Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2021 27 to use his speed, both of which were concerns a season ago. Head coach Brian Kelly said Lenzy is in the best shape of his life, though, and he has been making catches in practice Kelly had not previously seen him make before. This could be Lenzy's time to shatter his career high of 11 catches in one season. 23. QB DREW PYNE Even though Wisconsin grad transfer Jack Coan is Notre Dame's opening- night starter, there's not quite the same amount of certainty around him as QB1 as there was with predecessor Ian Book. If Coan falters and Notre Dame goes a different direction at quarterback, Pyne becomes as important as anyone on the roster because he would step into the starting role. Coan's experi- ence and fall camp performance are encouraging, but grad transfer quar- terbacks aren't a sure thing. Pyne's own growth this offseason can't be understated. The sophomore will be in position to pounce if there are bumps. 24. LB MARIST LIUFAU Liufau had a bit of an up-and- down season in 2020. Per Pro Foot- ball Focus, he finished his sopho- more season as the lowest-graded qualifying player on the Notre Dame defense. And yet, he was the highest- graded Irish pass rusher. Liufau must do much more than rush the passer to find himself on the field as a staple in Notre Dame's defense. If he proves capable of cov- ering routes in the flats and reliable in running up on ball carriers to stop them near the line of scrimmage, then he could be one of the Irish's most impactful defensive players. 25. K JONATHAN DOERER Kickers with range are a commod- ity in college football. In two years as Notre Dame's primary field-goal kicker, Doerer has shown he pos- sesses it. He has drilled three at- tempts from at least 50 yards in his career. His 2019 season was a strong one — he made 85 percent of his kicks and missed zero extra points. But Doerer struggled in 2020, con- necting on just 65.2 percent of his field goal attempts. He ended the sea- son by missing five of his final nine tries. He's less of a no-doubt reliable weapon heading into his final sea- son and instead a player Notre Dame needs to see find his old form. ✦ Five Breakout Players For 2021 These five players didn't make the top 25 but have a chance to establish themselves as important pieces with their presumed bump in workload. 1. WR Lawrence Keys III If Braden Lenzy can't stay healthy, Keys will have plenty of opportunities to get playing time at field receiver. He's a viable backup for Avery Davis in the slot, too. The 5-11, 176-pounder is a shifty wideout who can make plays from multiple positions. He burned Kyle Hamilton in a one-on- one drill early in fall camp. Head coach Brian Kelly immediately told him, "We need that from you every day." If that is ultimately what he can do daily, then Keys will make an impact in his senior season. 2. DE Jordan Botelho Isaiah Foskey could be auditioning for the NFL Draft this season. If that's the case, then Notre Dame is going to want to know what it has in Foskey's backup: Botelho. The 6-2½, 245-pound sophomore defensive end is as versatile a defensive lineman as any on the Irish roster. The pass-rushing, run-stopping and short-route-covering possibilities are endless for Botelho. His snaps in relief of Foskey or wherever else de- fensive coordinator Marcus Freeman decides to place him will be watched closely. 3. OL Tosh Baker All the talk related to the battle to start at left tackle always seems to cir- cle back to true freshman Blake Fisher. There are reasons for that, the main one being Fisher 's 6-6, 335-pound frame. But what if Fisher just isn't ready to start at such an important position? Notre Dame would have to turn to someone else in that instance, and that someone else could be the 6-8, 307-pound sophomore. Don't be surprised if Baker emerges as the Irish's left tackle while Fisher finds himself as a collegiate athlete. 4. CB Ramon Henderson Whether it be in relief of Cam Hart at boundary cornerback or if he emerges as Freeman's main nickel corner, the sophomore Henderson is in a prime position to get serious playing time. Hart is not a proven commodity, either. If it doesn't work out for him as a starter, Henderson is in line to take over. Henderson is a physical defensive back at 6-1, 190 pounds. He could play any of the three corner posi- tions. He'll likely find himself doing so at in least one of them this season. 5. DT Rylie Mills The hope for Notre Dame is that senior Jayson Ademilola makes the most of his first chance to be a year-long starter in an Irish uniform. If he doesn't? This sophomore is waiting for his chance. Mills gained 10 pounds from the spring to fall camp, and Kelly mentioned him as one of five defensive players who had the most transformative offseason. Look out for Mills in 2021. — Patrick Engel Senior wideout Lawrence Keys III has made 18 catches for 185 yards during the past two seasons. PHOTO BY ANDRIS VISOCKIS