Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 57 WIDE RECEIVERS yards (10.5 yards per catch) over the first seven games, Brown pro- duced 18 receptions and 327 receiving yards (18.2 yards per catch) in the season's final six games. "I've just seen a look in his eye that has the makings for me of what I've wanted to see from him all year," Kelly said of Brown, following solid performances against Northwestern and Louisville (a combined five catches for 54 yards). "He wants it bad. … He's ascending, and putting himself in a position that he's saying, 'I want the ball, get me the ball.' He's catching the football and making tough catches." According to Kelly, Brown's emer- gence could be attributed to an attitude change. "He decided that nobody's going to take away my reps," the coach said. "Nobody's going to encroach upon my time, and when I get my shot I'm going to make the best of it. I think he's made that decision on his own, that his actions speak louder than any words." Even with the improved play down the stretch, Brown can be better. "Chris continues to improve. He's got to get more consistent with catching," wide receivers coach Mike Denbrock noted. "He has had some opportunities to make plays for us that haven't been made, and nobody knows that more than him. He's a really conscientious kid, and he's stepped up to bring us tremendous leadership." Another strong spring has Brown back in position to be a go-to player, but he was in the same position last fall. "His game is really moving," Denbrock said after spring practice. "He just needs to get more consistent when the lights are on and it's time to make a play." The same can be said of Robinson, who has shown flashes of bril- liance in his first two seasons. Robinson was excellent in Notre Dame's last second loss to Florida State, scoring twice and appearing to catch the game-winning touchdown before an offensive pass interference penalty negated the TD. Playing with consistency and solid fundamentals has not been a strong suit for Robinson, who had a number of drops end up as turn- overs last season. In many ways, Robinson is still relatively new to the game of football. He works hard at improving his craft, looking to become a complete player and not simply an athlete who is more about potential than production. "He really wants to learn the game every day," Kelly said. "It's new to him, and so many different things occur. That's fun as a coach and teacher when you get somebody that is in so many ways learning every day that he steps on the practice field." Despite missing a big chunk of the spring with a concussion, Rob- inson heads into the season in position to contribute more to the Irish. Getting Brown and Robinson playing well together, and producing with consistency, would make Notre Dame's pass game extremely dif- ficult to slow down. The slot position is a vital cog to Notre Dame's offense. It is why Kelly moved Theo Riddick to the position when he first arrived in FRESHMAN WIDEOUTS TRY TO BREAK INTO THE LINEUP In most years, a freshman class of receivers as talented as Notre Dame's incoming group, which was ranked No. 2 in the nation by Lindy's, would be garnering plenty of excitement. The lack of talk about who is going to beat out whom shows the depth and talent of the returning wideouts. Junior Will Fuller had a breakout season last fall. Junior Corey Robinson has drawn praise for his upside, with some even saying he is a potential first round pick. Senior Chris Brown is the vocal leader, fifth-year senior Amir Carlisle is experienced, and no player garnered more excitement about his spring performance than senior C.J. Prosise. This does not include former top recruits such as junior Torii Hunter Jr., sophomore Corey Holmes or sophomore Justin Brent, who are working to get into the two-deep. According to Kelly, the upperclassmen need to be on their games. "I've got some receivers coming in that are going to push all of them," Kelly said in April. "There's going to be some eyes opened. I think they're all going to get chal- lenged by the group of receivers we have coming in. They all want to play and I'm not going to hold them back." Challenge issued. The most talented freshman might be Equanimeous St. Brown, who spoke in Ger- man, French and English while making his signing day announcement. "He's just a great kid, and he's got great range," Kelly said of the 6-5 standout from California. "He's a matchup guy that I think you're going to have problems with." The most productive player of the group is Allen, Texas, standout Jalen Guyton, who has three state championships on his résumé. Guyton hauled in 82 passes for 1,770 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior. "He was the go-to-guy, playing at the highest competition level in the state of Texas," Kelly explained. "We see him as a versatile player that can play the X, the Z or the W. … We love his ability to catch the football in traffic and his toughness." Speedy CJ Sanders, another California native, is the most exciting player. He opened eyes last summer, running a blazing-fast, 4.32-second 40-yard dash at The Opening, a Nike-sponsored, invite-only camp in Oregon for the nation's best players. "He's a guy that can open up the game for you with one missed tackle," Kelly said. "You won't be able to catch him — he has elite speed. He's got really good instincts and is a guy that we're looking forward to developing." The most physical player in the group is Tinley Park (Ill.) Providence Catholic pass catcher Miles Boykin. The 6-3, 225-pounder racked up 65 grabs for 1,035 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior, while leading Providence Catholic to a state championship. "He gives us a great matchup on the perimeter," Kelly said. "He's got great range, can use his body extremely well, has a great catching radius and can go up with the football. He can separate." Despite the returning talent, do not be surprised to see at least one freshman re- ceiver find a way to make an impact this fall. — Bryan Driskell QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Mike Denbrock (6th year at Notre Dame, 1st as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator) Returning Starters: Will Fuller (16 career starts), Chris Brown (15) and C.J. Prosise (9) Departing Starters: None Projected New Starters: None Top Reserves: Corey Robinson (5), Amir Carlisle (10, 4 at RB) and Torii Hunter Jr. Waiting Their Turn: Corey Holmes and Justin Brent Newcomers: Miles Boykin, Jalen Guyton, CJ Sanders and Equanimeous St. Brown Moved In: None Other Departures: None FYI: The wide receiver unit is ranked No. 8 nationally by Athlon Sports College Foot- ball Preview … Fuller was ranked as the nation's No. 7 overall wide receiver by Lindy's Sports College Football National 2015 Preview … Notre Dame's wide receivers set school position records with 214 receptions and 3,071 receiving yards in 2014 … Their 27 touchdowns tied for second all time, trailing only the 2005 unit that caught 29 … Last season marked the first time in school history that Notre Dame had five wide re- ceivers with at least 20 receptions; the previous high was four in both 2007 and 2009 … It was also the first time in school history that at least four wide receivers had at least 500 receiving yards; in fact, no previous Notre Dame team had more than three players at any position with at least 500 receiving yards in the same season … Eleven of the 12 receivers were ranked as a four-star recruit by at least one service, with Brown being the lone exception … Carlisle, Hunter Jr., Holmes, Brent and St. Brown were all ranked as top-100 players nationally. Senior Chris Brown played his best football in the final six games of 2014, catching 18 passes for 327 yards (18.2 yards per reception). PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA