Blue and Gold Illustrated

Preseason 2021

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

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1402756

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 25 of 67

26 PRESEASON 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 19. WR AVERY DAVIS No wideout coming back from last year 's roster gained more receiving yards than Davis (322). The 5-11, 202-pound senior has at least dou- bled his reception total every year he has been in South Bend, too. He caught five passes in 2018, 10 in 2019 and 24 last year. Although he had two or fewer catches in the final five games of the season, it remains encouraging that Davis' best game of his career was his four-catch, 78-yard outing against Clemson last year. The Irish would not have knocked off the No. 1 Tigers without his 53-yard snag and subse- quent game-tying touchdown with 22 seconds remaining. 20. RB CHRIS TYREE Tyree averaged more yards per carry (6.8) than starter Kyren Wil- liams (5.3) a season ago. He has vi- sions of touchdown dances every time he gets the ball — no matter where he gets it — but the sopho- more can also move the sticks in short-yardage situations. The task for offensive coordina- tor Tommy Rees is finding a way for Tyree to get more touches without taking Williams out of the flow of the offense. The youngster deserves his looks, but how does he get them without those carries coming at the expense of Williams? The playing time conundrum is real in the Notre Dame running back room. 21. DT JAYSON ADEMILOLA Notre Dame's overall depth on the defensive line bumps him down, but Ademilola is set to move into a starting role as a senior and presumably play 300 to 350 snaps this year. That's a lot of playing time, and the Irish expect him to pick up where he left off in 2020. Ademilola was a disruptive inte- rior presence in 2019 and 2020 as a rotation player. The best two games of his career were Notre Dame's losses to Alabama and Clemson last year, when he totaled six quarterback pressures and 1.5 tackles for loss. 22. WR BRADEN LENZY Lenzy is a proven playmaker. Good things happen when the senior gets his hands on the ball. The question for Notre Dame is just how much will he get it? That will depend on Lenzy staying healthy and separat- ing from opposing defenders enough Sophomore running back and kick returner Chris Tyree ranked second on the team last season with 1,017 all- purpose yards (84.8 per game). PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Blue and Gold Illustrated - Preseason 2021