Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 119 will be five-star freshman signees Deon Cain — the No. 4 receiver nationally in the 2015 class according to Rivals — and Ray-Ray McCloud. 2. Stanford — Known for its success at tight end over the last several years, the Cardinal expects to utilize both junior Aus- tin Hooper and redshirt freshman Dalton Schultz in the passing game. Hooper was named preseason first-team All-Pac 12 by Phil Steele's and third-team by Athlon, and Schultz was the No. 3 tight end nationally in the 2013 class according to Rivals. Fifth-year senior quarterback Kevin Ho- gan also gets back fifth-year senior wide re- ceiver Devon Cajuste, who started 11 games in 2014 and snagged five receptions for 68 yards at Notre Dame. 3. USC — Gone is first-team All-Pac-12 wide receiver Nelson Agholor, but the Tro- jans return enough targets and talent to rank in the mix for this category. Sophomore wide receiver JuJu Smith is quarterback Cody Kessler's new go-to target after hauling in 54 catches for 724 yards and five touch- downs as a rookie last year, while redshirt sophomore Steven Mitchell performed well in the spring. Junior college signee Isaac Whitney should work his way into the mix, and two- way sophomore standout Adoree' Jackson is always a threat. Offensive Line 1. Stanford — The Cardinal lost Morris Trophy winner Andrus Peat at tackle to the NFL, but retain both talent and experience in four returning starters. Second-team All- Pac-12 senior offensive tackle Kyle Murphy headlines a unit that will be looking to im- prove Stanford's usually strong rush attack, which fell to 4.3 yards per attempt (64th nationally) last season. Senior guard Joshua Garnett also will con- tend for first-team All-Pac-12 accolades, and was named a preseason third-team All- American by Phil Steele's. 2. USC — Senior center Max Tuerk brings experience, talent and versatility to headline an offensive line that returns all five starters. Tuerk has started 33 games in his Trojans career, including 14 at guard, 13 at center and six at the tackle spots. He was a consensus first-team All-Pac-12 honoree in 2014, and should contend for the Remington Award as the nation's top center in 2015. 3. Georgia Tech — Four starters return to an offensive line that helped the Yellow Jackets average 6.0 yards per rush (No. 6 nationally) and score 47 rushing touchdowns (No. 2) in 2014. Senior tackle Bryan Cham- berlain headlines the group with preseason first-team All-ACC honors (Lindy's) after 13 starts last year, while fellow tackle and fifth- year senior Errin Joe is preseason second- team All-ACC (Lindy's). The largely intact line helped Tech's run- ning backs gain five yards or more on 47.6 percent of their carries last season according to Football Outsiders, the seventh-best rate nationally. Defensive Line 1. USC — Notre Dame doesn't face many elite defensive lines this year, so the Trojans are almost here by default. Still, they re- turn some talent at the position group, even with the departure of top-10 NFL Draft pick Leonard Williams. Fifth-year senior interior linemen Ant- waun Woods and DeIvon Simmons return a combined 81 tackles and 3.5 for loss. Ends Claude Pelon, a fifth-year senior, and Scott Felix, a redshirt junior, both played in all 13 games last season. 2. Boston College — Senior tackle Con- nor Wujciak is one of three starters returning to an Eagles defensive line that held oppo- nents to 3.1 yards per rush (No. 6 nationally) in 2014. Wujciak started all 12 regular-sea- son games last year, earning third-team All- ACC honors from the conference's media and coaches. The unit helped Boston College stuff op- ponents — hit a running back at or behind the line of scrimmage — on 27 percent of their carries last season according to Football Outsiders, the fourth-best rate nationally. 3. Virginia — Defensive end Eli Harold departed for the NFL and was selected in the third round of the draft, but the Cavaliers return their other three starters to the unit, including both interior linemen in David Dean, a senior, and Donte Wilkins, a junior. Dean picked up preseason third-team All- ACC honors from Athlon and fourth-team preseason honors from Phil Steele's after starting all 12 games and finishing with 40 tackles (8.0 for loss) in 2014. The unit held both Pittsburgh's James Conner and Miami's Duke Johnson to less than 100 yards rushing in last season's matchups, the season-low totals for both All-ACC running backs. Linebackers 1. USC — Returning a team-leading 17.0 tackles for loss from 2014 is junior hybrid outside linebacker/safety Su'a Cravens, the most by a non-defensive lineman at the school since Markus Steele in 2000. Fifth-year senior Anthony Sarao brings back the most total tackles (74) from last year's squad, and fifth-year senior Lamar Dawson should round out the unit coming off a knee injury that caused him to miss the last half of 2013 and use a redshirt in 2014. Senior Kyle Murphy headlines a talented Stanford offensive line that could be the strongest Notre Dame faces this year. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA