practice. "[He] doesn't look as good as maybe some of these big, tall, physi- "He understands what we want from him because we think he can be great. But he's got to move his game up to get there. That's a process we're working on with him. We've seen some good early signs." Head coach Brian Kelly on Davaris Daniels cal receivers that you see, but he's extremely reliable. When we've got to throw it for a first down, he's going to get open and catch the ball. TJ is that guy when we need a drive-extending play. The ball is probably going to TJ, and he's a tough guy to cover. "He's got quickness and he runs great routes. He's smart and he's always in the right place. He knows how to settle into holes in zone coverage and extend in man coverage. Technically he's a really good receiver, but more than that he's just a clutch guy. He's going to make a whole lot of plays for us this year and be crucial in our offense." Identifying a second receiver — one who can collect yards after the catch — is priority No. 1 for receivers coach Mike Denbrock. For the first time since Kelly has been at Notre Dame, though, he'll likely be without an All-American in the passing game. Notre Dame has a handful of quality role players at the receiver position right now, but is still waiting for a game breaker to emerge. Nearly every season since 2005, Notre Dame has had a prolific player lined up at wide receiver that drew heavy attention from opposing defenses and opened up other avenues for the Irish offense: two-time All-American Jeff Samardzija (2005-06), 2009 Biletnikoff Award winner Golden Tate (2007-09), first-round selection Michael Floyd (2008-11) and Eifert (2009-12), who was often flexed wide as a receiver last season. That role now belongs to junior DaVaris Daniels if he wants it bad enough. Daniels developed a strong bond with Golson late last season in his first year on the field. He made 13 of his 31 catches in his last two full games in 2012 (Pittsburgh and Alabama). Expectations were high for Daniels as a freshman, and he started to show some promise late in his sophomore campaign, but the 6‑2, 192-pounder's progress was slowed by a broken collarbone suffered during Notre Dame's win over Boston College. "Daniels, he needs to go and step his game up another level," Kelly said at the start of spring practice. "Just hit him over the head with a stick every day. I mean, really, this is just a matter of him deciding he's going to do it. He's capable of doing it. He wants to do it. We have to show him how to do it. He knows he's the guy in the mix. Sometimes it's a matter of maturation. "He understands what we want from him because we think he can be great. But he's got to move his game up to get there. That's a process we're working on with him. We've seen some good early signs." Due to his injury, Daniels did not play against Wake Forest or Southern California, and there were three games he went without a reception (Michigan State, Brigham Young and Boston College, when he played only the first half before breaking his collarbone). His six catches for 115 yards against the Crimson Tide in the BCS National Championship Game — the only 100-yard receiving game by a Notre Dame player in 2012 — gave Irish fans a glimpse of his true potential. "That's what every kid wants," Daniels said of the opportunity to be the team's leading pass catcher this fall. "Everybody wants to be in that position. The main focus for me was just to come in and work Quick Facts Position Coach: Mike Denbrock (4th year at Notre Dame) Returning Starters: Chris Brown (4 career starts), DaVaris Daniels (3) and TJ Jones (30) Departing Starters: John Goodman (5) and Robby Toma (13) Projected New Starters: C.J. Prosise Top Reserves: Luke Massa and Daniel Smith (4) Waiting Their Turn: William Fuller, Torii Hunter Jr., James Onwualu and Corey Robinson Other Departures: Davonte' Neal (transfer) and Justin Ferguson (transfer) FYI: Robinson missed the last two practices plus the Blue-Gold Game after suffering a hyperextended elbow in an April 13 scrimmage while making a sensational diving catch. His hands were one of the highlights this spring, and he could have a specific role — like the "fade" receiver in the red zone — the way Brown did last year with only the "go" route … Brown used his speed to get on the field as a freshman. He can become an impact player if he has a good offseason in the weight room. Brown, only 172 pounds, needs to add muscle to be more than a one-trick pony … Jones' 111 catches represent 74 percent of the team's returning receiving yards heading into 2013 … Phil Steele's 2013 College Football Preview rated Notre Dame's receivers and tight ends 30th nationally, with Daniels and Jones landing in the No. 54 and No. 60 spots, respectively, out of the 60 receivers the publication ranked. Chris Brown, who saw spot duty as a freshman in 2012 and caught a 50-yard pass that helped the Irish win at Oklahoma, has made strides to become a more complete receiver heading into his second season. photo by bill panzica Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview ✦ 59 58-63.WRs.indd 59 6/25/13 1:00 PM