Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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is thicker, stronger and a better all- around athlete. Boykin will play in 2016, but if he performs well enough during the spring he could push Robinson back into the rotational role he had the last two seasons. Both will have to shine during the spring and gain the trust of the coaching staff. If they do not establish themselves, a pair of freshmen — Ja- von McKinley and Chase Claypool — will be ready to push the veterans for playing time and touches. TIGHT END Notre Dame has a trio of appealing options at tight end thanks to the re- turn of senior Durham Smythe, junior Nic Weishar and sophomore Alizé Jones. All three will play next season, but questions remain about how much production the unit will provide and which player — or players — will get the majority of the snaps. Smythe has the best combination of blocking and receiving skills, but he has not been able to stay healthy at Notre Dame. Weishar is a quality pass catcher and improved as a blocker last season. Jones is the most talented figure and has the physical skills to become Notre Dame's next great tight end. The three will push each other all spring for the starting roll. With Smythe sidelined for much of the 2015 season, Jones and Weishar were able to earn quality reps — and both actually enter the spring with more game experience than Smythe. If the senior cannot stay healthy, he will find himself buried on the depth chart. The player who proves to be most effective in the pass game will ensure himself a role in the offense, because the Irish will have a lot of new faces at receiver. If that player also can han- dle himself in the run game, he could become the every-down tight end. If more than one player proves him- self worthy, Notre Dame will become a more versatility offense that can run and throw the ball with equal effec- tiveness out of a two-tight-end align- ment. ✦ Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand must replace three outgoing starters from the 2015 five-man unit: left tackle Ronnie Stanley, center Nick Martin and right guard Steve Elmer. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND