Notre Dame Scholarship Summary
With the end of preseason football camp on Aug. 19 and the start of the school year at Notre Dame on Tuesday (Aug. 23), there was more movement with regard to the scholarship numbers.
Senior free safety Max Redfield is out, while sophomore slot/return man Chris Finke is in after working with the team as a walk-on last year.
From the end of each football season to the start of a new one, we have found over the last 40 or so years (and probably more) that Notre Dame will on average lose three to six players for various reasons ranging from transfer to injuries, form personal choice to discipline.
Since Jan. 1, five other players besides Redfield originally projected to be on the 2016 roster are not: right guard Steve Elmer graduated in three years and began a professional opportunity outside of football; safety Mykelti Williams (discipline) transferred to Iowa Western Community College, while fellow freshman classmate and receiver Jalen Guyton was placed on suspension in December and never returned; receiver and student body Corey Robinson retired from football because of concussion issues, but he is now serving as a student assistant; defensive end Grant Blankenship, suspended the final week of spring, is now at the University of Oklahoma.
The four players with Redfield during the arrests last Friday night — sophomores Te’von Coney, Ashton White and Dexter Williams — plus freshman Kevin Stepherson are still with the team, with decisions about their status for the opening game and upcoming season pending.
By our count, as of the opening day of school on Tuesday, Notre Dame is still at 83 football scholarships, or two short of the NCAA limit. That also depends on whether Robinson’s scholarship was transferred to a general university fund or, because the team is still short of the 85 total, can still be used for his senior year without going past the limit. The breakdown by class years is as follows:
Sixth-Year Or Fifth-Year Seniors: 5
The sixth-year senior is strong safety Avery Sebastian, the 2015 transfer from Cal who sat out 2015 after he was injured on special teams in the opener.
The four fifth-year players are nose guard Jarron Jones, offensive lineman Mark Harrell, long-snapper Scott Daly and running back Josh Anderson — who was first put on scholarship last year.
Fourth-Year Seniors: 13
Original class: 24
Time has taken its toll on this class with a litany of injuries that ended football careers (Robinson the most recent), transfers, or top players such a receiver Will Fuller and linebacker Jaylon Smith turning pro. Elmer had started 30 games in his three-year career.
Among those back after sitting out most of 2015 with injuries are quarterback Malik Zaire, running back Tarean Folston and tight end Durham Smythe.
Until announced otherwise by the coaching staff, we still have cornerback Devin Butler included. He was charged Tuesday on Level 6 felony counts of resisting arrest and battery of a police officer.
Juniors: 20
Original class: 23
Three defensive end/outside linebacker recruits in this class are now elsewhere: Grant Blankenship (Oklahoma), Kolin Hill (Texas Tech) and Jhonny Williams (Toledo). A fourth, linebacker Nile Sykes (Indiana), departed from the program before ever getting started.
The plus side is tight end Tyler Luatua had left the team in spring with plans to transfer to BYU, but opted to return instead. This class also includes quarterback/holder Montgomery VanGorder, who originally enrolled as a preferred walk-on.
Sophomores: 22
Original class: 24
No longer with the team since the February 2015 signing date are defensive end Bo Wallace (Arizona State), and the aforementioned Guyton and Williams.
The addition of Finke brings it back by one.
Freshmen: 23
Original Class: 23
So far, so good since summer enrollment in June.
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