2016 Notre Dame Football Preview

2016 Notre Dame Football Preview

Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview

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56 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY BRYAN DRISKELL C ontinuity has been a struggle for Notre Dame during head coach Brian Kelly's tenure in South Bend. A run to the national championship game in 2012 was sandwiched between five- and four-loss campaigns. The offense has had moments of brilliance and seasons of disappointment, and the same has happened on defense. One constant under Kelly has been the outstanding wide receiver play. Notre Dame has had a wide receiver amass at least 1,000 yards in five of his six seasons, and three different players surpassed that mark in a season. It started with Michael Floyd (2008-11), who in 2010 had 1,025 yards and 12 scores during Kelly's first year in South Bend. Floyd followed that up by notching a school-record 100-catch season with 1,147 yards and nine scores, while finishing his career as Notre Dame's all-time leader in receptions (271), receiving yards (3,686) and receiving touchdowns (37). Floyd went on to become a first-round draft pick of the Arizona Car- dinals, leaving a void in the offense. In 2012, the Irish replaced his pro- duction with a trio of players, but it was tight end Tyler Eifert (2009-12) who took on much of Floyd's production at the W position. Eifert (50 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns) was named the winner of the Mackey Award, which is given annually to the nation's top tight end. Eifert followed in Floyd's footsteps, leaving for the NFL after the 2012 season. Like Floyd, Eifert was a first-round pick, being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals. Once again the Irish offense needed a replacement to emerge, and in 2013 it was TJ Jones that stepped into the role as leading man. Jones fin- ished his senior season with 70 catches for 1,108 yards and nine scores. Jones was supposed to be replaced in 2014 by then-senior DaVaris Daniels, but an academic suspension resulted in Daniels missing the entire season. Notre Dame entered the season with no returning start- ers and no player with more than 17 career catches (Chris Brown). Into the spotlight emerged then-sophomore Will Fuller, who more than filled the void left by Jones and Daniels. Fuller set Notre Dame sophomore records with 76 receptions and 1,094 yards, and tied the school's all-time single-season record with 15 touchdown receptions. Fuller was even better in 2015, racking up 62 catches for 1,258 yards and 14 scores. Following the season, Fuller decided to forgo his final season of eligibility, taking his 144 career receptions, 2,512 career yards and 30 career touchdowns to the NFL, a decision that ended with him being chosen by the Houston Texans in the first round. Notre Dame must also replace graduated seniors Chris Brown and Amir Carlisle as well as Corey Robinson, who retired from football in June due to suffering multiple concussions. The Irish receiving corps must replace 84.0 percent of its receptions from last season, 86.7 per- cent of its receiving yards and 90.1 percent of its receiving touchdowns. The previous tasks were tough, but the mountain the returning group of receivers must climb is the most difficult challenge yet. Expectations surrounding senior wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. are sky high. Despite having just 35 career receptions in three seasons, he is being counted on to replace Fuller as the team's big-play weapon on the outside. Hunter Jr. moved into Fuller's X position and was a spring standout for the Irish. He capped off the spring by catching three passes for a team-leading 79 yards in the Blue-Gold Game, highlighed by a 50-yard reception that he hauled in with one hand. WIDE RECEIVERS FILLING THE VOID Heavy personnel losses have created opportunities for talented — but green — pass catchers QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Mike Denbrock (10th year at Notre Dame, 5th with wide receivers) Returning Starters: None Departing Starters: X Will Fuller (29 career starts), W Chris Brown (27) and Z Amir Carlisle (19, with 4 at RB) Projected New Starters: X Torii Hunter Jr. (1), W Equanimeous St. Brown and Z Corey Holmes Top Reserves: Z CJ Sanders and Y Miles Boykin Waiting His Turn: Z Chris Finke Newcomers: X Kevin Stepherson, Y Javon McKinley and X Chase Claypool Moved In: None Other Departures: X Jalen Guyton (suspended/transfer) and X Corey Robinson (retired due to concussions) FYI: Holmes (4.39) and Hunter Jr. (4.43) reportedly posted the team's two fastest 40-yard dash times during winter workouts … Lindy's Sports ranked the Notre Dame pass catchers as the 10th-best receiving corps in the country, and Hunter as the na - tion's 16th-best receiver heading into the season … Athlon Sports ranked the Irish receivers 23rd nationally … Phil Steele's 2016 College Football Preview tabbed the Irish pass catchers as the 36th-best group in the land … The only receiver included in Phil Steele's individual rankings was the now-retired Robinson at No. 36 … Hunter Jr. received a cumulative plus-7.8 grade from Pro Football Focus despite playing in just 37.7 percent of the team's snaps in 2015 … Senior linebacker James Onwualu, who arrived in South Bend as a wideout before switching positions, boasts more career starts (four) at wide receiver than the entire current receiving corps (one, by Hunter Jr.). Junior Corey Holmes was a constant standout during the spring and posted a team-best time of 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash during winter workouts. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS

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