Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JUNE/JULY 2021 43 BY PATRICK ENGEL I n an overwhelming majority of cases, it's asking a lot of a fresh- man to hop into a week one role and become a bankable asset. But to ask one to contribute in his first season amid a pandemic that wrecked normal offseason opera- tions, squashed advantages of en- rolling early and presented countless college life acclimation hurdles? Whew. No one would blame any 18- or 19-year-old if he spent last season swimming upstream. The four Notre Dame freshmen that held notable roles last year, then, are worthy of every commendation. Some were expected, or at least unsurprising. Top-100 recruits Mi- chael Mayer and Chris Tyree had ad- vanced skill sets and openings for snaps at their respective tight end and running back positions. Others, no one could possibly have seen coming. Cornerback Clarence Lewis was a three-star recruit and perhaps the least heralded of the three corners in his class. Yet there he was on the opening-week depth chart, out of nowhere, listed as a co-starter after impressing behind closed doors. He took over as the primary field corner in the second half of the year. Lastly, Rylie Mills working his way into a crowded defensive tackle rota- tion and a brief moment as the No. 2 was a testament to his preparation and skill set. In a normal year, six of the 17 play- ers in Notre Dame's 2020 recruiting class would have used up their first year of eligibility. Mayer, Tyree, Mills, Lewis, defensive end Jordan Botelho and cornerback Ramon Henderson appeared in more than four games, the maximum one can play to pre- serve redshirt status. The NCAA, though, gave everyone on a 2020 roster a de facto redshirt year. It decided last season wouldn't count toward any player's eligibility clock. As a result, all 17 rising sopho- mores have four seasons of eligibility left and five years in which to use them. Theoretically, any member of Notre Dame's 2020 class could red- shirt this coming season and then play four more — totaling six years in college. Chances are few, if any, will do that. It also feels safe to say the per- centage who stick around for a fifth season won't change much. Long- term scholarship space ripple effects from the NCAA's decision might even make it decrease. Like most of its recent recruiting classes, Notre Dame can expect a few of its late-risers to use that fifth year. But that number is often equaled or exceeded by starters who choose to head to the NFL and reserves that take a graduate transfer seeking a starting job elsewhere. The 2017 class, for example, has seven players who are back for a fifth year (two of them are using the free COVID-19 season), five who declared for the draft with eligibility remain- ing or never redshirted, and five who graduated and entered the transfer portal. None of those five graduate transfers were projected rotation play- ers this season at Notre Dame. But that's all down the road. This year should provide a few more opportunities for the sopho- more class to populate the two-deep. Some second-years who don't end up on it ought to see increased spe- cial teams roles. Where might those chances come? How likely is it another sophomore joins Mayer and Lewis as a starter, or Mills and Tyree as impact rota- tion players? What's the sophomore encore for those four? What's the long-term outlook for some others, and can they help build balance and depth in this class? FAST-IMPACT FOURSOME Notre Dame would have been in a healthy spot at tight end in 2020 if it gave the reins to then-junior Tommy Tremble. He had a productive 16-catch season as Cole Kmet's backup in 2019 and was a plus blocker. Mayer still forced his way into the picture and led the position with 564 snaps. His 42 catches tied for the team lead. He didn't just have an impact as a freshman. He swindled No. 1 tight end duties from a future day-two draft pick. Tremble entered 2020 with plenty of buzz and considerable upside. The NFL valued him because of that po- tential. Yet it was Mayer who proved to be Notre Dame's most reliable re- ceiving target. Forget about a fifth year. One wonders if he will even be around for his fourth. Mayer created a role for himself because the Irish couldn't keep him off the field. Lewis stepped in when Notre Dame needed a reboot. He quickly gained the coaching staff's trust upon arriv- ing in June and earned the co-starter designation for the season opener, though he didn't play a defensive snap that week. Junior TaRiq Bracy, the other co-starter, saw all the work. The next week, though, with Bracy out, Lewis started against South Florida and broke up three passes. He played occasionally as Bracy's backup until Nov. 7 against Clemson. Eight plays into that game, Bracy gave up a 53-yard touchdown. De- ciding it was time for a change, Kelly and defensive coordinator Clark Lea shuttled Lewis in and left him there the rest of the game. Lewis started four of the final five games. In the one exception, he again relieved an ineffective Bracy. All told, he made 33 tackles and broke up seven passes in 2020. Tyree and Mills weren't every- down players, but each was involved in the game plan most every week. Tyree's home-run ability netted him the No. 2 running back gig behind Kyren Williams and the primary kick returner job. He ran for 496 yards on 73 carries, with four touchdowns, and added eight receptions. Notre Dame's main goal for Tyree this year? Increase his touches from 6.75 per game while still supplying Williams with a heavy dose of work. STAR POWER Led by four 2020 standouts, the impact of the sophomore class should be notable this season Tight end Michael Mayer tied for the team lead in catches last year (42) and could find himself as the clear go-to target in 2021. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS