Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2019 25 class is now a critical part of the Irish front. Tommy Kraemer was ranked as the No. 8 player in the entire coun- try by 247Sports and was No. 41 overall according to Rivals. Liam Eichenberg was ranked between No. 60 and No. 79 in the country by 247Sports, Scout and ESPN. Kraemer enters the season as the team's starting right guard, and his 19 career starts are second only to se- nior wide receiver Chase Claypool's 20 among any player on the Irish of- fense. The Cincinnati native opened nine games at right tackle in 2017 and 10 games at right guard a season ago. He struggled for much of last sea- son, eventually getting benched in November, but he bounced back and finished the year playing his best ball. A strong offseason has Kraemer entering 2019 with media outlets such as CBS Sports, Sporting News and Street & Smith's naming him to their preseason All-America squads. Eichenberg isn't getting any pre- season All-America notice, but Brugler has the 6-6, 305-pound left tackle going No. 27 overall in the first round in his spring 2020 mock draft. The Cleveland native struggled early in 2018 — his first as a starter — giv- ing up 16 pressures in the first six games of the season. Over the next six contests, though, Eichenberg al- lowed just four pressures. His total of five sacks and hits on the quarterback allowed are the same as former left tackle Mike Mc- Glinchey during his All-America sea- son (2017), and are two fewer than All-American Ronnie Stanley during his final year (2015). With continued progress, Eichenberg could develop into the fourth consecutive Notre Dame first-round left tackle. PLAYMAKERS ON OFFENSE Notre Dame's wide receiver haul in 2016 was top notch, and the group was expected to provide much pro- duction this fall. There have been some positive moments, but up to this point the group has largely been a disappointment. Claypool has been the one constant from the class, and he is on the verge of completely changing the percep- tion of the senior wideouts. The Ca- nadian enters the season with 84 ca- reer catches for 1,122 yards, but an outstanding spring and fall camp has him on the verge of becoming the top playmaker on the offense. He has finally learned to use his size (6-4, 229) and deceptive athletic skills to dominate. The Irish corner- backs have had an extremely difficult time guarding Claypool, who makes plays down the field or over the mid- dle. His ability to win one-on-one battles is reminiscent of what was seen from Miles Boykin a year ago. Javon McKinley was ranked as the No. 59 player in the entire country by Rivals, but through three years he has yet to catch a pass. Despite an offsea- son arrest, he has bounced back and a decent fall camp has him in position to earn a backup role in his senior season. Running back Tony Jones Jr. has accumulated 793 total yards (rushing and receiving) and seven touchdowns over the last two seasons, largely in a backup role. He rushed for a career- high 118 yards and hauled in 56 yards through the air in one of his two starts last season, sparking the Irish offense in a 22-17 victory over Vanderbilt. With Josh Adams and Dexter Wil- liams now in the NFL, Jones is ex- pected to take on a much larger role this season as both a pass catcher and runner. During the class's first two years at Notre Dame, it was former three- star recruit Kevin Stepherson who emerged as the top playmaker in the 2016 haul. Stepherson hauled in 44 passes for 821 yards (18.7 yards per catch) during the 2016 and 2017 sea- sons, but an arrest following the 2017 season resulted in his expulsion. SPECIAL TEAMS CONTRIBUTIONS Players such as Elliott, Claypool, Tony Jones, Jamir Jones and Pride have all been vital contributors on special teams. The same can be said for line- backer Jonathan Jones, who has not crept up the depth chart on defense but has been a regular on the kicking teams. John Shannon was signed to be- come a four-year starting snapper, and he's on pace to do just that. After redshirting in 2016, Shannon took over as the team's short and long snapper, where he's excelled. ✦ After tantalizing with potential his first three years, wideout Chase Claypool is poised for a breakout season. Last year, he contributed 50 receptions for 639 yards and four scores. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA