Dame's overall fortune. Niklas catching 25 to 30 passes this season would
seem attainable, although it wouldn't
necessarily define how productive he
is. Next to Tuitt, no player on the 2013
Irish roster might have a more NFLlike body than Niklas.
"He can be as good as he wants to
be," Notre Dame tight ends coach
Scott Booker said.
The Wild Cards
Every recruiting class — whether
ranked in the top five or not even the
top 50 — will have four or five leaders
that jump out in their first two years.
What separates it from an average
class to an impact or difference-making one is what players six through
12 (or even beyond) are able to add
beyond just being serviceable.
Two pivotal figures on offense and
defense include newbies in center
Nick Martin and linebacker Jarrett
Grace, who are featured more in-depth
in this edition.
Some of the other prime wild cards
among the juniors include running
George Atkinson III, who racked up 222 of his 388 career rushing yards in lopsided victories over Navy and
Miami last year, will aim for more consistency in 2013 in an effort to be the team's No. 1 ball carrier.
Photo by Bill Panzica
