It’s July.
Spring practices are well in the rearview mirror. Preseason camp is on the horizon but not quite close enough to hear pads clacking and whistles blowing. The college football season starts in just under two months. Quite simply, it’s that awkward intermediary portion of the calendar where all football fans can do is speculate.
So that’s what we’ll do here.
Pro Football Focus recently released its annual season preview magazine. PFF devoted a page for a breakout player, x-factor player and the top five returning players for all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. We’ll outline what PFF said about Notre Dame, then we’ll provide our own counterpoints and analysis.
Breakout Player
PFF says: Sophomore cornerback Clarence Lewis
“Lewis looks poised for a big 2021 after surprising as a true freshman last year. The 6-1, 180-pound corner was advanced for his age in single coverage and played the catch point extremely well. He broke up seven passes and allowed only six first downs in single coverage, paving the way to a top-25 grade on such reps among Power Five cornerbacks.”
Blue & Gold says: Junior cornerback Cam Hart
Let’s play devil’s advocate. Putting Lewis down here makes all the sense in the world considering he’s a true sophomore and has not reached his full potential. But neither has the projected starter at corner on the other side of the field — Hart.
Hart seems poised to entrench himself in a starting role after an impressive set of spring practices. Lewis already proved what he can do in ample playing time last fall. It could be time for Hart to have a breakout season of his own.
X-Factor
PFF says: Senior wide receiver Avery Davis
“Notre Dame’s wide receiver room is sorely lacking reliability. Davis, who came to the Irish as a quarterback and was an overall top-300 recruit at that position, will handle the slot this fall. He first saw the field consistently in 2020, earning a 65.0 PFF grade. He flashed ball skills (no drops), underneath playmaking potential and an ability to run the seam, but Notre Dame needs it more consistently in 2021.”
Blue & Gold says: Senior wide receiver Joe Wilkins Jr.
Devil’s advocate again. If Notre Dame is going to have success in the passing game, it should go without saying Davis will be targeted often in the slot. The same goes for senior Kevin Austin Jr. on the outside. Those guys can’t be X-factors because the Irish need them to be consistent contributors anyway.
That’s why we’ll go with Wilkins. If Davis and Austin are reliable and Notre Dame gets somewhat regular production from Wilkins, then we could be talking about a totally different Irish offense in 2021. This isn’t to say seniors Braden Lenzy or Lawrence Keys III couldn’t be named X-factors too. They could be. The bottom line is Notre Dame needs two wide receivers to make plays without worry and one more to step up here and there. That could be a combination of Wilkins, Lenzy and Keys.
Most Important Returning Players
PFF says: Senior guard Cain Madden, senior offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson, senior linebacker Drew White, senior defensive end Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, senior cornerback Tariq Bracy
Blue & Gold says: Junior running back Kyren Williams, junior safety Kyle Hamilton, sophomore tight end Michael Mayer, senior offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson, junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey
Only one crossover here. Yes, Madden could be one of the five most important players for Notre Dame this season. His experience and proven expertise in both run-blocking and pass protection will be vital to an Irish offensive line in the midst of nearly an entire upheaval. But he’s technically not returning as he just transferred to Notre Dame from Marshall. Patterson, on the other hand, is the only full-time returning starter from last year’s offensive line. That in and of itself lands him on this list.
Notre Dame’s passing offense is a giant question mark going into the season. Just how good is Wisconsin graduate transfer Jack Coan? Just how much can Notre Dame’s wide receivers improve from one year to the next? If the answers to those queries are dubious for the Domers, then Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will have no choice but to ride Williams, the running back who rushed for 1,125 yards on 5.3 yards per carry as a sophomore. That's why he's on the list.
With all due respect to White and Tagovailoa-Amosa, Hamilton and Foskey could be head-turning talents in their third seasons at Notre Dame. Hamilton is getting the preseason acclaim he deserves after his breakout sophomore season. Foskey is flying under the radar a bit for someone who finished second on the team in sacks last year. Both players will play prominent roles on Notre Dame’s better side of the ball.
Lastly, we have a hard time agreeing with PFF that Bracy should be on the list considering he’s in line to lose a starting corner job to Hart. Mayer, meanwhile, had the most receiving yards last year of any returning Notre Dame ball-catcher. And he was just a true freshman. So circle back to the question posed above; if Notre Dame’s wide receivers don’t break out like the Irish so badly need them to, then how can you leave Mayer off this list? He has proven to be a reliable option in the passing game. Nobody outside of Davis, maybe, can say the same.
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