Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 75 TIGHT ENDS POSITION COACH Chip Long is in his third season as the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at Notre Dame. He has been given full responsibility to call plays, which is an area he has excelled at in his previous coaching stops. In seven of his 13 seasons as a collegiate coach, he has been as- sociated with an offense that has ranked among the nation's top 20 in scoring. During Notre Dame's 12-1 season in 2018, Long's well-balanced corps finished 32nd nationally in total offense (440.1 yards per game) while averaging 182.6 yards on the ground and 257.5 yards through the air. The tight ends group has improved its numbers in each year since Long took over. In 2018, the unit hauled in 56 catches for 544 yards and six touchdowns. In his first season at Notre Dame, his unit ranked seventh nationally in rushing offense (269.5 yards per game), 14th in red zone offense (.913), 24th in scoring offense (34.2 points per game), and 27th in total offense (448.2 yards per game). In addition, his first group of tight ends combined for 45 receptions, 476 receiving yards and four touch- down catches — a marked improvement from the pre- vious season's 12 grabs for 169 yards and four scores. He served as the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at Memphis in 2016, and helped the Tigers rank among the top 20 nationally in passing offense (14th, 304.4 yards per game) and scoring offense (16th, 38.8 points per game. Prior to his lone season at Memphis, Long spent four years at Arizona State (2012-15). He served as the tight ends coach the first three years and the running backs coach in his final year, and also was the program's recruiting coordinator. Rivals tabbed Long as one of the top recruiters in the Pac-12 Conference from 2012-14, and both Rivals and 247Sports identified him as one of the nation's top 25 recruiters in 2015. Long also has served as the tight ends/fullbacks coach at Illinois (2010-11), was an offensive gradu- ate assistant in charge of tight ends at Arkansas (2008-09) and was an offensive graduate assistant at Louisville (2006-07). The former wide receiver/tight end at the University of North Alabama (2002-05) earned his bachelor's de- gree in history with dual minors in psychology and busi- ness administration. He was tabbed as a first-team All- American as a senior and was named to the Gulf South Conference All-Decade Team at tight end in 2010. RETURNING PLAYERS COLE KMET • TE Jr. • Lake Barrington, Ill. Ht.: 6-5½ • Wt.: 255 • Played in 11 games and made seven starts during the 2018 season, when he grabbed 15 passes for 162 yards. • Decided to put baseball on hold and focus on football in the spring of 2019 despite enjoying a successful college career in the Notre Dame bullpen. • Saw action in all 13 games as a true freshman, primarily on special teams, but did catch two passes for 14 yards. • Earned first-team All-State accolades from The Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette and the Illinois Football Coaches Association in 2016, and was a second-team All-State selection by USA Today and The Chicago Tribune. • Participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. • Rated as a four-star prospect, the No. 3 recruit in Illinois, and the No. 3 tight end and No. 95 overall player in the country by Rivals. Year G-GS Rec. Yards Avg. TD 2017 13-0 2 14 7.0 0 2018 11-7 15 162 10.8 0 Totals 24-7 17 176 10.4 0 GEORGE TAKACS • TE So. • Naples, Fla. Ht.: 6-6 • Wt.: 255 • Did not play during the 2018 season. • Tabbed as a first-team 6A all- district performer by the Flor- ida Athletic Coaches Associa- tion in 2016. • Participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. • Rated as a four-star prospect, the No. 50 player in Florida and the No. 11 tight end in the nation by Rivals. TOMMY TREMBLE • TE So. • Johns Creek, Ga. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 237 • Did not play during the 2018 campaign. • Missed most of his senior sea- son due to an ankle injury, but caught 15 passes for 298 yards (19.9 yards per reception) and two touchdowns as a junior. • Ranked by Rivals as a three-star recruit, the No. 50 player in Georgia and the No. 20 tight end in the country. BROCK WRIGHT • TE Jr. • Cypress, Texas Ht.: 6-4½ • Wt.: 250 • Played in every game during his sophomore season at Notre Dame, seeing action at tight end, fullback and on special teams. • Caught two passes for 12 yards in 2018, including a fourth-and-one touchdown out of the backfield at Wake Forest. • Played in 11 games as a true freshman and pri- marily served as a blocker. • Ranked by Rivals as a four-star talent, the No. 5 player in Texas, and the No. 1 tight end and No. 44 overall recruit on the nation. • As a senior, hauled in 30 receptions for 491 yards and four scores. • Named first-team All-Texas by USA Today. • Participated in the 2016 Under Armour All-Amer- ican Game and led Team Highlight with 45 receiv- ing yards. BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 75 Slowed by an injury when he initially reported to Notre Dame as a freshman in the winter of 2018, George Takacs enters his sophomore season far more ready to contribute when needed. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN