Early Enrollees Paying The Greatest Price After Spring Suspension
We talked earlier this week about how losing the spring football season would prevent the Notre Dame coaches from getting a head start — or any start for that matter — in March and April to fill voids for August and September after losing so many top players last season.
It’s a dilemma that impacts every player who was trying to make a strong first impression during spring ball, then carry that momentum from March into a prominent or starting role for fall in the same way then-sophomore Jarrett Patterson did last season in securing the starting center spot.
Established players and guaranteed starters such as quarterback Ian Book, defensive lineman Daelin Hayes, and linebacker Drew White, and some of the veteran offensive linemen don’t necessarily get a lot out of spring ball, but the younger guys do.
And that’s part of why the cancellation of spring ball is especially hurtful and impactful to one group in particular — the eight freshman early enrollees.
Be it through position need on the team, or position uncertainty among specific players, here are the four early enrollees most impacted by the suspension of the spring season.
WR Xavier Watts
(5-11, 190 pounds)
One of the most versatile athletes in the 2020 recruiting class, Watts is an interesting case study because his skill set fits two positions of need for Notre Dame — wide receiver and cornerback.
Not only can Watts play multiple receiver positions he also recorded 68 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups as a senior defensive back in high school.
Spring could’ve helped the Irish coaches determine where Watts best fits — be it on a receiving corps that lost its top three pass catchers after last season, or in a defensive backfield that is in desperate need of depth.
CB Ramon Henderson
(6-2, 180 pounds)
Like Watts, Henderson could play on either side of the ball, but a numbers crunch at defensive back probably would’ve kept him at cornerback during the spring.
That said, Henderson didn’t pick up defensive duties until his junior year of high school, suggesting to many analysts that his technique remains raw and the extra spring season might’ve benefitted this unique and versatile athlete more than any other Irish early enrollee.
Henderson possesses two traits that can’t be taught — speed and length — both of which could’ve been built upon during 14 spring practices.
DL Rylie Mills
(6-5, 275 pounds)
Mills is another early enrollee who needed the spring season to help determine exactly what position he should play.
Mills’ freakish size, length and versatility — remindful of former Irish lineman Jerry Tillery — provide the Irish plenty of options on where and how to play Mills.
In fact, the plan for spring appeared to be having Mills cross train at both defensive tackle and defensive end to find which position was a better fit.
Early enrollment and a spring season might have provided Mills an opportunity to even crack a three-player depth chart, either inside or outside along that defensive front.
QB Drew Pyne
(6-1, 195 pounds)
When former Irish quarterback Phil Jurkovec entered his name into the transfer portal and ultimately left Notre Dame for Boston College, Pyne was immediately thrust into a competition with sophomore Brendon Clark for backup duties behind Book.
As the Scout Team Player of the Year last season, and the clear No. 2 choice, March 5, behind Book during the lone spring practice, Clark held the inside track to back-up duties.
But Pyne still could’ve used the spring season to improve, learn, build his suit of armor under Irish Director of Football Performance Matt Balis, and perhaps become readier to compete for back-up duties in the fall with Clark.
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