Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2019 41 he lost a little bit of his confidence at times. "He's the kind of guy we feel is re- ally going to blossom this year." As for Jurkovec's throwing me- chanics that have been explored and changed numerous times since his high school days, Kelly and the staff have taken a hands-off approach. "You don't touch it," he said. "I've always philosophically stayed away from motions … I've never had much success with it. Let them be who they are. … Get their confidence back, work on their footwork — if you do things, I think you're better off. "We stay away from trying to make major arm angle throws. We haven't been tinkering or tweaking with his motion. We just want him to get back to being confident about who he is, and I've seen that." 3. On The Run With Book a more prolific passer than 2017 starter Brandon Wimbush (now a graduate transfer at Central Florida), and the offensive line in flux, the running game numbers fell from 269.5 yards per game in 2017 to 182.6 last year. Despite the graduation of top rusher Dexter Williams, Kelly be- lieves the rushing attack overall should be in a stronger place in 2019 with a more seasoned line and Arm- strong better developed after transi- tioning from wide receiver last year. The line does not necessarily pos- sess a dominant figure like Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey were in 2017, but the collective body — in- cluding quality depth and versatility, led by fifth-year guard/center Trevor Ruhland and junior tackle/guard/ center Josh Lugg — provides a qual- ity base. "All five of them work well to- gether," Kelly said of the starters. "They give us some versatility." In the backfield, Armstrong is ca- pable of a 1,000- to 1,500-yard season in total offense, while Jones also pro- vides the physicality demanded in Long's alignment. "As [Armstrong] gets more confi- dent in what he does … he's got to take three yards sometimes as a vic- tory," Kelly said. "He tends to want a big play every time, but his ability to pass protect and catch the football mirrors what Tony Jones can do. I know it doesn't sell subscriptions, but [Jones] does for coaches a lot of little things that help you win foot- ball games. "Jafar obviously has a skill set that maybe has a brighter light to it at times, but both of them together make for a really good tandem. It's a totally different place than we were last year at this time." Sophomore Jahmir Smith and C'Bo Flemister, along with freshman Kyren Williams, who benefitted as an early enrollee this spring, all are vying for snaps in the No. 3 role. ✦ Cole Kmet And Michael Young Sidelined With Broken Collarbones Notre Dame's 2019 pass-catching corps experienced several setbacks in August when junior starters Cole Kmet at tight end and Michael Young at X wide receiver suffered broken col- larbones in separate practices, while sophomore wideout Kevin Austin's status the first month of the season remains murky. No definitive timetable on their re- turn was given, although head coach Brian Kelly estimated that with Kmet and Young it could range anywhere from four to 10 weeks from the time of their surgeries. Meanwhile, Kelly remained cryptic about Austin, who has been rumored since the spring that he will have an initial September suspension similar to wide receiver Kevin Stepherson in 2017 and running back Dexter Williams in 2018. When Kelly was asked two days before preseason training camp began Aug. 4 about Austin's availability in September, his response remained non-committal because of privacy laws. "He's still on our team, but it's a day- to-day process with him," Kelly replied. The injuries to Kmet and Young came on similar leaping, jump-ball, back-shoulder passes in which the tight coverage and awkward landings after going for the ball resulted in the fractures. For Kmet it occurred Aug. 8, the fifth and final practice at the Culver Academies held from Aug. 4-8 before returning to campus. During red-zone work Kmet made a leaping catch on a fade into the corner of the end zone that safety Alohi Gilman almost stripped from him as they were both falling down. Kmet landed hard on his right shoulder, resulting in the surgery the following day. Kmet started seven games last season in double-tight end alignments with Alizé Mack (drafted in the seventh round by the New Orleans Saints) and caught 15 passes for 162 yards. By the Aug. 17 practice, Kmet was no longer in a sling and riding a stationary bike in practice. The only other tight end on the roster with previous playing experience is junior Brock Wright, who caught two passes for 12 yards last season, highlighted by a four-yard score at Wake Forest. Wright was ranked by Rivals as the nation's No. 1 tight end recruit in 2017, while Kmet was No. 3 that same year. Also vying for action are sophomores Tommy Tremble and George Takacs, both of whom redshirted as freshmen last season. Tremble in particular provides some mismatches on the outside with his speed. "His athleticism fits in well at that position," Kelly said of Tremble. The position also this month added 6-4, 249-pound Yale graduate transfer and former starter John Lager. Young, who enjoyed a strong spring and training camp while locking down the X receiver role (wide side of the field), was injured during the Aug. 17 practice inside Notre Dame Stadium. He and junior cornerback Avery Davis both leapt high for a pass down the sidelines. Young temporarily had it while trying to stay in bounds, but Davis knocked it away as both came down hard. Davis also was briefly shaken up, but Young took the brunt of the force on the landing. With Young sidelined, the plan moving forward appears to be shifting fifth-year senior captain Chris Finke from slot (Z) to Young's side of the field, while sophomore Lawrence Keys III was inserted at slot. Keys was redshirted last season as a freshman. — Lou Somogyi Young, who enjoyed a strong spring and August at the X receiver position, suffered a broken collarbone during practice Aug. 17. He will be sidelined anywhere from four to 10 weeks while he recovers from surgery. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER