Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/531612
54 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Fuller a true nightmare matchup. Not only do you have to worry about him running by you, now you have to worry about him turning your off coverage into a big gainer on a pass thrown behind the line of scrimmage. "He's a young guy gaining confidence," Kelly said of Fuller after the victory over Syra- cuse. "We're really trying to get him to think in those terms, really believe in himself. I be- lieve in him, and I think at times I want him to carry himself in that fashion, that you get me the ball and I'm going to make plays." As Fuller's confidence grew, so did his big- game performances. He torched North Caro- lina for 133 yards and two more touchdowns. Against then-defending national champion Florida State, Fuller had eight catches and scored an 11-yard touchdown to put the Irish up in the third quarter. He also drew a pass interference in the end zone that set up Notre Dame's first touchdown. He had 95 yards and a score at Arizona State, 159 yards and three scores against Northwestern, and 109 yards and a score ver- sus Louisville's vaunted pass defense. It was the most yards by any receiver against the Cardinals defense in two seasons. When the run was over, Fuller had emerged as one of the best playmakers in the country. "He's a factor in every game we've played. Louisville had probably two of the better cor- ners in the country and he ran by them at will," Kelly said after the 31-28 loss to Louisville. "He has, obviously, put himself in position to be considered one of Notre Dame's finest receivers, and he's done it in very short order." The numbers at the end of the season spoke for themselves. Fuller did his damage against a schedule that had nine defensive backs cho- sen in the first four rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft. That does not include Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey or LSU corner Tre'Davious White, two players who are pro- jected in the first round of several 2016 mock drafts. Plenty Of Work To Be Done For all of his production, maybe the best news was Fuller still has plenty of room for growth. One of the hardest things for a wide re- ceiver to do is to show marked improvement on the fundamental part of his game during a season. Fuller did that last year, improving his route running and after-the-catch skills over the course of the campaign. Part of the reason for that is his desire to improve his game, but the reality is Fuller still needs a lot of work. "Will's got to continue to get stronger so he can dictate his routes instead of being dictated by a more physical defender," Kelly noted. "His work is going to be off the field, not on the field." Fuller is also still learning the nuances when it comes to releases off the line, working to get open against the zone and using his release off the line to manipulate his opponent. "It's his route running, deeper understand- ing of the game, what leverage means, what safety rolled over the top of him means," as- sociate head coach and wide receivers coach Mike Denbrock said. "All the different cov- erage variations that he can see during the course of the season. It's knowledge based and it's also technique based." Another area where Fuller must improve is his consistency catching the football. Dur- ing the 2014 season, Fuller had 11 dropped passes, most of which were relatively simple opportunities. His drops were a result of a lack of focus, something Kelly noted several times a season ago as something Fuller must continue to improve upon. "His drops are specific to wanting to turn quick, short routes where he stops his feet into a bigger play," Kelly explained. "When he's moving his feet, he's pretty good. His concen- tration, he looks at the ball into his hands, so they're specific … it was simply just pulling his eyes away from the catch, so we can work on those things." Fuller takes the criticism in stride, knowing that his coaches are trying to make him better. He has not been shy about stating his desire to be a great player, and he realizes in order to do that his coaches must continue to push him. "I take criticism pretty well, so that just motivates me to practice harder," Fuller said during the 2014 season. "I still have room for a lot of improvement." Beyond The Production Although Fuller was a big-play receiver for the Irish and a threat to score every time he touched the ball, a truly dominant receiver he was not — yet. The best receivers are able to play with greater consistency, carry the offense and make the players around them better. Twice last season Kelly noted that Fuller was not yet primed to take over games. "Right now, he's kind of emerging as that big-play guy. I think we're looking toward him a lot more," Kelly said of Fuller after Notre Dame's victory over North Carolina. "But we have other pieces that really complement him as well. … He needs complementary receiv- ers around him. He can't take over the game by himself." Later in the season, Kelly reiterated that Fuller's 15 touchdown catches a year ago equaled the single-season Notre Dame record. PHOTO BY BY BILL PANZICA