Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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10 NOV. 23, 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME UNDER THE DOME On Nov. 12, both senior left tackle Liam Eichenberg and junior tight end Cole Kmet told the media they intend to return to play football at Notre Dame in 2020. The topic was pertinent because the two play the positions that have been Notre Dame's most visible and successful in the past decade with the NFL Draft. In head coach Brian Kelly's 10 seasons with the Fighting Irish, every player so far at left tackle who used up his eligibility was a first-round pick: Zack Martin (2010- 13), Ronnie Stanley (2014-15) and Mike McGlinchey (2016-17), before Eichenberg took over in 2018. "I plan on coming back for a fifth year," Eichenberg replied when asked about his future. Although Stanley did not return for a fifth season in which he was eligi- ble, Martin and McGlinchey both did. While Eichenberg undoubtedly has pro potential, his stock has dipped of late. It's perhaps best reflected in The Athletic's projection by Dane Brugler. Back in the spring, Brugler in his 2020 mock draft had Eichenberg as the No. 27 overall pick in the first round, slightly ahead of teammate and defensive end Julian Okwara (No. 31), now sidelined with a frac- tured fibula. However, in his most recent release this month, Brugler did not have Eichenberg among the top 100 prospects or top 10 tackles. On the flip side, Kmet's stock has ascended with a strong junior cam- paign. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller has Kmet ranked as the No. 2 tight end — and "Best Blocker" —in the 2020 draft, behind Purdue's Brycen Hopkins but ahead of Washington's Hunter Bryant. Brugler has Kmet as the No. 46 overall pick (second round), behind only Bryant at his position. In the past 15 years, every Notre Dame starting tight end has been drafted, notably Anthony Fasano (2006), John Carlson (2008), Kyle Ru- dolph (2011) and Troy Niklas (2014) all in the second round, and Tyler Eifert (2013) in the first. The added dimension for Kmet is that he also is a standout left-handed pitcher for the Notre Dame baseball team, although elbow soreness last spring required him to shut down his pitching after throwing 18⅔ in- nings in eight games (2.89 ERA, 27 strikeouts, three walks). Kmet's younger brother, Casey, is a freshman catcher/infielder under new head coach Link Jarrett, and the prospect of potentially having a Kmet battery is appealing. "I plan on coming back and playing baseball in the spring, and then being here for my senior year," Kmet said. Once a commitment to baseball is made in January training, it would also be unrealistic to prepare for the NFL Combine and draft. However, the word "plan" also leaves the door ajar just in case evaluations from NFL scouts change. "It's my plan right now," Kmet re- peated. "I don't really see that chang- ing right now." — Lou Somogyi INJURY/PERSONNEL UPDATES After junior wideout Michael Young left the team in late October, sophomores Braden Lenzy and Joe Wilkins were listed one-two at the X position the next two weeks, yet neither played in the 38-7 win at Duke Nov. 9. Wilkins has been dealing with a soft tissue issue with his hamstring, but Lenzy's setback has been a little more nebulous relating to fatigue. He also was sidelined versus Virginia Sept. 28 because of a concussion, but head coach Brian Kelly said that was not related to his absence against Duke. "We have had him on a Mega Wave — his central nervous system is a bit depleted," Kelly said of Lenzy. "I think he's going through a long year of academics and football. We want to get him back up to where he's a full go at 100 percent. "We monitor anybody that's not at 100 percent. They fill out questionnaires every day that have to be turned in by 2 p.m. If they're not right, we have the doctor here checking all of our players. The care is first and foremost. If we don't think they're right, we're not going to put them in a practice situation." Because Chase Claypool and Chris Finke are in their final seasons of eligibility, and because no other receivers this year have consistently established themselves, current running back and former receiver recruit Jafar Armstrong could play a role there in the future. "We're trying to figure it out," Kelly admitted. "He's a young man that played receiver. We like his ability to catch the football. He has that role right now as both a running back and a guy that we can put in as a receiver, but I still think he's a guy that has a dual capability for us. "As we go through the year, kind of trying to identify where he fits and helps our football team the best." • Sophomore linebacker Jack Lamb has been ruled out the rest of the year because of a hip injury suf- fered during the 21-20 win versus Virginia Tech Nov. 2. — Lou Somogyi Kmet said he plans to return for the 2020 season with the Fighting Irish, although right now he is listed as the No. 2 available tight end and a potential second-round pick in this spring's NFL Draft. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER Liam Eichenberg And Cole Kmet 'Plan To' Return In 2020 Sophomore wide receiver Braden Lenzy was held out of practice and missed the game at Duke Nov. 9 due to fatigue-related reasons. PHOTO BY ANDRIS VISOCKIS