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Notre Dame Two-Deep Summary

The left side of the offensive line with guard Quenton Nelson (left) and Mike McGlinchey (right) is considered the team's top strength. (Photo By Andrew Ivins)

OFFENSE

W (Boundary): Equanimeous St. Brown, Miles Boykin

Z (Slot): C.J. Sanders, Corey Holmes

X (Wide): Torii Hunter Jr., Kevin Stepherson

Notes:

• Receivers coach Mike Denbrock generally will attempt to rotate six in a game, and this is the top six, with Hunter able to play any of the three positions and Holmes cross-training at X and Z.

• At some point this year, maybe even at Texas, expect the other three wideouts on scholarship — sophomore Chris Finke (Z) and freshmen Chase Claypool (W) and Javon McKinley (X or W) — to see action. Finke might rival Sanders as the shiftiest player on the corps, which is why the former walk-on was awarded a scholarship a week ago. Claypool could be the unit’s most physical and best blocker, which could earn him playing time the way it did current Sam linebacker James Onwualu when he was a 2013 freshman wideout (including four starts). McKinley has had a knack of getting open in the practices.

• This is the most inexperienced/unproven position on the team with 37 career catches — with Hunter owning 35 of them. Last year, All-American Will Fuller took 822 snaps, and the next two were Chris Brown (560) and Amir Carlisle (412).

Among returning players, it’s Hunter (329), St. Brown (41) and Sanders (29), not including his duties as a return man on special teams. All credit to snap counts belong to former Blueandgold.com writer/assistant editor Andrew Owens.


Left Tackle: Mike McGlinchey, Hunter Bivin

Left Guard: Quenton Nelson, Trevor Ruhland

Center: Sam Mustipher, Mark Harrell

Right Guard: Colin McGovern, Tristen Hoge

Right Tackle: Alex Bars, Tommy Kraemer

Notes:

• Head coach Brian Kelly indicated that Hoge could be the second option at center too, although fifth-year senior Harrell has been invaluable because he can play anywhere.

• While the left side is the prime reason why Pro Football Focus rates the Notre Dame offensive line the best in the country, from center to right tackle there are two career starts, both by Bars (at left guard). That’s the fewest we’ve found for those three specific positions since 1975, when Dan Devine’s first Notre Dame offensive line had zero career starts there.


Tight End: Durham Smythe, Nic Weishar

Notes:

• Smythe played 55 snaps as the starter against Texas in last year’s opener, but an injury late the next week sidelined him the rest of the regular season. Weishar ended up with the most snaps at tight end with 286, or between 20 to 25 per game.

• Smythe has four career catches for 25 yards and a score, while Weishar has three for 19 yards. Junior Tyler Luatua has earned two monograms as a blocker but not yet caught a pass.


Quarterback: DeShone Kizer or Malik Zaire

What more can be said at this point? How the snaps, roles and storylines develop can now only be answered in games.

Running Back: Josh Adams or Tarean Folston

This is the first time ever Notre Dame is returning a backfield tandem that has each already had an 800-yard rushing season: Folston in 2014 (889) and Adams a freshman school record in 2015 (835).



DEFENSE

Weak Side End: Andrew Trumbetti, Daelin Hayes or Jay Hayes

Nose Guard: Daniel Cage or Jarron Jones

Defensive Tackle: Jerry Tillery, Elijah Taylor

Strong Side End: Isaac Rochell, Jonathan Bonner

Notes:

• A high ankle sprain shelved junior Jay Hayes for some time this August, but he will make the trip to Texas. How that weak side end position will split action will be intriguing against Texas. The 255-pound Trumbetti is tailored for the fast-paced offense the Longhorns are expected to run, while the 285-pound Jay Hayes’ size would be more suited to combat the “Smash Brothers” running attack with 249-pound D’Onta Foreman and 252-pound Chris Warren. Freshman Daelin Hayes (no relation) likely will make his debut in sub packages for obvious pass-rush situations.

• Rochell’s 783 snaps last season were more than the next two top returning players combined: Trumbetti (368) and Tillery (351) had 719 between them.

• A vital X-factor is Jones, sidelined last season with an MCL tear. Kelly was pegging 25 to 35 snaps apiece for Cage and Jones in games this year, but deep down probably is counting on more consistent stamina from Jones.


MIKE Linebacker: Nyles Morgan, Te'von Coney

SAM Linebacker: James Onwualu, Jamir Jones

WILL Linebacker: Greer Martini, Asmar Bilal

Notes:

• Although he was a special teams mainstay in 2015, Morgan took only 41 snaps on defense last year behind captain Joe Schmidt.

• If an injury befell either Morgan or Onwualu, Martini probably would be the next option there. He had 314 snaps at Sam last year behind Onwualu (501 snaps in 2015), mainly versus the triple option and in short yardage, and also began training at the Mike position this August. Coney backed up Butkus Award winner Jaylon Smith at Will last year.

• Jones, the freshman brother of Jarron Jones, was lauded for his consistency and could find a niche in certain packages, if not on special teams.


Left Corner: Shaun Crawford, Nick Coleman

Right Corner: Cole Luke, Julian Love

Safety: Drue Tranquill, Jalen Elliott

Safety: Avery Sebastian, Devin Studstill

Notes:

• Crawford, originally tabbed for nickel (where he can still be used), missed all of his freshman campaign last year because of an ACL tear, while Sebastian played briefly on special teams in the opener versus Texas before a broken foot sidelined him and enabled him to get a medical redshirt as a 2016 sixth-year senior. The 2015 graduate transfer from Cal also missed all but the first-half of the 2013 opener when he tore his Achilles, and he played in seven games (one start) at Cal in 2014 before a quadriceps injury shelved him.

• Luke has started all 26 games the past two seasons, joining defensive lineman Rochell (25 starts) as the team leader in that category.

• Tranquill has had ACL surgeries each of his first two seasons, sidelining him the final 10 games of 2015.

• The second unit is comprised of three true freshmen and sophomore Coleman, who took 44 snaps at corner last season. Junior Nick Watkins is expected to miss at least the first two games while recovering from a twice fractured arm.

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