Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1133608
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 111 SPECIALISTS 2018 VS. 2019: STOCK UP OR DOWN? Notre Dame had its problems with coverage on special teams a season ago, rank- ing 62nd among 130 teams in punt return average allowed and 108th in kick return average permitted. Fortunately when it came to snapping, kicking and punting the Fighting Irish were among the best, but now they must replace Justin Yoon — the program's all-time leader in points and field goal percentage — and four-year punter Tyler Newsome. The return of steady snapper John Shannon is a plus, Chris Finke ranked 23rd in the land in punt return average, and the coverage units should be improved. Confidence in the punting and kicking situation is far less proven. True fresh- man Jay Bramblett is tasked with replacing Newsome, and strong-legged but inconsistent junior Jonathan Doerer will get first crack at stepping in for Yoon. X-FACTOR With Justin Yoon out with an injury during Notre Dame's 44-22 victory over Navy last season, then-sophomore Jonathan Doerer stepped in and promptly missed his first extra point attempt and almost missed the next one. Doerer settled down, nailing his last five extra points and knocking a 30-yard field goal right down the middle. There is no questioning his leg strength, but Doerer has been wildly erratic as a kickoff specialist, and that inconsistency showed early during spring practice as a placekicker before closing on a much stronger note. Notre Dame needs him to find his groove, otherwise it might have to turn to freshman walk-on Harrison Leonard. FRESHMAN OUTLOOK Getting freshman punter Jay Bramblett on campus in January was crucial. Although Bramblett didn't overwhelm anyone with his punting prowess in the spring, he is a stellar athlete — passing for 2,341 yards as a high school senior quarterback, while completing 68.5 percent of his passes — who should benefit from the 15 extra practices and the six-month head start in the weight room. Notre Dame needs Bramblett to help immediately. Freshman walk-on Harrison Leonard will also get a chance in fall camp to become a much-needed steady presence as a placekicker. Leonard lacks the powerful leg of Jonathan Doerer, but he was quite accurate in high school. QUOTABLE: HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY ON THE PROGRESS OF FRESHMAN JAY BRAMBLETT, WHO WAS RECRUITED TO REPLACE FOUR-YEAR STARTING PUNTER TYLER NEWSOME: "We see a guy that's extremely consistent, athletic, handles the ball very well. He's got good hands. You look at the fundamentals early on and you can tell he's a really good athlete. Catches the ball well, steps are consistent. I think we're going to get what we expected there." DID YOU KNOW? Notre Dame's 13 kickoff returns last season were the eighth fewest in the country. There were 30 touchbacks for the Fighting Irish and about a dozen fair catches to give automatic possession at their 25-yard line. It also helps that strong defense limits the opposition's scoring, and thereby result in fewer kickoffs. Still, with some conversation about kickoffs somebody becoming obsolete in football — it was excluded in the short-lived Alliance of American Football this spring — one wonders if this is becom- ing a main point of emphasis anymore. Thirty-three Football Bowl Subdivision teams re- turned a kickoff for a score in 2018, or about one in four. Notre Dame's most recent kick return for a score was by C.J. Sanders to open the game versus Army in November 2016. NOTABLE DATA Despite the conspicuous snafus of yielding kickoff returns for touchdowns against both Michigan and Pitt — which helped make both games come down to the final possession — Notre Dame's overall special teams effort in 2018 significantly improved. In the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI) stats by Football Outsiders that rank the 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, Notre Dame's special teams effi- ciency ranked No. 24 after having placed No. 61 in 2017. It also was No. 81 in 2016 when special teams setbacks cost the Irish in at least five losses. Among 2018 foes, four finished higher than the Irish in special teams efficiency: Michigan (No. 6), Pitt (No. 17), Northwestern (No. 19) and Clemson (No. 21). The Wolverines and Panthers both returned kickoffs for scores versus Notre Dame, while the Wildcats blocked a punt to set up a touchdown that made the game close in the fourth quarter. How- ever, the Tigers were the lone team to defeat Notre Dame. Freshman Jay Bramblett was signed to immediately replace four-year starter and 2018 captain Tyler Newsome at punter. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA