Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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14 AUGUST 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY LOU SOMOGYI F ollowing National Signing Day Feb. 7, Notre Dame had any- where from 89 to potentially 91 scholarship players on its 2018 roster. The NCAA permits 85 by the time practice begins in August. The Fighting Irish finally pared it down to 85 when sophomore line- backer David Adams announced via Twitter June 19 that he is medically no longer able to compete in foot- ball. He will remain on scholarship at Notre Dame to receive his degree, but it will not be counted against the football limit. Redshirted as a freshman last sea- son, the former Under Armour All- American Adams was a high school classmate of nose guard Kurt Hin- ish at powerful Pittsburgh Central Catholic. Adams was unable to make a dent in the depth chart this spring with his litany of past health setbacks. He had suffered multiple concus- sions, a torn labrum in his left shoul- der that required surgery, a torn la- brum/rotator cuff/torn bicep tendon in his right shoulder that also neces- sitated going under the knife, a knee ailment that required surgery, a torn UCL in his elbow, a sprained MCL in his knee, chronic severe shin splints and chronic severe patellar tendinitis. "After many discussions and con- sultations with my family, trainers, doctors and coaches, I've decided to take a medical exemption," Adams wrote on Twitter. "It absolutely kills me to walk away from football, my true love. However, these are circum- stances I cannot control. "… Coach [Brian] Kelly and Notre Dame have been very supportive throughout all of this. I am very thankful that I will continue to be on full scholarship and be part of the team and program." Including the 27-man freshman class, Notre Dame had 89 scholar- ship players upon entering spring drills. Meanwhile, two running backs — sophomore Deon McIntosh and freshman C.J. Holmes — dismissed from the team in January, remained in limbo. This summer, McIntosh enrolled at East Mississippi Community College — nicknamed "Last Chance U." in a Netflix documentary — and Holmes transferred to Penn State. Prior to Adams' announcement, three Irish players who have their undergraduate degrees opted to ex- ercise their fifth year of eligibility in 2018 elsewhere: defensive end Jay Hayes (Georgia), cornerback Nick Watkins (Houston) and wide receiver Freddy Canteen (to be determined). Another graduate transfer, wide receiver/return man C.J. Sanders, en- rolled at SMU. DEXTER WILLIAMS STATUS UNCLEAR One of the murkier topics since the end of spring drills is the status of se- nior running back Dexter Williams, the fourth-leading rusher for the Fight- ing Irish last fall with 360 yards while averaging a whopping 9.2 yards per carry and scoring four touchdowns. Rumors circulated that Williams would be suspended at the outset of the season, similar to wideout Kevin Stepherson last year (who has since been dismissed from the program), for a violation of team rules. During Blue & Gold Illustrated's June 20 interview with head coach Brian Kelly for the 2018 Football Pre- view, we asked whether the whis- pers of Williams sitting out several games could be confirmed or denied by Kelly or the university. "I don't get into those things spe- cific to individuals," Kelly replied. "With every player there are some privacy issues that we want to pro- tect with them. "I can tell you that he's on our foot- ball team and actively going through all workouts." If Williams is unavailable at the start of the season, junior Tony Jones Jr. would be the probable lead back. He rushed for 232 yards, 5.3 yards per carry and three touchdowns in 2017. Because of the early departure to the NFL of Josh Adams and the Janu- ary dismissals and eventual transfers of McIntosh and Holmes, the Irish staff shifted wide receiver Jafar Arm- strong and quarterback Avery Davis to running back this spring as contin- gency options. Freshmen Jahmir Smith and C'Bo Flemister also will vie for action in the backfield. JERSEY NUMBERS All 27 scholarship freshmen — and nine more freshman walk-ons — have been assigned their numbers, which are subject to change prior to the season. Some of it depends on whether someone will be selected on special teams with another player who dons the same number. Overall, 32 numbers are shared for now on this year's roster, from No. 2 (senior running back Dexter Williams and sophomore Buck linebacker Jordan Genmark-Heath) to No. 85 (fifth-year senior punter Tyler New- some and freshman tight end George Takacs). Two players can wear the same number as long as one is on offense and the other on defense. ✦ Enigmatic senior running back Dexter Williams has been the subject of offseason rumors about his 2018 availability. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA TAKEN TO THE LIMIT Injuries and transfers pare Notre Dame's roster to the 85-scholarship limit