2017 Notre Dame Football Preview

2017 Notre Dame Football Preview

Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview

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134 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY MATT JONES AND BRYAN DRISKELL A fter tumbling from the preseason rankings and finishing 4-8 in 2016, most national magazines are taking a wait-and-see ap- proach on the 2017 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Here's what those publications had to say about the upcoming season: Athlon Sports This publication calls for Notre Dame to finish 8-4, a four-win improvement over last season. "Everything was reevaluated after a 4-8 season, including the coaching staff, which features six new names and three new coor- dinators, as well as a new strength and con- ditioning coach," Athlon noted. "The offense looks potent, even with the loss of [quarter- back DeShone] Kizer, and the addition of the 34-year-old coordinator Chip Long should provide a supplement to a play menu that needed some diversification. "The key is up front on a defense that is short of proven playmakers from end to end. The back seven looks to be a relative strength." One of the most interesting features is an anonymous opposing coach section, where one coach is hesitant to put the Irish back among college football's elite. "The fallout from 2017 is now you're installing new schemes on both sides and asking the kid [quarterback Bran- don Wimbush] to be a first-year savior," he said. Athlon projects that both fifth-year offen- sive tackle Mike McGlinchey and senior left guard Quenton Nelson will be second-team All-Americans in 2017. The magazine does a preseason ranking of the top position units in college football. Notre Dame's offensive line, which returns four starters, is ranked 10th in the country, followed by the receivers/tight ends at 13th and running backs at 25th. Athlon is high on Notre Dame's running backs and cornerbacks, calling those spots "loaded." Head coach Brian Kelly appears on Ath- lon's ranking of the coaches that enter 2017 on the hot seat. "Kelly is an interesting case," the magazine wrote. "On the positive side: He's won eight games or more six times in seven seasons and reached the BCS National Championship Game in 2012. On the negative side: He's lost at least four games in five of seven seasons, including eight last year. … Despite the nega- tivity, Kelly will have a great opportunity to coach his way back into good graces in 2017 with a team that is more than talented enough to win nine or 10 games." Athlon lists junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush among its "2017 Breakout Players." "Wimbush is coming off a redshirt year af- ter receiving limited snaps as a true freshman in 2015. The [junior] could thrive under new coordinator Chip Long, and his development is critical for Notre Dame's hopes of improve- ment after a 4-8 season." Notre Dame checked in at No. 20 nation- ally in the preseason top 25, behind three opponents on its 2017 schedule: USC was No. 5, Georgia was No. 15 and Stanford was No. 17. Additionally, Miami (Fla.) was No. 23. North Carolina State (27th) fell just below the top grouping. Lindy's Sports Notre Dame's 4-8 season still lingers, and for that reason Lindy's lists Kelly as the No. 1 coach on the hot seat. Despite the previous season's struggles, Lindy's projects Notre Dame to dramatically improve, ranking the Irish as the No. 28 team in the country. Much of the optimism surrounds Notre Dame's offense, assuming Wimbush can handle the job behind center. "If junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush delivers on half the hype that came his way this offseason, Notre Dame's offense could be Kelly's best," the magazine stated. "… Wim- bush will be the story everybody watches as DeShone Kizer's replacement. But how the new starter dovetails with Long's playbook will be what makes or breaks this group." Lindy's believes Wimbush is surrounded by one of the best collection of offensive players in the country, beginning up front. "Early returns on Wimbush have been good — and they should be considering the talent around him," Lindy's said of the Irish offense. "Four starters are back on the line, including a couple of potential 2018 first- round picks in left tackle Mike McGlinchey and left guard Quenton Nelson." McGlinchey and Nelson were ranked by the magazine as the No. 7 dynamic duo in the country, the only offensive line combi- nation to make the list. Nelson is listed as a preseason first-team All-American, while McGlinchey was tabbed for the second team. Lindy's is confident enough in junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush and the weapons around him they predicted that if he "delivers on half the hype that came his way this offseason" then he could direct Brian Kelly's most potent offense yet at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY RICK KIMBALL CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM Magazines are calling for improvements to be made in South Bend

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