Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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58 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW WIDE RECEIVERS 2010. Riddick was fairly productive in the slot in 2010-11, hauling in 78 passes for 850 yards before returning to running back in 2012. Last season, current senior C.J. Prosise and fifth-year senior Amir Carlisle almost equaled those numbers in 2014, accounting for 53 receptions and 825 receiving yards. The duo picked up the slack for Notre Dame's lack of production from the tight end position (produc- tion dropped from 42 catches for 669 yards in 2013 to 31 catches for 324 yards in 2014), taking advantage of defenses focusing so much on the outside receivers. There were bumps in the road for both players. Carlisle started off strong (nine grabs for 115 yards and two scores through two games) before injuries be- gan to slow him down (14 catches for 194 yards and one TD in the remaining 11 contests), a theme through- out his career. Prosise had a hard time getting comfortable in the slot, making a name more for his drops and mistakes than his receptions early in the season. His inability to consistently catch the football proved dam- aging in late losses to Florida State and Louisville. Carlisle dramatically improved his game during his final spring. He has always been capable of making plays, but it was his ability to consistently perform and stay healthy that stood out. "The guy that has had the most consistent spring is Amir," Kelly said. "Amir Carlisle has probably had the best spring in terms of growth at the position, understanding the position." Despite his struggles catching the ball, Prosise displayed elite ath- leticism. Every time he touched the football he was a threat to score, which he showed by ripping off 13 plays of more than 20 yards on just 39 touches. Only Fuller, with 19, had more gains of 20 or more yards. Prosise was the talk of the spring on offense, but he spent much of it at running back while the Irish coaches worked on prepping him to play out of the backfield and the slot. "I don't think anybody has improved more than he has," Denbrock said. "I watch that kid every day and I like the way he goes about his business. It's really important to him, and he understands the game pretty well for a guy who was a safety when he came here. "He gives us versatility we haven't had since Theo Riddick was here. It's exciting to have a guy who can do both roles. It was born out of necessity with the depth chart at running back, but it's going to pay off in the fall." Just where Prosise spends most of his time remains to be seen. One thing is for certain, in some capacity, he will be on the field a great deal next season. "He'll get every opportunity to take over a starting position, whether it's at wide receiver or whether it's at running back," Kelly said. "It's my job, it's our coaches' job, to get the best 11 players on the field, and right now it's hard to make the case that he's not one of the best 11." When junior Torii Hunter Jr. committed to Notre Dame, it was expected he would become a big-time pass catcher. A broken leg suf- fered as a senior in high school and an early season leg injury last fall kept him from working up the depth chart as quickly as hoped. He was healthy during the spring and focused on working in the slot, after spending most of last season playing outside behind Fuller. "He's got an incredible feel for the game of football," Denbrock said. "On top of that he's a gifted athlete. He can run, he's got really solid hands, and he's very versatile. We can play him inside and outside. We move him around and do a lot of different things with him." "It's been exciting to watch him blossom and develop." Sophomores Corey Holmes and Justin Brent came to Notre Dame as consensus four-star recruits. Their inability to earn playing time speaks more about the talent ahead of them, but the pair still must work to improve their game. "They're doing a lot of good things, but with young players a lot of times its kind of feast or famine," Denbrock explained. "They'll make a spectacular play and then there will be a missed sight adjust or missed assignment. "They've got to get more consistent with what they do on a day-to- day level and continue to learn the little nuances and ins and outs. We want to get where we've got enough confidence in them and they've got enough confidence to get out there and contribute to our football team." ✦ PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★ National Title Caliber; ★★★ Playoff Contention; ★★ Top 25 Potential; ★ Too Unproven Starters ★★★ The Irish return all three starters from a season ago, and a total of five players with multiple starts under their belt. Junior Will Fuller has cemented himself as Notre Dame's top receiver, and senior Chris Brown developed into a legitimate No. 2 weapon by the end of the 2014 season. Another excellent spring has put Brown in position to cap off his career on a strong note. Brown will have junior Corey Robinson nipping at his heels all season long. Much like last season, both will play significant minutes. In the slot, seniors Amir Carlisle and C.J. Prosise are 1A and 1B, depending on what Brian Kelly is trying to accomplish with the early game script. Prosise emerged as the big-play threat at the position, while Carlisle was the more sure-handed player. When Prosise is in the backfield, Carlisle will be able to handle the slot. Experience ★★★½ Every player that took a snap at the position last season returns this fall. Bringing back an entire depth chart is always a positive, but it is only impactful if those players were productive. Despite entering the 2014 season with little combined experience, the unit was highly productive, making their return even more important. Fuller started every game last season, and Brown has 15 career starts under his belt. Prosise and Carlisle split reps and starts in the slot, while Robinson made five starts over the last two seasons. Depth ★★★½ Few teams have the depth situation at the position that Notre Dame possesses entering the 2015 season. Among Power Five conferences, Notre Dame ranks No. 5 in returning receptions at wide receiver and No. 7 in returning receiving yards. Junior Torii Hunter Jr. gained valuable experience last season and will push for more time this fall. Behind him, former top-100 recruits Corey Holmes and Justin Brent, both sophomores, are finding it difficult to move up a talented depth chart. Notre Dame's outstanding incoming freshman haul is going to have a challenging time get- ting on the field as well. Overall Grade ★★★½ Few teams have as much talent and production returning at the wide receiver posi- tion. Notre Dame oozes potential at the position, but in order to become a national championship caliber unit, more is needed. Inconsistency in production, inconsistency in the run game and a case of the drops plagued the unit in 2014. For the wide receivers to realize their enormous potential in 2015, those issues must be addressed and corrected. BY THE NUMBERS 6 Total number of wide receivers to catch at least one touchdown pass in 2014, the most all time at Notre Dame. 9 Number of 1,000-yard receivers Notre Dame has produced over the last 10 sea- sons. Prior to the arrival of Charlie Weis and Brian Kelly, Notre Dame had just two 1,000-yard receivers in its previous 117 seasons. 51 The total number of starts returning at the wide receiver position. Heading into last season's opener against Rice, the Irish had just 13 career starts in the lineup. ND'S YEAR-BY-YEAR RECEIVING YARDS LEADERS Receiving Yards Year Player (Catches) 2005 Jeff Samardzija 1,249 yards (77) 2006 Jeff Samardzija 1,017 yards (78) 2007 Robby Parris 361 yards (29) 2008 Golden Tate 1,080 yards (58) 2009 Golden Tate 1,496 yards (93) 2010 Michael Floyd 1,025 yards (79) 2011 Michael Floyd 1,147 yards (100) 2012 TJ Jones 649 yards (50) 2013 TJ Jones 1,108 yards (70) 2014 Will Fuller 1,094 yards (76)