Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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114 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY BRYAN DRISKELL N otre Dame faces a schedule that consists of nine bowl teams from a season ago. If the Irish want to make a run at the College Football Playoff, they will have to overcome a sched- ule replete with top units. Best Offensive Backfields 1. Miami — Junior quarterback Brad Kaaya is looking to emerge as one of the nation's top signal-callers after throwing for 3,238 yards and 16 touchdowns with just five interceptions in 389 pass attempts a season ago. Miami also returns junior running back Joseph Yearby, who rushed for 1,002 yards and six touchdowns in 2015. Yearby will split time with sophomore Mark Walton (nine touchdowns in 2015) and 235-pound junior Gus Edwards. 2. Stanford — 2015 Heisman Trophy runner-up Christian McCaffrey, now a junior, set an NCAA record with 3,864 all-purpose yards last year, besting the mark previously held by Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State. Electric sopho- more Bryce Love (7.8 yards per carry in 2015) helps give Stan- ford one of the na- tion's top backfields. The question for the Cardinal is who replaces Kevin Hogan at quarter- back? Junior Keller Chryst — the nephew of Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst — is poised to win the starting spot. 3. USC — Redshirt junior Max Browne is expected to become the starter at quarter- back, but redshirt freshman Sam Darnold pushed him all spring. Browne has a big-time arm, but just 19 career passes. Dynamic sophomore Ronald Jones and senior Justin Davis combined to average 5.9 yards per carry while racking up 1,889 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground last season. Jones is a home run threat, evidenced by his 65-yard run against Notre Dame. Best Receivers/ Tight Ends 1. USC — The starter at quarterback will have a game-breaking group of pass catch- ers, led by Athlon preseason first-team All- American JuJu Smith-Schuster. The junior hauled in 89 passes for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns a season ago. Senior Darreus Rodgers and redshirt junior Steven Mitchell return, but their rotation spots are tenuous due to the presence of senior De'Quan Hampton plus fresh- men Tyler Vaughns, Michael Pittman and Josh Imatorbhebhe. Junior cornerback Adoree' Jackson adds speed and playmak- ing ability in spot receiver duty. 2. Virginia Tech — Last season, junior Isaiah Ford set Vir- ginia Tech records with 1,164 receiv- ing yards and 11 touchdown grabs despite the Hokies' quarter- back issues. The speedster should thrive in Virginia Tech's new up- tempo spread offense. J u n i o r wide receiver Cam Phillips complements Ford well after catching 49 passes for 582 yards in 2015. Redshirt junior tight end Bucky Hodges runs like a wide receiver despite being 6-7 and 245 pounds. He reeled in 40 passes for 530 yards and six scores last season. 3. Texas — Proven production is thin, but the Longhorns do have the capability to thrive in new coordinator Sterlin Gilbert's pass- heavy offense. Speedy sophomore John Burt is the top returner, with the size (6-3, 189) and skill to have a breakout season. A pair of juniors — Armanti Foreman and Lorenzo Joe — provide depth, but freshman Collin Johnson could emerge as the top man opposite Burt. Johnson enrolled early and was a spring standout, using his size (6-6, 212) to excel on the outside. Best Offensive Lines 1. USC — The Trojans return all five start- ers from a season ago and have a unit that has a combined 116 career starts. USC is led by 6-9 fifth-year senior right tackle Zach Banner, a preseason first-team All-American according to Athlon. Massive junior guards Damien Mama (6-4, 355) and Viane Talamaivao (6-2, 320) are mov- ers inside, but the key returner is junior Toa Lobendahn. Lobendahn has started at four dif- ferent spots, but has finally settled in at center. 2. Virginia Tech — Returning 89 career starts along the line should help new head coach Justin Fuente get his offense rolling early on. Senior left tackle Jonathan McLaugh- lin is a four-year starter, combining with red- shirt junior left guard Wyatt Teller to give Vir- ginia Tech arguably the best left side on Notre Dame's schedule. Virginia Tech has to settle on a right tackle, and it must improve its pass blocking. The Hokies allowed their quarterbacks to be sacked 34 times last season. 3. Texas — The Longhorns' line was an area of weakness for much of the 2015 season, but Packed Full Of PLAYMAKERS Notre Dame's 2016 schedule is loaded with dynamic skill players on both sides of the football Redshirt junior left guard Wyatt Teller leads an experienced and talented Virginia Tech offensive line. PHOTO COURTESY VIRGINIA TECH