Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MAY 2022 21 simple as giving him the ball and letting him loose. But Rees has at his disposal a sampler plate of running backs that makes Bobby Flay's kitchen look bare. And he has an offensive line coached by the guy who crafted Notre Dame's rep- utation as "O-Line U" during his first stint with the program from 2012-17. Running backs coach Deland Mc- Cullough said he's "extremely comfort- able and confident" with junior Chris Tyree, sophomores Logan Diggs and Audric Estime, and freshmen Jadarian Price and Gi'Bran Payne at his disposal. Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand is working with arguably the best up-and- coming tackle tandem in the country in sophomores Joe Alt and Blake Fisher. His line is anchored by graduate student center Jarrett Patterson and graduate student right guard Josh Lugg. That's it. That's where the offense starts. And it's most likely where it ends. If Buchner does win the quarterback battle, it wouldn't be wise to ask him to throw the ball 30 or 40 times at the Horseshoe in Columbus. Ride the running game. Give everything else some time to progress and improve. Odds are those players, Buchner included, are going to need it. Here's a look at why that is. 1. QUARTERBACK COMPETITION TAKES SHAPE Pro: Tyler Buchner tucked 13 spring practices under his belt. Con: He rolled his ankle walking down a set of stairs while speaking to a professor prior to the 14th and subsequently wasn't able to suit up for the Blue-Gold Game. So not only did the 33,754 fans at Notre Dame Stadium not get to see their potential starting quarterback in ac- tion, but a heavy burden was placed on Drew Pyne's shoulders in the process. Pyne played quarterback for both teams for the entirety of the first half. Mini- mal rest and little continuity switching back and forth from the Blue to the Gold made for a frustrating, inconsistent day from the junior signal-caller. If we're to believe Freeman when he said the competition between Buchner and Pyne was pure all spring, then a sub- par performance in a spring game likely did little to pull Pyne out of the race. It couldn't have helped, though. Buchner's injury remained the biggest story of the weekend, even bigger than early enrollee freshman Steve Angeli's heroics in lead- ing the Gold team to a walk-off win over the Blue squad. That says everything about the future of the position. Buchner is being banked on to be the guy. Period. "I don't think last year was a com- plete representation of who I am as a player," Buchner said of a true freshman campaign in which he was primarily used to provide a change of pace from graduate student Jack Coan's pass-first approach. "I really wanted to help the team win. Last year, what I needed to do was be a change-up, package quar- terback. "It just so happened I ran the ball more than I threw it." Does Buchner have what it takes to live up to immensely high expectations? Again, to be determined. Everyone knows he can run. That fits into Free- man's philosophy, even if he's more of a burner than a bruiser. Based on the prac- tices open to the media, he's also becom- ing more and more of a polished passer. So, if his arm is on par with Pyne's or possibly — or probably, even — better and Buchner is by far the superior runner, then read between the lines. Buchner has more upside than his older position mate. Potential doesn't always equate to production, though, so this battle is go- ing to bleed into fall camp and run right up to the season opener. That's generally the way it goes when two inexperienced signal-callers are going at it. 2. WIDE RECEIVER ROOM REMAINS MURKY AT BEST Notre Dame's deepest fears manifested during the Blue-Gold Game. The wide receiver situation is concerning indeed. Sophomore Lorenzo Styles, the No. 1 pick among wideouts in the Blue-Gold Game draft, finished with zero catches. He could have had an easy one on a screen, but Pyne threw the ball over his head. The only other thing he did was draw a pass in- terference penalty. Spring game statistics Breakout Players Sophomore WR Jayden Thomas The Irish need a couple things to happen within the wide receiver room. Sophomores Lorenzo Styles and Deion Colzie have to be big-time producers despite a lack of presence in the Blue-Gold Game, while graduate students Braden Lenzy, Avery Davis and Joe Wilkins Jr. have to be consistent. All three have history with injuries. That can't keep happening. Lastly, Notre Dame needs someone who wasn't really a factor in 2021 to have phenomenal year in 2022. There aren't many options, so the compass points to Thomas. There is not an Irish wide receiver who has received more praise in the last five months than Thomas. He's big, he's physical, he's ready for his moment. He led all wideouts with four catches for 39 yards in the Blue-Gold Game, and he also had a 22-yard gain on an end around. Clearly, Notre Dame wants to get him involved. So far, so good. Sophomore OL Rocco Spindler Could Notre Dame have not one, not two but three true sophomores starting along the offensive line? Yes. It's entirely possible. Spindler created a position battle where nobody really expected one. Senior Andrew Kristofic did more than enough in 2021 to hold onto a starting spot at left guard in 2022. But there is not one player on the team who has been handed a No. 1 role. Everything has been earned. Or, in this case, still has to be earned. Spindler is a bit heftier than Kristofic. When he channels power into the right places, he's likely a little stronger too. He's not yet the sophomore sensation Joe Alt and Blake Fisher are expected to be, but he took a huge step in spring practices. That first step was critical; it should allow him to keep taking more. Freshman RB Jadarian Price The early enrollee cracks this list, and yet he still might only get a few carries here and a few carries there in 2022. That's how deep the Notre Dame running back room is. Price isn't on here just because he led all players in yards from scrimmage (116) in the Blue-Gold Game, either. He was a standout all spring. He runs with a low center of gravity that makes him tough to tackle even though he's only listed at 190 pounds. He might also be as fast as anyone on the roster. Who wants to see him in a foot race with Chris Tyree? All hands should be raised. What Price did this spring is going to make it difficult for Tommy Rees and Deland McCullough to keep him off the field this fall. If Tyree is the best pass-catching back on the Irish roster, then Price is a close second. He can do things with the ball in his hands in space Logan Diggs and Audric Estime can't. There should be room in the huddle for a guy like that. — Tyler Horka