Even when a sense of normalcy returns to the world from the COVID-19 pandemic, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly realizes that the structure time lost on the practice field, in the weight room and old-fashioned team bonding together at school won’t instantly return.
July 1 is somewhat the unofficial cut-off date of knowing whether the 2020 college football regular season will be given the green light. That month will have to be utilized just to get back into somewhat of a rhythm to be better physically and mentally conditioned by the time August arrives.
“This notion of trying to play the game at its highest level without safety being at the core of what we’re doing, it’s not going to happen,” Kelly stated. “I’m not going to put a young man on a playing field and ask him to compete unless he has had the opportunity to be properly conditioned and trained to play this game at the highest level.
“We’re going to need a proper amount of training necessary for our guys to be prepared from a safety standpoint to play this game. … It’s not going to be just a few days. It’s not just going to be a week. We’re going to need a minimum of three to four weeks to prepare our football team.
“… We’re preparing as a staff that we’re going to have to make adjustments. We know that when we do get the green light to go back, it’s not going to be, ‘Okay, don’t worry about this virus.’ We’re going to have to take precautions and do some things differently.”
Each spring BlueandGold.com features a pre- and post-spring ranking of what we perceive is or should be the strongest position groups.
With only one practice held this spring, most of it is unchanged based on paper, although upon further review we had a few tweaks.
1. Offensive Line
With 114 career starts returning among six different players, this is, per our research, the most veteran line returning for the Fighting Irish since college football went to two platoons in 1964.
If fifth-year senior left tackle Liam Eichenberg cleans up some penalty issues (11 last season), he could become the fourth straight Irish first-round pick at his position.
Fifth-senior right guard Tommy Kraemer, senior right tackle Robert Hainsey and senior left guard Aaron Banks all could get drafted in 2021 as well (Banks is also eligible for a fifth season in 2021 and was out this spring anyway while recovering from foot surgery). Junior Jarrett Patterson should benefit from his 13 starts at center last season after having shifted from tackle and receiving some baptism of fire with the physicality in the interior.
Josh Lugg, who started the final five games last season in place of an injured Hainsey, might be capable of playing any position up front.
All eyes are on third-year line coach Jeff Quinn to make this unit jell, because seldom will there be this type of veteran assemblage.
2. Defensive Line
For now, there isn't a top-one-to-three-round figure in the lineup like last preseason with ends Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem. What boosts this unit is quality depth that lends itself to comfortable rotation and fresh legs.
Ten years ago, a starting front line with four-star figures such as interior men Jacob Lacey and Jayson Ademilola — who each averaged about 20 snaps per game last season — and sophomore end Isaiah Foskey, along with the promising development of Ovie Oghoufo, would prompt much optimism.
The best part is this would be the second group in 2020.
Thus, having them rotate in with a veteran starting quartet of graduate students Ade Ogundeji and Daelin Hayes at end and seniors Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa inside speaks well of the quality recruiting, and especially identification, here. Crucial to actualizing the group’s potential is the health of Hayes, who has had multiple shoulder surgeries.
Someone such as four-star sophomore Hunter Spears would have had a major role not so long ago. Now, cracking the two deep is a challenge — which helped prompt Spears’ move this spring to offense, where in 2021 he could contend for a starting role at guard.
3. Linebacker
Rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, a prototype at his position, and Mike linebacker Drew White, both seniors, paced the team in tackles last year with 80 apiece, 21.5 for lost yardage.
Who will replace Asmar Bilal at Buck linebacker is the primary question.
The X-factor is how much the junior quartet of Shayne Simon, Jack Lamb — both recovering from injuries — Bo Bauer (Mike) and Paul Moala (rover) develop in their third seasons under coordinator/linebackers coach Clark Lea. Given his track record the first two years at Notre Dame, it bodes well.
A dark horse at Buck could be sophomore Marist Liufau (who cross-trained at rover in the lone spring practice), while senior Jordan Genmark Heath also has 66 career tackles.
4. Safety
Admittedly, this high rating is based somewhat on a leap of faith and the hope there is no proverbial “sophomore jinx.”
On paper it might look like a rebuild with the graduation of captains Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott. However, the return of 6-4 Freshman All-American Kyle Hamilton and the addition of Ohio State graduate transfer Isaiah Pryor is significant.
What might determine even more if this unit merits its rating is the progress of juniors Houston Griffith — Notre Dame’s top-ranked recruit in 2018 (No. 43 nationally) and DJ Brown, a converted cornerback.
Griffith played nickel as a freshman and auditioned at corner as a sophomore, but now is ensconced at his natural spot, and came out with the first unit in the lone spring practice.
5. Quarterback
For the first time in his 11 seasons, Kelly will have a three-year starter at the position in Ian Book, a proven productive figure, but not yet the game-changing, first-round figures that Top-5 programs such as Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Georgia have possessed (or LSU last year).
He should be buoyed by a veteran line, but the receiving and running backs corps remain relatively unproven, and three of his prime receiving targets from the past two years are gone. Yet, few assets are highlighted more by Kelly than a seasoned quarterback, even though added years has seldom meant improved play there.
Depth also is going to be a question mark if an injury were to occur to Book. Sophomore Brendon Clark has had only 19 snaps in college, and freshman Drew Pyne could vie for the No. 2 spot.
6. Tight End
Had Cole Kmet returned for his senior year, this position group easily would have been among our top three.
Still junior Tommy Tremble is next in line for “Tight End U” prominence after playing extensively in double-tight-end alignments last year and snaring 16 passes for 183 yards and four touchdowns (Kmet had 15 catches for 162 yards and no scores as a 2018 sophomore).
What might better dictate how effective this position will be is whether senior Brock Wrightor freshman Michael Mayer — both top-50 recruits as high school seniors — can step into the forefront as consistent mainstays.
7. Special Teams
Senior kicker Jonathan Doerer, who converted 17 of 20 field goals last season, and sophomore punter Jay Bramblett, excelled as first-year starters in 2019, and Doerer especially demonstrated NFL potential with his leg power.
Somewhat overshadowed is for the second year in a row Notre Dame’s overall special teams efficiency — coverage, returns, field position, etc. — finished 24th nationally in the Fremeau Efficiency Index.
Replacing stellar coverage men such as Chase Claypool and Gilman will be crucial to continuing this unit’s upgrade the past two years.
8. Wide Receiver
No returning player has more than 13 career catches, that by junior slot Lawrence Keys III, for 134 yards and no scores.
Classmate Braden Lenzy possess the game-breaking speed, but must demonstrate he can stay consistently healthy over the course of an arduous season.
A third junior, Kevin Austin, possesses perhaps the most star power, but is trying to rebound from a season-long suspension. The chance to become more established was erased with the cancellation of spring drills after he displayed instant impact skills in the lone session held March 5.
The wild card figures are Northwestern graduate transfer Ben Skowronek, who snared 110 career passes with the Wildcats and fifth-year senior Javon McKinley, who enjoyed some flashes in blowout situations last season after not catching a pass his first three seasons.
9. Running Back
There is an excellent history under Kelly of Irish running backs exploding with stellar senior years after only demonstrating flashes in their first three (Jonas Gray, Theo Riddick, C.J. Prosise, Dexter Williams, and last year Tony Jones Jr.).
Perhaps 220-pound Jafar Armstrong (505 career rushing yards) can be next after getting slowed each of the past two seasons by injury and averaging only 2.7 yards per carry last season.
He is among five backs who expected to vie for action, including incoming top-100 recruit Chris Tyree — but can anyone rise above a niche role and be an alpha?
10. Cornerback
The staff wanted to redshirt Donte Vaughn in 2019 so he could return in 2020, but the situation necessitated that he play.
With Vaughn and Troy Pride Jr., both graduated, that leaves sixth-year senior Shaun Crawford and junior TaRiq Bracy as the starters.Unfortunately, Crawford has missed 40 starts because of several major injuries, while the 5-10, 170-pound Bracy also will be tested for durability.
The other six scholarship corners all have four years of eligibility remaining as developmental prospects, so new position coach Mike Mickens will be put to the test immediately.
If he fares as well as Lea did with a rebuilding linebacker crew in 2019, the Fighting Irish should achieve a minimum of 10 wins a fourth straight year.
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