Blue and Gold Illustrated

August 2021

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2021 19 practice as candidates to start. Bu- chner 's splashy spring game made the possibility of involving him feel plausible. All three of them play positions that present Kelly with new hurdles. The offensive line returns just 31 ca- reer starts and one starter, though Marshall graduate transfer guard Cain Madden matches that number by himself. At quarterback, Notre Dame brought in a graduate trans- fer for the first time to help replace departed three-year starter Ian Book. "It's probably the youngest we've been on the offensive line in a long time," Kelly said. "That's the first thing that stands out. And the inexperience at wide receiver. The quarterback, we've had inexperience at that position before and we've handled it quite well. "With Jack Coan, we have a vet- eran quarterback coming in. I'm less concerned with the lack of experience there with a guy who has played in the Power Five and in the Big Ten. But those are going to be areas of de- velopment that we're going to have to get going right away in camp." As important and unsettled as they are, the spring illuminated a defense that resembles a top-level unit under first-year coordinator Marcus Free- man's leadership. The defensive line's dominance was arguably the story of spring game. Unanimous All-American line- backer Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is gone, but fellow All-American and projected top-10 pick Kyle Hamilton returns at safety. There were impres- sive flashes from some of the players vying for open jobs. If Notre Dame is going places in 2021, its defense might lead it there. "We have a great deal of leadership on defense," Kelly said. "We have ex- perience there. We're going to have to play to our strengths. This year, our defense is really going to have to be part of how we play offense. In other words, our defense is going to have to set up our offense in short fields. "We have to have that as part our tactical awareness in the way we play the game." That sure hints at which side of the ball needs more progress for Notre Dame to meet Kelly's challenge. Fisher and Spindler's fast acclima- tion and growth in the spring launched them into consideration to start. Coan wasn't a superstar at Wisconsin, but he was an efficient and effective pilot with strong pocket poise. The spring game offered some hope he can be the same for the Irish. Kelly and his staff remain confident senior Kevin Austin Jr. can spark the receiving corps and provide explosiveness when he returns in Au- gust from a foot fracture. All told, there was growth this spring at those key spots. Can they ascend further? Can his whole team? The answers will determine if Kelly exits 2021 with multiple career milestones and the utmost achieve- ment instead of one. ✦ "I may get more wins than Knute Rockne, but personally I don't see that as a great achievement. … I see it as longevity and consistency in performance more so than achievement." KELLY ON PASSING ROCKNE ON NOTRE DAME'S ALL-TIME WINS LIST

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