Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/699309
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 113 SPECIAL TEAMS POSITION COACH Scott Booker enters his seventh consecutive year with the Irish, and his fifth as the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. In Booker's debut season as the special teams coordinator in 2012, sophomore Kyle Brindza set single- season school records for field goals made (23), field goals attempted (31) and points by a placekicker (95). Brindza broke his own mark with 98 points in 2013 and wrapped up his career in 2014 as the school's all- time leader in career field goals (57), 50-yard field goals (four) and field goal attempts (81). He finished No. 2 in the school's record book for career field goal percentage (.704) and scoring by a kicker (288), and also tied for the school's longest made kick with a 53-yarder in 2013. Brindza also picked up punting duties prior to the 2013 campaign, averaging 41.3 yards per attempt in his career under Booker. In 2015, the Irish scored four touchdowns on special teams — the most by Notre Dame in a season since 2000. In the process, freshman CJ Sanders joined Allen Rossum (1996) and Vontez Duff (2002) as the only Irish players to return both a punt and a kickoff for a TD in the same season. Sanders was as one of seven Football Bowl Subdivision players — and the only rookie — with scores via both a kick and punt return. The kicking game also continued to thrive, with Justin Yoon ranking sixth overall and first among freshmen in the country for field goal percentage (.882; 15 of 17). In addition, sophomore Tyler Newsome ranked 15th in the nation with a 44.5-yard punting average — best of any first-year player in the land. RETURNING PLAYERS SCOTT DALY • LS 5th-Sr. • Downers Grove, Ill. Ht.: 6-1½ • Wt.: 250 Career Highlights: Served as the starting long snapper in all 13 games for each of the past three seasons … Perfect on 253 snapping opportuni- ties the past two years, including 104 extra point tries, 41 field goal attempts and 108 punts … Has recorded three career special teams tackles … Did not see action in 2012. Prep: Ranked as a two-star recruit by Rivals … Was named the National High School Long Snapper of the Year in 2011 … Played tight end and long snapped, help- ing Downers Grove South High go 10-2 and reach the Class 8A state quarterfinals as a senior … Earned special mention on The Chicago Tribune All-State team for 2011 and was an all-conference honoree at tight end in 2010. Personal: Born Feb. 2, 1994 … Enrolled in Mendoza College of Business, majoring in management consulting. TYLER NEWSOME • P/K Jr. • Carrollton, Ga. Ht.: 6-2½ • Wt.: 210 Career Highlights: Earned starting duties at punter and was the primary kickoff specialist in 2015 … Punted 55 timed and averaged 44.5 yards, which stands as the career school re- cord (minimum 50 punts) … Allowed just 22 punt returns all season for 194 yards (8.8 yards per return) … Had 21 punts of more than 50 yards with a long of 62 … Forced seven fair catches with eight touchbacks … Kicked off 84 times for a 61.6-yard average with 21 touchbacks … Served as the backup kicker, punter and kickoff specialist as a rookie in 2014, but did not see action. Prep: Rivals listed him as a three-star prospect, the No. 75 senior in Georgia and the No. 6 kicker in the land … Handled kicks and punts for Carrollton (Ga.) High and was named to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AAAA All-State squad in 2013 … Hit on all five field goal tries and all 78 extra point attempts as a senior … Boomed 76 of his 100 kickoffs for touchbacks, and he also punted 20 times for a 38.7-yard average … His squad went 13-2 and advanced to the Georgia Class AAAA title game … Played in the Semper Fidelis All-American Game. Personal: Born July 14, 1995 … Enrolled in the Men - doza College of Business. Year G Punts Avg. FC I20 Long 2015 13 55 44.5 7 21 62 JUSTIN YOON • K So. • Nashville, Tenn. Ht.: 5-9¾ • Wt.: 190 Career Highlights: Saw action in all 13 games and served as the team's primary placekicker … Tabbed as a Freshman All-American by 247Sports, ESPN and Sporting News … Led the team in scoring with 95 points — the most by a freshman and the third most in a single season by a placekicker in school history … Was the first rookie to lead the Irish in scoring since placekicker Brandon Walker in 2007 … Connected on 50 of 52 extra point tries and 15 of 17 field goal attempts … Hit a career-long 52-yard field goal against Navy. Prep: Rivals' top-ranked kicker in the class of 2015 … Kohl's Kicking also listed Yoon atop its kicker rankings … Sidelined for most of his senior season with a back injury, but still converted 4 of 6 field goal attempts with a long of 52 yards … Tabbed as a 2014 Ray Guy ProKicker.com first-team All-American after a second-team selection in 2013 … Played in the Under Armour All-American Game and made a game-record three field goals, including the longest ever with a 47-yarder. Personal: Born Oct. 7, 1995 … His father, Jiseop, is a former Olympic figure skater … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. Year G PAT FG LG Pts. 2015 13 50-52 15-17 52 95 NEWCOMER JOHN SHANNON • LS Fr. • Lake Forest, Ill. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 220 Prep: Rated as the nation's No. 1 long snapper by 247Sports, and was listed No. 5 by ESPN and No. 10 by Scout … Did not miss a snap during his three varsity sea- sons at Loyola Academy, where his teams finished 37-5, highlighted by a 14-0 campaign and Class 8A Illinois state title as a senior … Started at linebacker before dislocat- ing his shoulder early in his senior season after he had recorded 15 tackles … At the Rubio Long Snapping Camp, had his ball speed for 15 yards measured at 0.59 sec- onds, which is faster than the college benchmark of 0.75. Personal: Born Dec. 17, 1997 … His grandfather, Dan Shannon, was an end and co-captain of the 1954 Notre Dame team … His father, Gerard, also is a Notre Dame graduate and his mother, Elizabeth, graduated from St. Mary's College … Plans to enroll in Mendoza School of Business. PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES BGI'S 2016 DEPTH CHART No. Kicker Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 19 Justin Yoon 5-9¾ 190 So./3 No. Punter Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 85 Tyler Newsome 6-2½ 210 Jr./3 No. Long Snapper Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 61 Scott Daly 6-1½ 250 5th/1 54 John Shannon 6-2 220 Fr./4 In 2015, special teams coordinator Scott Booker's unit scored four touchdowns — via a fake field goal, a blocked punt, and kick and punt returns — which were the most for Notre Dame since 2000. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA