Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1220706
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com APRIL 2020 13 UNDER THE DOME Quarterback Drew Pyne (10) Before: 6-0, 181 After: 5-11½, 194 Wide Receiver Jay Brunelle (81) Before: 6-1½, 201 After: 6-1, 196 Brunelle underwent shoulder surgery this winter. Wide Receiver Xavier Watts (21) Before: 5-11, 185 After: 5-11¾, 195 Defensive End Jordan Botelho (17) Before: 6-4, 226 After: 6-2½, 248 Defensive End Alex Ehrensberger (98) Before: 6-6½, 239 After: 6-7, 247 Defensive Tackle Rylie Mills (99) Before: 6-4½, 250 After: 6-5, 259 Cornerback Ramon Henderson (11) Before: 6-3, 180 After: 6-1, 182 Cornerback Caleb Offord (21) Before: 6-1, 170 After: 6-1, 184 Offord and Watts can wear the same number because one plays on of- fense and the other on defense. Meanwhile, the two graduate transfers who enrolled in Janu- ary also participated in the winter strength and conditioning program: Wide Receiver Ben Skowronek (11) Before: 6-4, 215 After: 6-3, 224 Safety Isaiah Pryor (10) Before: 6-2, 200 After: 6-1½, 199 CHRIS WATT RETURNS AS GRADUATE ASSISTANT A couple of familiar faces from head coach Brian Kelly's initial years at Notre Dame were back on the practice field when the Fighting Irish opened spring drills March 5. Chris Watt, a three-year starter at left guard from 2011-13 while teaming with cur- rent All-Pro Zack Martin at left tackle, has been hired as a graduate assistant on the staff to assist offensive line coach Jeff Quinn. At the conclusion of the 2013 campaign, Watt received the prestigious Pietrosante Award, which honors the player who demonstrated courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and pride that resembled the former 1956-58 Notre Dame fullback Nick Pietrosante, who died in 1988. Selected in the third round (89th pick overall) by the San Diego Chargers in 2014, Watt played three years in the NFL before a knee injury shortened his career. "Loved him as a player," Kelly said of the hire. "His presence among our players is recognizable still. He kind of has that attachment to the [Mike] McGlincheys and the [Quenton] Nelsons and certainly the [Tyler] Eiferts and the [Zack and Nick] Martins. That group has been very successful, so he carries a lot of that. "But in himself, he was a tough, physical, hard-nosed player, had a lot of versatility and a very smart player — and brings that to the coaching. He'll be a big add for us." Meanwhile, 2010-14 Fighting Irish cornerbacks coach Kerry Cooks, who later left to coach at Oklahoma (2015-18) and Texas Tech (2019), was seen watching the work with the defensive backs. Notre Dame has a current vacancy for an analyst position. "There is an opening here that we've got to go through the [human resources] process," Kelly commented. — Lou Somogyi Freshman quarterback and early enrollee Drew Pyne checked in at 5-11½ and 194 pounds for spring practice. He will wear jersey No. 10 next fall. PHOTO BY MKE MILLER Watt, a three-year starter at left guard from 2011-13 who played three years in the NFL, joined the Irish football coaching staff as a graduate assistant this spring. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA Early Enrollees Number Games The start of spring drills at Notre Dame generally evokes a prime curiosity: Who made the most gains or losses during the seven-week winter strength and conditioning program? Overall, there is not much dramatic fluctuation in the numbers from what was listed in the fall, and figures such as bench presses, body fat, etc., are no longer made public like they were decades ago. One group where data is a little more tangible is the freshmen who enroll in January. Here are the before-and-after measurements listed among the eight early enrollees, with the before indicating what the university released on signing day (always be wary of "recruiting numbers"). Their newly assigned jersey numbers are in parentheses: