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tight ends But it's easy to forget about Alex Welch, who went down with an ACL tear in fall camp during the first practice in full pads and missed all of 2012. Welch (6-3, 245), who did not play as a freshman and worked primarily on special teams in 2011, entered the fall second on the depth chart behind Eifert prior to the injury. His goal is to position himself near the top again after a year on the sideline. "It's not so much of a hope but what we're going to progress to," Booker said. "We saw what he was capable of doing and so we feel like we're going to get back to that." At the time, and probably still, Welch had the widest range of skills of the three. "He gets a lot of credit from us, the coaches," Booker said. "I don't know about anybody else, but we give him a lot of credit for his hands because he has probably the best or close to the best hands on the team — softest hands." Welch was in line for extensive duty in 2012, but he tore his ACL during an Aug. 8 scrimmage, further necessitating Niklas' presence 12.83 28 By The Numbers Average yards per catch by tight ends in Brian Kelly's three seasons at Notre Dame. Receptions by Kyle Rudolph as a freshman in 2008. Now a third-year pro with the Minnesota Vikings (and the 2013 Pro Bowl MVP), Rudolph had 340 receiving yards in 13 starts for the most remarkable season by a Notre Dame freshman tight end in school history. The number of receptions by Tyler Eifert in 2012 that resulted in a touchdown or first down. He also led the team with 12 catches of at last 20 yards. 36 in the lineup. Maintaining Notre Dame's prestige at the position is a high priority for Welch. "I wouldn't say it's a pressure," he said. "It's kind of like a prestige. You feel good about yourself to be part of the tight ends at the University of Notre Dame." Early enrollee Mike Heuerman got a jump on incoming freshman Durham Smythe (6-5, 230), but at 6-4 and 220 pounds there's some work to be done at the training table and in the weight room before he's ready to be seriously considered for action in 2013. Heuerman, a product of Barron Collier High in Naples, Fla., earned a reputation more for his work at defensive end during a sicknessshortened senior campaign in 2012. He registered 23 catches for 340 yards and five scores in 2011. His brother, Jeff, is a tight end entering his junior year at Ohio State. Smythe caught 37 passes for 547 yards and six touchdowns as a senior at Belton High in Texas last year. Another addition is former Irish basketball walk-on Joey Brooks (6‑6, 223), who opted to use his final year of athletic eligibility with the football team instead of hooping elsewhere (there wasn't a spot for him with the basketball team in 2013-14 and he wasn't used the previous season). However the depth chart shakes out, Booker explained that the plan is not based on replacing Eifert's production. "It's about the progression of the offense," he said. "Don't really look at how many yards Tyler had and say we have to replace it with this guy, this guy, that guy. "We're just looking to progress the offense in every aspect. And at tight end specifically, we're looking to progress the offense by being able to block in line and also being able to be a receiving threat down the field. However we can do that, we're able to do that." ✦ Two Is Better Than One Two-tight end alignments have been a part of head coach Brian Kelly's offensive scheme since he arrived in South Bend in 2010. In Kelly's three seasons at Notre Dame, the tight ends have produced in consistent fashion: 58 catches for 712 yards (12.3 yards per reception) and five touchdowns in 2010; 66 grabs for 826 yards (12.5 yards per catch) and five scores in 2011; and 58 receptions for 799 yards (13.7 yards per grab) and five touchdowns last season. In terms of traditional offensive production at that position, Koyack is probably the one to watch this year. However, he admitted in fall camp a season ago that he needed to work on his blocking ability. "You have to have your head in the right spot and your hands in the right spot," Koyack said. "Sometimes you get one and don't get the other … you have to be consistent." Koyack caught 62 passes for 1,031 yards and 11 touchdowns as a high school senior at Oil City (Pa.) High, averaging 16.6 yards per catch. Having played behind Eifert, he has recorded just four receptions for 44 yards over the past two seasons. There's a very good possibility he eclipses that total against Temple in the 2013 season opener. Asking him to fill Eifert's shoes immediately is a ridiculous request, but he has the ability to do some of the things Eifert did last fall, which would complement Niklas' nose for contact. "I would not put [Koyack] in a category with Tyler Eifert in terms of his ability to push vertically and ball skills," Kelly said. "But he's certainly a guy that's very capable of running option routes and a lot of the inside combination routes. We never played Eifert where Ben is right now. … We believe that he can help us in that inside slot position. "It's good to see him having fun and smiling. He's feeling good about himself. He's a big, strong kid that we always believed was an outstanding pass catcher. He struggled a little bit with his con- Junior Ben Koyack contributed four receptions for 44 yards while seeing action in 24 games the fidence, and I think you're seeing that confidence come back." past two seasons. — Wes Morgan photo by bill panzica 66 ✦ Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview 64-67.TEs.indd 66 6/25/13 1:01 PM