Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 115 Harrell's Air Raid offense should result in a significant jump in production. 2. Virginia Tech — Neither Athlon Sports nor Lindy's Sports ranked the Hokies' wide- outs and tight ends as a top-10 unit, but this overlooked group is laden with talent and pro- duction. Virginia Tech's top three returning re- ceivers and tight end Dalton Keene combined for 136 catches and 2,060 receiving yards last season, compared to 107 catches and 1,512 yards at the same positions for Michigan. No wideout on Notre Dame's schedule tops senior Damon Hazelton's 802 yards and eight touchdowns last fall, and only Stan- ford tight end Colby Parkinson out-produced Keene (28 catches for 341 yards). 3. Michigan — Nico Collins and Dono- van Peoples-Jones were a productive duo in Michigan's ball control offense, com- bining for 85 catches, 1,244 yards and 14 touchdowns. Peoples-Jones has big-play speed while Collins uses his size (6-4, 218) to make plays. Getting redshirt sophomore Tarik Black healthy — and keeping him there — could be the difference in Michigan's pass game, which is expected to throw the ball a lot more this season under new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, who was a co-coor- dinater last season at Alabama. Mike Sainristil could be one of the top freshman wideouts on the schedule, and tight end Sean McKeon is a steady figure. Preseason first-team All-American cornerback Bryce Hall leads a skilled Virginia secondary. PHOTO BY PETE EMERSON/COURTESY UVA