Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 PRESEASON 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED chine throughout his brief career, posting seven runs of at least 41 yards, with five of those runs going for at least 62 yards. He broke Notre Dame's freshman rushing record, pil- ing up 835 yards in 2015, including setting the program's single-game rushing mark by a rookie with a 168- yard performance against Stanford. Now a junior, the Warrington, Pa., native has emerged as the lead back for the Irish offense. Running behind what some expect to be one of the top lines in college football, Adams is poised for a big jump in production. The arrival of offensive coordinator Chip Long, whose offense is known as friendly to running backs in the pass game, should put the ability of Adams to make an impact in the pass game on full display. 5. WR EQUANIMEOUS ST. BROWN Blue & Gold Illustrated tabbed St. Brown as the No. 1 breakout can- didate in 2016, and the lanky receiver made good on that prediction by leading the Irish with 58 catches for 961 yards and nine scores. Heading into his junior season — and second year as a starter — St. Brown must take his game to yet another level. Notre Dame needs him to become a more impactful player, one capable of taking over games to a greater degree than he did last season. There is little question that St. Brown has the ability to become that type of player, but he has yet to show it with any consistency. Notre Dame's up-tempo offense, with its emphasis on quick throws and cre- ating one-on-one opportunities for its receivers, should allow him more opportunities to make impact plays. If he can make the same strides in his third year that former standouts Will Fuller (2013-15), Michael Floyd (2008-11), Golden Tate (2007-09) and Jeff Samardzija (2003-06) made as ju- niors, St. Brown will become one of the top pass catchers in the land. 6. DE DAELIN HAYES Arguably the greatest unknown on this list — and perhaps on the entire roster — is Hayes, who also happens to be in the conversation of being Notre Dame's most physically gifted player. A Rivals five-star recruit when he signed out of Ann Arbor, Mich., in February 2016, Hayes had played fewer than 10 high school games in his career due to a pair of season-end- ing injuries and a move that brought him back to Michigan after moving to California with his mother. Hayes unofficially played only 155 snaps as a true freshman in 2016 and was rarely used to rush the quarter- back. He remained an enigma, but an outstanding spring — capped by a dominating Blue-Gold Game per- formance — has significantly raised expectations for him. The 6-4, 258-pound sophomore has elite athleticism and a knack for getting to the quarterback, which his three sacks in the spring game showed. Can he stay healthy for a full season? Can he turn his talent into production? Those questions remain, but if the answers turn out positive Hayes could become the most impactful player on the roster. Notre Dame's recent pass rushing woes could quickly be answered if Hayes does indeed have a breakout season, which Athlon Sports predicts he will have. 7. QB BRANDON WIMBUSH If this list were about pure talent, there is little doubt that Wimbush would be higher. He is a physically gifted quarterback that has an incred- ibly strong arm, top-shelf athleticism and a reputation as a winner in high school, after leading Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep to a state title in his senior season. Wimbush waited patiently for his time at quarterback, earning the respect of his teammates while he toiled in obscurity behind former starters DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire. Now it is his time to shine, and he will look to make the most of it. The 6-2, 228-pound junior is re- ported to be a tireless worker with the character to match his elite phys- ical tools. Wimbush checks all the boxes coaches look for when recruit- ing a premier quarterback; size, arm talent, athleticism, leadership and high character. What he lacks is experience, and that is where the questions begin. Talent can only take a quarterback so far, and Wimbush must prove that he can translate his tools into consistent production. If he can, he will have a productive season and can turn what looks to be a strong offense that possesses a veteran supporting cast into one of the nation's best. 8. LB GREER MARTINI Martini has done a little bit of ev- erything during his Notre Dame ca- reer, starting at outside linebacker, Mike linebacker and at the former Will spot. He was asked to fill many different roles, and that experience has helped the Cary, N.C., native translate smoothly into the Buck line- backer spot in Elko's defense. Despite starting just four games in 2016, Martini finished third on the team with seven tackles for loss and tied for second with three sacks. In the spring, he quickly seized the starting spot beside Morgan and capped his strong performance with two tackles for loss in the Blue-Gold Game. Like Morgan, Martini has shed about 10 pounds, and the lighter frame is allowing him to play quicker than he has in the past. It is needed at the Buck spot, which has to do a little bit of everything in the Irish defense. Martini will have to hold off junior Te'von Coney, a nine-game starter a year ago who also had a strong fall camp. If he can, Martini will be a highly productive player whose lead- ership should bolster the Irish front. 9. RG ALEX BARS Nelson wasn't the only highly ranked lineman to sign with Notre Dame as part of the 2014 class. Bars was ranked as the No. 98 over- all player in the country by Rivals, and as a freshman Kelly noted that he was one of the most impressive young linemen he had coached in more than 20 years. Bars was erratic in his first season as a starter last fall, showing flashes of the previously mentioned talent but struggling with his conditioning and consistency at right tackle. During the offseason, line coach Harry Hiestand decided to move Bars back to guard, where he made two starts in 2015. Bars, for his part, has labored with dedication to get in better shape and improve his core strength. He arrived at fall camp at a svelte 312 pounds, and his power has noticeably improved. Just as important, Hiestand has stated that Bars has been far more consistent during the fall, which is ultimately what should lend him