Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1246464
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JUNE/JULY 2020 29 "KJ has a skill set, love his com- petitiveness, he's such a great short- space area [corner]. He can create a role for himself." At nearly 6-3, Hart provides length to the unit that the graduated Vaughn had from 2016-19. Although Hart en- rolled as a wide receiver, he believed he had a higher ceiling at corner and made the switch there last October. A second area in need of significant development is offensive tackle, be- cause starters Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hainsey will be in their final seasons of eligibility in 2020. This is a vital apprenticeship year for Kristofic and Carroll, who suffered a torn ACL last August that shelved him. And, of course, if an injury be- fell third-year starting quarterback Ian Book, how ready would former three-star recruit Brendon Clark be — if he can hold off the challenge of freshman four-star prospect Drew Pyne? There are also only five safeties on scholarship entering the 2020 season, and three of them could be gone after 2021 (Hamilton, Griffith and Pryor), so Litchfield Ajavon's opportunity will be there down the road. Ajavon's progress was singled out by head coach Brian Kelly during De- cember bowl preparations for Iowa State. SUMMARY There will be much greater need for these 2020 sophomores to have a significant impact in 2021 when about 10 projected current starters exhaust their eligibility or maybe turn pro with one year still left. This is the year for the underclass- men to put themselves in position to be the heir apparents, or at least be- come regulars in the rotation by 2021. There is no way all 19 will return for an eligible fifth season in 2023, but the objective for now is to align themselves where there is not a drop- off from where the program was from 2017-19. ✦ Brendon Clark will compete with four-star fresh- man Drew Pyne for the backup job behind start- ing quarterback Ian Book. PHOTO BY ANDRIS VISOCKIS SOPHOMORE CLASS REVIEW Players Signed: 22 Players Available In 2019: 22 2019 Recruiting Rankings: No. 14 by Rivals and ESPN, No. 16 by 247Sports Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Kendall Abdur-Rahman* WR 5-11½ 195 The former high school quarterback did not see action in 2019. Litchfield Ajavon* S 6-0 198 The hard-hitting safety should benefit from having four years of eligibility remaining. JD Bertrand* LB 6-1 228 Will back up senior Drew White and junior Bo Bauer at middle linebacker. Jay Bramblett P 6-1½ 193 In line to be a four-year starter following a quality freshman debut. Quinn Carroll* OT 6-7 306 Suffered a torn ACL in August and missed the entire season. Brendon Clark* QB 6-2 212 Played against New Mexico and Bowling Green during his freshman campaign, completing his lone pass for a 22-yard touchdown and rushing five times for 33 yards. Zeke Correll* C 6-3 290 Saw action in four games as a rookie. Howard Cross III* DT 6-1 265 Emerged last season while playing in four games after shifting from end to tackle. Osita Ekwonu* LB 6-1 236 Saw the field in three games as a freshman and made one tackle. Isaiah Foskey* DE 6-5 255 Played in four games, highlighted by a blocked punt at Stanford that was a game changer. Kyle Hamilton S 6-4 216 Coming off an outstanding rookie campaign, he is the most likely future All-American in the class. Cam Hart* CB 6-2½ 205 Transitioned from wide receiver to cornerback mid-season last year. Jack Kiser* LB 6-2 221 Saw action in four games last fall, primarily on special teams. Andrew Kristofic* OT 6-5 292 Played in four contests during his freshman campaign. Jacob Lacey DT 6-2 293 Became a rotation regular and averaged 20 snaps per game in 2019. Marist Liufau* LB 6-2 221 Was used on special teams in four games last year, specifically against Notre Dame's toughest opponents. NaNa Osafo-Mensah* DE 6-3 249 Played in a pair of games and made one stop during his rookie season. John Olmstead* OG 6-4½ 283 Redshirted last year, playing in zero contests. Isaiah Rutherford* CB 6-0½ 189 Will be counted on to be ready in case starters Shaun Crawford or TaRiq Bracy get injured. Hunter Spears* OG 6-4 304 Recovered from a high school knee injury to appear in three games, and made the move from defensive end to offensive guard in the spring. KJ Wallace* CB 5-10 185 Performed well in August preseason camp, but never broke into the two-deep. Like Rutherford, he'll be needed for depth at cornerback. Kyren Williams* RB 5-9 204 Appeared in the first four games before redshirting, compiling four carries for 26 yards, one catch for three yards and two kickoff returns for 35 yards. * Eligible for a fifth season in 2023