Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1466176
32 MAY 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED receiver with a similar build to Colzie's 6-4¾, 207-pound frame. He could lock up a starting spot with a strong spring. That didn't happen, though. There's still time this summer for him to make a move, but he has to fend off freshman Tobias Merriweather and a likely trans- fer portal addition. Elsewhere, wide receiver Jayden Thomas built on an encouraging De- cember bowl prep showing to put him- self further in the mix for a rotation spot. He has worked at all three posi- tions, but projects best at one of the two outside spots. Evans is fighting for the No. 2 tight end role behind junior Mi- chael Mayer. His receiving skills have consistently shown up in the spring. The 5-11, 228-pound Estime displayed open-field ability and lateral quickness in spring practice that suggests he could be more than a short-yardage back, per- haps as soon as this season. Rocco Spindler's first-team reps last spring turned out to be more reflective of Notre Dame's guard problems than his own readiness. He played two games in 2021 and was not the first guard called on when Notre Dame pulled Zeke Correll out of the lineup midseason. The Irish tabbed senior-to-be Andrew Kristofic instead. Spindler earned some first-team work this spring, but is he really going to unseat Kristofic and graduate student Josh Lugg? It feels like a long shot. Even if so, his push makes a starting job in 2023 all the more likely. On defense, interior lineman Gabriel Rubio was the No. 2 nose tackle in the spring. He will compete with Harvard graduate transfer Chris Smith for that job when Smith enrolls in June. A nat- ural and realistic progression for him would be claiming it this year and com- peting to start in 2023. Kicker Josh Bryan had a clear path to succeeding Jonathan Doerer before Notre Dame brought in Arkansas State graduate transfer Blake Grupe. The place-kicking competition will likely stretch into fall camp. Bryan is still the kicker of the future, even if Grupe's presence means he's less likely to be the answer in the present. SUPPORT SYSTEM AND DEEP CUTS A realistic path for Kollie after his special teams contributions last year would be winning the No. 2 will line- backer role this season and starting in 2023. He's leaner and more comfortable after a freshman year in which he said the typical first-year hurdles dragged him down. The same two-year outlook is a good goal for cornerback Ryan Barnes, even though he redshirted last season. Barnes took most of the first-team reps in se- nior Cam Hart's spot this spring while Hart recovered from shoulder surgery. He's the favorite to back up Hart this year. Cornerback Philip Riley has repped at nickel behind graduate student TaRiq Bracy, who's in his last season. Tight end Cane Berrong would have likely been in the thick of the spring No. 2 tight end battle, but his ACL tear re- covery kept him out of action. He tore it in October, ending his season after three games. He will try to make a move in fall camp. Defensive tackle Jason Onye, safety Justin Walters, rover Will Schweitzer and cornerback Chance Tucker might be looking at 2023 for their opportuni- ties to claim two-deep spots, but each had some good moments in the spring. In particular, Onye's motor impressed, but he's still raw and would benefit from another year of development behind the scenes. Quarterback Ron Powlus III is No. 4 on the depth chart. Offensive tackle Caleb Johnson was the second-team right tackle, but Alt and Fisher will likely block his path to starting the next two years. Center Jar- rett Patterson's return for a fifth season means lineman Pat Coogan is probably a year away from seeing the two-deep. He did not practice in the spring due to a meniscus tear but could fit at any of the three interior spots. SUMMARY The typical Year 1 to Year 2 jump in class impact may be smaller than nor- mal given how many of the 2021 group's members earned meaningful roles as freshmen. Buchner, though, is as pivotal to this season's outlook as any other player on the roster. He's just one of 24 sophomores, but a breakout season could make an already promising class one of the program's most fruitful in a while and the backbone of the initial years of the Marcus Freeman era. ✦ Blake Fisher became the first Notre Dame freshman offensive lineman to start a season opener since 2006. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER