Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
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SPECIALISTS Starters ★★★½ A year ago at this time, Notre Dame special teams loomed as one of the prime concerns on the team, and it was easy to understand why. Out the door were two of the best kick- ers in program history with four-year starters Justin Yoon at placekicker and Tyler Newsome at punter. Nerves were calmed when those two positions underwent a nearly seamless transition after true freshman punter Jay Bramblett — who also doubled as the holder —and junior placekicker Jonathan Doerer performed superbly. Doerer finished 17 of 20 on his field goals and was perfect on all 57 of his point after tries. Bramblett was steady, not spectacular, with a 39.4 punting average. But his hang time left the 13 Irish opponents with only 70 total return yards for the season. With Bramblett and Doerer back, the primary focus this fall turns to finding reliable kick and punt returners. Experience ★★½ The Irish lost veteran and gifted punt returner Chris Finke but bring back moderate kickoff return experience with ju- nior receiver Lawrence Keys III. Keys led the Irish last season with 10 kickoff returns for 194 yards on a return unit that ranked only No. 91 in the country with a 19.19 average. Junior wide receiver Braden Lenzy enjoyed his kickoff return audition in the Camping World Bowl with three tries for 71 yards, highlighted by a 29-yard runback. Finke recorded 20 of the team's 25 punt returns last sea- son, leaving junior wide receiver Joe Wilkins (two returns) and Keys (one) as the two 2020 players with any punt return experience. Filling the voids on the kick and punt coverage teams left by veteran standouts Chase Claypool and Alohi Gilman also won't be easy, and the Irish also must replace three-year starting long snapper John Shannon. Depth ★★★ Even though most of his 2020 candidates lack experience, fourth-year special teams coach Brian Polian has plenty of quality players to choose from for his return men. In addition to Keys, senior running back Jafar Armstrong and sophomore running back Kyren Williams received auditions on kick returns. Also expect junior wide receiver Kevin Aus- tin to get a look this fall as a punt returner. Sophomore Harrison Leonard provided a good challenge to Jonathan Doerer for the starting kicking role, and could possibly help with punts as well. Overall Grade ★★★ Notre Dame hasn't been spectacular on special teams in recent years but it has been steady. In both 2018 and 2019, Notre Dame's special teams units as a whole finished No. 24 nationally in the Fremeau Efficiency Index, a formula that uses a complex and de- tailed matrix that particularly emphasizes field position following a kickoff or punt. Combined with the production from Doerer and Bramblett, the overall unit could literally have a leg up. Prior to such solid back-to-back years at No. 24, the Irish had placed No. 61 in 2017 and No. 81 in 2016 when special teams setbacks cost the Irish dramatically in at least five losses, which is why Polian was hired in 2017. BY THE NUMBERS 3 Field goals in as many attempts converted beyond 40 yards by Jonathan Doerer in the 30-27 victory versus USC last year (45, 52 and 43 yards). It is only the second time a Notre Dame kicker made three field goals beyond that distance in one game (Dave Reeve in 1977 was 3 of 4 versus Michigan State in a 16-6 win by the national champs). 4 4 Teams finished 2019 in the top 20 in both kickoff return defense and punt return defense: Notre Dame, Arkansas, Ohio State and Penn State. The Irish were No. 18 in kickoff return defense (17.9) and No. 15 in punt return defense (3.9). 5 5 Years since Notre Dame scored a touchdown off a punt, although it was only one yard short last season at Stanford after an Isaiah Foskey blocked punt. In 2015, Notre Dame scored on both a blocked punt (Amir Carlisle off Equanimeous St. Brown's block versus USC) and on a punt return (C.J. Sanders versus Massachusetts). The most recent kick return for a score was by Sanders versus Army in 2016. PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★★ National Title; ★★★★ Top 10; ★★★ Top 25; ★★ Too Unproven; ★ Major Concern The hang time of Jay Bramblett's punts helped allow for only 70 yards in returns last year by the opposition in 13 games. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER 116 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW