Reflecting on Thursday’s story highlighting 10 pivotal players in Notre Dame’s fall camp underscored the high volume of questions for a team with a universally accepted high floor.
The Irish have several positions and players that fall short of bankable asset status on the eve of training camp. This month is for answering them, of course, and the last few years have revealed a program that reliably finds many of the solutions in August or early in the season.
After taking an individual look yesterday, here's a checklist of five broader items that I’ll be watching closely in camp.
1. An Answer At Wide Receiver
This has been a deeply dissected topic, but for good reason. On the lines of scrimmage – particularly on offense – Notre Dame held its own in the College Football Playoff against Alabama and in both games against Clemson. The Irish wore down the Tigers’ defensive front in the first meeting. They did enough to run for 5.2 yards per non-sack rush against the Crimson Tide.
In that regard, it sure looked a lot different than the 2013 BCS Championship Game.
The gap was more visible at wide receiver. That’s true at other positions, but in this offense-dominated era of college football, the best teams have at least one game-changing, early-round NFL draft pick at that spot.
Two Alabama receivers were first-round selections in April’s draft, though one of them (Jaylen Waddle) did not play against the Irish. Notre Dame’s two starters were an undrafted free agent and a seventh-round pick. That’s not to say Javon McKinley and Ben Skowronek weren’t good. In fact, I thought they got too much attention for what they weren’t instead of what they were – which was still helpful.
At the same time, it’s clear Notre Dame needs more than it had at receiver in 2020 if it wants to keep up in those type of games. The obvious candidate to help is senior Kevin Austin Jr. Health questions remain with him, though. The Irish’s receiver group has some intriguing skill sets that could yield a more explosive and deeper group than 2020, but there are no proven commodities outside of slot receiver Avery Davis.
It starts with Austin, who has the highest upside. He can’t be the only one. Braden Lenzy, Joe Wilkins Jr. and Lawrence Keys III put forth strong springs. Continuing that progress is critical. Notre Dame’s staff has spent this offseason coaxing it out of them.
2. A Cornerback With Ball Skills
Grad transfer Nick McCloud was a reliable one-year bridge who filled a big hole at boundary cornerback. A position that would’ve been subject to extreme fluctuations or been a liability was neither after adding him.
Like McKinley and Skowronek, McCloud was good. But Notre Dame is looking for a bit more at another important position, especially in terms of ball skills. McCloud was Notre Dame’s best playmaker there among corners, with a team-high eight pass breakups. He snatched one interception.
All told, making plays on the ball has not been the corners’ strength since Julian Love left after 2018. Love had 36 pass breakups and four interceptions from 2017-18. That’s All-American production. The Irish’s four primary corners in 2019 and 2020, though, combined for 40 pass breakups and three pickoffs. They were solid overall, but on the lower end of on-ball production.
Junior Cam Hart is the perceived favorite to replace McCloud. He’s a 6-2, 207-pound former wide receiver who fits the profile of a playmaking corner. Sophomore Clarence Lewis had six pass breakups last year. He was effective in preventing big plays. The next steps for him include making a few more splash plays in coverage himself. Any corner who demonstrates he can get his hands on the ball ought to earn a closer look.
3. An Offensive Line That Gels Quickly
I have mentioned the 2018 season as a reasonable outlook for Notre Dame’s offensive line. That year, the Irish lost a pair of top-10 picks, broke in a new left tackle and played without guard Alex Bars most of the year. They were going to take a step back up front, because it was impossible not to.
Despite the turnover, the line was good enough to help Notre Dame reach the playoff. The floor was still high. Notre Dame’s line helped running back Dexter Williams average 111 yards in his nine games. It kept quarterback Ian Book upright often enough despite finishing 70th nationally in sack rate. It was 15th in stuff rate and 32nd in power success rate (a measure of short-yardage effectiveness).
It took some time to come together. Liam Eichenberg endured a bumpy September before steadying over the final two months. Notre Dame eventually figured out Aaron Banks was its best replacement for Bars.
Freshman Blake Fisher will go through some ups and downs, as anyone in his spot would, if he starts at left tackle. But Notre Dame won’t put him out there if it doesn’t think he’s ready and wouldn’t be a net positive. He has impressed the Irish staff because he’s a fast learner. It’s also possible the starting five in the opener at Florida State may not be the starting five a month later, even if there are no injuries.
The goal in camp should be to determine the best five players before long and let them take a lot of reps together. Chemistry is critical on the offensive line and takes time to develop. The more that development happens in camp rather than in-season, the better the line’s outlook.
It’s also important the offensive line’s strengths resemble 2018’s. Notre Dame has two skilled running backs in Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree. They need room to run. The 2018 line produced top-35 finishes in stuff rate, power success rate, line yards and opportunity rate (definitions here). A similar expectation for 2021 is fair.
Sack rate may be even more important, though, because projected starting quarterback Jack Coan isn’t the improviser or runner Book was. He needs a clean pocket to be effective. He’s a strong pocket passer too. Producing a better sack rate than 2018 is important.
4. Another Defensive Playmaker
Notre Dame has a defensive star in All-American safety Kyle Hamilton. Without linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, it doesn’t have another obvious one at this stage. That’s not to say the Irish won’t find another, though.
This time two years ago, neither were yet impact players. Heading into 2018 fall camp, Julian Okwara was an intriguing edge rusher stepping into a starting job. Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery was a solid returning starter at the onset of 2017 camp. Of course, all became productive and consistent presences that season.
Odds are someone takes a leap in 2021. Might it be Isaiah Foskey at vyper? Notre Dame has those expectations for him. Rover Jack Kiser’s spring game was intriguing. Defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola has been disruptive in two seasons as a No. 2. Could he take another step as a starter? Can Hart or Lewis be a playmaking corner?
All of those are plausible yeses and would make a defense that already looks potent even better.
5. A Deeper Jack Coan Assessment
Coan piloted an efficient and run-heavy Wisconsin offense in 2019. The Badgers went 10-4, averaged 6.3 yards per play (29th nationally) and finished sixth in the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI) offensive rankings. Coan completed 69.6 percent of his passes, averaged 8.0 yards per attempt and threw just five interceptions.
Those numbers indicate a high floor. Wisconsin’s offense asked Coan to make quick, short throws and leaned on 2,000-yard rusher Jonathan Taylor. He rarely threw downfield. Notre Dame’s offense won’t be a carbon copy of the Badgers’. It may not ask Coan to carry the load, but if it’s going to have a more explosive passing operation than 2020, the quarterback can’t be just a game manager.
How much more can Coan do than what his Wisconsin role asked? How much better is he than Drew Pyne, Tyler Buchner and Brendon Clark? How much of his 2019 strengths and weaknesses were a function of his duties vs. his ability? Training camp will further separate Coan from his former system and outline an offense’s potential with him leading it.
Coan’s spring game performance was far from flawless, but he appeared comfortable operating Notre Dame’s offense. His pocket poise was evident. Adding a strong pocket passer who can drive the ball downfield and make quick decisions would help the Irish’s quest for more verticality and explosiveness. For everything Book was, those weren’t strengths.
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