Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 151 biggest impact through leadership … Despite starting just three games his first three sea- sons, McDaniel was named a team captain prior to his senior year. TROY NIKLAS • TE Anaheim, Calif. (Servite) Prep Ranking: Ranked as a four-star recruit by Rivals, Scout and 247Sports … Scout listed him as the No. 75 overall player in the land … Graded as a tight end (ESPN), offensive tackle (Rivals and Scout) and a defensive end (247Sports). Career Summary: Began his career at outside linebacker, earning a start during 2011 in a 31-13 win over Michigan State … Set a ca- reer high with four tackles in a 16-14 victory over Boston College and finished his fresh- man year with 20 tackles … Moved to tight end in 2012, making seven starts and serving as a blocker for a rushing attack that averaged 189.4 yards per game … Caught five passes for 75 yards that season … Started 13 games in 2013 and hauled in 32 receptions for 498 yards and five touchdowns … His five receiv- ing scores were the second-best single-season mark by a tight end in Irish history, and his 498 receiving yards were the seventh best … Finished his career with 37 receptions for 573 yards and six scores. Final Review: Following his junior season, Niklas declared for the NFL Draft and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the sec- ond round. ANTHONY RABASA • DE Miami (Columbus) Prep Ranking: ESPN graded him as a four-star talent, and the nation's No. 12 defensive end and No. 123 overall player. Career Summary: Played in two games in 2012 and made a tackle against Wake Forest … Ap- peared in five games in 2013, registering six tackles and a tackle for loss … Played three games in 2014. Final Review: Finished with eight tackles (one for loss) in his career … Planned to transfer to Western Michigan for a fifth season, but instead decided to retire from football. JOE SCHMIDT • LB Santa Ana, Calif. (Mater Dei) Prep Ranking: Was not graded by any of the national recruiting services. Career Summary: The preferred walk-on red- shirted in 2011 and played on special teams in 2012 … Earned a scholarship prior to the 2013 season and served as a key backup, making 15 tackles (two for loss) … Started the first eight games in 2014 before a leg injury ended his season … Finished the year with 65 tackles and a pair of interceptions, and was named the team's MVP … Had at least seven tackles in every game … Returned to the lineup in 2015, starting all 13 games … Finished with 78 tackles, second on the team … Made a career-high 13 stops in the loss to Ohio State. Final Review: In a class filled with so much potential star power, it is ironic that a walk- on became a two-year starter and captain, an honor he earned in 2015 … Finished his career with 164 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions. TONY SPRINGMANN • DT Fort Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Dwenger) Prep Ranking: Ranked as a three-star recruit by all four national recruiting services … Graded as the No. 39 strongside end in the country by Rivals. Career Summary: Took a redshirt season in 2011 before becoming a rotation player dur- ing the 2012 season … Registered 11 tackles and two stops for loss that season … Missed the 2013 campaign with a back injury. Final Review: Springmann was a regular as a redshirt freshman in 2012, but back injuries derailed his career … After missing the 2013 season, Springmann was forced to retire from football … Was a student assistant in 2014. STEPHON TUITT • DE Monroe, Ga. (Monroe Area) Prep Ranking: Was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl … Listed as a five-star prospect, and the country's No. 2 strongside defensive end and No. 22 overall player by Rivals. Career Summary: Tuitt was a rotation player as a true freshman in 2011, starting three games … Finished with 30 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks … Started all 13 games in 2012 and led the Irish defense with 13 tackles for loss and 12 sacks … Returned a fumble 77 yards for a touchdown against Navy … Selected as a first-team All-American by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports … Registered 50 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hurries during the 2013 season … Notched two sacks in Notre Dame's 14-10 win over USC … His lone career interception went for a touchdown against Michigan. Final Review: Tuitt was the only five-star re- cruit in the class to meet expectations … Fin- ished with 127 tackles and 25 tackles for loss … His career total of 21.5 sacks is tied for third at Notre Dame since 1982, trailing only Justin Tuck (2002-04) and Kory Minor (1995- 98) … Left school after the 2013 season and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. ISHAQ WILLIAMS • DE Brooklyn, N.Y. (Abraham Lincoln) Prep Ranking: Chosen to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl … Rivals listed him as a five-star talent, and the No. 2 weak- side end and No. 16 overall player in the land. Career Summary: Played in a reserve role dur- ing his freshman season, making six tackles (one for loss) … Registered 22 stops, 3.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry in a backup role in 2012 … Made his first career start during the 2013 season in a 45-10 vic- tory over Air Force … Finished the 2013 season with 17 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Final Review: Concluded his career with 45 tackles and six tackles for loss, not the pro- duction expected of a five-star recruit … Was set to start the 2014 season at defensive end, but was suspended for the season because of academics. ✦ FINAL GRADE: C- Without major contributions from the 2011 class, Notre Dame does not play for the national cham- pionship in 2012. Six players from the class started multiple games for the Irish that season. Shortly after its arrival, the class came crashing down to earth. Standout defensive end Aaron Lynch transferred after one season, four players were sus- pended for different academic fraud issues and four other players saw their careers ended early by injury. Of the 23 original signees, 17 left Notre Dame with eligibility remaining. The class is known more for what went wrong and not the impact it had in its first two seasons. After hauling in 32 passes for 498 yards during the 2013 season, tight end Troy Niklas was taken in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA