The longest season in Notre Dame football history is being followed by what seems to be both the most thought-through spring practice schedule in history as well as perhaps the most clandestine one.
Some Irish football press conferences last week, notably from associate athletic director of football performance John Wagle and head football athletic trainer Rob Hunt, brought lots of clarity, but not complete transparency for spring football, which starts March 19 with practice No. 1 of …
Even Wagle on Thursday word-saladed his response as to whether Notre Dame would stage 10 spring practices, as a university email had inadvertently suggested, or the NCAA-allotted 15 — or something in between.
It is indeed 15, with several — likely three — occurring after the traditional conclusion to spring practice, scheduled for April 12 at Notre Dame Stadium.
What is concrete, thanks to Hunt, is the list of players who will miss all of spring practice due to injury and/or surgery rehab (signified by -y in the depth chart below) and those who will have modified/limited activity (-*). A complete key to player status is at the bottom of the depth chart.
Not indicated on the latest Inside ND Sports spring depth-chart projection are those players who Hunt indicated would be given some breaks related to contact or running in spring practices, based on significant roles/snap counts this past season.
That group comprises OT Aamil Wagner, LB Drayk Bowen, S Adon Shuler, CB Christian Gray, CB Leonard Moore, DE Bryce Young, WR Jaden Greathouse, DE Josh Burnham, RB Jeremiyah Love, and LB Jaylen Sneed.
For now, players who won’t arrive until June are placed at the bottom of the depth chart, even those like Virginia transfer wide receiver Malachi Fields, a probable starter eventually. Also placed at the bottom are players who will have no involvement in spring practice due to injury or players like wide receiver Jordan Faison, who are primarily playing another sport in the spring.
Incoming freshmen default to the bottom of the depth chart among healthy options. Players who can partially participate in spring while on the comeback trail may be listed in their eventual projected position.
The Inside ND Sports projected depth chart goes beyond the two-deeps based on conversations with head coach Marcus Freeman, his coaching staff, players, others in the know and observations from practices. And it’ll be regularly updated during the spring to reflect movement up or down the pecking order.
Heights and weights were last updated on Aug. 27, the first day of fall-semester classes for undergrads. We expect updates in March.
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
SPECIAL TEAMS
*-Denotes player who will have modified/limited activity in the spring but will still participate while rehabbing from surgery.
#-Denotes player whose participation will be limited in spring due to playing another sport.
x-Denotes freshman or transfer who won't enroll at Notre Dame until June.
y-Denotes player who will miss spring football due to injury and/or surgery rehab.
+-Denotes player exercising extra year of eligibility through COVID exemption.
^-Rendell is guaranteed two years of eligibility by the NCAA and is petitioning for a third.
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