Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 59 WIDE RECEIVERS POSITION COACH Mike Denbrock is in South Bend for his sixth straight and ninth overall campaign with the Irish. He adds the title of associate head coach, while maintaining the wide re- ceivers coaching role he has held for the past four years at Notre Dame. During his first two years in South Bend under head coach Brian Kelly, he served as the tight ends coach before shifting to outside wide receivers/passing game coordinator for the next two years. In 2014, he began to mentor all of the wideouts while serving as offensive coordinator, although he will relinquish coordinator duties this fall while adding the title of associate head coach. With Denbrock directing the offense in 2014, the Irish scored at least 27 points 11 times, which stands as a school record. The unit's scoring average of 33.0 points per game was its highest since 2005, while its clip of 444.6 yards per game was the program's best since 2009. Wide receiver Will Fuller thrived under Denbrock, post- ing the greatest sophomore receiving season in program history with 76 receptions, 1,094 receiving yards and 15 touchdown catches. The coaching veteran was also crucial in the development of current Detroit Lions wideout TJ Jones, a sixth-round pick in 2014. Tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Tyler Eifert, who were both selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, also found success under Denbrock's tutelage, during his time as the Irish tight ends coach from 2010-11. Eifert led all Football Bowl Subdivision tight ends in receiving during the 2011 season and won the Mackey Award the following year, although Denbrock had shifted his focus to wide receivers. In Denbrock's first stint at Notre Dame, he coached tight ends and offensive tackles from 2002-04. He mentored several future pros, including John Carlson (second-round NFL Draft pick), Ryan Harris (third round) and Anthony Fasano (second round), among others. Denbrock was named one of Tom Lemming's Top As- sistant Coaches of the Year in 2011, and he has also been recognized for his stellar work on the recruiting trail — he was named one of the nation's top 25 recruiters by Rivals in 2012. The 30-year coaching veteran also worked under Kelly for seven years at Grand Valley State from 1992-98, where he served as both the offensive and defensive coordina- tor. The two coaches first worked together as graduate assistants at the school in 1987. Denbrock was the associate head coach, special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at Indiana State in 2009. Prior to that, he was the offensive line coach at Washington from 2005-08. Other college coaching stops for Denbrock include Stan- ford (2001), Illinois State (1990-91) and Michigan State (1988-89). Denbrock served as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, in addition to coaching the of- fensive and defensive lines, for the Buffalo Destroyers of the Arena Football League from 1999-2000. A 1987 graduate of Grand Valley State, Denbrock played football for the Lakers from 1982-85 and won the Phillip Shultz Award for attitude and commitment to the team. RETURNING PLAYERS JUSTIN BRENT • WR So. • Speedway, Ind. Ht.: 6-1½ • Wt.: 205 Career Highlights: Played in nine games in 2014, primarily on special teams. Prep: Rivals ranked him as a four- star prospect, the No. 1 player in Indi- ana, and the No. 11 wide receiver and No. 84 overall player in the country … A four-year varsity standout at Speedway High … As a senior, he was named Indiana Class 3A first- team all-state at wide receiver/running back by the Associ- ated Press … Rushed for 1,315 yards and 18 touchdowns, hauled in 28 passes for 387 yards and five scores, and also tallied 33 tackles and three interceptions at safety. Personal: Born Aug. 11, 1995 … Enrolled in the Men- doza College of Business. CHRIS BROWN • WR Sr. • Hanahan, S.C. Ht.: 6-1½ • Wt.: 195 Career Highlights: Played in every game and started 11 times last fall … Finished second with 548 receiv- ing yards, and he ranked third with 39 catches … Scored his lone touch- down of the year in the 17-14 win over No. 14 Stanford … Saw action in all 13 games with four starts in 2013 … Totaled 15 receptions for 209 yards and a touchdown … Played in all 13 games and started four times as a rookie … Hauled in a pair of passes for 56 yards. Prep: Listed as a three-star prospect, the No. 7 player in South Carolina and the No. 25 athlete in the nation by 247Sports … Was one of four wideouts selected to the Di- vision I-AA South Carolina all-state team in 2011 … Caught 33 passes for 532 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior despite missing five games with an injury … Recorded 52 receptions for 1,105 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior, in addition to returning three kickoffs for touchdowns … Also intercepted three passes and returned one for a score, and ran back three fumbles for scores … Ranked as the No. 2 triple jumper in the country in 2011 … Broke a 32-year-old South Carolina record in the event, jumping 51 feet, 2.5 inches … Named the 2011 Gatorade Track and Field Performer of the Year for his state. Personal: Born Dec. 8, 1993 … Enrolled in College of Arts and Letters, majoring in African studies. Year G-GS Rec. Yds. Avg. TD 2012 13-4 2 56 28.0 0 2013 13-4 15 209 16.1 1 2014 13-11 39 548 14.1 1 Totals 39-19 56 813 14.5 2 AMIR CARLISLE • WR 5th-Sr. • Santa Clara, Calif. Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 192 Career Highlights: Played in 12 contests and started six times at slot receiver last year … Posted 23 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns, while he also notched 46 yards on the ground … Also served as the primary kickoff returner last fall and ranked fourth in program history with 761 return yards … Made his Irish debut in 2013 and appeared in every game … Finished the year with 47 rushes for 204 yards, seven receptions for 30 yards and three kickoff returns for 81 yards … Did not play in 2012 due to injury … Attended USC as a freshman and played in eight games with 19 rushes for 118 yards (6.2-yard average) … Also recorded seven receptions for 41 yards and a score. Prep: 247Sports rated him as a four-star recruit, the No. 7 prospect in California, and the No. 2 all-purpose running back and No. 66 overall player in the nation … Finished his high school career with 5,108 rushing yards and 73 touchdowns … Earned Parade All-America honors as a senior after he ran for 2,110 yards and 28 touch- downs, and compiled 12 receptions for 231 yards and three scores … Was named all-state as a senior — and as a junior after he gained more than 2,000 yards rushing. Personal: Born Sept. 24, 1992 … Father, Duane, ran track at Maryland and has been a strength and con- ditioning coach/speed and performance coach with numerous high school, college and professional teams … He is currently the director of sports performance at Purdue … Enrolled in College of Arts and Letters, major- ing in film, television and theatre with a second major in business. Year G-GS Rec. Yds. Avg. TD 2011* 8-0 7 41 5.9 1 2013 13-4 7 30 4.3 0 2014 12-6 23 309 13.4 3 Totals 33-10 37 380 10.3 4 * at USC WILLIAM FULLER • WR Jr. • Philadelphia Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 180 Career Highlights: Notre Dame's 2014 Offensive Player of the Year recorded the finest sophomore re- ceiving campaign in school history last fall and was also named a Sports Illustrated honorable mention All-American … Started PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES BGI'S 2015 DEPTH CHART No. "X" Receiver Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 7 Will Fuller 6-0 180 Jr./2 15 Corey Holmes 6-0½ 184 So./4 86 Equanimeous St. Brown 6-5 205 Fr./4 83 Jalen Guyton 6-1 185 Fr./4 No. "Z" Receiver Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 20 C.J. Prosise 6-0½ 220 Sr./2 3 Amir Carlisle 5-10 192 5th/1 16 Torii Hunter Jr. 6-0 190 Jr./3 9 CJ Sanders 5-10 185 Fr./4 No. "W" Receiver Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 2 Chris Brown 6-1½ 195 Sr./1 88 Corey Robinson 6-4½ 215 Jr./2 11 Justin Brent 6-1½ 205 So./3 81 Miles Boykin 6-3 225 Fr./4 Fifth-year senior slot receiver Amir Carlisle, who notched 23 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns last year, received praise from head coach Brian Kelly for his play this spring. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA