5 Under-The-Radar Notre Dame Football Freshmen With Big Stakes In Fall Camp
True freshmen aren’t guaranteed to play at a place like Notre Dame.
On Tuesday, BlueandGold.com made a list of five first-year players who have a lot at stake when the Irish begin preseason training camp on Saturday, Aug. 7. Two of them — quarterback Tyler Buchner and defensive tackle Gabe Rubio — might not play a single snap this season. They certainly aren’t slated to get meaningful reps as it stands, anyway.
The following list is comprised of five freshmen who are in the same boat as Buchner and Rubio. These five players are under-the-radar true freshmen who — because of the depth chart or other circumstances — are not expected to be key contributors but could work their way onto the field if they display enough upside during fall camp.
1. Tight End Mitchell Evans
Sophomore tight end Michael Mayer can’t do everything at his position. Tommy Tremble is off to the NFL. Mayer is the only tight end returning who has played a significant amount of snaps, and he’s only a second-year guy.
Senior George Takacs has five catches for 42 yards and a touchdown in his career. It’s not certain he’ll be able to fill the void left by Tremble. He’s the obvious choice to try going into camp, but he has to prove a lot to the coaching staff to retain that role.
Evans is one of the players at Takacs’ heels. The three-star recruit from Wadsworth (Ohio) High School looks the part at 6-5, 248 pounds. That’s one pound lighter than Mayer at the same height and four pounds heavier than Takacs at one inch shorter.
Of course, Evans could always stand to get a little stronger. Just because he is essentially the same size as Mayer doesn’t mean he’s “Baby Gronk” 2.0. It doesn’t even mean he’s good enough to be “Baby Gronk” Lite.
If there is a combination of strength and athleticism to go along with that frame, though, Evans could end up getting more playing time than fellow freshman Cade Berrong and sophomore Kevin Bauman.
2. Cornerback Philip Riley
Sophomore Clarence Lewis looks like the for-sure starter at field cornerback, and senior TaRiq Bracy is still lurking for playing time at that position too. Junior Cam Hart should start at boundary corner, and the door behind him is wide open.
Riley could be the first to storm through it.
At 6-0, 190 pounds, Riley could theoretically play at field or boundary. There appears to be a more viable path to playing time at the latter. He’s in competition with sophomore Ramon Henderson and fellow freshman Ryan Barnes. That’s a battle the three-star recruit from Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale High School could win by showing enough flashes during camp.
Riley could also play nickel when defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman employs a five defensive back package. He has a hybrid body crossed between the ideal field and ideal boundary corner. If he doesn’t wiggle his way onto the field at one of the two main corner positions, he could compete for time at nickel.
3. Running Back Audric Estime
Back to the offense, and back to someone who absolutely looks the part.
If junior Kyren Williams and sophomore Chris Tyree stay healthy, they’ll combine for most of the carries. Senior C’Bo Flemister is next in line. It’ll be interesting to see if offensive coordinator Tommy Rees gets his two true freshmen — Logan Diggs and Estime — involved.
One of those backs will immediately shift from fourth or fifth string to second next season when Williams and Flemister likely move on from the program. That gives Rees some incentive to get them on the field this season.
Estime is 6-1, 215 pounds. He was the No. 6 running back recruit in the country according to Rivals. Those are the type of players who see the field right away if not for a logjam on the roster. But even with Williams, Tyree and Flemister in the fold, Blue & Gold is projecting Estime to get some valuable experience in his first year with the program.
4. Cornerback JoJo Johnson
Flip, flop. Back to the corners.
We mentioned Lewis and Bracy being the top two options at field corner earlier. Bracy seemed to regress throughout the season last year. If that decline continues, who will back up Lewis and be counted on to play a few series when he needs to rest?
It could be Johnson.
And like Riley, the 5-10, 175-pound Johnson could play nickel, too. The options at nickel are essentially the players vying for time behind Lewis and Hart at field and boundary. Three-star freshmen Riley and Johnson are right in the thick of those conversations.
5. Wide Receiver Deion Colzie
OK. Maybe a 6-3, 200-pound four-star wide receiver isn’t as under the radar as some of the other names on this list. But he’s still stacked behind a couple senior wide receivers who — if all goes according to plan — will snag most of the snaps at the boundary spot.
The hope for Notre Dame is that Kevin Austin Jr. and Joe Wilkins Jr. are productive at boundary and hold down the position for the entirety of the season. But if they don’t? Sophomore Jay Brunelle has allowed Colzie to slide into a cozy position on the depth chart behind Austin and Wilkins.
If we’ve learned anything about Notre Dame’s wide receiver corps over the years, it’s to leave the floor open for anybody. There have not been enough standout performers to rely on a select few group of guys to get all the reps. Colzie’s athleticism and size could provide an avenue to get on the field right away — especially if the seniors do not step up.
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