Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com APRIL 2021 19 absence of rover Jeremiah Owusu- Koramoah, Notre Dame's third But- kus Award winner in nine years, leaves a significant void. The middle should remain a strength with the tandem of Drew White, a third-year starter, and Bo Bauer, one of the defense's most im- proved players in 2020. Nothing ever became established at weak-side linebacker (Will), where there were individual flashes but no sustained consistency. With Marist Liufau (22 tackles) entering his ju- nior year, this is his time to shine, otherwise sophomore Jack Kiser (20 tackles) or senior Shayne Simon (14 tackles), who excelled in the win ver- sus Clemson Nov. 7, could emerge. Kiser also could be an intriguing op- tion at rover, where Ohio State gradu- ate transfer Isaiah Pryor is the front- runner and senior Paul Moala will try to bounce back from an Achilles injury. Quality competition should be in abundance. 4T. TIGHT END Only at "Tight End U" can a junior (Tommy Tremble) turn pro a second straight year and a graduating senior (Brock Wright) also try his hand at the pros instead of returning for at least one more year — yet the posi- tion still remains a strength. The mere presence of sophomore stalwart Michael Mayer, whose 564 snaps were 92 more than Tremble, bolsters this group. We've often stated that 6-6 senior and former four-star recruit George Takacs would start at a lot of Power Five schools, and now is his time to display his wares to complement Mayer, who we would put up against any tight end in the country. Current freshman Kevin Bauman was the nation's No. 130 overall prospect per Rivals two years ago. 4T. SAFETY We have a tie with tight end due to the presence of a likely future first- rounder (maybe even as a junior) at the position group. While recovering from a sore an- kle suffered in the 2020 opener, Kyle Hamilton still earned first-, second- or third-team All-America notice as a sophomore, pacing the team in tack- les (63) and serving as the air control and aircraft carrier on the back end. Per The Athletic's Pete Sampson, Hamilton is expected to be limited from action this spring after a pro- cedure was performed on his ankle. Also encouraging is that when Hamilton was sidelined the entire second half (targeting infraction) against North Carolina's prolific of- fense, the Irish still completely shut down the Tar Heels to less than 100 total yards with juniors Houston Griffith and DJ Brown in the lineup. A former top-50 recruit, Griffith nearly transferred this winter before the staff convinced him to return, while Brown was a regular in the nickel package. 6. SPECIAL TEAMS Kicker Jonathan Doerer and punter Jay Bramblett return as third-year starters and proven commodities, al- though Doerer did falter last season in the late going despite converting a 51-yarder in the ACC Championship loss to Clemson. Also vital is a lot of the mainstays in coverage — Pryor, Bauer, Griffith and Kiser — return, while the return game with Tyree and possibly fresh- man wideout Lorenzo Styles Jr. could also improve. 7. OFFENSIVE LINE Four starters from the past three years are off to the NFL, and the fifth, senior center Jarrett Patterson, is re- covering from November foot sur- gery, and possibly could be tried at a new position if rising junior Zeke Correll continues his progress. Fifth-year senior Josh Lugg is an option at multiple positions with eight career starts to his credit. This position group has recruited among the top five in the country the past several years and has myriad options. The issue is more about de- veloping continuity and chemistry while trying to find the right posi- tions for everybody. 8. QUARTERBACK Wisconsin graduate transfer Jack Coan, with 18 career starts, could be- come a highly valued one-year stop- gap and productive figure the way wide receiver Ben Skowronek and cornerback Nick McCloud were on last year's CFP team. The depth is untested while junior Brendon Clark attempts to recover from a "cranky" knee that might limit him this spring. Sophomore Drew Pyne (25 snaps) plus early enrollee freshmen Tyler Buchner and Ron Powlus III vie to position themselves as the 2022 starter, if not in 2021. 9. WIDE RECEIVER No more "P word," or the constant reference to "potential." Like running back last year, this position group has the capability to Fifth-year senior Josh Lugg can play multiple positions and boasts eight career starts, which should aid an offensive line that needs retooling after the departure of four starters. PHOTO BY ANDRIS VISOCKIS MOST CAREER STARTS Listed are the career starts breakdown on of- fense and defense at Notre Dame exclusively, with the parentheses indicating the number of starts in 2020: OFFENSE C Jarrett Patterson — 21 (8) RB Kyren Williams — 12 (12) OL Josh Lugg — 8 (3) WR Avery Davis — 4 (4) WR Lawrence Keys — 3 (0) TE Michael Mayer — 3 (3) WR Braden Lenzy — 3 (1) C Zeke Correll — 2 (2) G Dillan Gibbons 1 (1) Note: Wisconsin graduate transfer quarterback Jack Coan has 18 career starts, 14 in 2019. DEFENSE NT Kurt Hinish — 25 (12) MLB Drew White — 24 (12) DT Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa — 21 (9) S Kyle Hamilton —12 (11) LB Shayne Simon — 8 (8) CB TaRiq Bracy — 8 (6) CB Clarence Lewis — 6 (6) S Houston Griffith — 3 (2) LB Marist Liufau — 3 (3) DT Jayson Ademilola — 2 (2) LB Jack Kiser — 1 (1) DT Rylie Mills — 1 (1)