Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 5, 2022 17 riweather said, " because we ran it all week — 'If you get this look, you're go- ing to score.' But you can't fathom in your brain scoring in front of 80,000. I watched it back, and I'm like, 'Is that even me?' It's just a surreal moment. It'll take me a while to digest." It made clear he had digested his new setting, though, at least enough to pro- vide periodic help to a Notre Dame re- ceiving corps that doesn't have a blend of speed, length and fluidity like his. Recent weeks have offered more evi- dence of the Irish staff's trust in him. One game before his first catch, he was on the field for multiple third downs against BYU and played in the second half. One week after it, he logged 23 snaps vs. UNLV, more than double the prior week's total of 10 plays. Merriweather speaks with the eager- ness of an 18-year- old freshman but the perspective of a senior. He's com- fortable enough to call Rees "Tommy" and "TR"— as he did during his mid-October gathering with reporters. He's driven enough to treat the touch- down as a starting point, not an arrival. The play was possible because he had the drive to push through freshman chal- lenges and embrace that the path there might not be short or obstacle-free. "Learning the offense, learning ev- erything, learning what we're trying to do against defenses, learning cover- ages, where the soft spots are and all that stuff has just been a process," Mer- riweather said. "But I love learning." NOTHING EASY IS WORTH DOING Anyone who was at a practice early in Notre Dame's preseason camp ought to have left impressed by Merriweather gliding down the field on 10-yard curls in warmups or hauling in jump balls in red-zone drills. One look confirmed he was a rare breed that offered some- thing unique to Notre Dame's offense. By that point, he had already filled out his 6-foot-4 frame to about 200 pounds during summer workouts. As camp went on, though, Mer- riweather remained with the second- team offense. He took DNPs against Ohio State and Marshall to begin the season. Notre Dame fans shouted through keyboards about his lack of participation. They were incredulous. But Merriweather understood a camp highlight reel wasn't a ticket to the field. He also knew a couple quiet games didn't have to draw the curtains on his freshman season. "It's not that Tommy didn't want to play me," Merriweather said. "He told me he wants to play me, but I have to be ready. Because imagine if I go in that moment and I'm not ready for it." He and Notre Dame's coaches didn't have to imagine. Everyone saw that play against Cal. Asked about it two days later, head coach Marcus Freeman gave a point-blank answer. "Our coaches have to earn more trust in Tobias," Freeman said. "We have to be better coaches so we have more trust in Tobias, and Tobias has to meet the coaches halfway and make sure he's do- ing the exact things he needs to do." None of that was news to Merri- weather. He understood why he was in that position. He knew how to get him- self out of it: seek constant coaching, understand the requirements and come close to wearing out his welcome in re- ceivers coach Chansi Stuckey's office. If it all sounds demanding, it is. That's what Merriweather wants. "Nothing easy is worth doing," he said. That mentality is how he pushed through the grind of preseason camp and summer workouts. They never became a cakewalk. He just learned to thrive with the demands. "It didn't get easier, but I got used to it being hard," Merriweather said. "That's just a big testament to what col- lege is. No one can be perfect every day, unless you're Mike Mayer." If he needed a reminder he wouldn't be perfect, picking up Notre Dame's playbook offered him one. As much as he loved learning, he had to do a lot of it with the offense. It couldn't be con- densed into a few weeks of camp. That's part of the reason he expected a gradual phasing into Notre Dame's plans coming out of camp. He was con- tent to bide time and find enjoyment in the buildup. "I don't think I really had an under- standing of playing time," Merriweather said. "I didn't really care where I was. If I get in, I get in. But I just want to get better, because I have time." BUILDING TRUST Notre Dame was going to work Mer- riweather into the offense as his prog- ress dictated, but the sooner he crossed the threshold of playing, the better for the Irish passing offense. Notre Dame receivers other than Merriweather have combined to catch 49 passes for 611 yards and 3 touchdowns through seven games. Only once have they combined for 10 receptions in a game. There are other reasons for that mod- est production, but it's not a group that has elevated Notre D a m e 's o f f e n s e e a c h we e k . O n e freshman isn't the cure, but he can be an occasional spark in a specific role. That's what Notre Dame was looking for when it called a play for him in the third quarter against Stanford. Merriweather ran a corner route from the slot and beat safety Kendall Williamson, who had him one- on-one with no help. Pyne overshot him. Merriweather against man cover- age was the matchup the Irish wanted, though. One quarter later, the Irish called another shot for Merriweather, this time on a post route. He again shed Williamson's coverage, and Pyne hit him. " T h e m a tc h u p a ga i n s t sa fe t i e s, they're not always the fastest guys," Merriweather said. "I'm long, I use my length well and I'm really fast." Added Rees: "We felt like we could get him matched up on a safety with some cushion." It was part of the group of plays Notre Dame has tagged specifically for Mer- riweather. The more equity he builds, the more that collection of plays for him grows. And the less confined to them he becomes. "They've been clear on what they've needed from me, and obviously I did what I needed to do to get on the field," Merriweather said. "They trust me now, and I just need to take advantage of it." ✦ "[The Irish coaches have] been clear on what they've needed from me, and obviously I did what I needed to do to get on the field. They trust me now, and I just need to take advantage of it." MERRIWEATHER