Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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24 PRESEASON 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED the team's top pass catcher. A consen- sus four-star recruit and a Rivals250 player coming out of high school, Boykin did not make much impact in his first 37 games at Notre Dame, catching just 15 passes for 232 yards and two scores. Then, in his 38th game in an Irish uniform, he finally showed what he is capable of doing on the football field. Boykin caught three passes for 102 yards in Notre Dame's 21-17 Cit- rus Bowl victory over LSU, earning game MVP honors. His spectacular one-handed grab and subsequent run after the catch resulted in the game-winning 55-yard touchdown. He built on that performance during the spring and in fall camp. Notre Dame is counting on Boykin to become a steady presence in the pass game, something it lacked last season. Tight end Alizé Mack arrived with immense fanfare — he was rated as the No. 1 prep tight end in the na- tion by ESPN — and he made his presence felt immediately by hauling in 13 passes for 190 yards as a true freshman in 2015. Mack made crucial fourth-quarter catches to set up the go-ahead touch- down against USC and the game- winning touchdown against Temple. After getting sidelined for the 2016 season due to academic issues, Mack was expected to get back on track in 2017, but he struggled to consistently catch the ball. He finished fourth on the team with 19 receptions, but he averaged only 8.7 yards per grab. Mack will get a final opportunity to rewrite the story of his Notre Dame career. He is the unquestioned starter at tight end, and with a more mature approach on and off the field he must seize the moment to become a force for the Irish offense. There are questions about running back Dexter Williams's eligibility to play in the first four games of the sea- son. Whether his season starts Sept. 1 against Michigan or sometime after that, one aspect remains true: when- ever he steps on the field, he can help make a difference. Williams averaged an astounding 9.2 yards per rush last season, but his inability to stay healthy and do anything besides run the ball limited his opportunities. The Orlando, Fla., native is an explosive athlete and a threat to score every time he touches the ball. A more versatile, healthy and fo- cused Williams could give the of- fense a legitimate home run threat. SECONDARY DEPTH The Irish secondary will have a strong class of 2015 flavor to it. If these seniors can fulfill their skills, they will play a role in that group making much-needed improvements over last season. Nick Coleman played cornerback his first two years in South Bend, but he moved to safety prior to the 2017 campaign. He earned the start- ing role, finishing with 44 tackles and three passes broken up. In the spring he not only lost his starting role, he finished the prac- tice sessions third on the depth chart. He reversed course in the fall and is poised to regain his starting role, but he will have to play much better than he did last season if he wants to hold the top spot. Coleman is an intriguing player, and one whose emergence — should it happen — could prove quite ben- eficial. An all-state running back in high school, Coleman has long been considered one of the team's best athletes, but he never seemed very comfortable playing defense. A firmer grasp of the defense After a relatively quiet first three seasons when he totaled a modest 18 catches for 334 yards, wide receiver Miles Boykin is a centerpiece of the 2018 offense. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA