Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/841614
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 63 WIDE RECEIVERS POSITION COACH DelVaughn Alexander, a coach‑ ing veteran with more than two decades of experience at the col‑ legiate level, is entering his first season as Notre Dame's wide re‑ ceivers coach. He came to South Bend follow‑ ing five seasons at Arizona State. He coached wide receivers and oversaw the Sun Devils' passing game from 2012‑15 before moving to tight ends for the 2016 campaign. While in Tempe, Ariz., he helped wide receiver Jaelen Strong achieve a career season in 2014. Strong hauled in 82 catches for 1,165 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to All‑Pac‑12 honors, and was taken in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Prior to his time with the Sun Devils, Alexander spent five seasons (2007‑11) at Wisconsin as the wide receivers coach. He was a part of two Big Ten championships and five bowl appearances, including back‑to‑back Rose Bowls in 2010 and 2011. Alexander also served as the running backs coach, assistant travel coordinator, assistant special teams coordinator and NCAA rules representative at the University of San Diego (2005‑06) under then‑head coach Jim Harbaugh. In addition, he was the recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach at Oregon State (2003‑04), and coached wide receivers and quarterbacks at UNLV (2000‑02). In 1999, he worked for the San Diego Chargers as a senior offensive assistant. The Los Angeles native spent two years as a wide receiver for his hometown USC Trojans (1993‑94) while lettering in both football and track, and earned his bachelor's degree in social sciences/history in 1995. He began his coaching career at his alma mater that same year, serving as an assistant video coordinator. He spent the next two years (1996‑97) as a graduate assistant for the Trojans, working with the tight ends. RETURNING PLAYERS MILES BOYKIN • WR Jr. • Tinley Park, Ill. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 225 Career Highlights: Caught six passes for 81 yards (13.5 per re‑ ception) and one touchdown while seeing action in all 12 games last year … Did not play in 2015. Prep: Listed as a four‑star recruit, the No. 3 se‑ nior in Illinois, and the nation's No. 17 wideout and No. 156 overall prospect by Rivals … Despite missing three games with an injury, he posted 65 receptions for 1,035 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior for the Illinois Class 7A state champions … Named The Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette 2014 Player of the Year in Illinois … Named all‑state by the newspaper as a junior and senior … One of 27 players selected to The Chicago Tribune's all‑state first team … Invited to play in the Semper Fidelis All‑American Game. Personal: Born Oct. 12, 1996 … His father, George Jr., played linebacker at Chicago Vocational and then at Eastern Illinois University (1985‑89) … Enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business. Year G-GS Rec. Yds. Avg. TD 2016 12‑0 6 81 13.5 1 FREDDY CANTEEN • WR Sr. • Wilmington, Del. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 185 Career Highlights: Announced his transfer from Michigan to Notre Dame in February … Gradu‑ ated from U‑M in three years and is immediately eligible to play his final two years for the Irish … Sat out the 2016 season after undergoing multiple surgeries on his shoulder … Appeared in 15 games and made two starts for the Wolverines from 2014‑15 … Caught six passes for 22 yards and one touchdown. Prep: Rivals ranked him as a four‑star prospect, the No. 9 player in Maryland and the No. 47 wide receiver in the country … Caught 48 passes for 879 yards (18.3 yards per reception) and 10 touchdowns for Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian Academy as a se‑ nior … Earned consensus first‑team all‑state honors. Personal: Born March 12, 1996. Year G-GS Rec. Yds. Avg. TD 2014* 10‑2 5 22 4.4 1 2015* 5‑0 1 0 0.0 0 Totals 15-2 6 22 3.7 1 * At Michigan CHASE CLAYPOOL • WR So. • Abbotsford, B.C. Ht.: 6-4½ • Wt.: 224 Career Highlights: Played in all 12 games in 2016 … Was a special teams standout, finishing with 11 tackles, and notched five recep‑ tions for 81 yards (16.2 per catch) as a wide receiver. Prep: Rated as a four‑star prospect, and the No. 22 wide receiver and No. 109 overall player nationally by Rivals … Is Abbotsford Secondary School's career leader in receptions (79), receiving yards (2,157), receiving touchdowns (29), all‑purpose yards (3,575) and interceptions (six) … Totaled 1,903 yards of of‑ fense and 28 touchdowns as a senior, and added a team‑high 70 tackles, five interceptions and two sacks on defense … Named British Columbia Sec‑ ondary Schools Football Association AA Player of the Year. Personal: Born July 7, 1998 … Is the first Canadian prospect to play for the Irish since Toronto's Bill Mitoulas, who was a linebacker at Notre Dame from 1994‑97 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. Year G-GS Rec. Yds. Avg. TD 2016 12‑0 5 81 16.2 0 CHRIS FINKE • WR Jr. • Kettering, Ohio Ht.: 5-9½ • Wt.: 177 Career Highlights: Came to Notre Dame as a walk‑on in 2015 and earned a scholarship prior to the 2016 campaign … Played in 10 games as a reserve last season … Caught 10 passes for 122 yards and two scores … Also returned nine punts for 70 yards and five kickoffs for 85 yards … Did not see any game action in 2015. Prep: Was unrated by all the major recruiting ser‑ vices … Totaled 1,516 all‑purpose yards and scored 10 touchdowns (six on punt returns, three receiving and one rushing) as a senior at Kettering (Ohio) Archbishop Alter … Played wide receiver and defen‑ sive back, returned punts and kickoffs, and logged some snaps at quarterback. Personal: Born May 2, 1997 … Played at Arch‑ bishop Alter with former Irish quarterback Malik Zaire and current Irish safety Nick Coleman … Also played point guard for the Archbishop Alter bas‑ ketball team and was listed as the No. 81 overall prospect in Ohio by MaxPreps. Year G-GS Rec. Yds. Avg. TD 2016 10‑0 10 122 12.2 2 JAVON MCKINLEY • WR So. • Corona, Calif. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 220 Career Highlights: Appeared in five games last year, primarily on special teams, before being side‑ lined by a broken leg he suffered in practice in late October … Did not record any statistics. Prep: Listed as a four‑star talent, and the No. 11 wideout and No. 59 overall prospect in the country by Rivals … Holds the Inland record with 3,752 career receiving yards and tied the area record with 43 career touchdown receptions … Caught 56 passes for 1,173 yards and 13 touchdowns to lead Centennial to a Pac‑5 championship his senior season … Scored in every game, and added a pair of kickoff return touchdowns to go along with two TD passes … Was tabbed as Cal‑Hi Sports' first‑team multi‑purpose player on its all‑state squad … Was also picked for the USA Today All‑California second team … Totaled 97 catches for a CIF Southern Sec‑ tion single‑season record 2,062 yards and 22 touch‑ downs as a junior … Named to the 2014 MaxPreps All‑America second team and Junior All‑America unit … Was also The Los Angeles Times Back of the Year and the Cal‑Hi Sports State Junior of the Year … Selected for the U.S. Army All‑American Bowl and caught a 12‑yard touchdown pass for the West team in a 37‑9 win. Personal: Born April 10, 1998 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. C.J. SANDERS • WR Jr. • Granada Hills, Calif. Ht.: 5-8 • Wt.: 185 Career Highlights: Saw action in all 12 games and made seven starts at slot receiver while leading the team with 1,165 all‑purpose yards last season … Hauled in 24 catches for 293 yards (12.2 yards per reception) and two touchdowns, plus rushed four times for 22 yards … Returned 29 kickoffs for 725 yards (25.0 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns, and had 10 punt returns for 125 yards (12.5 yards per runback) … Brought back a kick 93 yards for a score versus Syra‑ cuse, plus had a 92‑yard touchdown versus Army … BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 63