Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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14 FEBRUARY 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Max Ellis — Hockey The sophomore forward from Canton, Mich., was named the Big Ten's Second Star of the Week after totaling four points in Notre Dame's series split with Arizona State Jan. 9-10. He had two assists in a 5-4 win over the Sun Devils in the opener and notched his first career two-goal game in a 5-3 loss the next night. Ellis was second on the team with 11 points (four goals and seven assists) through 14 games. Nate Laszewski — Basketball As of mid-January, the junior forward from Jupiter, Fla., ranked second among all power- conference players with a 76.3 percent effective field goal percentage (which puts more weight on three-pointers than two-pointers). In addition, his 54.5 percent accuracy from three-point range ranked 22nd in the country. Through 12 contests, Laszewski was Notre Dame's leading scorer and ranked eighth in the ACC with an average of 16.7 points per game. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah — Football The senior rover from Hamp- ton, Va., was named a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which goes to the best defen- sive player in college football based on character and play. Owusu-Koramoah has already collected plenty of honors this season, including the Butkus Award as the na- tion's best linebacker. He was also tabbed as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and the 35th unanimous All-American in school history, after he finished with 62 total stops and a team-high 11.0 tackles for loss in 2020. Mikayla Vaughn — Basketball The senior center from Phil- adelphia scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting while adding four blocks and four rebounds in Notre Dame's 79-72 win over Wake Forest Jan. 14. Three days later in an 83-73 win over Bos- ton College she blocked four shots again to go with 10 points and five boards. Vaughn averaged 8.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in her first eight starts of the season. TOP TOP OF THE CLASS OF THE CLASS Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom CHARTING THE IRISH HEISMAN FAVORITES On Jan. 5, the same day that Alabama senior wide receiver DeVonta Smith received the 2020 Heisman Trophy, gambling odds for next season's winner were released. According to BetOnline.com, Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams is 16/1 to take home college football's most pres- tigious individual accolade as a junior in 2021. He is tied for 14th in terms of the best Heisman odds. Only three other run- ning backs have equal to or better odds. The rest are quarterbacks. The initial favorite is Oklahoma quarter- back Spencer Rattler at 5/1. The sopho- more had a strong first season as a starter, but his odds likely have as much to do with Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley, who over the course of three years produced back-to-back winners and a runner-up. Next is a two-way tie between two ACC signal-callers with 7/1 odds: Clemson's D.J. Uiagalelei and North Carolina's Sam How- ell. The Fighting Irish will see the Tar Heels again this season on Oct. 30 at home. Notre Dame saw both in 2020. Notre Dame will see two other players with preseason Heisman Trophy odds. USC quarterback Kedon Slovis started against the Irish as a freshman in 2018 and played well. He has 12/1 odds to win the award. The other is Graham Mertz at 16/1. He is the signal-caller who replaced new Notre Dame gradu- ate transfer Jack Coan at Wisconsin this past season. Mertz was also heavily recruited by the Irish as a high school prospect. ✦ GIMME FIVE Freshman Michael Mayer easily broke the Notre Dame freshman record for most recep- tions by a tight end, eclipsing the previous standard set by Kyle Rudolph in 2008 (29). Mayer's 42 grabs also tied him for the team lead with fifth-year senior wide receiver Javon McKinley — making him the first Notre Dame rookie since freshman eligibility was per- mitted in 1972 to pace the team in catches. Overall, his total number of catches trailed only one other freshman ever at Notre Dame, Michael Floyd, who finished second to sopho- more Golden Tate in receptions in 2008. Here are the five most catches by a Fighting Irish freshman in one season, be it wideout, tight end or running back: Rk. Player (Year) No.-Yds.-TD 1. Michael Floyd (2008) 48-719-7 2. Michael Mayer (2020) 42-450-2 3. Duval Kamara (2007) 32-357-4 4. Kyle Rudolph (2008) 29-340-2 5. Tim Brown (1984) 28-340-1 Note: Floyd, Rudolph and Brown all became first-round picks, as did Tony Hunter, whose 27 catches in 1979 averaged a whopping 25.6 yards and included two scores. 2021 HEISMAN TROPHY ODDS Per BetOnline.com Pos. Player Team Odds QB Spencer Rattler Oklahoma 5/1 QB D.J. Uiagalelei Clemson 7/1 QB Sam Howell UNC* 7/1 QB Bryce Young Alabama 12/1 QB D'Eriq King Miami 12/1 QB JT Daniels Georgia 12/1 QB Kedon Slovis USC* 12/1 RB Breece Hall Iowa State 14/1 RB Brian Robinson Jr. Alabama 14/1 QB Emory Jones Florida 14/1 QB Jayden Daniels Arizona State 14/1 QB Michael Penix Jr. Indiana 14/1 QB Tyler Shough Oregon 14/1 RB Bijan Robinson Texas 16/1 QB Brock Purdy Iowa State 16/1 QB Graham Mertz Wisconsin* 16/1 RB Kyren Williams Notre Dame 16/1 * Notre Dame will face in 2021 Wideout Michael Floyd reeled in 48 receptions for 719 yards and seven scores as a freshman in 2008. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA